Zhang Lexuan stared absentmindedly at the back of Huo Yuhao as he busied himself in the kitchen.
...Not going against my heart?
Love?
What exactly is love?
To be honest, Zhang Lexuan didn't quite understand her own heart, but she felt that being with Huo Yuhao was far more joyful than being with Bei Bei.
But then again, she was more than ten years older than Huo Yuhao, and they were teacher and student. If they were together, wouldn't that be...
Besides, Xiaotao clearly had similar feelings for Huo Yuhao. It all felt very strange.
How should she choose?
"Sister Lexuan, Sister Lexuan..."
It wasn't until Ma Xiaotao came over and shook her shoulder that Zhang Lexuan finally snapped back to reality.
"Dinner is ready, let's eat."
Looking at the table filled with a dazzling array of mouth-watering delicacies, Zhang Lexuan, who hadn't been particularly hungry, suddenly felt her appetite surge.
Since things had come to this, she might as well eat first.
Generally speaking, girls like them didn't eat dinner, or ate very little, for a very simple purpose: maintaining their figures.
Commonly known as—dieting.
Dieting is easy; many people have been "insisting" on it for decades... but then again, how can one have the strength to lose weight without eating enough?
Rubbing her slightly bulging belly with satisfaction, Zhang Lexuan looked at Ma Xiaotao, who wore an equally satisfied expression, and shook her head with a wry smile.
Staying by this kid's side every day, it'll be impossible not to get fat.
"Ahem... right, little Yuhao, I've approved your leave request. You can head home directly next week."
Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up, and he beamed with joy. "Really? Thank you, Teacher Lexuan!"
Zhang Lexuan glared at him playfully. "Don't get too ahead of yourself. Things are a bit busy here at the Academy, so I can't leave just yet. But you are not allowed to slack off on your cultivation!"
Little Huo nodded like a chick pecking grain. "Of course, of course... I'll definitely work hard on my cultivation at home."
"Uh..." Huo Yuhao hesitated for a moment. "Are Teacher Lexuan and Sister Xiaotao coming to visit my place in a few days too?"
Zhang Lexuan answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Of course. As a teacher, I naturally have to show concern for my student's family situation."
Ma Xiaotao also nodded repeatedly. "I still need your help to suppress my evil fire. Besides, you need to practice the [Soul Power Combustion Enhancement Method] I taught you more often."
Well... his house was quite large. There were enough spare rooms for two more people to sleep in.
Naturally, Huo Yuhao couldn't be unhappy about his esteemed teacher and senior visiting his home. But on the other hand, he couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy.
He had a feeling that something extraordinary would happen when the time came...
Originally, he had planned to return to his own dormitory to rest after dinner, but Zhang Lexuan suggested that he and Ma Xiaotao just sleep in her dormitory.
And then...
Squeezed in the middle of the floor between Ma Xiaotao and Zhang Lexuan, Huo Yuhao stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.
The bed in Zhang Lexuan's dorm wasn't big enough for three people, so after some deliberation, they decided to just sleep on the floor.
The student dormitories in the Shrek Inner Court were all luxurious two-story villas. The living room was large enough to easily accommodate three people.
Fortunately, the living room floor was covered with a thick animal-skin rug. It was soft and furry, so he likely wouldn't wake up with a backache.
The two women flanked Huo Yuhao, making it impossible for him to escape. Moreover, their nightgowns were a bit too "refreshing," making Huo Yuhao afraid to even turn his head...
Even so, as he rested his head on the pillow and relaxed his entire body, his thoughts immediately began to drift, wrapping him like the blanket on his body.
About ten minutes later, he felt something moving across his face. The movement was very light, but Huo Yuhao still woke up, blinking his eyes in confusion.
Zhang Lexuan, who was lying on her side facing him, gave a slightly apologetic smile, and then her mental power transmission rang in his ear.
"Sorry for waking you. I thought I was being quite gentle..."
Huo Yuhao shook his head slightly. "...It's fine, I wasn't asleep yet."
"Consider it a small selfishness of mine... I just can't help myself when I see you..." As she spoke, the strength in Zhang Lexuan's jade-like hand increased, and she began to stroke his face somewhat wantonly.
Huo Yuhao: "..."
He was often subjected to this face-stroking in Zhang Lexuan's office, so he had actually grown quite accustomed to it.
Then, appearing to have had her fill, Zhang Lexuan's fingers stopped near Huo Yuhao's eyes. She gently brushed over them, playing with his long, pale blue eyelashes.
His eyes are so beautiful. Is this the wonder of a body martial soul? Zhang Lexuan thought as her fingers swept across his eyes.
It was a very strange feeling; when looking into those blue eyes that resembled the sky, she truly felt a sense of mental emptiness and peace.
"Little Yuhao..." Zhang Lexuan reached out and silently grasped Huo Yuhao's hand. "You're still young and don't understand things like feelings—of course, I don't really understand them either."
"But in the future, when this is no longer something frowned upon by the world, you must give a proper response..."
Her voice grew lower and lower. Then, as if she didn't want to say any more, Zhang Lexuan slowly closed her eyes, but she did not let go of Huo Yuhao's hand.
Huo Yuhao waited for a while but received no further response. It seemed his brain had also exhausted its mental energy; he closed his eyes, his consciousness faded, and he fell into a deep sleep.
...
A week later.
After bidding farewell to Zhang Lexuan and Ma Xiaotao, Huo Yuhao sprinted toward the Star Net Empire without looking back.
Before I knew it, I could run this fast... Huo Yuhao couldn't help but think as he watched the surrounding trees and scenery blur past him in a frantic retreat.
He could have used a flying soul tool to help him fly back to Star Net City, but upon second thought, he chose not to.
As the national capital, Star Net City's anti-air defenses—though not as formidable as those of Radiant City in the Sun Moon Empire—were still not to be underestimated. To avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, it was best to keep a low profile.
However, Huo Yuhao didn't head directly to Star Net City. Instead, he went to the Ming Du Mountains located on the western border.
He had a few things he wanted to figure out for himself.
Including breaks for food and travel time, it took only one day for Huo Yuhao to arrive within a thirty-mile radius of the Star Net military camp at the foot of the Ming Du Mountains.
Gazing into the distance, the military camp was built along the reverse slope of the Ming Du Mountains. From afar, the tents stretched for over a hundred miles along the back of the mountain. On the side of the camp facing west, the undulating city walls were over thirty meters high, and their width reached nearly fifty meters.
Soldiers bustled back and forth within the camp; their numbers were roughly estimated to be over a hundred thousand.
But...
Huo Yuhao's heart sank. What they held in their hands were... bows and arrows!
He lifted his hand to check the timing soul tool on his wrist; it showed 12:30 PM.
Normally, this should be lunchtime, but Huo Yuhao didn't see any cooking smoke in the entire camp. In other words, the border army of the Star Net Empire only ate two meals a day.