Chapter 168: Ling Luochen Comes Calling
"Ahem, Xiao Tao‑jie… if it's too much, you don't have to force yourself," Ye Chen stammered awkwardly.
He'd only joked about it that one time—never expecting Ma Xiaotao to actually remember.
"Hmph, no way! I already agreed—and if you can't, you'd better find a way to manage!" she retorted with a huff.
After all… she hadn't had the chance to try it yet.
Ye Chen: …
…
And so, Ye Chen stayed at Ma Xiaotao's place for a while—officially to help her adapt to her new Extreme Fire power.
At first, her body wasn't yet used to the transformation. At night, she would heat up unconsciously, sometimes scorching the bedsheets.
But her control developed quickly. Soon enough, she could fully command the raging flame within her.
During these days, though, several classmates came to visit her—and naturally saw Ye Chen there as well.
Before long, rumors of their relationship had spread throughout the inner court.
No one envied Ye Chen. Instead, everyone envied Ma Xiaotao.
Because the "older sister" had somehow snagged herself a tender young prodigy.
And not just any prodigy—Ye Chen was the bearer of Extreme Ice, one of the greatest talents in Shrek's history.
As word spread, so did another story—that Ye Chen had helped Ma Xiaotao's martial spirit evolve.
Soon, teachers and students alike began dropping by under the guise of checking on her… while really fishing for details.
Among them was Zhang Lexuan.
Ye Chen immediately hid himself, listening guiltily from the next room.
…
"Xiao Tao, is Ye Chen here? I haven't seen him."
"Ah—Senior Sister! Xiao Chen's still sleeping. The lazy thing, he's been lying in bed all morning."
"An inner court disciple shouldn't be lazy! As senior sister, I have to set him straight."
"Wait—don't worry, Senior Sister, I'll handle him myself. I'll wake him up and give him a good beating!"
"Hm. Fine, but be careful. He's talented—you can scold him, but don't hurt him."
"Don't worry, I'll go easy on him next time~"
…
Listening from inside, Ye Chen could only sigh.
He could hear the jealousy hidden in Zhang Lexuan's voice.
Ma Xiaotao, unaware of his relationship with Zhang Lexuan, truly believed the senior sister came to discipline him, so she made sure to defend him at every turn.
The two talked for quite a while before Ma Xiaotao finally saw Zhang Lexuan off.
…
"Whew, finally gone," Ye Chen thought in relief. "Looks like I'll need to soothe her later…"
Zhang Lexuan always said she didn't mind—but he knew better.
If she really wasn't jealous, he'd eat his own shoe.
Click—
Just then, the door opened, and Ma Xiaotao walked straight into his room.
"Xiao Tao‑jie, is Senior Sister gone?" Ye Chen asked, springing up from the bed.
"You! You really need to move out. Every day there's someone visiting me, and all they ever ask about is you!"
She pinched his cheek, puffing angrily.
The past few days had exhausted her.
By day, she entertained guests—teachers, students, everyone—and by night…
Well, she had other obligations to attend to with Ye Chen.
"Alright, alright, my bad," Ye Chen said with a wry smile. "Guess I shouldn't have told everyone about your evolution in the first place."
He'd thought he'd kept it discreet. Somehow, the news still spread far and wide.
Now even teachers whispered, wondering if his Extreme Ice had been achieved through some secret method of evolution.
Some believed he knew the key to evolving martial spirits—and their curiosity bordered on greed.
But evolution was an irresistible temptation, especially after Ma Xiaotao's transformation from a flawed Demonic Phoenix into the legendary Extreme Fire Phoenix.
The living proof stood right here—so of course everyone wanted a chance.
"It's not your fault," Ma Xiaotao said softly, seeing his troubled expression. "If you're worried, you can just stay here for now. I'll protect you. I'm not mad."
Her compassion warmed him more than any flame.
He had only ever wanted to help her, after all. She couldn't bring herself to blame him for the chaos that followed.
Besides, the excitement would die down soon enough.
"Then I'll be counting on you, Xiao Tao‑jie," Ye Chen said, smirking as he leaned closer, his hand wandering instinctively.
"Stop it—save that for tonight…" she said, cheeks blazing red as she batted his hand away.
She might be stronger than him in power, but when it came to stamina… she couldn't keep up with this monster of a man.
And it was still broad daylight. Someone could come by any moment. If anyone saw her like that, it would be mortifying beyond words.
Knock, knock, knock!
Right on cue, rapid knocks echoed from the courtyard gate.
"Xiao Tao! Are you home? Xiao Tao!"
The pounding came again—impatient, rude, and very familiar.
"Ugh, Ling Luochen. What's she doing here now…" Ma Xiaotao muttered, recognizing the voice immediately. Still, she turned to open the door, Ye Chen following behind.
When Zhang Lexuan had visited earlier, Ye Chen had hidden to avoid trouble.
But with Ling Luochen, he felt no need to avoid her.
In fact, he wanted to see her—he had prepared something special for her as well.
Opportunities always came with a price, and he wasn't about to offer such treasures for free.
Of course, he'd need to clear things up with Ma Xiaotao first, to prevent… misunderstandings.
Click—
Ma Xiaotao cracked the door open, leaving only a small gap—just enough to peek through.
"Xiao Tao, what are you doing? Why won't you let me in?" Ling Luochen tried to push forward, but Ma Xiaotao firmly blocked her way.
"What do you want?" Ma Xiaotao asked coldly, suspicion in her eyes.
"I heard your martial spirit evolved, silly! I came to congratulate you. Look, I even brought a gift."
Ling Luochen lifted a small box in her hand, shaking it playfully.
Gifts were common courtesy—usually things like wine or spirit drinks.
"Hmph… fine, come in."
Reluctantly, Ma Xiaotao stepped aside.
"Senior Sister Ling, long time no see," Ye Chen said with a polite nod as she entered.
(END CHAPTER)
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