"Tutor Ruolin probably doesn't have a boyfriend right now," Xu Ran asked.
"Not at the moment." Ruolin, looking at Xu Ran with eyes that seemed to hunger to swallow her whole, shivered with fear.
"Good, Tutor Ruolin, I want you to be my girlfriend now. What do you think?" Xu Ran smiled, looking at Ruolin with her timid, girl-like demeanor.
Ruolin, to think she'd see the day.
"Xu Ran, our statuses..." Ruolin blushed.
But her heart had indeed skipped a beat.
Xu Ran's strength, identity, and status were truly perfect for a partner.
A pity he's such a scoundrel. If it was just a bit, it would be tolerable, but Xu Ran was irredeemable to the point of being unbearable.
"What are you afraid of? Surely you don't think I'm not good enough for you?"
"No, no, not at all," Ruolin hurriedly shook her head. How dared she oppose Xu Ran?
As long as Xu Ran didn't do anything too outrageous, she could accept it. After all, her mission was to keep Xu Ran at Canaan Academy. If Xu Ran stayed for a month, she might have already been promoted. By then, Xu Ran wouldn't be able to threaten her anymore.
Ruolin's mind began racing at this moment.
She suddenly felt like this wasn't entirely unacceptable.
"As long as I can keep Xu Ran steady, that's fine," she thought.
"Xu Ran is probably just acting on impulse. Just stabilize him for a while, and he'll lose interest," Ruolin thought to herself, also feeling a bit disappointed.
In front of Xu Ran, even she felt somewhat inferior.
At her age, she was still only at Great Fighting Master Level. She heard that Xu Ran only needed to make one elixir to cultivate a warrior at the Dou Huang Pinnacle.
Those following Xu Ran were now at least at the Dou Spirit level, and they were all still young.
Xu Ran was a genius alchemist, and all the elders at Canaan Academy thought so.
Xu Ran's alchemy was epoch-making; once he went to Zhongzhou, he might even change the alchemy world's landscape.
"Xu Ran, I'm not ready yet. Give me some time, okay?"
"I don't want others at Canaan Academy to know about us for now. If you can agree to this, I can try dating you," Ruolin pondered for a while and said.
She wondered, if she really got together with Xu Ran and others found out, how could she ever marry anyone else in her life?
"Fine, no problem. I respect your choice. But Tutor Ruolin, don't try any tricks, or I'll get angry."
"I can keep a secret, but you have to listen to me, understood?"
Xu Ran arrogantly pinched Ruolin's chin, lifting her head to gaze at her attractive face. Ruolin's beauty wasn't top-notch, but her identity and profession added to her appeal.
"I want..." Xu Ran whispered in Ruolin's ear, stopping only when Tutor Ruolin's face turned red.
"Xu Ran, this isn't right. I…" Ruolin stared blankly at Xu Ran.
"If that's not okay, then I'll just publicize that Tutor Ruolin is my girlfriend. I think, as long as you have a relationship with me, you should also be able to get promoted. The academy's higher-ups will give me some face, maybe they'll even make you an elder outright."
"No, please, Xu Ran." Ruolin pleaded frantically.
"Then be a good girl, okay?" Xu Ran stroked Ruo Lin's beautiful long hair.
…
In a daze, Ruo Lin returned to her room.
Thinking about everything that had happened that day, she wasn't sure if she had done the right thing.
Was Xu Ran sincere? Although Xu Ran was a scoundrel, he seemed to be quite nice to Xun Er and the others. If that was really the case, then being with Xu Ran might not be so bad.
"Ruo Lin, oh Ruo Lin. How can you compare yourself to Xun Er and the others?"
"To Xu Ran, it was nothing more than a fleeting whim that will soon pass."
She wasn't as pretty as Xun Er, nor as young as Xiao Yu and Xiao Mei, so how could she truly win Xu Ran's affection?
Moreover, Xun Er, Xiao Yu, and Xiao Mei were all in her class.
If she got together with Xu Ran, what would that be? Would it mean joining Xiao Yu and the others with Xu Ran…?
Just the thought made her face turn red and her ears burn, unable to accept it.
It was just too horrifying.
A pair of white stockings tightly clung to her shapely legs, a black miniskirt covered just the middle of her thighs, and a white blouse on top. The shirt seemed a size too small, the buttons straining, giving an impression they might pop off at any moment.
In the mirror, Ruo Lin looked as if she had suddenly become ten years younger.
The already youthful and beautiful her suddenly…
"This is too…" Ruo Lin bit her lip. As a tutor at Canaan Academy, if anyone saw her dressed in such youthful clothes, wouldn't she be the subject of gossip?
But facing Xu Ran, the rogue, she really felt somewhat helpless.
Of course, in her heart, she also felt her pulse quickening.
Although her previous life had been smooth sailing, at this moment it seemed somewhat dull.
Suddenly trying new things also gave her a sense of novelty.
"I wonder what Xu Ran is thinking." Ruo Lin muttered to herself, putting on red boots and carefully adjusting her mask before carefully checking her reflection and then leaving.
She didn't want to be recognized at school; that would be the end of her social life!
"Tutor Ruo Lin, you look so pretty," Xu Ran teased, looking at Ruo Lin who was fidgeting, glancing around outside, afraid to move.
Even with a mask on, Ruo Lin was still a bit worried.
After all, a guilty conscience never rests easy.
"Xu Ran, let's go back. I'll change into more normal clothes before we go out," Ruo Lin pleaded. She felt her skirt was a bit too short, and now she was having trouble walking. She dared not take large steps, as every gust of wind felt chilly.
"Change? With that mask on your face, who's going to recognize you? Once we're out of the school, no one will know you. Today, I'm taking you to see the auction house, the famous Black Seal City Grand Auction House. You should know about it. This time they even have a Seventh Grade Elixir up for auction, don't you want to get a glimpse of the world?"
"Really? You actually got tickets? I heard that this auction is only accessible by large forces or extremely powerful individuals," Ruo Lin said with surprise. With her status, she naturally wouldn't have access to such grand events.
"That's what I'm saying, following me, you'll have many benefits in the future. It's not just about watching, you might even get to taste some. Just some average elixirs," Xu Ran scoffed.
Hearing this, Ruo Lin also twitched at the corner of her mouth. If it had been any ordinary woman, who could stand Xu Ran's promises? She would have likely been deceived by Xu Ran long ago.