Dai Mubai froze for a moment, feeling an inexplicable sense of foreboding.
Was he… becoming the unwitting victim here?
It was like one of those situations where a woman breaks up with her boyfriend, grabs the nearest guy she knows, and starts drinking, venting, and crying on his shoulder.
"Am I supposed to just let this happen?" Dai Mubai rolled his eyes inwardly. He absolutely couldn't let himself become the scapegoat for this drama!
If Li Si found out about this, he'd probably laugh for a whole year.
"I'm not him. How would I know why he doesn't like you?" Dai Mubai retorted coldly, refusing to indulge Liu Erlong's lamentations.
"I… I know why!" Liu Erlong suddenly exclaimed, her expression twisting with indignation.
"I thought I lost to her, but in the end, I lost to Flender! Flender!"
Her words were full of bitterness. To Liu Erlong, Flender was nothing more than a dear elder brother—someone she admired and respected deeply, but had no romantic feelings for.
Even if things hadn't worked out with Yu Xiaogang, she could never be with Flender. Her own heart wouldn't allow it.
Flender himself would respect whatever choice Liu Erlong ultimately made. As long as she could find happiness, he would have no regrets in life. That was why, in the original story, he eventually let go and gave up pursuing her.
Dai Mubai had already pieced this together when discussing Yu Xiaogang's past with Flender. Whether it was in the novel or the anime, Liu Erlong had never had romantic feelings for Flender.
Even with Yu Xiaogang's lies exposed, the best outcome would still be Liu Erlong and Flender remaining like siblings, with neither having further contact with Yu Xiaogang.
Liu Erlong would stay single, and Flender would remain unmarried.
Hearing Liu Erlong's rant, Dai Mubai was stunned, unable to process her logic.
"Wait, what? What's going on here? Who am I? Where am I? And what am I even doing right now?"
His mind was a jumble of confusion.
If he wasn't mistaken—and assuming his memory hadn't failed him—Liu Erlong was talking about Yu Xiaogang. But what did Yu Xiaogang have to do with Flender?
"Something doesn't add up here! This is way off-script!"
"Teacher Erlong, you must have misunderstood something, right? I don't know about Yu Xiaogang, but as far as I know, Principal Flender is perfectly normal," Dai Mubai asked cautiously, testing the waters.
Liu Erlong shook her head, tears streaming down her face like a delicate flower in the rain.
"No, there's no mistake. It's absolutely true."
She had seen it with her own eyes—how could there be any mistake?
Saying this, Liu Erlong downed two more drinks, her eyes suddenly lighting up as if she'd just had a brilliant idea. Staggering to her feet, she seemed to be heading somewhere with determination.
Perhaps due to her inebriation, Liu Erlong lost her balance, her footing unsteady, and fell toward Dai Mubai.
Reacting quickly, Dai Mubai instinctively stood and caught her, preventing her from hitting the ground.
"Teacher Erlong, are you alright?"
A mighty Soul Sage, drunk to this degree—it was practically unheard of. If she hadn't wanted to get drunk, there was no way she could've been. Blame that damned little spiky-haired guy!
"Help me… help me to that room over there," Liu Erlong murmured weakly, her flushed face making her look genuinely intoxicated. She pointed toward a nearby cabin, her voice soft and feeble.
Without a second thought, Dai Mubai supported her left arm and guided her toward the small cabin.
What he didn't notice was the flicker of determination and a hint of vengeful satisfaction in Liu Erlong's eyes.
This cabin had been left abandoned ever since Flender and Yu Xiaogang arrived at Lanba Academy, when Liu Erlong moved into the dormitories. She used to keep flowers and plants here, but she'd transplanted them all to her new living quarters.
Inside the simple wooden cabin, there was only a single bed and little else.
Dai Mubai didn't intend to close the door. He figured he'd help Liu Erlong lie down, and then shut the door on his way out.
But somehow, whether by accident or design, Liu Erlong's foot "accidentally" kicked the door, causing both panels to swing shut.
"How clumsy do you have to be to close both doors at once?"
Unfazed, Dai Mubai ignored the detail and helped Liu Erlong over to the bed.
As soon as Liu Erlong sat down, he prepared to leave.
Not out of concern for propriety—his reputation wasn't exactly spotless, after all. A little more gossip wouldn't make a difference.
But just as he turned to go, a slender hand gripped his shoulder.
"Bang!"
Caught off guard, Dai Mubai was thrown onto the bed by Liu Erlong.
Fortunately, the bed was sturdy enough to hold, and Liu Erlong hadn't used excessive force.
The sudden attack jolted Dai Mubai into full alertness. His entire body stiffened, his mind flooded with question marks.
Why had Liu Erlong suddenly attacked him? He hadn't done anything inappropriate! He'd been nothing but respectful while helping her.
"Is her drunkenness making her violent?"
"Teacher Erlong, what is the meaning of this?" Dai Mubai asked cautiously, not activating his martial spirit but ready to suppress her if necessary.
Oddly, Liu Erlong didn't follow up her initial move with another attack. She didn't even speak—just stared at him.
Her face flushed red as hesitation flickered across her expression. She suddenly began to doubt herself. Dragging Dai Mubai into her plan to spite Yu Xiaogang—wasn't this a bit too much?
What if word got out? She didn't care about societal judgment, but Dai Mubai…
Then again, Dai Mubai's reputation wasn't exactly stellar either.
Her hesitation vanished. Looking at Dai Mubai, she said with a faint smile, "Mubai, you'll just have to endure this."
"This is my first time… 'dueling' someone like this."
"You have so many girlfriends—if anything, you're the one coming out ahead here!"
"Whatever happens, you're not allowed to speak of it!"
Her actions were purely out of revenge against Yu Xiaogang. She had no genuine intention of involving Dai Mubai romantically.
Dai Mubai was utterly bewildered. Wait, what is this about? What do you mean I have to endure?
"Rip!"
With a burst of soul power, Liu Erlong tore through her already flimsy clothing. She smiled wickedly before lunging at him.
Dai Mubai: "What's happening?"
Was this supposed to be some kind of… 1v1 fair duel? This didn't seem right!
Sure, on the surface it might seem like he wasn't losing out, but this wasn't about winning or losing!
As Dai Mubai wavered between resisting and giving in, the situation rapidly spiraled out of control.
In no time at all, the barriers between them—both physical and emotional—were stripped away.
For the first time, the two faced each other with complete honesty...
(To be continued)