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After explaining everything, Qian Renxue was rather considerate and didn't continue to make a fuss. She just told Hu Liena to leave first, and also to take Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu with her.
"Do you still have something to do?" Xuan Ming asked.
"Aren't you going to rest?" Qian Renxue sat on the sofa and patted her thigh.
"Come and rest."
Xuan Ming sighed, "Your Royal Highness, as the team leader, shouldn't you be watching the matches and gathering intelligence for everyone?"
"Tiandou Royal Academy has so many teachers; they will naturally compile and send over the data for each academy's team. I don't need to worry about it," Qian Renxue said.
"Or are you trying to drive me away?"
"Then do as you please, I'm tired." Xuan Ming said no more, turned around, and went back to the bedroom to rest.
Qian Renxue was stunned for a moment, then got up and followed him in.
Xuan Ming flopped onto the bed. Qian Renxue looked at him like this and said nothing more, gently lying down on the bed and embracing him from behind.
"Don't be nervous, I won't do anything to you," Qian Renxue whispered.
Xuan Ming hesitated, then gave up on saying anything.
Xuan Ming closed his eyes, trying to relax. However, Qian Renxue's soft breathing was right by his ear, and her hand was wrapped around his waist, making it impossible for him to calm down.
"How can I sleep like this?" Xuan Ming said helplessly.
"You could sleep in the Supreme Pontiff's bedchamber, so why can't you sleep now?" Qian Renxue held him even tighter.
"Or are you afraid I'll secretly do something?"
Xuan Ming was speechless for a moment.
The Ice Dragon King watched this scene, knowing it was time for her to act.
"Don't hug him from behind; he lacks a sense of security. Hug him from the front." The Ice Dragon King's voice suddenly echoed in Qian Renxue's mind.
Hearing this familiar voice, Qian Renxue was slightly startled, remembering the special existence in the Crown Prince's Residence half a year ago. She wanted to ask for clarification, but realizing that the other party most likely wouldn't say anything, she gave up.
"How should I hug him?"
"How an adult holds a child, that's how you hold him," the Ice Dragon King said.
Qian Renxue's expression was a little unnatural, "A child?"
"Did you forget? He's still a child," the Ice Dragon King said strangely.
Although Xuan Ming appeared overly mature in many things, his heart was still that of a child, a child who lacked a sense of security.
He wasn't used to having someone behind him. Normally, the two dragons on his back would constantly monitor the situation behind him, but in his current position, it was really inconvenient.
Qian Renxue hesitated for a moment, then gently shifted her body, moving from behind Xuan Ming to his front, cradling him in her arms like a child. Her movements were a bit clumsy but also carried a hint of carefulness.
Xuan Ming's body stiffened slightly. He looked up, about to say something, when the Ice Dragon King again gave Qian Renxue instructions, "Hold his head."
Qian Renxue's cheeks flushed slightly, but she still extended her hands as instructed, gently cradling Xuan Ming's head in her arms, resting her chin lightly on the top of his head, and gently stroking his hair, just like coaxing a child.
Xuan Ming's mood was somewhat complicated. He originally wanted to push Qian Renxue away, but the Ice Dragon King came online again, "Just let her hold you for a bit. After all, opportunities like this won't be many."
"Her hating you later is a matter for later. At least for now, let her be happy."
"Even if you become sworn enemies tomorrow, that's a matter for tomorrow. Today, you are still friends."
Hearing this, Xuan Ming gradually relaxed, his breathing becoming steady, allowing Qian Renxue to hold him.
Qian Renxue felt Xuan Ming's breathing in her arms gradually stabilize, and a gentle smile unconsciously bloomed on her lips. She gently closed her eyes and held him even tighter.
"Lighter, you're going to suffocate me."
"..."
...The night sky, like a vast, deep blue silk fabric, slowly enveloped the entire city. Brilliant lights twinkled along the streets, like jewels embedded in the silk.
Dugu Yan and her group finally returned to the hotel, each carrying large meal boxes.
"After the Crown Prince persuaded him for so long, he should have cooled down, right?" Dugu Yan was still a little worried.
Although the relationship between Xuan Ming and Xue Qinghe was strange, when Xuan Ming was angry, only Xue Qinghe could calm him down. Of course, when Xuan Ming was fine, Xue Qinghe was also the person most likely to make him agitated.
"He's not angry," Gu Yuena said softly.
"Not angry?" Ning Rongrong turned her head, "But he just left then."
"He's tired," Gu Yuena said.
"At that time, you all were a bit noisy. He... probably found it annoying."
Ning Rongrong's expression froze, and the faces of Dugu Yan and the others also looked a little unnatural. It seemed to be true.
Arriving outside Xuan Ming's room, Xiao Wu, who was walking in front, knocked on the door. Since there was no response, she simply took out a key and opened the door.
"You have his room key?" Dugu Yan's eye twitched slightly.
"Yes, the Crown Prince gave it to me," Xiao Wu said.
"Lingling has one too."
Dugu Yan was startled and looked at Ye Lingling, "Why didn't he give us one?"
"You?" Ye Lingling looked strange.
"If you had a key, what would happen?"
Dugu Yan pouted a little guiltily and didn't say anything more, following everyone into the room.
The room was dark, without a single light.
Ning Rongrong turned on the lights in the room, "Didn't they come back?"
At this moment, a somewhat hurried sound came from the bedroom. Under everyone's tense gaze, the bedroom door slowly opened, and Xuan Ming and Xue Qinghe, looking like they had just woken up, emerged.
Their hair was messy, and their clothes were dishevelled.
Especially noticing Xue Qinghe's inexplicably shy and evasive gaze, everyone immediately imagined a grand drama!
"You..." Ning Rongrong's eyes widened, her mindset somewhat exploding.
No! She was actually preempted by a man?!
Xuan Ming rubbed his eyes, "Don't force me to throw you all out of here late at night."
As soon as Xuan Ming said this, everyone instantly fell silent, but the burning flames of gossip in their eyes simply wouldn't extinguish.
"We... we just came to see if you had cooled down," Dugu Yan broke the silence first, but her eyes couldn't help but glance into the bedroom, trying to find more "clues" inside.
"I'm not angry." Xuan Ming tidied his clothes.
"Why did you bring so many boxes?"
"Isn't it because we were afraid you'd be hungry?" Ning Rongrong pouted.
Xue Qinghe had also regained her composure at this point, clearing her throat and saying, "Since Xuan Ming is fine, let's all eat something together. We've been busy all day and are all hungry."
Everyone gathered around the sofa in the living room, opening their meal boxes. Immediately, a delicious aroma filled the air. While enjoying the food, everyone chatted idly, and the atmosphere gradually eased.
However, looking at Xue Qinghe, who was sitting next to Xuan Ming and serving him food, everyone's eyes grew increasingly complex.
They weren't even hiding it anymore?
...The preliminary rounds continued. The opponents in this round were not strong. Xuan Ming didn't even make a move. Dugu Yan and her group finished the battle in less than a minute, but they were a bit heavy-handed, clearly in a bad mood.
Xuan Ming didn't explain much, as this matter was indeed difficult to explain. Or rather, if he didn't say anything, it would pass after some time. If he were to explain, Dugu Yan and the others would only become more suspicious.
After all, the way he and Xue Qinghe had interacted over the years was indeed a bit off. Sometimes he would directly treat Xue Qinghe as Qian Renxue, and sometimes Xue Qinghe would forget her disguised identity and get physical with him.
"Is there anything special about today's match?"
Xue Qinghe looked at Xuan Ming, who remained in the Great Spirit Arena after the match, with some confusion.
"Just watching the excitement," Xuan Ming said.
"Excitement?" Xue Qinghe raised her eyebrow slightly.
"Then let's watch the excitement from a different place."
With that, Xue Qinghe directly pulled Xuan Ming and walked towards the VIP section.
"They're really not hiding it anymore?" Ning Rongrong looked at the two departing figures with a bewildered expression.
"What kind of things are in your head?" Zhu Zhuqing couldn't stand it anymore.
Ning Rongrong turned her head, her mood extremely complex, "Zhuqing, but that's a man."
"He... don't think so crookedly, okay?" Zhu Zhuqing said helplessly.
The Golden Lion King, the woman who captured her in Soto City—that's what Xuan Ming called her.
However, when Xue Qinghe went to find Xuan Ming earlier, Xuan Ming also said the same thing.
Although this matter was somewhat bizarre, she saw that the strange atmosphere between Xuan Ming and Xue Qinghe was exactly the same as between Xuan Ming and that woman before.
In other words, the woman known as the Golden Lion King and Xue Qinghe were very likely the same person!
VIP Section.
Led by Xue Qinghe, Xuan Ming also came over and sat beside him.
Seeing this, Bibi Dong, who was sitting in the first row, transmitted a few words to Yue Guan beside her. The latter nodded, stood up, and walked in front of Xuan Ming.
"Xuan Ming, His Holiness the Supreme Pontiff invites you to the front," Yue Guan said.
Xuan Ming was slightly startled. Xue Qinghe subconsciously clenched her fists, but remembering her current identity, she still suppressed her anger, "Since His Holiness the Supreme Pontiff invites you, you should go."
Xuan Ming hesitated, then stood up and walked to the front, "Your Holiness the Supreme Pontiff."
Bibi Dong tilted her head, glanced at Yue Guan's position, and raised her chin, "Sit."
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the entire VIP section changed instantly.
Everyone looked over, their eyes filled with shock.
A dignified Titled Douluo, an Elder of Spirit Hall, giving up his seat for Xuan Ming?
Moreover, next to the Supreme Pontiff?
This was a blatant attempt to poach someone!
"Fengzhi, the situation seems even more complicated," Gu Rong transmitted.
Yue Guan, as the Spirit Hall's Elder of Punishment and the second-in-command of the Supreme Pontiff Palace, now stood up and gave his seat to Xuan Ming in front of so many people, which was already surprising. But looking at him, he didn't even show a hint of displeasure!
What kind of temper did Yue Guan have? How was this possible?
Ning Fengzhi shook his head and remained silent.
He was completely unable to understand the situation now.
The relationship between Xuan Ming and the Supreme Pontiff seemed somewhat extraordinary. Moreover, to make Yue Guan give up his seat without any displeasure in such a setting, it was clear that they were also old acquaintances!