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"That line should be mine!" Bochang couldn't help but roll his eyes.
March 7th merely hummed softly and said, "I'm leaving now, see you later."
Taking advantage of everyone still being asleep, March 7th casually exited Bochang's room.
The composed pink-haired girl, once outside, immediately lost her cool. She hastily returned to her own room, closed the door, sat down on a chair, leaned over onto the table, and felt utterly flustered.
"Ugh... I can't believe I did something like that in the heat of the moment... So embarrassing..."
March 7th felt she might lose all face among others.
Bailu, lying sideways, lazily opened her eyes and asked, "March... what are you doing, slumped over the table?"
"N-nothing." March 7th shook her head nervously. Did Bailu notice that I wasn't in my room last night? No, no, no... she probably didn't, or she would have made a fuss already.
The little dragon girl observed March 7th's expression, momentarily puzzled.
However...
Bailu didn't dwell on it too much.
Meanwhile, Bochang still found it hard to believe that March 7th had so brazenly taken advantage of him; it felt almost surreal, like a dream.
He gently slapped his cheeks.
Bochang muttered, "I never expected such boldness from March."
"It seems she's been holding back for quite some time. Seeing me with Stelle yesterday probably triggered her, and that's why..."
Previously, it was always Bochang teasing March 7th.
Now experiencing the tables turned felt surprisingly enjoyable, leaving Bochang wanting more.
At this moment...
Bochang picked up his phone and noticed the message Stelle had sent him last night.
After a few silent seconds, suppressing his emotions, he typed:
"Hey Stelle, are you awake yet?"
"How come you were up so late last night...?"
"Were you having trouble sleeping?"
While replying, Bochang intentionally avoided certain questions.
Shortly after, Stelle responded:
"Just woke up. I didn't stay up late; the thunder startled me awake, so I wanted to ask you..."
"I wasn't actually insomnia-ridden, don't worry."
"Oh, I see... Want to have breakfast together?"
"Sure."
"In that case, I'll come find you."
With that exchange concluded,
Bochang put away his phone, got up to change clothes, and Xinggen did likewise. Almost simultaneously, they both stepped out of their rooms.
They exchanged smiles.
Bochang remained composed, his face unflushed and heart steady.
"Good morning," he greeted warmly.
Stelle got straight to the point, "Bochang, should we invite everyone else for breakfast together?"
"Breakfast? Count me in!" March 7th opened her room door and stepped out.
Behind the pink-haired girl followed Bailu, still half-asleep and rubbing her eyes.
Noticing them, Stelle amicably greeted, "Morning, March and Bailu... Did you hear the heavy rain and thunder last night?"
"Yes, we did." March 7th nodded.
For some reason, Bochang felt that the pink-haired girl's expression seemed slightly unnatural.
Am I overthinking it?
Quickly changing the subject, Bochang suggested, "Let's wake up the others then."
As they conversed, Serval, Dan Heng, and the rest emerged one by one.
Together, they ventured out for a delicious breakfast.
And afterward...
It was yet another day of separate missions.
Bochang decided to stay back and rest at home.
March 7th, on the other hand, whisked away both Stelle and Bailu, claiming they would embark on tasks together.
Bochang understood well.
March 7th merely wanted to prevent Stelle from pulling any more diversionary tactics, secretly seeking alone time with him.
Watching everyone depart, Bochang returned alone to Yichen Inn.
In the first-floor lobby, only a foxfolk server was leisurely cleaning.
Ignoring the scene, Bochang ascended to the second floor and woke Pascal, the robot squatting in a corner.
"Master, how may I assist you?" The tall grizzly bear robot spoke with an electronic tone.
Over time, Pascal's intelligence had significantly improved. Now, unlike before, it no longer paused for long intervals while speaking.
Bochang instructed, "Follow me inside. If anyone comes looking for me, tell them I'm very busy and ensure no strangers approach me."
"Command received, Pascal initiating execution..."
Under Bochang's guidance, the massive robot entered the room.
Next, Bochang sat cross-legged on the bed, sinking his consciousness into the spiritual world where he saw the blue flame.
Phantylia's condition appeared much better than before.
However...
There were still no signs of her regaining consciousness.
This was evident to Bochang.
Phantylia's injuries were severe, leaving her unconscious. Allowing her to recover naturally could take an unimaginable amount of time.
Therefore, Bochang decided to intervene personally.
Using the power of the Sheep Talisman, he aimed to nourish Phantylia's "body" and hasten her recovery.
Watching as the blue flame gradually consumed the magic power from the green Sheep Talisman, growing steadily larger, Bochang felt like he was feeding a small creature.
"Why do I suddenly have this sense of accomplishment?" Bochang muttered to himself.
The Sheep Talisman continuously supplied its magic, with Phantylia acting like a bottomless pit, voraciously absorbing it all.
Time passed from morning into noon.
After several hours of nurturing, Phantylia showed no signs of spontaneous awakening.
Unless there was a strong external stimulus, it seemed unlikely that this Lord Ravager would wake up anytime soon... Bochang had no intention of forcefully rousing her either.
Instead, he continued to nourish the flame.
Inside the room, noticing Bochang's immobility, Sophia curiously emerged from Pascal's body and called out a few times.
Realizing Bochang remained completely unresponsive...
Sophia climbed onto the bed and slowly ascended along his clothing until she reached her destination.
Perched on his shoulder, Sophia thought, "No matter what I do now, he won't react, will he?"
With this mischievous idea, Sophia grinned slyly.
After what felt like enough time had passed,
Bochang opened his eyes to find Pascal, the robot, dutifully guarding nearby.
Sophia, no longer on Pascal, was now perched atop Bochang's shoulder.
Realizing he had awakened, Sophia attempted to flee but was swiftly caught by Bochang.
"What are you doing crawling onto my shoulder?"
With one hand, Bochang firmly grasped the foul-mouthed Sophia, bringing her face-to-face with him.
Their eyes locked in a glaring contest.
Struggling, Sophia retorted, "Don't...don't hold your princess like this! It's incredibly rude, do you know that?"
"Alright then... I've ignored you for some time, and now you don't even address me as 'Master.' Seems like you need a reminder of your place."
Bochang gently poked Sophia's cheek.
As the battle situation aboard Xianzhou Luofu escalated, having Pascal and Sophia around became too cumbersome. Thus, Bochang had been letting them roam freely, rarely checking on them.
Pascal, being a robot, remained unchanged. However, Sophia showed slight signs of transformation; her attitude towards Bochang grew more disrespectful, lacking the previous deference.
Of course...
This truly reflected Sophia's inherent nature. As the saying goes, it's easier to change mountains than one's character.
Bochang felt that Sophia needed a small lesson.
"I advise you to treat me better. I saw everything that happened last night, Bochang... You wouldn't want Stelle to find out about spending the whole night with March 7th, would you?" Sophia glared defiantly at Bochang, her demeanor reminiscent of someone daring him to discipline her.
Bochang's expression subtly shifted. "So you witnessed it all," he said. "True enough, given that you don't need sleep; stumbling upon unexpected scenes at night is quite normal. But do you really think this can intimidate me? Sophia, you're far too naive."
"Coincidentally, I've just acquired a new skill—why not test it on you?"
Bochang closed his eyes momentarily before abruptly opening them again.
Piercing Gaze—Activate!
An invisible pink electrical wave shot from his gaze, directly striking Sophia's eyes.
In that instant...
A peculiar sensation overwhelmed her. Sophia, who had intended to retort, found herself unable to speak, feeling a tingling numbness throughout her body. As she looked at Bochang, it was as if a filter had been applied, making him suddenly appear much more attractive.
How strange! One more glance.jpg
"Why... do I feel so odd? His face... seems different somehow."
Sophia forcefully diverted her gaze.
Bochang pondered, "Piercing Gaze can induce that state, but will it work on Sophia, being just a doll? It seems...after being resurrected by the Mouse Talisman, she counts as a living entity now. Hmm...this effect appears quite potent."
"If used during combat...it might even turn the tide of battle."
Through the touch of his hand and Sophia's expression, Bochang could clearly sense:
Sophia was already deeply affected.
Her cheeks flushed red, and her body began to wriggle uncontrollably.
"What have you done to me? Don't...don't...don't! I was only joking earlier, Master, please don't do this." Tears welled up in Sophia's eyes.
Bochang casually patted her small head and said, "Heh heh, feeling scared now, aren't you, Sophia? Remember, never overstep your bounds in life; otherwise, the only one getting hurt will be you."
"I...I understand, let go of me quickly, Master. I can't take much more."
Seeing her distress, Bochang released Sophia onto the ground, and she hastily scurried away, hiding back inside Pascal's body, too afraid to emerge again.
"You're still too inexperienced to play games with me...little one," Bochang mused, unconcerned about Sophia spreading any rumors.
After all...
Sophia's fate and life were entirely in Bochang's hands, much like Qingque challenging Fu Xuan with futile strength, akin to an egg hitting a rock.
It was bound to be ineffective.
Stretching lazily, Bochang prepared to go out for dinner when he noticed a new message on his phone.
The sender was Fu Xuan.
Reading those startling words, Bochang's pupils trembled slightly as he muttered, "Tingyun... really died? The Cloud Knights only found her remains. No way, could it have been that simple?"
"No, I must still ask Phantylia," Bochang sighed deeply.
He decided to postpone eating for now and wake up Phantylia, determined to extract information about Tingyun's whereabouts from her.
After all, he had been replenishing his energy just moments ago.
Now equipped with the Eyes of Charm skill, Bochang was confident that he could torment Phantylia to the brink, ensuring she would reveal what he sought.