Ning Rongrong, full of excitement, rushed over and gave Su Ming a big hug, followed by a kiss on his cheek.
"Su Ming, I finally did it! Thank you!" Ning Rongrong said, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Mastering Ling Bo Wei Bu was no less significant than evolving her Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda into the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda. However, she hadn't expected that in her excitement, she would kiss him before Su Ming even found the celestial herb to evolve her martial soul.
Originally, Su Ming had just intended to help Ning Rongrong improve her self-defense and grow closer to her for the future evolution of her martial soul. But this—wasn't the affection level increasing a bit too fast? Still, with a beauty presenting such a benefit, why would he want to avoid it?
After the kiss, Ning Rongrong realized she had acted too impulsively. Why had she given away her first kiss so easily? She felt like she had lost her composure!
"Congratulations, Rongrong!" Su Ming said, pretending to stay calm.
This way, no one would feel awkward, though Rongrong's face was still beet red.
Ning Rongrong, noticing Su Ming's calm demeanor, felt puzzled. Su Ming liked her, right? Why wasn't he showing any reaction? But after a moment, she realized that Su Ming was probably trying not to embarrass her by acting nonchalant.
Shyly, she said, "Su Ming, you've helped me so much. How do you want me to repay you?"
Su Ming's first thought was: Why not just offer yourself to me?
But Su Ming knew that Rongrong's feelings weren't at that level yet. Her recent actions were probably just an expression of excitement from mastering Ling Bo Wei Bu. Still, a little teasing wouldn't hurt since they were good friends now, if not more.
"You've already repaid me," Su Ming said with a playful smile, pointing to his cheek.
Hearing this, Ning Rongrong's face turned even redder. Was Su Ming learning bad habits from Xiao Wu? Why was he teasing her like this?
Xiao Wu: Don't slander me!
"Actually, your movement wasn't slow just now," Su Ming said with a smirk, "but you shouldn't forget who taught you Ling Bo Wei Bu, and my strength is far greater than yours. I could've dodged your kiss, but I didn't."
Su Ming spoke bluntly, curious to see how Rongrong would react. He was prepared for the worst—maybe she would feel awkward—but he believed honesty was the best policy. He figured Rongrong, being smart, would eventually realize that he could've avoided her kiss but didn't, so he might as well admit it upfront.
To his surprise, Ning Rongrong didn't show any awkwardness. Instead, she smiled and said, "I knew you didn't dodge on purpose, but so what? I wanted to kiss you. I don't regret it!"
Su Ming was taken aback by her response. He cautiously asked, "Rongrong, you're not upset by what I said?"
Ning Rongrong shook her head with a smile. "Not at all. In fact, I'm glad you were honest with me. I appreciate that you're not pretending."
She then asked, "But if you thought I might be upset, why did you still say it?"
Her large, bright eyes stared at Su Ming, awaiting his response.
Su Ming shrugged, answering matter-of-factly, "Because even if I hadn't said anything, with your intelligence, once your excitement wore off, you'd figure out that I could've dodged the kiss. But why would I? You're a beautiful girl, and avoiding a kiss from a beauty brings bad luck!"
"I don't have many hobbies," Su Ming continued, "but I like pretty girls, especially those who aren't too violent. Of course, I won't force anyone, but I also won't reject anyone."
"And once a girl is with me, I'll treat her very well. I'll never let her suffer or feel wronged."
Su Ming wasn't sure if his confession was appropriate, but the moment felt right, so he decided to go with it. He waited to see how Ning Rongrong would react.
Suddenly, a thick white mist seemed to rise from Ning Rongrong's head, and her face turned as red as a tomato. Su Ming's words seemed to have hit the mark.
Ning Rongrong hadn't expected such a direct response. She had just been curious to hear Su Ming's thoughts on why he didn't dodge. Since she had access to Su Ming's diary, she already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from him.
However, she hadn't anticipated Su Ming's almost-confession. It felt like a half-confession to her. Simplifying his words, he was basically saying that she was beautiful, he liked her, and her personality was much better than her original, bratty self, so he was very fond of her now!
This realization flustered her even more. She stammered, "Su-Su Ming, don't you think it's a bit too early for us to be like this?"
Ning Rongrong did like Su Ming, but not to the extent of committing right away. Besides, Xiao Wu had just started her relationship with him, so even if she wanted to accept his feelings, now wasn't the right time.
Su Ming smiled and patted her head. "Rongrong, what are you thinking? Did you really think I was confessing to you? I was just answering your question honestly. Besides, I already have Xiao Wu, and I don't want to become a two-timer without letting you know."
"And let's be real—we've only known each other for a short time. I'm confident, but not enough to think you'd agree to a confession while I'm already with Xiao Wu."
Realizing she had misunderstood, Ning Rongrong was both embarrassed and frustrated with herself. Su Ming wasn't confessing—he was just answering her question! She mentally kicked herself for overreacting.
Still, she was happy that Su Ming was being open with her. Their relationship wasn't public knowledge yet, and him sharing that with her showed his sincerity.
A man of many emotions but true sincerity!
everyone lend me your power stones..haha...chapters will be 5 per day as usual,and in patreon i added advanced chapters, it be 10 per day...Thanks for reading up until now and do support me in patreon, link -patreon.com/Shadow_D_X
Since Su Ming had already explained everything, Ning Rongrong no longer dwelled on the matter. However, a faint seed of affection was planted in her heart, one that would eventually grow into something much larger when the time was right.
Suddenly, Ning Rongrong thought of something and said to Su Ming, "Su Ming, have you ever noticed Tang San? It seems like he has feelings for Xiao Wu."
"When we were in the Star Dou Forest, after you and Xiao Wu were captured, his reaction was extreme, but not because of you—it was all about Xiao Wu. I suspect he—"
Before Ning Rongrong could finish her sentence, Su Ming waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, I noticed that a long time ago, and I believe Xiao Wu has noticed it too."
"Back when we were still attending Nuoding Academy, Tang San had this inexplicable feeling toward Xiao Wu the first time he saw her. I happened to catch him staring."
"Maybe that strange feeling is why no matter how much Xiao Wu beat him up, he didn't seem to care. And while Xiao Wu clearly dislikes him, at the time, there was no reason for us to confront Tang San directly. We just focused on our own business."
Su Ming's tone shifted as he continued, "But if Tang San ever dares to harbor any ill intentions toward Xiao Wu, I'll make sure he regrets it."
"So, what you're saying is that after we were captured by the Titan Giant Ape, Tang San finally understood his feelings for Xiao Wu. He probably likes her but doesn't dare to express it because of me. After all, he's not strong enough to challenge me yet."
Su Ming's expression turned slightly disdainful. "Tang San's probably waiting for the day when he surpasses my strength, defeats me, and wins Xiao Wu's heart. He already has an external spirit bone and some weird hidden weapons."
"But it's his ability to hide his feelings that makes me look down on him even more. If he had the guts to tell me to my face that he likes Xiao Wu, I'd at least respect his honesty. Of course, if he did, I'd give him and Xiao Wu a good beating afterward."
Hearing Su Ming's thoughts, Ning Rongrong felt reassured. He trusted her enough to share his true feelings about Tang San. However, she couldn't help but feel concerned. According to Su Ming's diary, Tang San was the "Child of Destiny" in this world. Was it really wise for Su Ming to underestimate him like this? Even though Su Ming had the advantage of the system and was very strong, Tang San had his own unique opportunities.
"Su Ming, since you're aware of Tang San's feelings, why haven't you done anything about it?" Ning Rongrong asked curiously.
Su Ming shook his head slightly. "Even though I don't like Tang San, I'm not the kind of person to stir up trouble if someone leaves me alone. So, I've been waiting for the right moment. I want to see how long Tang San can keep his feelings hidden. Once I make my relationship with Xiao Wu public, will he still be able to hold back?"
Ning Rongrong now understood Su Ming's plan. He wasn't interested in picking unnecessary fights. If everything stayed calm, he could focus on growing his relationship with Xiao Wu and improving his strength, rather than wasting energy on petty conflicts.
"Okay, let's stop talking about Tang San. Even though I haven't known him long, for some reason, I don't like him either," Ning Rongrong admitted. "So, if Tang San ever gives you trouble, I'll be on your side, even if Grandmaster or the dean sides with him."
Ning Rongrong's expression was firm, and Su Ming felt a warmth in his heart. He couldn't help but appreciate this version of Ning Rongrong—her personality had skipped the troublesome phases and become much more likable.
Su Ming suspected that this change in Ning Rongrong's character might explain why her father, Ning Fengzhi, hadn't written to Flender like in the original story. This led to the scene where Bone Douluo visited Shrek Academy and even gave Flender a beating to vent Ning Rongrong's frustrations. She truly was the darling of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Rongrong then turned serious. "Su Ming, is there anything I can help you with? You've spent the past few days teaching me so diligently, and Ling Bo Wei Bu is such an amazing dodging technique."
"If my father knew about it, he'd probably want to buy it from you! With this skill, our sect's disciples would have much better self-defense capabilities."
"Of course, I'd never pass the technique on without your permission," she quickly assured him.
While Su Ming wouldn't mind giving Ling Bo Wei Bu to Ning Fengzhi, he knew it wasn't the right time. He hadn't even secured his relationship with Ning Rongrong yet. Teaching her the skill was enough to build good rapport, but if he ever gave it to Ning Fengzhi, it would be a grand gesture—perhaps even part of a wedding gift.
After all, Ling Bo Wei Bu wasn't particularly useful to Su Ming in the long run. He had much more powerful techniques like Kamui's phasing and Susanoo's defense. However, those were his trump cards, and for now, Ling Bo Wei Bu would suffice until he no longer needed it.
Originally, Su Ming was going to decline Ning Rongrong's offer of help. There wasn't much he needed from her or the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect at the moment, and he still needed time to practice making talismans. However, he suddenly remembered the Dog-Beating Stick that the system had rewarded him with yesterday. He could use some help with that.
He had planned to ask Xiao Wu for assistance, but training in Sage Mode wouldn't be easy. It might be better to have more people helping him, making it less exhausting.
"Actually, Rongrong, there is something you and Xiao Wu can help me with. But it might be a bit tiring," Su Ming said.
Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up with excitement. "Tell me what it is, Su Ming! No matter how tiring it is, it can't be worse than how hard you've worked teaching me Ling Bo Wei Bu these past few days!"
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