Chapter 363: The Withering Camellia

Chapter 363: The Withering Camellia

"Miss Hu."

The sudden voice interrupted the short-haired girl's thoughts.

Hu Jiaojiao, still leaning against the tree, turned her head to see Deng Yutang.

But in the next moment, her gaze fell upon the young man standing beside Deng Yutang.

Hu Jiaojiao's heart began to beat even faster. She knew very well whom Deng Yutang had gone to the airport to pick up.

So, was this Lu Ran?

He was well-covered, indeed.

"Creak, creak,"

Lu Ran said nothing and took a step forward.

His boots made a distinct sound as they stepped on the snow.

Hu Jiaojiao licked her lower lip, her lively eyes fixed on Lu Ran's back.

The first Tianjiao of Daxia!

Tsk, tsk, the legendary figure.

As Hu Jiaojiao watched, she suddenly raised her hand slightly and hooked her index and middle fingers.

Deng Yutang: "..."

As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together.

The character of her sister's best friend, Deng Yutang could somewhat guess.

He glanced at his girlfriend, Bai Man Ni, hesitated for a moment, and then chose to whisper in her ear.

Hu Jiaojiao lowered her voice, "Is everything alright? Your sister's current state..."

Her words came to an abrupt halt, and her face was filled with shock.

No!

Was this guy here to comfort or provoke her? Hu Jiaojiao pushed Deng Yutang aside and straightened her back, using the rebound force to stand upright.

In her line of sight, Lu Ran had already walked up to Deng Yuxiang and stood there with his hands in his pockets, looking down at her.

He was like an almighty god, looking down upon a silent, trapped beast.

He maintained his posture, not moving an inch.

"Hiss," Hu Jiaojiao sucked in a breath of cold air.

So brave!

Yes, you are the leader of the Tianjiao of Daxia!

But Deng Yuxiang was no pushover either.

She was a powerful human cultivator at the third stage of the Jiang Realm.

More importantly, at this moment, Deng Yuxiang was extremely frustrated, and she held a divine weapon in her hand.

With her temperament, if she wanted to strike you with her blade, you wouldn't even have time to cry!

"Get lost."

The cold voice came from the woman's thin, icy lips.

Along with it, the temperature in the snowy forest seemed to drop even further.

Hu Jiaojiao shivered.

Others might not hear it, but as a disciple of Northwind, Hu Jiaojiao's ears were exceptionally sensitive.

The single word "get lost"

was the greatest mercy Deng Yuxiang could offer to the newcomer.

If the newcomer insisted on staying or dared to say more nonsense, Hu Jiaojiao was certain that their fate would be very, very tragic.

"Sister."

It was also a simple word, but the voice was gentle.

It was as if he wanted to melt this icy world.

Hu Jiaojiao almost blurted out an agreement! Sometimes, having overly sensitive ears wasn't a good thing.

This was too heartwarming!

And when she recalled that this young man was the first Tianjiao of Daxia, whose girl could resist such charm?

Sure enough, the woman soaked in frost and snow couldn't hold out.

Deng Yuxiang slowly raised her head to look.

Lu Ran took off his sunglasses and tugged down his knitted scarf, revealing the lower half of his face.

Deng Yuxiang stared at Lu Ran in a daze.

It was as if time had stopped.

Hu Jiaojiao's heart was pounding.

Earlier, when Deng Yutang went to comfort her, Deng Yuxiang had shown no signs of softening.

The powerful aura of a Jiang Realm cultivator had made Deng Yutang's legs tremble, and he had no choice but to retreat.

"Huff~"

The cold wind blew, and frost covered their faces.

Deng Yuxiang snapped out of her daze and slowly lowered her eyelids, "He's here."

There was no oppressive aura, and the temperature didn't continue to drop.

There was only a deep, low voice.

Hu Jiaojiao: !!!

Deng Yutang: "..."

Bai Man Ni hugged Deng Yutang's arm, silently comforting her boyfriend.

Lu Ran smiled and said, "The battle hasn't even started yet, and you're preparing to sever an arm and freeze yourself?"

Deng Yuxiang continued her mechanical movements, her long fingers gently wiping the cold blade.

Lu Ran took another step forward and knelt beside her.

He tilted his head slightly, looking at the stiff face up close, and asked, "Is that so?"

Deng Yuxiang's blade-wiping motion stopped.

Not far away, Hu Jiaojiao's entire body tensed up! Someone who could be crowned as the best in Daxia, admired by countless people.

Could also kneel down and whisper softly by a specific person's ear.

Hu Jiaojiao gazed at Lu Ran's figure, her heart screaming:

"I want one too! I want a brother like that, waaaah~~~"

"I just want some peace and quiet," Deng Yuxiang said softly.

Lu Ran: "You can deceive me, but don't deceive yourself."

Deng Yuxiang's expression turned cold, her eyes sharp as knives, piercing Lu Ran's pupils.

Their gazes intertwined, but her sharp eyes seemed to pierce into the deep, quiet starry sky of the night.

Gone without a trace, with no news.

Lu Ran was unaffected and reached out to pinch the corner of her shirt collar, giving it a gentle shake:

"From the moment I saw you, you've been stuck in the mud, with no intention of saving yourself."

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, the cold in the Northern Territory could freeze people to death.

This wasn't an exaggeration but a fact; every winter, there were reports of people freezing to death in the Northern Territory.

Yet, Deng Yuxiang, with her Jiang Realm cultivation, was wearing only a thin lady's shirt as she sat in the snowy forest.

Her clothes had already frozen stiff.

Judging by how her entire body was soaked in frost and snow, she must have been sitting there for a long time.

You tell me you just want to be quiet?

No, you want to be cool.

"The Deng Yuxiang I remember was proud and beautiful, like a camellia."

As he spoke, Lu Ran stood up and took off his down jacket.

"Victory and defeat, life and death, are all secondary."

Lu Ran draped the thick white down jacket over her and wrapped it tightly around her.

"On your way to your goal, you are always fearless."

Deng Yuxiang remained motionless, her body frozen to the bone, feeling the warmth she hadn't experienced in a long time.

She silently watched the young man standing close by.

In a daze, she saw the face of her childhood in his features.

Shy, stubborn.

And the concern hidden deep within her heart due to her lack of strength and insignificant status.

In another daze, the face changed, and everything changed.

Valiant, composed.

Confidence stemming from his formidable strength and prominent status.

Unreserved gentle gaze and bold gestures of care.

"I thought you'd prepare with pride, even eager to take the stage."

"To challenge the demons and monsters blocking your path and prove your superiority."

Lu Ran untied his knitted scarf, looking down at her, "In the end, Northwind City has done this to you."

Deng Yuxiang pursed her lips, finally speaking softly, "You talk too much."

Lu Ran hummed and squatted down, placing the scarf around her neck.

As he wrapped it, he asked, "Are you conceding?"

Deng Yuxiang didn't respond, only giving Lu Ran a cold glance.

Lu Ran nodded, "Good, as long as you don't concede."

He reached down and gripped the handle of the Night Slash Great Saber, gently lifting it upwards.

Not far away, Hu Jiaojiao's body tensed.

Lu Ran's series of actions had left her dumbfounded.

This was Deng Yuxiang! In the vast Northwind City, who would dare to provoke her?

When had she ever been scolded like this?

What left Hu Jiaojiao even more bewildered was that the proud and domineering Deng Yuxiang was sitting there obediently, taking the scolding.

Throughout the entire time, she only uttered one rebuttal.

And that "you talk too much" wasn't even a defense, just stubbornness.

At this moment, as Lu Ran reached for the Night Slash Great Saber, Hu Jiaojiao's composure completely shattered.

That was a deadly weapon! Even at rest, it exuded an air of arrogance.

With the slightest reaction, it would unleash a killing intent, even more fierce than Deng Yuxiang by threefold.

Hu Jiaojiao's mind and body were prepared, but what left her speechless was that the Night Slash Great Saber allowed Lu Ran to grasp it and lift it upwards.

It obeyed Lu Ran's command, leaving its owner and hovering upside down in mid-air.

Hu Jiaojiao's mouth hung open, and her entire being was in shock.

Forget the terrifying Night Slash Great Saber, how could any divine weapon be so obedient and listen to an outsider?

Wait a minute!

Outsider?

Hu Jiaojiao turned her head in disbelief, looking at Deng Yu Tang, "Aren't you Yuxiang's younger brother? Even Lu Tianjiao calls her 'sister'. Are you her real brother?"

Deng Yu Tang whispered, "I am her actual brother."

Hu Jiaojiao suddenly understood, finding a reasonable explanation, "Oh, so Lu Ran is her real... Hey? You're her real brother?"

Deng Yu Tang: "..."

Silence,

The silence of Northwind City tonight.

Lu Ran: "Since you're not conceding, don't delay yourself."

Looking at the cold, stiff face before him, he continued, "Let's find a tea house, warm up, and chat some more? Or do you want to go back to your place, take a hot bath, and prepare for the battle?"

Deng Yuxiang lowered her head, hiding the lower half of her face in the knitted scarf.

Lu Ran looked at the nearly withered camellia before him, silently waiting.

After a long while, he took Deng Yuxiang's wrist, brought it around his shoulder, and helped her up, "Let's go, it's been a long time since you advanced to the Jiang Realm, right? You must be hungry and thirsty."

Deng Yuxiang, who had been sitting in the snow-covered forest, finally agreed to move.

Or rather, she was forced to stand up.

Hu Jiaojiao struggled to process everything, feeling a deep sigh.

Given Deng Yuxiang's persistent low spirits, tomorrow's battle seemed to be a foregone conclusion.

Now, there was a glimmer of hope.

After a moment of thought, Hu Jiaojiao shook her head inwardly, sighing once more.

It was impossible.

The gap was too wide.

"Young Master Deng," Lu Ran helped Deng Yuxiang up, "Should we find a private room in the Northern Tea House?"

"Okay, I'll go make the arrangements!" Deng Yu Tang responded immediately.

Hu Jiaojiao took out her phone, "At this time of day, on this date, it's impossible to get a private room at the tea house. I'll take care of it."

Lu Ran smiled and nodded, "Thank you, what's your surname?"

Hu Jiaojiao looked at Lu Ran, and after several seconds, she spoke, "No need for formalities, my surname is Hu.

The arrogant and domineering Hu."

Lu Ran: "Thank you, Ms. Hu."

Hu Jiaojiao made a call, pretending to be casual as she looked to the side, "You're too kind, Lu Tianjiao.

I'm classmates with your sister, and we're close friends. You can call me sister too."

Deng Yu Tang: "..."

Bai Man Ni: "..."

Lu Tianjiao is very polite, but you're being quite impolite, aren't you? Deng Yuxiang suddenly spoke up, "I can walk on my own."

Lu Ran turned to look at her profile, "Your mouth is harder than your frozen body."

Deng Yuxiang also turned to look at him, speaking softly, "Your wings have hardened too."

This chapter ends at three in the morning.

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(End of Chapter)

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