"Wow! So cute!"
"Come, let me touch you! Let me hold you, let me kiss you!"
"Don't run away!"
In the student dormitory, within Hu Liena's room on the second floor of the Wang Zhong apartment complex, the sounds of girls exclaiming in admiration, excitement, and joy could be heard.
In the tidy room, Hu Liena, after much effort, held the second spirit that Wang Zhong had manifested in her arms. Her eyes were filled with sparkling adoration.
She nuzzled her little face against the soft, fluffy red fur of the Nine-tailed Fox in her embrace, her face flushing with excitement.
The Nine-tailed Fox, held in Hu Liena's arms, wore a look of disdain. Its two front paws pushed against the girl's tender little face with all its might, trying to push her away, but to no avail.
The little fox's eyes were filled with resentment. Finally, as if giving up, it allowed Hu Liena to nuzzle its side.
"Zhong, where did you buy this little fox? It's so beautiful!"
Feeling that the little creature in her arms had finally settled down, Hu Liena sat on the bed, holding it, and asked Wang Zhong. As she spoke, she continuously scratched its chin. Her innate skill made the Nine-tailed Fox squint its eyes, clearly enjoying it.
"Ah! I didn't buy it. This is my second spirit, Nana!"
Wang Zhong watched Hu Liena and the Nine-tailed Fox interact with a chuckle, replying with a light laugh.
"Second spirit!!"
Her actions abruptly stopped. Hu Liena stared at the fiery red fox in her embrace, her small face etched with shock.
Spirit materialized!
No! No! That's not the main point.
Hu Liena placed the Nine-tailed Fox on the bed and said in surprise, "Zhong, your spirit is a tree!"
"When you awakened, you weren't a twin spirit, so how could you have a second spirit?"
Wang Zhong scratched his head at this question. He hadn't known for long, and the first time he saw it, he thought it was just an illusion.
"I don't know either."
"Just today, His Holiness the Pope took me to obtain my third spirit ring. After I absorbed it, it just appeared on its own."
"His Holiness the Pope isn't clear about what happened. I went to Teacher Ying, and he said he needs to consult some information before he can give me an answer."
After thinking for a moment, Wang Zhong explained today's events to Hu Liena in the simplest terms.
However, it was precisely these words that caused Hu Liena's expression to shift from shock to a sense of inexplicable loss.
Pressing her lips together, Hu Liena's voice trembled slightly, "Zhong, have you become a Spirit Elder already?"
Gazing at Hu Liena's small face, tinged with a hint of sadness, Wang Zhong felt a pang of unease and asked urgently.
"Nana, what's wrong?"
"I also just broke through not long ago."
Shaking her head vigorously, her golden ponytail swishing back and forth, Hu Liena replied with a radiant smile, "No, I'm fine."
"I was just surprised to hear about your breakthrough, so I had a moment of difficulty accepting it."
Although she was smiling, Wang Zhong's intuition, honed by experience, could not be fooled by her expression.
"Nana!"
Wang Zhong called out softly, his gaze steady and intensely focused on Hu Liena. He watched as the smile on her face slowly faded, finally settling into a stubborn pout.
Faced with such an expression, Wang Zhong eventually averted his gaze.
The girl before him was proud. She could share everything else with Wang Zhong, but not this matter!
A smile returned to her face. Hu Liena stepped forward and gently hugged Wang Zhong, then walked to the bedside and sat down, happily stroking the Nine-tailed Fox, which was pretending to be asleep on the bed.
This time, however, the Nine-tailed Fox willingly jumped into Hu Liena's arms, its front paws resting on her shoulders, nuzzling her little face in a comforting gesture.
Foxes were the most sensitive and understood foxes best!
She wrapped her arms around the Nine-tailed Fox, nuzzling back against it, a look of warmth and tenderness on her face.
The entire room fell silent at that moment. The girl holding the fox, the boy standing by the side with a frown lost in thought, their energies intertwined, yet an inexplicable rift had opened between them.
This rift was not emotional but something more tangible, more realistic.
However, this silence did not last long. Hu Liena was the first to be unable to bear the atmosphere.
She suddenly threw the Nine-tailed Fox in her arms onto the bed, leaped into Wang Zhong's embrace, and hugged him tightly, apologizing almost in sobs.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! We clearly promised never to lie to each other, but I did just now!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Wang Zhong returned the embrace, pressing his cheek against hers, saying nothing, just holding her tightly.
How could a girl who saw only you in her eyes bear to lie to you? The sharpest lies were like knives, and the most sincere were often the ones most deeply wounded.
This was true for Wang Zhong, and equally true for Hu Liena!
Lies tormented not the deceiver, but the self, a questioning of one's own vows, beliefs, and feelings. The more sincere, the more painful.
"Apologies are not enough; I need to know the reason!"
After the girl in his arms calmed down, Wang Zhong said firmly into her ear, his voice filled with an unyielding strength.
The last time Wang Zhong was dishonest, he faced a bristling little fox. This time, Hu Liena's dishonesty was met with a stubborn block of wood.
"Alright, I'll tell you, why are you so fierce!"
Hu Liena pulled away from Wang Zhong's embrace and glared at him, her voice full of indignation.
She walked to the bedside and sat down, intending to pick up the Nine-tailed Fox, but it dodged her. Its red eyes were filled with arrogance.
Do you think you can just discard me and pick me up whenever you please?
Hu Liena, seeing its lively demeanor, covered her mouth and chuckled, admitting her mistake with a soft laugh.
"My bad, my bad, please forgive me, little one!"
After several attempts, the Nine-tailed Fox haughtily walked over and jumped into Hu Liena's arms, purring and allowing her to stroke it.
"The reason I reacted that way when I heard you became a Spirit Elder was actually due to my own issues."
"Zhong, do you know? Although I've cultivated diligently for the past six months, I'm only at level nineteen now!"
"What Teacher Ying said has come true. You've already become a level thirty Spirit Elder, yet I'm still struggling hard to approach the Great Spirit Master realm."
Gently stroking the Nine-tailed Fox in her arms, Hu Liena's voice was filled with dejection.
"You're progressing too fast. Even though I'm desperately chasing behind you, I can only see your receding figure and try my best."
"But the harder I try, the more I realize that the gap between us isn't shrinking; it's widening."
"In that moment just now, I even felt despair. Because you're walking further and flying higher, to the point where I don't even have the qualifications to stand by your side and face Teacher Ying with you in a match."
"I'm really scared, Zhong. I'm afraid that one day, you'll reach the very forefront and leave me behind! And there will be no intersection between us anymore."
"But I can't ask you to wait for me. I can't be so selfish! Your future doesn't end with becoming a Titled Douluo, so how can I shatter such a future because of my own inadequacy?"
"I want to always stay by your side, but not by sacrificing your future to fulfill my own desires."
"I can't be so selfish!"
Twice she uttered, "I can't be so selfish," emphasizing Hu Liena's internal struggle and pain.
She wanted to accompany him, but she couldn't keep up with his pace! To let him go, she couldn't bear it! To ask him to stop and wait for her, she couldn't be so selfish.
Therefore, the one who suffered had to be herself.