Tang Xiu got up and came to Zhang Xinyue as he took out a jade bottle out and handed it to her. "There's a drop of the Body Tempering Liquid inside. Pour it into the hot water when you take a bath. It can improve your physique and you'll know the benefits after you use it. But keep in mind that the process can be a bit painful; try your best to endure it and soak yourself for half an hour or more."

Immediately after, Tang Xiu took out a pen and paper and quickly wrote a cultivation technique on it. It was not cultivation from the Immortal World but one of the many cultivation techniques he had obtained back when he was in Changxi City.

"This is called the Pure Ice Art, a type of cultivation technique that is suited for women. I have drawn the meridians and acupoints of the human body as well as marked the energy circulation route for this cultivation technique. You can practice the cultivation technique written here later, but you'll rely on yourself for the stage you can achieve, though."

Zhang Xinyue took the jade bottle and the cultivation technique note as she looked at Tang Xiu and asked, "Is this what you said as I can live my life without worries?"

"Not really. You can contact me whenever you're short on money or you need help for some other things too in the future anytime." Tang Xiu shook his head and said, "If you can't contact me, you can go to the Magnificent Tang Corporation to find Kang Xia or Ouyang Lulu in the Paradise Manor in Shanghai. Of course, you can also head to the Everlasting Feast Hall's branch in any place in the country. The person in charge of every branch will learn of your name from now on."

"Also, I'll personally refine an amulet after returning to Shanghai and send someone to deliver it to you. Your safety will be guaranteed as long as you carry it at all times. Because of my current cultivation, however, the amulet only has limited use and can only protect you up to three times. Regardless of any accident such as a car accident or falling down from a height of tens of meters, including someone shooting at you, you won't be harmed by it in the slightest."

"Besides that…"

Zhang Xinyue raised her hand to interrupt him and shook his head. "Forget everything else. It's enough. But can you give me two amulets?"

Two amulets?

Tang Xiu stared blankly for a moment before he realized that Zhang Xinyue asked for two amulets because she wanted to give one to her older sister, Zhang Xinya. He nodded and said, "No problem. I'll give two amulets to you."

Zhang Xinyue turned around and gently put the cultivation technique note and jade bottle on the tea table before she returned back to Tang Xiu's front. There was a gentleness in her eyes as she said softly, "Since we must part ways when we return to Shanghai and then completely forget everything that has happened in Qingcheng Mountain, will you satisfy my request again?"

"What wishes do you want me to grant, exactly?" asked Tang Xiu.

Zhang Xinyue opened her arms and gently hugged Tang Xiu and said, "I want you to be my boyfriend for half a day before we leave today. To be honest with you, there have been several young men I have had a liking to in my life, but never could I have said I love any one of them."

Tang Xiu understood what she meant, yet there was a look of embarra.s.sment and awkwardness on his face. He could feel her delicate body which only wearing pajamas in his embrace. He similarly opened his arms, yet was unable to truly hug her. What had happened previously was an accident, and even if he did have such a relations.h.i.+p with Zhang Xinyue, he didn't feel such a feeling at all since he couldn't remember the situation at that time.

"This is my last wish." Zhang Xinyue could feel Tang Xiu's body stiffen. Her forehead touched Tang Xiu's chin and the side of her face leaned on his neck as she said in a faint voice.

Tang Xiu could only sigh inwardly and relaxed his body to hug her gently. Then he said, "Let's go back to the room and have a rest earlier! We must hurry back home tomorrow."

This night, however, Tang Xiu didn't return to his room but sat on the bed where Zhang Xinyue was sleeping, watching her fall asleep with sweet dreams until she woke up from her sleep at nine in the morning.

As dusk came…

A pa.s.senger plane landed at Shanghai Airport, and not long after, Tang Xiu, Zhang Xinyue and the rest appeared at the airport's exit lane.

"Tang Xiu!" As they came out of the airport, Zhang Xinyue stopped walking.

"What's wrong?" asked Tang Xiu.

Zhang Xinyue took a deep breath and spoke with all seriousness, "I hope you can remember our agreement. We must forget what happened in Qingcheng Mountain from now on and we should not meet again in this life if possible."

Tang Xiu thought for a moment before he nodded and replied, "I understand."

Zhang Xinyue herself felt very depressed inside, but she was perfectly aware that it was her older sister who had fallen deeply in love with Tang Xiu. Fate seemed to not allow for her to be with him in her lifetime. "Then, we'll part ways here!"

"I'll send someone to escort you back," replied Tang Xiu.

"No need, I'll take a cab to go back by myself." Zhang Xinyue shook her head.

Tang Xiu looked hesitant before he nodded and said, "Alright, then! Wait for Jin s.h.i.+, who drives your car from Qinglin County. I'll send him to deliver your car along with the amulets."

At the airport's exit.

Tang Xiu watched Zhang Xinya turn around and leave with complex emotions surfaced in her eyes. But he didn't notice that after she turned around and walked a few steps, tears welled up in her beautiful eyes and rolled down along her cheek.

"Let's go back home!"

An hour later, Tang Xiu had returned to the Bluestar villa complex. Nothing had changed since he left this house and the two housekeepers still took good care of the house diligently. He didn't notice anyone in advance that he had come back, so n.o.body disturbed him. Two days later, which was Sunday, he stayed at home and made ten amulets, two of which were given to Jin s.h.i.+ to be delivered to Zhang Xinyue's store along with her car.

As Monday came and the first wisp of suns.h.i.+ne rose from the east, Tang Xiu came out of the house and took a walk to his campus. After finding that it was still early, he bought breakfast boxes in the cafeteria and took them to his dormitory. Given what he knew about Yue Kai's habit, this fella should be just crawling out of his bed at this time.

Knock, knock…

Just as he came to the dormitory door, Tang Xiu knocked on the door and found that it was left unlocked. There was no other sound except someone's snore. After pus.h.i.+ng the door and coming inside, he saw Yue Kai, Hu Qingsong, and Xue Chao still lying in bed and snoring loudly.

'Did they have a drink last night?'

Tang Xiu glanced with a strange expression at many bottles disorderly discarded on the floor and the cupboard. Yue Kai and Hu Qingsong were normally lazy b.u.ms, but not Xue Chao, the diligent one! How come he…

A smile climbed up his face and while still carrying the breakfast boxes, he shouted loudly, "FIRE!!!"

"W-What? FIRE?!! Where is it?!!"

Hu Qingsong abruptly sat up from the bed and didn't even see Tang Xiu as he straightly jumped from the bed in a rush. Yue Kai was better than him and desperately threw out the quilt with a stance that was about to run from the bed.

"Huh? Big Bro Tang?!"

Xue Chao, however, just took a slow motion to sit down, while his sleepiness instantly vanished upon seeing Tang Xiu's face.

"Well, you three of you were truly inside dreamland, eh?" Tang Xiu chuckled and said, "Did something good happen to you or something? You should have had a great drink last night, right?"

"s.h.i.+t…"

"b.a.s.t.a.r.d…"

Hu Qingsong and Yue Kai straightly spat out the profanity after realizing that Tang Xiu had pranked them.

It'd been a long time since they got along together and, after the merriment, Tang Xiu knew why the trio drank so much alcohol. It turned out that the girl targeted by Hu Qingsong was s.n.a.t.c.hed by a handsome rich fella who also had good academic grades.

"Hey, Old Hu, there are like tens of millions of girls in China, why should you bother to drown yourself over just one flower?" commented Tang Xiu with a smile. "Just ask these buddies of yours to help you by introducing you to a better one."

"It's not that I'm unhappy that she was pursued and s.n.a.t.c.hed by this guy, mate," smiled Hu Qingsong bitterly. "The thing is that d.a.m.n b.a.s.t.a.r.d is way too unbridled. He relies on his wealth, and I admit that he's richer than me, but it feels like he's abusing me, you know. You don't know him, Big Bro; that guy is nothing but a jerk and is also quite famous for being unfaithful and fickle in love in our campus, while he also has tons of chicks outside. That brat even stopped and violently beat someone outside the campus at the end of last year."

"Eh?" Tang Xiu was amazed and asked, "To think that he even dares to fight outside the campus, does this guy have many resources and abilities?"

Yue Kai patted Hu Qingsong's shoulder and said with a dry smile, "Well, he does have quite an impressive background, Big Bro. Rumors have it that he's the son of a rich and powerful man in Haiqing Province. I admit that my family is quite well-off, but comparing to him, it's like a chasm. Do you know how he pursued that girl Old Hu had been targeting? I never knew how that guy could do it, but he got a helicopter and landed it on open s.p.a.ce behind our campus, then confidently showered her with roses and all kinds of gifts. That kind of spectacle …"

Tang Xiu couldn't help but chuckle and said, "It's no fun to nail girls who love material things, mate. Besides, just relax, Old Hu! Don't give up the whole forest just for a tree."

"I chased her for half a year and never once had I ever touched her, which got me depressed," said Hu Qingsong helplessly. "Bah, forget it; please do not console me, alright? I won't be bothered by that brat Miao if he's no longer acting arrogant before me."

A surname of Miao? And one from Haiqing Province?

Tang Xiu was quite surprised and interjected, "This fellow you told me, is he the son of the Big Boss of Miao Group in Haiqing Province?"

"Nah, he's not. But I heard that the Miao Group's Big Boss is his uncle, though." Hu Qingsong shook his head.

"Ah, so it turns out that he's Miao Wentang's nephew! No wonder he acts so arrogantly since Miao Wentang does have the wealth and is a very powerful man, to begin with." Tang Xiu smiled and said, "Anyways, let's stop talking about this topic and take a bath, won't you? I've brought you all breakfast and we'll go to cla.s.s after grabbing them."

"We don't have any cla.s.s this morning, Big Bro Tang!" replied Yue Kai with round eyes.

"Say what?" Tang Xiu was surprised and s.p.a.ced out. He hadn't come to campus to attend cla.s.s for a long time and thus didn't expect that the schedule had been changed. Then he helplessly said, "Let's just go outside and hang out since we have no cla.s.s, then. I haven't been on campus for a long time and feel kinda estranged now."

"Well, I can't go to sleep again anyway, so why don't we come over to hear song rehearsals?" suggested Yue Kai all of a sudden.

"That's a good idea! (Second that!)."

Hu Qingsong and Xue Chao nodded in agreement at the same time.

"Listening to song rehearsals? Where?" asked Tang Xiu, looking confused.

"It's our cla.s.s teacher, Big Bro. She's just great, period," said Yue Kai with a grin. "Well, let's spare the explanation, shall we? Words are no proof; just wait and come with us. You'll know it."

The cla.s.s teacher, Han Qingwu?

The revelation caused Tang Xiu to be confused. After the trio gorged down the meal, the group of four quickly left the dormitory.