162: Chapter 162: Kun? Curtain! Oh? No!

"First, I want to know, does this Silver Dragon King, this half of the former Dragon God, actually hold any bargaining chips that would truly move me? Not those ethereal promises or grand causes, but something tangible—something with irreplaceable value to me, or to our small group. If there is, then helping her becomes a transaction, a cooperation where each gets what they need. Although risks still exist in doing so, if the return is sufficient, it is worth evaluating."

"Second!"

Lu Jing's voice deepened, carrying a rare, almost cold sharpness: "Some rules of this World, especially the predatory system between Spirit Beasts and Spirit Masters, seem to me to be designed too poorly and too brutally. It is simply a one-sided massacre and farming operation that has lasted for countless tens of thousands of years. Spirit Beasts produce spirit rings, and Spirit Masters hunt Spirit Beasts to obtain spirit rings and become stronger—it is like a pre-set loop of death that constantly incites greed and bloodshed. It may have stabilized the source of faith for the Divine Realm, but it has also extinguished more possibilities and created endless hatred and tragedy."

"I can't stand it."

Lu Jing said the last three words plainly, but they carried an unquestionable weight.

"So, helping her? Not necessarily. But if there is an opportunity, without endangering our own foundation, to cause some trouble for this disgusting set of rules, or... to see if it is possible to pry even a tiny bit from some inconspicuous corner, I might be interested. Of course, the premise is that the price is right."

His words completely clarified his stance.

He was not a saint weeping for the World, nor was he an indifferent onlooker.

He was a realistic person with his own likes and dislikes, someone who would make choices after weighing the pros and cons.

He might not care about the future of Spirit Beasts, but if the conditions were right, he wouldn't mind adding some trouble to those rules that he found repulsive.

The dining room fell silent again.

Everyone digested Lu Jing's words and understood his true thoughts.

He was not trying to save the Spirit Beasts, nor was he trying to be a hero; he was simply waiting for a transaction that might never come, one that he found interesting and cost-effective.

...

That night, the moonlight was like water.

In the bedroom, the lighting was ambiguous and warm.

Lu Jing and Wang Donger finished washing up, changed into comfortable pajamas, and lay side by side on the soft, spacious bed.

Having experienced the ups and downs and conversations of the day, the current tranquility felt exceptionally precious.

Wang Donger lay on her side, resting her head gently on Lu Jing's sturdy, warm chest.

Listening to his steady, powerful heartbeat, with the fresh, pleasant scent on him lingering at the tip of her nose, she felt incomparable peace and satisfaction.

The heavy topics about Spirit Beasts and the Divine Realm from the daytime seemed to be sealed off outside this small World.

Lu Jing wrapped one arm around Wang Donger's slender waist, while his other hand toyed with a strand of her soft, powder-blue hair, feeling the softness and warmth of the delicate body in his arms.

He lowered his head, looking at Wang Donger's beautiful, slightly lazy side profile just inches away...

Her long eyelashes were like little fans, casting shallow shadows under her eyelids, and her rosy lips were slightly pursed, radiating an alluring luster.

After a long separation and having gone through life-and-death concerns, with such beauty in his arms, a hint of romantic desire inevitably stirred in Lu Jing's heart.

A wicked smile curled the corner of his mouth as he leaned into Wang Donger's ear. His warm breath sprayed onto her sensitive earlobe, and in a low voice that only the two of them could hear, he asked very directly:

"Donger, it's been a long time... Do you want to... Kun?"

Hearing this word, Wang Donger's originally relaxed body stiffened slightly. The pretty face resting on Lu Jing's chest instantly flushed red at a visible speed, all the way to the roots of her ears.

She naturally understood what Lu Jing meant.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder; how could she not have longing and desire in her heart?

Just...

She hesitated for a moment, rubbed her burning cheek gently against Lu Jing's chest, and replied in a voice as soft as a mosquito's hum, filled with shyness:

"Lian..."

Hearing this, Lu Jing raised an eyebrow. The arm around her waist tightened, but he didn't force her. He was silent for a moment, as if thinking about something.

Then, he tentatively, in an even lower, almost whispering volume, slowly uttered another word:

"Oh...?"

However, the moment this "Oh" was uttered, Wang Donger in his arms was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She jerked her head up, widening those watery, yet currently shy and angry, deep blue eyes, glaring at Lu Jing. Although her voice was still lowered, it was filled with clear, playful anger:

"You! You only know how to bully me! Fou!"

This "Fou" was resolute, representing "no," "not allowed," and "don't even think about it!"

Clearly, Lu Jing's meaningful "Oh" had touched upon a point of knowledge that made her both shy and angry.

Lu Jing looked at Wang Donger's pretty, flushed, shy, and anxious appearance. Not only did he not feel disappointed, but he found it extremely interesting.

He curled his lips, deliberately showing an expression of regret, and muttered in a low voice:

"Sigh, it's not like we haven't done it before... now you're getting shy..."

"You! You're still talking!"

Wang Donger was so ashamed she couldn't show her face. She stretched out her fist and punched his chest lightly, burying her burning face back into his arms. Her voice was muffled, filled with infinite coquettishness: "You big pervert! I don't know what sins I committed in my past life to actually... actually fall into the hands of a pervert like you! Clearly... clearly I used to be so innocent! I didn't understand anything! Now it's all ruined, it's all your fault! You've corrupted me!"

The more she spoke, the shyer she became, feeling that her pure image had long since vanished in front of Lu Jing.

Listening to her accusation, Lu Jing couldn't help but chuckle. He pulled her closer, his chin rubbing against the top of her head, his tone playful and innocent:

"How can this be my fault? Clearly, you are gifted and clever, you understand at a hint, and can draw inferences from one instance, right? Many things, I didn't even teach you, you learned them yourself. If you don't believe me, go ask Snow Empress. If I used that set of words on her, she would definitely be confused and wouldn't be able to react for a long time to what I was saying, let alone understand my meaning instantly like you, and be able to respond fluently. What does this explain? It explains that our Donger, deep down, is..."

"Shut up! You're not allowed to say any more!" Wang Donger was both shy and anxious, reaching out to cover his mouth, not letting him say the more excessive words that would follow.

She knew what Lu Jing said was the truth; Snow Empress was indeed much purer than her in some aspects, and also much harder to understand.

Or rather, Snow Empress's thoughts and focus were simply not on these romantic, private whispers.

But being "praised" so directly by Lu Jing, she still felt like her face was burning.