"Can you please not look at me like that?"

After the three men made a clean escape by jumping from the train, the now-empty compartment naturally became a private space for Chen Fei and Shadow Immortal Dance.

Though if word of this got out in the martial arts world, countless lovesick men would probably die of envy and heartbreak. The problem was, when Chen Fei actually found himself in this situation—being stared at unblinkingly by the beautiful woman before him, her eyes as clear as a mountain stream—he felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles, a sense of awkwardness washing over him.

"Oh, oh… I'm sorry." Hearing Chen Fei's somewhat helpless tone, Shadow Immortal Dance finally realized what she was doing. Her pretty face flushed slightly as she offered a soft apology.

Even so, her apology didn't seem particularly sincere. Just moments after she spoke, her eyes, as bright and clear as a mountain stream, once again fell involuntarily upon Chen Fei.

"Hey, listen… If you want to ask something, just ask. If you want to say something, just say it. Can you please stop staring at me so intently? For one, you might give me the wrong idea, and for another, it's just really awkward, you know?" Seeing this, Chen Fei was truly at a loss. He waved a hand in front of her bright eyes.

"Ah! I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" Hearing his words, Shadow Immortal Dance snapped back to reality, her face turning a deep crimson.

In the next moment, however, she forced down her shyness. Her stream-clear eyes looked at Chen Fei with a mix of hesitation and curiosity as she cautiously asked, "Just now, you…"

"What about us just now?" Chen Fei looked up at her.

Meeting Chen Fei's dark gaze, Shadow Immortal Dance froze for a second, a fresh blush spreading across her cheeks. Still, she managed to ask her question. "Are you a legendary Qi Practitioner?"

"A Qi Practitioner? You want to know?" Chen Fei murmured the title, a playful smirk suddenly touching his lips. He guided the conversation, looking at her and smiling. "If you want to know, come sit over here." He patted the seat next to him, his gaze teasing and ambiguous.

"Ah, why?" Shadow Immortal Dance was stunned, not expecting Chen Fei to make such a strange request. Sit next to him?

"Why? Is that even a question? Don't you know there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world? I went to all that trouble to shoo that fly away for you. Being a human shield isn't easy, you know. So, shouldn't you let me take advantage a little, as a reward for my efforts?" Chen Fei tilted his head up, his dark, translucent eyes, like black glass, glinting with mischief.

This Shadow Immortal Dance is hailed as a goddess in the martial arts world, the number one beauty, and she certainly looks the part… but after getting to know her a bit, she seems far too innocent. It's not like Miss Chu Yan's carefree attitude around me; it's the purity of a child untouched by the secular world. Perhaps it has to do with growing up in Qingqiu, never having been exposed to the complexities of the outside world. The more I realize this, the more I can't resist the urge to tease her. After all, in this day and age, a genuinely pure and innocent young woman like her is incredibly rare, like a national treasure.

"Er…"

But in the next instant, his expression changed abruptly.

With a flushed face, Shadow Immortal Dance had actually stood up. She moved from her seat with light, graceful steps, slowly making her way to the spot beside him. As she sat down, a unique, alluring fragrance washed over him, making Chen Fei's heart itch.

"You smell really nice," Chen Fei murmured with narrowed eyes, causing the blush on Shadow Immortal Dance's face to deepen, like a cooked crayfish.

"You still haven't told me. Are you… are you really a legendary Qi…" she whispered, her lips barely moving. She could feel her cheeks burning hot. But she was only halfway through her sentence when she suddenly froze, her delicate body trembling uncontrollably.

Because that scoundrel, Chen Fei, had casually turned his head and was now resting it gently on her fragrant shoulder.

"What… what are you doing?" Shadow Immortal Dance's mind was thrown into complete chaos. She had clearly never experienced such a situation, nor had she ever imagined Chen Fei would do something like this.

"Your scent is very alluring. No wonder that kid chased you all the way out of the country," Chen Fei said with a shameless, cheeky grin. He paused for a moment before continuing with a smile, "Didn't you have a lot of questions for me? Let me answer your first one, then. I am indeed the Qi Practitioner you speak of, the genuine article."

"You…" Hearing his shameless tone, even a woman as serene as Shadow Immortal Dance felt a knot of frustration in her chest. Her stunning face was beet red, as if it had been steamed. She wanted to push him away, but for some reason, her body suddenly felt weak. And besides…

After he leaned on her for a little while, she discovered that she didn't seem to resist it as much as she thought she would.

And this feeling… it was actually a little bit… magical.

At this thought, for reasons she couldn't explain, she abandoned the idea of telling him to get off her shoulder. Her mind was still a complete mess, and she couldn't remember what she had wanted to ask. With a slight tremor in her voice, she asked randomly, "So, what are you going abroad for?"

"Me? If I said I'm going to kill someone, would you believe me?" Chen Fei adjusted his position slightly, enjoying the feeling of her soft, smooth hair against his face and her pleasant fragrance. He spoke casually, his eyes narrowed.

"Kill someone? Why?" Hearing his indifferent words, Shadow Immortal Dance was taken aback and sounded surprised.

"You can see it, can't you? On my neck…" Chen Fei said slowly.

"Your neck, that's…" Shadow Immortal Dance instinctively turned to look, and her beautiful, stream-clear eyes narrowed. She saw the scar on his neck. Although it had started to scab over, an injury in such a place… one could only imagine how dangerous it must have been. After all, even legendary Qi Practitioners were still human, not gods or immortals. An injury to a vital spot like the neck, head, or chest was certainly extremely dangerous, potentially even fatal.

"Some foreigners broke the rules and came to our Huaxia to cause trouble. I'm fine, but I can't have them thinking I'm a pushover. So I have to go and settle this score. Teach them a lesson," Chen Fei said slowly, still leaning on her shoulder. He paused, then asked curiously, "What about you? Why did you suddenly run to a place outside the country? Don't tell me you came for the scenery. Was it to avoid him?"

"Yes." At the mention of this, Shadow Immortal Dance's mood suddenly fell. She spoke slowly, "His master is Luo Zun. He suddenly came to our Qingqiu and challenged my master, True Person Huiyun, to a duel. The loser would owe the winner a favor."

"Luo Zun? And your master lost to him?" Hearing the familiar name, Chen Fei was slightly startled, his eyes narrowing.

"Yes. My master… she didn't last three moves against him before she lost. Afterward, he stated his condition: he wanted me to become his disciple's… fiancée," Shadow Immortal Dance said, her voice even more despondent. She had never imagined her master could lose. True Person Huiyun was Qingqiu's strongest expert, someone who had reached the Innate Mid-stage Peak over a decade ago. Yet, her master hadn't even lasted three moves. The outcome had stunned everyone in Qingqiu.

Three moves? What a despicable pair. They're trying to use all of Qingqiu to force her to submit, aren't they? Chen Fei instantly grasped the situation. It was nothing more than the master and disciple duo coveting Shadow Immortal Dance's body… her unique physique. If a man could claim it, the benefits would be immense. No wonder they went to such lengths, setting up a duel as a trap.

Even her master… hadn't lasted three moves against him. And he clearly remembered that rumors in the martial world said that Shadow Immortal Dance's master was Qingqiu's strongest expert—True Person Huiyun, whose cultivation had reached the Innate Mid-stage Peak. To be defeated so swiftly and completely at that level… It seems that old geezer is even more formidable than I thought.

"I don't like him, so I don't want to become his fiancée," the beautiful woman's voice sounded again by his ear, filled with a quiet determination.

Hearing this, Chen Fei paused. He couldn't help but look up, his deep, glass-like eyes gazing at her, surprised that this pure and innocent young woman had such a resolute side.

That's right. Dislike is dislike. That's why she doesn't want to be his fiancée. Even now, having fled all the way across the border, her feelings haven't changed!

He looked up at her, a faint smile spreading across his lips. "If you don't like him, then refuse. If it really becomes a problem… I guess I can make the effort one more time and pretend to be your fiancé. How about it? If that scum dares to try and poach on my, Chen Fei's, territory, the consequences will be very severe, you know!" he said with a wide, teasing smile.

"Pretend to be my fiancé?" Hearing his words, even the resolute Shadow Immortal Dance from a moment ago seemed to be caught off guard, her heart stirred as she stared at him blankly.

She certainly hadn't expected Chen Fei to say something like that. Pretend to be her… fi-fiancé?

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