The next day, Jiang Qing'e breezed out of Li Luo's room, looking refreshed after a good night's sleep. Li Luo waited for a long while before he skulked out of his own door in a grumpy mood.

Man, it hadn't been a good night.

Being in the study alone had been uncomfortable.

"Jiang Qing'e, you little minx," he swore to himself.

"Li Luo!!" A voice called out to him, shrill with a hint of hysteria. He turned around to see Lu Qing'er standing by the staircase. She was staring at him wide-eyed, both furious and frustrated.

"Oh, hey, Qing'er." Li Luo waved.

"Did Senior Jiang spend the night in your room?" she demanded in an enraged whisper.

Li Luo nodded.

Her little hand clenched and unclenched, but she did not lose her temper. She had seen Jiang Qing'e walk out of the room just now, and from the gait of her step and mood, Lu Qing'er could tell with her own arts that nothing had really happened between the two through the night. Still, Jiang Qing'e was going to ruin Li Luo's reputation at this rate!

A man and a woman spending the night alone? Who wouldn't misunderstand?!

But then again, the two were engaged. Even if something happened, what could anybody do about it?

Lu Qing'er was angry at her own conclusion. "Senior Jiang never plays by the rules!" she wailed.

She rounded on Li Luo again. "Li Luo, you are still young," she said seriously. "You have to be more circumspect, you know. Your cultivation will be affected otherwise. Besides, you're a boy, but you still have to protect your own modesty. Otherwise, no one will want you!"

Li Luo's expression was martyred.

Lu Qing'er stuffed a bag into his hand. "Here's the breakfast I helped you collect, you ungrateful thing."

She huffed and stomped away.

Li Luo looked down at the bag in his hand and saw that the contents were still steaming hot. "Thanks, Qing'er," he called hurriedly after her.

Li Luo leaned against the banister and wolfed down the breakfast. Other students passed him once in a while, throwing him unfriendly and jealous looks.

They could do no more.

Evidently, news of Jiang Qing'e spending the night in his room had spread faster than a Duke-level wind resonance user could fly.

But again, the two were engaged and therefore there was nothing improper about the arrangement, so they could only seethe.

Li Luo was just finishing up his breakfast when Vice Principal Su Xin's voice sounded in the ear of every single student.

"Assemble in the main hall on the first floor, everybody."

Li Luo crammed the last bit of bun into his mouth and then dusted the crumbs off. He headed briskly down the stairs, curious to hear what Vice Principal Su Xin would share with them regarding the mixed-level competition.

What sort of format was it going to be?

Li Luo rounded the last corner of the staircase and ran into the First Princess.

Perhaps because they were competing, the First Princess was not dressed in her usual finery. She was clad in a simple shirt-and-pants combination in lavender, but their cutting demonstrated fine tailoring nonetheless.

Her lithe manner and sexy body made certain appealing parts of her body bounce as she walked down the stairs, and the male students were all eyes.

The two paused in a moment of mutual surprise at seeing each other, then Li Luo hurriedly took a step back. "After you, Your Highness."

The First Princess threw him an amused look. "Li Luo, I hear Qing'e spent the night in your bed?"

"She spent the night in my bed," Li Luo said grouchily. "I was punished with a night in the study room."

"Oh? Why the punishment?" she asked teasingly. "Didn't you do quite well in the first half? I thought there'd be a reward instead."  

"Enough teasing, please," Li Luo pleaded sourly.

"Let's head down together." She laughed.

Li Luo followed by her side, making small talk.

Li Luo was watching their surroundings, and when he spotted a good moment, he suddenly leaned in to the First Princess.

She did not move away, smiling at him instead. "Something to ask me?"

"I wanted to ask if you're interested in winning the Holy Grail Meet," Li Luo asked directly.

She stared at him, surprised. "Would I be here if I wasn't?"

Actually, the rewards were not the main draw for her. Rather, it was the favor of the school, which would be infinitely more valuable to her in her position.

After all, the Astral Sage College might claim to be neutral, but it was still an important faction to win over in the Xia Kingdom.

She sighed. "Interest is well and good, but there are too many strong opponents at the Holy Grail Meet. I couldn't even do well in the hall-level competition. How can I aim for anything in the mixed-level competition?"

Li Luo grinned. "Difficult individually, perhaps. But you could just find a couple of trustworthy companions."

"Each team can only send two squads," she said doubtfully. "And every school has a finite pool of talent. The Astral Sage College can only send out one strong team. You and Jiang Qing'e are definitely in that seeded team, but me? I don't think so."

"Gong Shenjun did better than me in the hall-level competition," she admitted grudgingly. "You three form the ideal team."

The First Princess would just have to choose from the remaining members, although none of them could compare to these two.

Li Luo was silent for a few moments. "What if me and Qing'e want to team with you, Your Highness?" he asked softly.

Her foot paused mid-air over the next step, then a shiver of anticipation shook her from head to toe. She quickly recovered her composure.

Li Luo politely averted his gaze.

The First Princess turned to him in amazement.

"You and Qing'e? With me?" she asked in disbelief.

"You would rather not?"

"No... but why me? Logically, Gong Shenjun should be your choice." 

"Because the First Princess is beautiful and kind, and that makes our group a nicer place to be in."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Li Luo, this is no joking matter."

"Would I joke about something like this, Your Highness?" Li Luo said with a serious smile. "And don't bother asking me why either. Qing'e ordered me. Perhaps she trusts you more than him?"

 The First Princess smiled self-consciously despite herself. "Does Qing'e really think that way?"

"Or perhaps Your Highness thinks that this is going to be a mistake, and you're much weaker than Senior Gong Shenjun?"

"No way!" the First Princess said indignantly. "His potential might run deep, but I don't see myself as that much weaker than him. And with Qing'e in support, I'm afraid of no one, not even Gong Shenjun or Lan Lan!"

Li Luo smiled and nodded, satisfied.

She fixed him with a look. "But you're serious? You and Qing'e will join me in the mixed-level competition?" This pleasant surprise was too sudden for a cautious person like herself, and she had to confirm the fact again.

Li Luo was starting to feel a little grumpy about the whole business again. Qing'e this, Qing'e that, Qing'e by my side—what about him, damnit!? The strongest One Star Hall champion was in front of her in the flesh, and she was giving him as much credit as the wallpaper. It was a three-man fiesta, not a two-man comedy show. 

"Yeah, well, we'll see about it," he said huffily, stalking off.

She reached out to grab his elbow and hold him a moment longer, but Li Luo had vanished already. She gritted her teeth.

That little rascal had gotten her all riled up and now he was running away? He really knew how to play with her feelings!

Her sudden movement was attracting some curious looks from the other students, and so she resisted the urge to chase after him, instead walking into the hall at her own pace.