"Young man" grew increasingly uncomfortable under his gaze, yet couldn't break free, so he could only grit his teeth and snarl:
"Su Yu! Let go of me! Or don't blame me for being rude!"
"Rude?"
Su Yu raised an eyebrow and lightly tapped the tree trunk.
"You're the one tied up right now. How are you going to be rude to me?"
As he spoke, Su Yu gently flicked his fingers against the "young man's" chest.
Flat!
This Angel Divine Armor is so powerful, it can even disguise the body!
When the sensation from Su Yu's fingertips reached him, the "young man's" body stiffened abruptly, his back tensing up as if scalded.
Those eyes originally filled with anger instantly widened, flashing with panic and shame, while his cheeks flushed bright red, the heat spreading all the way to his ears.
"Su Yu! How dare you!"
Her voice cracked slightly, and the force of her struggle suddenly intensified, causing the branches on the tree trunk to rustle loudly, yet they still held her firmly in place.
"Su Yu, if you keep messing around, I'll make you pay!"
Su Yu looked at her puffed-up expression, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, unable to hide the amusement in his eyes.
Still, he obediently withdrew his hand, though he didn't release the Wood Release.
"Hey, we're both guys, what's the big deal about a little touch?"
He deliberately put on a roguish expression, raising an eyebrow as he looked at her.
"I didn't do anything inappropriate to you."
"Bah! Who's a guy like you!"
She stamped her foot in anger, her cheeks red enough to drip blood, pointing at Su Yu but unable to form a complete sentence:
"Su Yu, let me go right now! Or else... or else..."
"Or else what?"
Su Yu deliberately leaned closer, lowering his voice to tease her, his eyes full of mischief.
"Or else I'll get angry!"
She finally seemed to have thought of a threat, sticking her neck out defiantly.
"I'll go back! And have Xiao Hui bite you!"
"Xiao Hui? Xiao Hui is my dog, are you sure he'd bite me?"
"Of course! He'll bite whoever I tell him to!"
She stubbornly insisted, though the confidence in her eyes was clearly lacking, and her voice grew quieter.
Su Yu raised his hand and released the Wood Release. The entwining trees transformed into specks of green light that dissipated in the courtyard, leaving no trace behind.
Looking at the girl who still maintained the appearance of "Xue Qinghe," he couldn't resist teasing:
"Tsundere little dog, your disguise is quite convincing. Could it be... you even changed the details?"
"Bah!"
The girl's cheeks reddened as she slapped away his approaching hand, glaring at him with a mix of embarrassment and anger.
"You're the one who changed! Stop touching me! And I'm not some tsundere little dog!"
"Alright, alright, you're not."
Su Yu laughed and raised his hands in surrender, though his tone was clearly indulgent.
"Is that better? Hurry up and change back. It feels weird talking to you with this face."
"Hmph."
The girl lifted her chin, deliberately turning her head away, her voice carrying a stubborn awkwardness.
"You want me to change so I change? No way! I won't change, I'll stay like this. Like it or not!"
Despite her words, a faint golden light shimmered around her as the disguise of the Angel Divine Armor gradually faded with the flow of Soul Power.
Her tall, straight figure slightly contracted, transforming into the slender outline of a young girl. Her short hair grew longer, falling softly around her shoulders.
Qian Renxue's delicate face became gradually clearer under the moonlight, still carrying a trace of lingering embarrassment and annoyance.
She glared at Su Yu, her tone still stiff:
"What are you staring at? Keep looking and I'll dig your eyes out!"
Seeing her restored appearance, the smile at the corner of Su Yu's lips deepened:
"Can't I look at my own... friend?"
He deliberately paused, swallowing the address that nearly slipped out.
Qian Renxue's cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't refute him further. Instead, she turned her face away to gaze at the moonlight in the courtyard, murmuring softly:
"Who's your friend..."
Su Yu gently turned Qian Renxue's face back toward him. "We're good friends—you admitted it yourself!"
When his cool fingertips touched her skin, she instinctively flinched but didn't pull away.
Blushing under the intensity of Su Yu's gaze, Qian Renxue lowered her head slightly:
"Talk properly if you want to talk! Don't move around!"
"And! Who... who admitted that..."
Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum, her cheeks red enough to seem about to drip blood. With her eyelids lowered, she didn't dare meet the burning intensity in Su Yu's eyes.
Her previous assertiveness and stubbornness seemed to vanish in an instant, leaving only a maiden's shyness.
Observing her reddened earlobes, the tenderness in Su Yu's eyes could melt spring waters:
"Last time at Spirit Hall Back Mountain, you said, 'Fine, consider you a friend.' I remember that clearly."
He deliberately mimicked her awkward tone from that time, making Qian Renxue even more flustered.
"Th-that was just something I said without thinking!"
Qian Renxue raised her hand to push him away, but he gently caught her wrist.
His palm was warm and firm, the transmitted warmth making her heartbeat skip.
"Even words said without thinking still count."
Su Yu leaned closer, lowering his voice so only the two of them could hear.
"Between friends, can't I even take a look?"
Qian Renxue could clearly feel his warm breath brushing past her ear. Her heart pounded like a startled deer, her breathing growing somewhat rapid.
She wanted to retort but found her throat blocked, unable to utter a single word.
Slightly raising her head, Qian Renxue met Su Yu's smiling eyes, which clearly reflected her own figure.
She abruptly turned her face away, struggling to pull back her wrist, her voice carrying a barely noticeable panic:
"We're t-talking serious matters here! Stop being so handsy..."
As Qian Renxue tried to break free from Su Yu's grasp, he applied slight pressure to prevent her movement.
His fingertips could clearly feel the delicate skin beside her cheek and its slight trembling.
"Qian Renxue! I want to!"
"No!"
She tilted her head away from that hand, the tips of her ears red enough to seem about to drip blood, yet her tone still carried a hint of willful arrogance.
"This young lady knows she's naturally beautiful, but you're not allowed to touch! And don't even think about kissing—"
Mid-sentence, her words suddenly caught, as if scalded by her own bluntness, her cheeks instantly flushing crimson.
"Fine! If you won't allow it, then forget it!"
As Su Yu's fingertips loosened slightly, Qian Renxue's tense shoulders relaxed a little.
Before she could even sigh in relief, a warm sensation brushed against her cheek—light as a feather's touch yet unmistakably warm.
"Ah! Su Yu!"
She jumped back a step as if her tail had been stepped on, covering the touched cheek with her hand.
Her light purple eyes widened round with both embarrassment and anger, even the roots of her ears turning completely red:
"You... you rogue!"
Su Yu looked at her flustered state, a triumphant smile curling at the corners of his lips, his tone tinged with mischief:
"Sorry about that! I couldn't help it! Besides... it was just one kiss, it's not like you lost a piece of flesh."
"You!"
Qian Renxue was so angry she couldn't speak. She turned to leave but stumbled over a pebble on the ground, nearly losing her balance.
Su Yu swiftly reached out to steady her, pulling the two of them closer once again.