Su Taosheng’s battle looked like it would drag on for a long time. Not wanting to just stand there watching the two of them locked in a stalemate, Ling Xiaoyou decisively decided—
‘Sneak away! Sorry, Su Taosheng. I really want to wait for you to come back, but this is just too painful! So maybe next time!’
Thinking this, Ling Xiaoyou greeted Su Lihua, who was intently watching the match, made up some excuse, and pulled Bai Shuanglian away.
“Whew~ That was close. I almost got stuck watching that painful match!”
Only after leaving the competition venue and returning to the streets of the real world did Ling Xiaoyou let out a sigh of relief. She patted her small chest and said.
Seeing Ling Xiaoyou’s somewhat exaggerated actions and words, Bai Shuanglian said helplessly, “You’re exaggerating. Although Su Taosheng’s match wasn’t very entertaining, it wasn’t that bad, was it?”
“It was that bad!”
Ling Xiaoyou said seriously, “Think about it—if we stayed there watching the match, watching Su Taosheng keep fighting a ridiculous slime and not even winning, wouldn’t that make Su Lihua feel awkward? And when Su Taosheng came back and saw we’d been watching her the whole time, only for her to put up such a performance, wouldn’t she feel embarrassed?”
Hearing this, Bai Shuanglian thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Yeah, I see your point.”
Bai Shuanglian struggled to hold back a laugh as she nodded, her tone inevitably tinged with amusement.
“I’ve learned something.”
“So you see, that’s just human relations!”
Ling Xiaoyou patted her chest and put on the airs of someone experienced. But her delicate, cute face and petite frame made her look less like a seasoned expert and more like a little girl pretending to be an adult.
“Mhm, good that you’ve learned. Teacher Ling still has plenty more to teach you.”
Ling Xiaoyou clasped her hands behind her back and lifted her chin slightly, striking the pose of a transcendent master.
“So, Teacher Ling…”
Bai Shuanglian rubbed Ling Xiaoyou’s head and asked, “Are we going back to the hotel next, or do we keep shopping?”
“Hmm…”
Ling Xiaoyou thought for a moment, then said, “No shopping today. I’m a bit tired. Let’s just head back to the hotel and rest.”
“Okay.”
The two returned to the hotel. As soon as they reached the floor where the Ghostly Resentment Office’s branch was located, they saw Li Xueman walking toward them from the other end of the corridor, apparently planning to go downstairs.
“Eh? Senior Li, you’re back! Did you handle everything?”
Ling Xiaoyou looked at Li Xueman in surprise.
The other day, after learning the information Ling Xiaoyou and the others had brought back from the research institute, Li Xueman had returned to the Underworld’s Ghostly Resentment Office headquarters to report the matter to Hong Lingyan and let her make the final decision.
“Yeah, I’ve mostly handled it, so I came back.”
Li Xueman stopped and nodded at the two.
“Sister Hong has already instructed all branches of the Ghostly Resentment Office to tighten security and set up detection arrays in cities to handle any abnormalities promptly.”
“The other Underworld agencies have also been alerted and are on high alert. Now, in the Underworld, even a fly that flies through has to report itself.”
Li Xueman shook her head, her tone a mix of helplessness and amazement.
“Uh…”
Ling Xiaoyou was also surprised. After all, while the ghosts in the Underworld weren’t necessarily the type to cause riots, they wouldn’t be willing to be monitored like this.
“And the residents in the cities… they’re actually okay with this?”
Ling Xiaoyou asked curiously.
“What choice do they have?”
Li Xueman chuckled.
“In the Underworld, might makes right. Every ghost living here knows that.”
“Besides, they’re just being asked to stay put and not cause trouble. The veteran ghosts are already holed up at home waiting for their compensation. Only the new ghosts would make a fuss.”
“Uh…”
Ling Xiaoyou was both surprised and not surprised.
‘As expected of ghosts from the underworld—they really are underworldly enough.’
“By the way, Senior Li, did Sister Ling say when she’d come?”
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Ling Xiaoyou looked at Li Xueman with curiosity.
“She mentioned earlier that she planned to come watch my match.”
“Well…”
Li Xueman paused. Her gaze flicked briefly toward Bai Shuanglian, then she turned back to Ling Xiaoyou and explained, “Your Sister Ling really does want to come watch your match as soon as possible. But you know how busy things are in the Underworld right now. She was already swamped, and with this sudden ‘Bomb Disease,’ she’s even busier. So for now, she can’t come to cheer you on.”
“Oh… okay.”
Hearing this, Ling Xiaoyou drooped her head in disappointment. She understood that with Hong Lingyan’s position, when major events concerning the people of the Underworld were happening, she really couldn’t spare the time to watch her match.
But seeing Ling Xiaoyou’s disappointment, Li Xueman quickly added, “But don’t be too down, Xiao You. Sister Hong said she will definitely come to see you on the day of the finals!”
After that, she added, “Sister Hong believes you can definitely make it to the finals and win the championship!”
Hearing this, Ling Xiaoyou’s mood improved considerably. She nodded firmly and said confidently, “I will. You all just wait and see—I’ll definitely win the championship!”
“Good. Keep that mindset!”
Li Xueman nodded approvingly and patted Ling Xiaoyou’s head.
After learning about the situation in the Underworld, Li Xueman still had things to do and left. Ling Xiaoyou and Bai Shuanglian then walked toward Ling Xiaoyou’s room.
Along the way, Bai Shuanglian was pondering the glance Li Xueman had given her earlier. She found it strange—why, when talking about when Hong Lingyan would come, did Li Xueman look at her?
Then a possibility occurred to her.
Could it be that Li Xueman wasn’t looking at her, but through her, at the person she was connected to?
And who could be connected to her and also related to Hong Lingyan?
That would be Bai Qiuyin.
Thinking of this, Bai Shuanglian couldn’t help but smile. She already understood why Hong Lingyan was reluctant to come, aside from being busy.
“Huh? Bai Shuanglian, what are you smiling about?”
Ling Xiaoyou was opening the door to her room and noticed Bai Shuanglian’s smile.
She asked in confusion.
“It’s nothing. I was just smiling at how people are unwilling to lose, no matter the aspect.”
Bai Shuanglian smiled and replied.
“Isn’t that normal? What’s so funny about that?”
Ling Xiaoyou scratched her head, not understanding what was amusing.
Bai Shuanglian didn’t bother to explain further. She entered the room with Ling Xiaoyou.