Chen Daolin turned his head and glanced at Lanlan, who still looked bewildered, and sighed, "Don't you understand? If I hadn't had a sudden inspiration and used the 'showing off' technique just now... we would probably both be dead by now! Fortunately, that guy named Luoxue fell for it."
Lanlan opened her mouth, her face filled with doubt, "You mean?"
Chen Daolin looked at the long-legged girl with a sigh, "How powerful do you think that guy named Luoxue is? How does he compare to you?"
Lanlan thought for a moment, "Although we didn't fight, I felt... if I had attacked, he could have easily knocked me down with just a finger. He seems to have a unique aura; I probably wouldn't even have the courage to draw my sword in front of him."
"That's exactly it." Chen Daolin snorted, "Didn't you hear the hint in his words? He said he had an appointment here to meet the descendant of the Tulip family. Listen, the descendant of the Tulip family! You said the Tulip family is very powerful, yet this Luoxue is meeting them here! A meeting between great masters... I bet it's either a duel or a martial arts competition!"
"Are you kidding me? If they were just chatting and drinking, would they need to meet in such a remote place?" Chen Daolin shook his head.
"But..." Lanlan wanted to say more.
Chen Daolin quickly interrupted, "If they are meeting for a fight or a duel, and we happen to be there, what if they decide to kill us to keep us quiet?"
"No grudges, no enmity, why would they..." Lanlan shook her head, "I heard that the people of the Tulip family are very kind."
"That's not necessarily true." Chen Daolin took a deep breath, and at that moment, his expression became incredibly serious!
"I ask you, is the current Duke of the Tulip family considered a very powerful figure in your world?"
"Of course." Lanlan said solemnly, "The Duke of Tulip is a key minister of the empire and holds military power; he has always been a pillar of the empire!"
"Then, I remember you said that your Roland Empire is hostile to the other races, including the elves, and the relationship isn't good, right?"
Lanlan's voice gradually lowered, "That's true. Although there hasn't been a war for many years, the relationship between the elves and us has always been cold. I heard from the teachers in the church that if we go to war with the orcs, the elves will definitely help the orcs."
"That's exactly it." Chen Daolin sighed, "The heir of the Tulip family, a key minister of your empire, comes to such a remote and secret place to meet a prominent figure from the elves. Don't you think this is very sensitive? I don't want to be dragged into some vortex for no reason."
Lanlan nodded silently, thinking for a while. Suddenly, her eyes showed a hint of surprise as she looked at Chen Daolin, "All of this... you thought of it in such a short time?"
Chen Daolin nodded, "Believe it or not." He pointed to his nose and smiled seriously, "Actually, I'm very smart."
He spoke so seriously that Lanlan couldn't help but want to laugh, but thinking about the scene just now, she suddenly couldn't laugh.
She looked at Chen Daolin, opened her mouth, but finally said nothing.
Chen Daolin patted the dust off his clothes and sighed, "This place might not be safe. Who knows when that effeminate guy will come back. We should leave as soon as possible."
"Shouldn't we wait until dawn?"
"No need to wait." Chen Daolin mysteriously raised a finger, "In the world of martial arts, stability is key! It's always better to be cautious."
He looked at Lanlan and suddenly felt a bit sad.
He was about to run back to that portal... did he have to part ways with this long-legged girl?
Originally, Chen Daolin had decided that this trip was just a reconnaissance mission to gauge the situation before making more thorough preparations.
Speaking of the gains from this trip, they were not small: just the 'Language Skill' alone had solved a big problem for him. With better preparation next time, it would be much easier.
Looking at Lanlan's silver eyes, Chen Daolin felt a strong sense of reluctance. After all, he was just a simple otaku, and although he often indulged in his fantasies, he couldn't help but develop feelings for a woman he had been intimate with.
Actually, otakus are very emotional creatures.
"Hmm?" The long-legged girl looked up at Chen Daolin.
"Hmm... nothing." Chen Daolin took a deep breath. He had been calm when facing that effeminate elf, but now he felt a bit restless.
He pretended to be relaxed, took off his chest armor, and pointed, smiling, "I'll take this off to avoid being mistaken for someone from the Tulip family."
Lanlan seemed to smile but said nothing.
Chen Daolin rummaged through his bag, found the soap, and held it tightly. After a moment's thought, he handed it to Lanlan and whispered, "This is better used by a girl like you."
Lanlan looked at the soap Chen Daolin handed her, her eyes suddenly changed, and she said seriously, "You're giving it to me... you won't use it?"
"I... I still have some, ha ha."
Lanlan's face gradually turned cold, staring into Chen Daolin's eyes, "You... are leaving?"
"..." Faced with the long-legged girl's gaze, Chen Daolin suddenly felt a tightness in his chest and couldn't bring himself to tell the truth. He laughed and said, "I'm just giving you a bar of soap. Girls always overthink things, right?"
Lanlan's eyes warmed up, and she smiled at Chen Daolin but didn't take the soap. She turned her head and continued packing her things. After a while, she softly said, "Just keep it with you. I'll... I'll ask you for it when I need it."
Her words clearly carried a hint of a girl's shyness, leaving Chen Daolin speechless.
After they packed their things and were about to leave, it seemed that fate was against Chen Daolin.
Just as they were about to extinguish the campfire, they suddenly heard a polite voice from the forest behind them.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry to disturb you two."
Chen Daolin didn't react, but Lanlan immediately turned around, her face showing alertness.
A figure slowly emerged from the forest.
A young man walked over, his steps light, wearing a linen robe. Despite his calm demeanor, he exuded a subtle air of nobility. He had a sword at his waist, but his slender figure lacked any martial aura. His young, even somewhat innocent face was full of scholarly refinement.
He held a torch and walked out of the forest.
Under the moonlight, the silver glow evenly illuminated his figure, making him appear serene and composed.
This young man walked calmly up to the two of them, his handsome and refined face showing a slightly shy smile, "I'm sorry, I seem to be lost. Is this the Great Round Lake?"
Chen Daolin didn't respond, and neither did Lanlan. Their eyes simultaneously fell on the young man's clothing!
On the corner of his linen robe, there was a clearly embroidered tulip flower in flames!
Chen Daolin drew a sharp breath.
Am I... having a stroke of luck tonight?
Thud. As Chen Daolin was in a daze, the soap he had been holding tightly slipped from his hand and rolled to the young man's feet.
The young man saw it, paused for a moment, then took a few steps forward. His handsome and refined face showed a shy and humble smile as he bent down to pick up the soap and handed it to Chen Daolin.
His words were sincere and kind, his eyes clear and innocent.
"Sir, is this your soap?"
"........................"
Chen Daolin's expression was as if a million grass mud horses were galloping through his heart...
Note: The last part of the original text contains promotional content and a personal message from the author, which is not translated here.