"Ah, this is from my girlfriend. It’s the first Soul Pearl she’s ever given me." Rong Taotao gave a helpless grin and answered.

"Oh?" Ye Nanxi raised an eyebrow slightly and chuckled. "So you plan on using it for the rest of your life?"

Rong Taotao shrugged. "I at least want to fight alongside her in the national competition. We’ll finish this part of our journey together, and then we’ll see. Besides, this Soul Skill is actually really useful. It’s not as worthless as you all make it out to be."

"Tsk, tsk... The Snow Realm’s model boyfriend, aren’t you~"

"Are you jealous? If you’re that jealous, go find one yourself. Did you go to college for nothing?"

"It’s not that simple," Ye Nanxi said with a hint of resignation. "If I were a girl from a normal family, without all those people constantly fawning over me, it’d probably be easier to find real friends. It’s just so hard... Ugh. It feels like everyone who gets close to me has an ulterior motive."

"Well, of course they do. With the way you act at school, anyone still willing to get close to you is bound to have an agenda."

"What’s wrong with a girl being a little headstrong?"

"When other girls are headstrong, they throw a little tantrum. When you’re headstrong, you beat people into the hospital."

"Hey! Shut up!"

"You should work on your personality first. If that’s too hard, then just focus on getting stronger—on becoming the absolute best. That way, at least people will be drawn to you for who you are, not because your mother is a Soul General."

Ye Nanxi was taken aback. She wanted to argue, but... ’Is he... actually right?’

’If I’m strong enough, if I’m dazzling enough in at least one area, will there eventually be someone sincere who’s willing to accept my flaws and put up with my shortcomings?’

’This guy... He’s young, but he’s really got his head on straight. I wonder what kind of person his girlfriend is, the one he chose.’

After they walked in silence for a while, Ye Nanxi suddenly asked, "What’s the Snow Realm like? Is it fun?"

Rong Taotao shook his head. "It’s not fun. It’s harsh. Especially for Soul Martial Artists. You don’t live there; you just survive."

"I’m not planning on surviving there, just visiting at most. I heard Songbai Town has a New Year’s Eve celebration every year?"

"Yeah, if you come visit, I’ll show you around," Rong Taotao said with a cheerful laugh.

"Will your girlfriend be there too?" Ye Nanxi asked.

"Why?"

"I’d like to meet her. I’m pretty curious about her."

"Er..." Rong Taotao scratched his head. "Why wait until New Year’s Eve? If you make it out of the North China Region qualifiers, we’ll see each other at the nationals."

Ye Nanxi pouted. "I don’t even know what my new teammates will be like yet. By the time I get out of here, there’ll be no time to sync up with them."

With a look of utter disappointment, Rong Taotao said, "Look at you, so un-ambitious. Do you really need teammates? What’s wrong with competing in the individual tournament?"

"Huh?"

In her mind, a three-person team was just the normal way of the world.

Rong Taotao said, "Doesn’t your family have the means? You have six Soul Slots. Blow through all six in one match, then slot in new Soul Pearls for the next and do it all over again! Just go all out! Brute force it!"

Ye Nanxi’s eyes widened. "But..."

Rong Taotao continued, "Nan can hook you up with unfair advantages and pay for everything. Jeez, you’ve got it all. Who could possibly stop you? All that’s left is for them to disqualify you, right?"

From behind them, Rong Yuanshan’s voice drifted over. "Once you register for the competition, your Soul Pearls are locked in. You’re not allowed to change them. Even if you use them up, the Soul Slot must remain empty until the entire tournament is over."

"Oh." Rong Taotao laughed awkwardly, though he stubbornly added, "But you said you couldn’t be bothered with teammates, right? 1v1 fights are way more thrilling anyway!"

"Yes, that’s it!" Ye Nanxi’s eyes lit up. "Without any dead weight dragging me down, a 1v1 is way better than a 1v5 on the field!"

Hearing this, Nan Cheng grew worried all over again.

’Rong Taotao had been acting so proper for a whole week, and he’d just managed to get Ye Nanxi on the right track. How could he do a complete 180 and lead her astray all over again?’

...