Douluo Continent: Angels Descend, Glory Reborn

She bit her lower lip hard, her hands gripping the hem of her school uniform tightly, her body trembling slightly, whether from anger or shame, it was hard to tell.

Silence reigned. The freshmen watching were all stunned. From Wang Dong releasing her awe-inspiring martial spirit and spirit rings, to her launching a storm of attacks, to Su Chen's ghostly evasion and decisive victory, and finally to Wang Dong falling into Su Chen's arms... the whole process took only a dozen seconds, yet it was filled with dramatic reversals and... an indescribable sense of ambiguity.

After a long while, Wang Dong suddenly raised her head, her pinkish-blue eyes glistening with tears, a mixture of shame, indignation, resentment, and shock as she stared intently at Su Chen.

Su Chen calmly met her gaze, waiting for her to speak.

A few seconds later, Wang Dong seemed to use all his strength to squeeze out three words through clenched teeth, his voice so low it was almost inaudible, filled with deep humiliation and defeat:

"...I lost."

After saying that, she turned around abruptly, as if she wanted to rush back to her dormitory immediately, but then she remembered the bet, and her feet froze on the spot, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Watching her retreating figure, Su Chen knew that this proud little princess was probably in turmoil. He didn't immediately bring up the bet, but simply said, "We'll talk about it when we get back."

Then, he turned to the still-stunned freshmen around him, his gaze sweeping calmly over them. Those freshmen who met his gaze, for some reason, subconsciously looked away or lowered their heads, as if intimidated by some invisible aura.

Su Chen said no more, turned around, and walked towards dormitory 108.

Wang Dong stood there, hesitated for a few seconds, and finally stamped his foot, lowered his head, and quickly followed, like a little peacock that had been defeated but was unwilling to give up.

On the recliner, Mu En opened his eyelids a crack again, watching the two figures leave one after the other, especially Su Chen's steady steps. A faint, meaningful smile flashed in his cloudy eyes.

"Interesting... Without using a martial soul, relying purely on physical strength, he instantly subdued a level 23 soul master with a top-tier martial soul and a second soul ring that's been around for a thousand years... This kid's been hiding his true strength."

……

In the dormitory.

Wang Dong lowered her head, almost burying it in her chest. Her soft, light blue hair fell down with her movements, obscuring most of her still burning cheeks.

The spot on her neck where Su Chen had lightly touched her with his hand still seemed to retain a strange, subtle tingling sensation, as if an electric current was quietly creeping through it, constantly reminding her that what had just happened was not an illusion, but a real fact.

She lost.

The defeat was swift and decisive, without any suspense, and even... somewhat embarrassing.

What she found even harder to accept was that Su Chen hadn't even released his Martial Soul. From beginning to end, he used only the simplest physical movements to neutralize all her attacks, then with a casual strike, he rendered her incapable of resistance, and finally…

She threw herself into his arms.

This realization was like a bucket of ice water poured over her head, jolting her awake from her anger and shame.

What followed was a more complex and unsettling emotion—frustration, disbelief, and a hint of curiosity that she subconsciously wanted to deny and suppress.

How did he do that? That ghostly speed, and that seemingly simple hand chop... This was something she knew, something no other soul master her age could possess, even if their soul power was several levels higher than hers!

"Who...who is he?" This thought swirled uncontrollably in Wang Dong's mind.

The door to dormitory 108 was ajar, and Su Chen had already gone in first, seemingly certain that she would follow.

Wang Dong lingered at the door for several seconds, his fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of his school uniform, wrinkling the smooth fabric.

Finally, she took a deep breath, mustered her courage, pushed the door open, and went in, then gently closed the door behind her.

"Click".

The soft click of the latch shut out the prying eyes, whispers, and all the noises that disturbed her. Only she and Su Chen remained in the small dormitory room.

She stood by the door, not immediately heading to her bed, but standing there like a statue. Her gaze cautiously rose to look at the bed by the window—Su Chen was already sitting down, calmly looking back at her.

His gaze was indifferent, devoid of any victor's smugness or mockery, which only made Wang Dong feel more lost and confused.

This silence is more stressful than any words.

Time ticked by, second by second. Wang Dong could hear her heart pounding wildly, and feel the temperature on her cheeks rising again. Her lips were pressed tightly together, almost forming a pale line, and she was torn between two conflicting emotions.

Admit defeat? Fulfill the bet? Call me that humiliating nickname? That would be worse than death for her!

To renege on the agreement? To pretend it never happened? The thought had barely crossed Wang Dong's mind when he rejected it.

She was Wang Dong, the little princess of the Haotian Sect. Her pride and self-respect did not allow her to do such a dishonest thing.

Moreover... the strength Su Chen just displayed gave her a vague feeling that cheating might only bring about even more "terrifying" consequences.

After a long while, Wang Dong seemed to have finally exhausted all his courage and decisiveness, and suddenly raised his head, his pinkish-blue eyes looking straight at Su Chen.

Although the lingering embarrassment and shame in her eyes were still deep within, the pride of being a descendant of the Haotian Sect made her try to straighten her slightly trembling back and maintain the last bit of dignity.

"I..." Her voice was much lower than before, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, but her tone was unusually stubborn, as if every word was squeezed out from between her teeth, "I, Wang Dong, keep my word!"

She paused, took a deep breath, and continued, "A loss is a loss! The bet... I, Wang Dong, accept it!"

After saying this, she felt as if half of her strength had been drained away, but at the same time, she felt a strange sense of relief. Admitting defeat was painful, but it was better than self-deception and running away.

Su Chen raised an eyebrow slightly, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashing across his handsome face. He was indeed somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected this seemingly spoiled and willful little princess to choose to "accept her debt" so quickly.

He thought he would have to go through at least a fierce internal struggle, or he might simply resort to cheating.

"A bet's a bet," Su Chen said calmly, leaning back slightly against the headboard, looking like he was all ears. "And then?"

and then?

These three words were like three tiny needles, gently pricking Wang Dong's heart. She knew what Su Chen was asking—the specific details of the bet.

"dad"