Chapter 55: Shu Zhong

Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Shu Zhong Betty flopped onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow as a muffled groan slipped out. "Tch... I can’t believe that damn lapdog showed up here of all places." She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling as if it held the answers to her frustration. "Does that mean that bastard Nova is here too, i will punch his face if i see him liek i promise to myself when reading novel" Her jaw clenched tight. Pushing herself halfway up, she swung a fist at the empty air, picturing Leon’s face in its path. "That bastard... what does he even see in Nova? He’s the reason his sister’s dead, and yet he still wags his tail for him!" Her fist lingered mid-air, trembling with rage, before finally falling limp to her side. "Calm down, Betty. Don’t waste your anger on people who aren’t worth it," she muttered to herself. Sitting up, she cracked her knuckles, a grin tugging at her lips. "Heh... now that I’m Grade Three, I can finally break through my cultivation." --- Meanwhile, Lilian wandered through the bustling streets, her hands shoved deep into her pockets and a frown etched across her face. After half an hour of aimless walking, her patience snapped. "Aghh, System! I’ve been roaming these streets forever. Why haven’t I seen Leon yet? Is he even in this base?" [Host query: Yes, he is in the base host. Please keep walking, you will eventually meet him.] "Wow, great. Just keep walking," Lilian muttered under her breath, annoyance dripping from her voice. She took another step forward, only to stumble when someone slammed into her shoulder."Hiss! Who the fu__" Before she could finish, the blond guy barely glanced her way before bolting past, not even sparing an apology. "You bastard! At least say sorry before running off!" she shouted after him. He disappeared from view, leaving her scowling and cursing under her breath. [Leon: Favourability+3] She blinked at the sudden message. Her brows furrowed in confusion. ’Huh? Favourability increased? What the hell, I didn’t even meet him yet.’ "Well, well, lady... why so angry?" a voice drawled from above. Lilian looked up to see a man lounging on the second-floor windowsill, grinning down at her. When their eyes met, he waved playfully. She crossed her arms, irritation flashing in her eyes. "Why are you sitting there like a damn monkey? And do I need your permission to be angry at someone?" The man froze for a moment, his smirk faltering."Ahem... no, of course not. I was just asking." Lilian huffed and turned her gaze toward the building. Her eyes widened in recognition. ’Wait... isn’t this the backside of Betty’s apartment?’ She recalled her mother’s words from earlier—telling her to invite Betty over for dinner. "What? Do you... Know someone in this building?" the man asked, tilting his head curiously. Lilian ignored the man and stepped inside the building. Up above, Leon arched a brow, glancing one last time toward the direction Nova had run before finally closing the window. ’Hah, cursing Nova always feels good. But... who was that lady?’ He opened his apartment door and stepped into the hallway, only to freeze. There she was, the same woman from earlier, standing at the far end, knocking on a door. ’Wait a second... isn’t that the apartment of that woman who looks like Harper?’ Lilian knocked a second time, her lips curling into a pout when silence greeted her again. ’Why isn’t my cutie pie answering? She’s not out, is she?’ "Miss, do you know the person in this apartment?" The sudden voice behind her made her jump."Ahh! Who?" She spun around, her expression souring the instant she recognized the stranger. "You again. Why are you asking? Do you... know Betty?" Leon’s brow lifted slightly. He nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, his voice dropping to a murmur. "So her name is Betty, huh..." His eyes returned to hers, a friendly smile playing on his lips as he extended his hand. "Hello, miss. My name’s Leon. And you are...?" Lilian’s eyes widened the moment his name left his lips.’Leon? Wait, does the system actually want me to get familiar with him?’ Leon blinked in mild confusion as her expression shifted through surprise, calculation, and irritation in quick succession. Snapping out of her thoughts, Lilian forced an awkward smile and shook his hand. "Ahem... you can call me Lilian." [ System Notification ]► Favourability Increased! Leon: +3 Total: 6 / 100 Status: Weak Friendship(Friendship initiated after Host cursed at ML) [ Objective Complete ] Task: Familiarize yourself with the Final Boss Reward:Grade Four Core. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the reward, but her lips twitched when she read the reason. ’System, what the hell? I don’t get this favourability thing. For Maria, I had to raise her to 40 before the objective cleared, but here it’s done at just 6?!’ [For Maria, you need to form a strong bond to complete the objective. For the Final Boss, only a weak bond is required.] Leon flicked his finger near her ear, jolting her out of thought."Hello? Did you fall asleep with your eyes open?" Lilian snapped out of her daze and nearly cursed. Leon chuckled, noticing the way she pressed her lips tightly to hold it in. She shot him one last glare before spinning on her heel and walking away. Leon rubbed the back of his neck, a smirk tugging at his lips, then turned and headed back toward his apartment --- Later, seated on the sofa, Leon let out a long sigh. From his pocket, he pulled out a small photograph and gazed at it tenderly. His thumb traced over the smiling face of the woman in the picture. For a moment, the hard edge in his expression softened. His thoughts sank deep, pulling him back into a memory. [Memory] "Brother... you won’t be angry, right?" The young woman stood in front of him, her feet fidgeting nervously. Leon sat stiffly on the sofa, arms crossed, his jaw tight as he fought to keep his irritation in check. "I promise I won’t be angry." Sarah’s eyes brightened with a flicker of hope. "Then promise me you won’t stop me from dating him. Please?" Dark lines formed on Leon’s face at her words. "Don’t push your luck, young lady. Tell me, who’s the guy you’ve been whispering to all day and night? The one you even sneak out to meet?" Sarah pouted, hiding her hands behind her back like a guilty child. "Okay... I’ll tell you. I... I fell in love with Nova. Brother, don’t be angry—you promised!" Leon’s eyes widened, panic flashing across his face. He shot to his feet so fast the sofa creaked. "W-What?! Are you out of your mind? Didn’t I tell you to stay away from him?" Sarah shook her head stubbornly, her voice firm despite the tremble in it. "But... but he’s your friend! Why would you tell me to stay away from him?" Leon groaned, clutching his hair in frustration."I’m saying it for your own good, Sarah!" Sarah, seeing his angry face, shook her head and turned and ran upstairs. [End Memories] Leon sighs, putting the picture back in his pocket, wiping the tears with the back of his hand. "I should have forced her to stay away from him, if I were stern there this whole thing wouldn’t have happened." --- The white droplet sinks into Betty’s abdomen, and the green smoke surrounding her scatters and vanishes slowly as time passes. She clenched her fist, stood from the pool, and jumped outside with a grin. "Hehe, breakthrough, only one more breakthrough, then I will enter qi condensation." She hopes outside the cave happily, as she vanishes outside. On the dark side of the cave, a figure materializes. The figure materializes from the shadow of the rock, wearing a black coat, and gazes at the cave entrance. A fire ignited near her, making her look as Calista appeared with a frown. "What are you doing here, Shu Zhong?" The girl opened her hood, revealing long black hair and an Eastern-type, beautiful face. "Calista, don’t you think it’s time to take her away now? I don’t want to wait anymore." The phoenix form turns into a human; she crosses her arms in anger. "What are you saying, Zhong? Are you mad? Mother will be very, very mad if she remembers things and finds out we took master away like this." Shu Zhong, look down at the little girl. "I’m not mad, Calista, you know I want her back quickly. Why do we have to wait for her to get strong in this weak world when she can become stronger in that world?" Shu Zhong leaned down slightly, sitting on the rock. "And your mother won’t dare to be angry in front of the master even if she finds out." Calista shook her head, then thought slightly and said. "No, not now, we will take her after she reaches grade five, okay." Shu Zhong nodded expressionlessly, rubbing her slender hands together.