"I'll give you one last moment. Say your goodbyes."
Chen Xiaoming's indifferent voice echoed as Xiao Wu walked forward with deep emotion, stopping before the bound Tang San. Her delicate hand gently caressed his face. She truly couldn't bear to part, yet she knew she no longer had a choice.
Leaning slightly against Tang San, she felt his warmth. Memories of their time together flashed through her mind—their first encounter, the bond they forged as sworn siblings, and the six years they had spent side by side.
Unknowingly, they had already been through so much. The more she thought about it, the harder it was to let go.
"Brother, you have to take care of yourself. Don't think about me."
Her deep attachment turned into tears, her boundless love condensed into a single plea—don't think about me.
Chen Xiaoming's power was terrifying. She didn't want Tang San to risk his life seeking vengeance for her. It would be better for her to vanish like dust in the wind.
"Brother, live on. Live well."
Tang San's eyes were already brimming with tears. Only now did he truly realize how important Xiao Wu was to him.
The sensation of impending loss tore at his heart.
Xiao Wu gazed at him one last time before gently pressing a kiss onto his lips. Then, she turned away, unwilling to look back.
She was afraid—afraid that if she turned around, she would no longer have the strength to leave. And that would only bring him harm.
"Let's go. I'll go with you."
With a soft chuckle, Chen Xiaoming watched the exchange between the two. For a moment, he even felt like the villain in their story.
Clearing his throat, he thought to himself—if Tang San eventually became a god, would he come after me for this?
Then, recalling his own progress, Chen Xiaoming let out a breath of relief. It seemed he would become a god before Tang San. No need to worry.
Composing himself, he led Xiao Wu toward the nearby forest. In just a short while, the two disappeared from Tang San and the others' sight.
No... no! Xiao Wu!
Tang San screamed, his voice muffled by the branches that bound him. Yet in that moment, he felt the truest stirrings of his heart.
"Xiao San, calm down. I don't think Teacher Chen will harm Xiao Wu."
As Dai Mubai and the others fell into panic, Oscar's eyes flashed with insight.
"With Teacher Chen's strength, if he truly wanted to harm Xiao Wu, he could have done so back in the Star Dou Forest. We wouldn't have been able to stop him. There was no need for him to bring us back here."
Caught up in the situation, Tang San had been unable to think clearly. But Oscar noticed something was off.
If Chen Xiaoming truly meant harm, wouldn't it have been easier to act in the forest? He could have killed them all and blamed it on the Titan Giant Ape. Why go through so much trouble?
Oscar's analysis was a ray of hope for Tang San, who grasped onto it like a drowning man to driftwood.
His mind regained clarity. The inconsistencies stood out.
As time passed, the branches binding them gradually loosened.
Seeing this, Tang San's eyes lit up. He leaped to his feet and dashed toward the direction Chen Xiaoming had taken Xiao Wu.
"Move!"
Dai Mubai and the others exchanged glances before gritting their teeth and following. The Shrek Seven Devils were not ones to abandon their own.
Meanwhile, deep in the forest...
Chen Xiaoming and Xiao Wu arrived at a quiet clearing. He glanced around, his interest piqued.
A dark, windy night, a secluded spot—it was the perfect setting for murder.
Cough, no. That wasn't right. It was just a moonlit night with a beautiful companion. Yes, that was it. There was no nefarious intent. He wasn't that kind of person.
"Do you know why I brought you here?"
Adjusting his expression, Chen Xiaoming relied solely on his righteous aura to maintain propriety in this isolated setting.
Xiao Wu numbly nodded. By now, she had accepted her fate.
Uh...
Her silence caught Chen Xiaoming off guard. If she didn't speak, how was he supposed to continue? He couldn't keep up the act without her cooperation!
"Ahem. A hundred-thousand-year spirit beast taking human form... I didn't expect there to be others like me."
Xiao Wu nodded again, resigned—until a sudden realization struck her like a bolt of lightning.
Her eyes snapped up, regaining their lost brilliance.
She looked up just in time to see Chen Xiaoming's teasing grin.
"Surprised? Didn't see that coming, did you?"
Xiao Wu's emotions swung like a pendulum. She had already fallen to the lowest depths of despair, only to be catapulted into hope once more.
The drastic shift left her utterly stunned. For a long moment, she just stared at him in shock.
"You... you too?"
Seeing her reaction, Chen Xiaoming was pleased. This was exactly the effect he had wanted. Though there had been a slight hiccup in his plan, it was all fine now.
"That's right. I saw through your identity from the beginning. I wanted to talk earlier, but it seems you and Xiao San were... well, quite occupied."
Clicking his tongue, Chen Xiaoming smirked knowingly. Seeing Xiao Wu's face turn crimson, her head dropping in embarrassment, he chuckled.
"But after what I've seen, I have to say—Xiao San is worthy of you. Silly girl, cherish him."
His voice softened as he gazed toward the approaching figures in the distance, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Seize the moment while it lasts, before the flowers wither and there's nothing left to pick."
With that, Chen Xiaoming's figure flickered, vanishing toward the oncoming group.
"Go."
A commanding voice rang out. Before Dai Mubai and the others could react, an overwhelming force enveloped them. In the next moment, they found themselves propelled back toward Shrek Academy.
Their initial panic faded the moment they recognized the figure before them.
"Teacher Chen, what about Xiao Wu?"
Dai Mubai, ever the leader, was the first to ask. Zhu Zhuqing and the others also watched him intently.
"Xiao Wu is fine. We just had some things to discuss. But don't you think Tang San and Xiao Wu deserve a moment alone?"
Giving them a meaningful look, Chen Xiaoming said no more.
Hearing that Xiao Wu was safe, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun immediately understood his intent.
Oscar grinned mischievously. "Yes, yes, Teacher Chen is right. We should let them have their moment. We wouldn't want to intrude."
A lone boy and girl in the wilderness, under the moonlight... Tsk, tsk...
Oscar could already imagine the rest. Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun exchanged knowing smirks, saying nothing more.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, who had been a step behind in comprehension, finally caught on. Seeing the sly smiles on the boys' faces, Ning Rongrong's cheeks flushed red.
"Hmph, filthy-minded men!"
Up ahead, Chen Xiaoming stumbled. What? How had he been dragged into this?
Glancing back at the smirking Oscar and Dai Mubai, his expression turned serious.
"Mubai, Oscar, Fatty—your thoughts are impure. You should learn from me. Starting tomorrow, extra training for all three of you."
The three men froze, looking at Chen Xiaoming in disbelief.
Wasn't it him who had given them the look? Wasn't he the one who started all this?
They exchanged glances, reading the same thought in each other's eyes.
They had never met anyone so shameless!
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