“Bonfire party? Where did you hear that?” I looked at Sister Lin in confusion.
Sister Lin glared at me in annoyance. “Seriously, did you really not get the message on your phone? The instructors mentioned it too. Unfortunately… you skipped class!”
“Let’s not bring up skipping class, alright?” I shot back, equally irritated.
Honestly, in four years of college, I refuse to believe anyone hasn’t skipped class! And Shenghua is a private school—most students here are rich kids. If they didn’t skip, I’d be shocked!
Well, except for the top students at the other campus.
Sister Lin smirked. “Fine, I won’t mention it… but you have to give me a massage!”
Can I just curse out loud?! Why did she bring that up again?! If I didn’t know her better, I’d think she was some insatiable black-hearted… ugh, never mind.
What really baffled me was—Sister Lin had been flat-ch9sted for over a decade. Why was she suddenly so obsessed with “enhancements”? And why did it have to be me helping her?!
Truth be told, even if Sister Lin wasn’t well-endowed, she was still undeniably a w0man—and a stunningly beautiful one at that. Every time I got close, I could smell that sweet, girly fragrance, and little Xia Tian would inevitably perk up.
Thankfully, my self-control was solid. Otherwise, Sister Lin would’ve long fallen prey to this wolf.
“Fine, just tell me about the party!” I threw up my hands in defeat. I really didn’t want to “massage” her again—my hands might enjoy it, but poor little Xia Tian would suffer!
Sister Lin gritted her teeth but said nothing, turning back to her drama, My Fair Princess.
That show was pure childhood nostalgia. As an adult? Not so much. After dozens of rewatches, I couldn’t muster any interest.
“Sister Lin, enjoy your show. Mei’er and I are outta here!” I grabbed Mei’er and retreated to my room.
Mei’er, however, looked disappointed. “Xia Tian, I actually like that drama…”
“Huh?!” Her words left me speechless. This little fox actually enjoyed that kind of show? Well… fine, I’ll admit it is a legendary series.
Seeing my expression, Mei’er quickly backtracked. “Okay, Mei’er won’t watch it! Mei’er prefers staying with Xia Tian!”
“That’s more like it!” My heart swelled with joy. This was my good little Mei’er!
Mei’er giggled at my reaction. “Xia Tian looks so silly when he smiles!”
“Hey! Hey! HEY!” I protested. “You’re getting cheekier by the day!”
“Mei’er is not!” She shook her head vigorously.
I sighed. “I can’t let you stay with Sister Lin anymore. She’s gonna corrupt you!”
“But Mei’er thinks Sister Lin is nice!” she said innocently.
I pretended to glare. “Oh? Not listening to me now, huh?”
Mei’er immediately covered her mouth with her hands. “This time, Mei’er won’t let Xia Tian catch me!”
Think covering your mouth will save you? Not today! I lunged for her.
Mei’er was incredibly agile. After chasing her around the room for ages, I still couldn’t catch her. Then I realized—her movements weren’t just random dodging. There was some kind of footwork involved!
I stopped abruptly. “Mei’er, what kind of movement technique are you using?”
“Technique?” She blinked, then grinned. “Xia Tian must be tricking Mei’er into stopping so he can catch her! Mei’er won’t fall for it!”
I nearly facepalmed. My dear Mei’er, I’m genuinely asking about your technique!
“I’m serious!” I said, exasperated.
Seeing my expression, Mei’er finally realized I wasn’t joking and cautiously approached.
The moment she got close, I grabbed her wrist, pulled her in, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pressed my lips to hers.
Heh. If she thinks I’m tricking her, might as well make it count!
Sure enough, Mei’er soon pushed me away, her face bright red. “Xia Tian tricked Mei’er again! Mei’er won’t talk to you anymore!”
Despite her words, I could tell she wasn’t actually mad.
Now that I’d gotten my fill of teasing, it was time for business.
“Alright, that was just a joke. Let’s talk about that movement technique,” I said seriously.
“You mean how Mei’er dodged earlier?” she asked. When I nodded, she continued, “It’s called Fox Spirit Step. It’s a footwork unique to our fox clan.”
“Fox Spirit Step…” I repeated, rolling the name in my mind. Simple name, but the technique itself was anything but.
Mei’er had dodged me effortlessly—and neither of us had been going all out.
“Mei’er, can you teach me?” I asked.
“Of course!” she beamed.
Fox Spirit Step wasn’t about raw speed but evasion—similar to Lingbo Weibu (Minute Ice Ripple Step) from Jin Yong’s novels, but with a key difference: it allowed for counterattacks mid-movement.
In fact, it felt less like a defensive technique and more like something designed for hunting prey.
Escape and pursuit were fundamentally different, yet Fox Spirit Step seemed to master both—like the yin-yang symbol, balancing opposites.
According to Mei’er, this technique was created by the third leader of the fox clan, who once dominated the demon realm with it. Even powerful human cultivators couldn’t touch him.
Following Mei’er’s instructions, I guided the True Qi in my dantian through my meridians, focusing on the Ren and Du channels, then concentrated it at the soles of my feet before pressing it downward.
I expected a spring-like rebound, but instead of leaping up, my body shot sideways, skimming just above the ground at blinding speed.
Though the displacement was short, the burst was faster than even Qimen Dunjia’s reversed True Qi acceleration.
Best of all, it consumed minimal True Qi—perfect for dodging attacks while reserving Qimen Dunjia for full-on escapes.
Even though I’d learned levitation, I couldn’t use it openly around normal people. So far, the only cultivator I’d met was Li Qingxiao.
With practice, I grew more proficient with Fox Spirit Step. I wasn’t as fluid as Mei’er yet, but I was getting there.
Just as I was drilling the technique, the door suddenly flew open. I instantly activated Fox Spirit Step to block it—but I was too late. Tang Shuyao had already stepped inside.
And the worst part? I couldn’t stop mid-movement!
“Move!” I shouted.
But Tang Shuyao froze in shock, staring as I appeared right in front of her.
“Ahhh!” With a scream, we both tumbled to the ground.
And—just my luck—my lips landed squarely on hers.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
Then, she grabbed my neck and shrieked:
“GIVE ME BACK MY FIRST K!SS!”