Chapter 112: Rushing to Be Reborn

Chapter 112: In a Hurry to Be Reborn

He didn't speak, and Ling Qingjue was about to get angry again, yanking his own tail back. "Did you even hear what I said?"

Meng Shu snapped back to reality, but he simply didn't know how to begin.

He wanted to say, you don't have to go that far for me; I won't live that long. After I die, just forget me and find someone else.

But the words wouldn't come out. Meng Shu awkwardly made an excuse. "I was thinking about how I can surpass you. You're willing to do so much for me... really, thank you."

"Well, you are my boyfriend, aren't you?"

Ling Qingjue muttered a few words under his breath, then raised his voice. "Anyway, figure it out yourself. The Demon King's Tower is dark and cold; I don't want to live in there."

He was such a pampered cat—how could he stand the Demon King's Tower?

Meng Shu's eyes inexplicably reddened. He rubbed them and said in a muffled voice, "Okay. I'll find a way. I absolutely won't let you be locked in there."

Ling Qingjue said, "I don't know what kind of person can defeat me, but if you reach one hundred affinity with me, you must defeat me."

"My current stats..." Meng Shu glanced at the panel. "Attack power is only five hundred."

Even with the boost from the Cat Sword, his attack power barely reached even a fraction of Ling Qingjue's.

Seeing his dejection, Ling Qingjue said coldly, "Humans' limits are different from those of animals, but you'll receive the blessing of the laws. There's always a way to defeat me."

Meng Shu still lacked confidence, feeling a rare moment of hesitation. "What if I fail to defeat you..."

Ling Qingjue let out a soft laugh, raised a hand to touch his cheek, and asked teasingly, "Aren't you the Lord Hero? Always saying you're invincible—how come you can't manage to defeat me?"

Meng Shu's eyebrows drooped, and he couldn't utter a word for a long time.

Ling Qingjue's expression softened. "It's okay. You can take your time leveling up. If you really lose, I'll wait for you in the Demon King's Tower... Anyway, I'm your cat now. I can only belong to you from now on. The Lord Hero always charges forward without looking back, right?"

That said, Ling Qingjue was still a little displeased. "You won't let me stay locked up forever, will you?"

"Of course not!"

If Ling Qingjue were truly imprisoned, as long as Meng Shu was still alive, he would crawl into the Demon King's Tower if he had to, to rescue him.

Ling Qingjue smiled brilliantly. "So I believe in you, the almighty Lord Hero."

He actually encouraged someone!

Meng Shu was both flattered and surprised. "Is this the benefit of being your boyfriend? You're not even scolding me?"

Ling Qingjue chuckled softly and said quietly, "I'm also learning how to be good to you. It's just a bit slow."

He casually patted Meng Shu's head. With the shift in their relationship, he had gradually let go of some things. "Go to sleep now. See you tomorrow."

Meng Shu instinctively wanted to reply, "See you tomorrow," but stopped himself in time. "Okay. Goodnight, Kitty."

"Mhm."

Ling Qingjue stood up, picked up the bouquet of everlasting flowers, and headed upstairs.

The next day, Meng Shu saw the bouquet on the small balcony, surrounded by greenery, swaying gently in the wind.

He watered it, hoping it would grow well.

Being officially together wasn't much different from before, except they could kiss properly now. Every day before Meng Shu left, Ling Qingjue would catch him and kiss him for a long time. Meng Shu would blush in a panic, saying he was going to be late and that the Knight Order had tasks.

At first, Ling Qingjue insisted on following him to the Knight Order, watching Meng Shu learn skills from the sidelines.

Afraid he'd cause trouble, Meng Shu begged him to keep a low profile in the Knight Order and preferably pretend to be a mute.

Ling Qingjue was never talkative to begin with and usually treated people like air, so he readily agreed. Most of the time, he sat quietly in a corner, staring at Meng Shu without looking away.

He watched when Meng Shu trained, watched when he hunted monsters, and even brought a small stool to sit beside him when he went fishing.

He was practically his shadow.

But Ling Qingjue's presence was too strong. His face was cold and aloof, naturally looking down on everyone. Whenever he appeared, it often escalated into Ling Qingjue single-handedly challenging the seventy-two knights of the Order, causing everyone to be unable to train properly and causing public outrage.

So in the end, Meng Shu sent him home.

Ling Maomao naturally refused. He stood cold and silent, arms crossed, clearly showing he wouldn't listen.

Meng Shu shamelessly begged him, coaxing and reasoning until Ling Qingjue finally stopped sticking to him so closely.

Today it drizzled, and the Knight Order ended training early.

Ever since Meng Shu was knighted as a Round Table Knight, he never sought credit or meddled in the Order's affairs. After receiving the title, he remained unchanged, still treating himself as the lowest rank.

As usual, he put away his sword, took off his armor, and stretched tiredly.

He had been training hard during this time, wanting to try to successfully conquer the Demon King's Tower before he died.

He was afraid that once Ling Qingjue was locked in the Demon King's Tower, there would be no one to care for him, leaving him alone there, imprisoned for centuries.

After saying goodbye to the knights, Meng Shu took a magic circle home.

Rain fell on his hair, making the world hazy. Meng Shu hurriedly opened the door. As soon as it opened, Ling Qingjue wrapped his arms around his waist and pressed a scorching kiss onto him.

The kiss was too rushed. Meng Shu's nape was pinned, his body still covered in raindrops, sticky and damp like the stuffy summer weather.

Their tongues tangled. Meng Shu was breathless from the kiss. He had been tired all day and wanted to rest. But Ling Qingjue wouldn't let him go, grabbing his waist and insisting on kissing him.

Meng Shu dodged a couple of times but failed. He gave up struggling, letting him kiss his neck as he pleased.

It felt ticklish. Meng Shu's fingers gripped Ling Qingjue's thick black hair. "What's the rush?"

"...You left me for twelve hours and five minutes." Ling Qingjue had counted the time very clearly, sounding aggrieved. "And you still remember to come back?"

Meng Shu chuckled, still pinned by the waist, unable to move. "Isn't it to finish the task sooner?"

Ling Qingjue kissed his lips again.

His face buried in Meng Shu's neck, he whined, "What's the hurry? The Knight Order's curriculum takes ten years to complete. You've covered three years' worth in one month. Are you in a rush to die?"

Meng Shu's smile didn't waver. He grinned cheekily, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, I'm in a hurry to be reborn."