When Ning Rongrong heard Xiao Wu say that about her, she became a little embarrassed and angry, retorting, "Hmph, don't mention that hypocrite! In the original timeline, I only acted that way because I didn't see Tang San's true nature. Now, if Su Ming were to offer me such an immortal herb, I might accept it, but only because I understand Su Ming much better this time!"
"Xiao Wu, don't forget, Su Ming doesn't know we can read his diary, so everything he writes is exactly what he truly feels. He's great in every way, except for being a little perverted, but my father is like that too, so I don't mind. Besides, Su Ming is destined to become a powerful figure!"
Xiao Wu gave Ning Rongrong a knowing look, internally laughing, Su Ming is already a powerhouse, at least in terms of defense! As long as his spiritual power is strong enough, he's practically invincible in this world!
Ning Rongrong was still unaware of the true power of Su Ming's eyes. He hadn't written about them in his diary yet—maybe he forgot, or maybe he was just too lazy to write about it.
Su Ming: Did I have time to write that night?!
That night, Su Ming had been busy with something very important, which is why he hadn't written about his abilities in his diary after testing them with Er Ming. Those who understand, understand... Ahem.
Seeing the argument between Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong escalating, Zhu Zhuqing intervened before they could say anything more embarrassing. "Alright, alright, let's just read what Su Ming wrote in his diary and stop arguing. Both of you are right in your own ways, so leave some room for yourselves—otherwise, you'll both end up feeling awkward later."
As she said this, even Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but chuckle.
Ning Rongrong, however, couldn't resist asking, "Zhuqing, do you really not have any feelings for Su Ming?"
Hearing this, Xiao Wu also looked at Zhu Zhuqing curiously.
Feeling the weight of their stares, Zhu Zhuqing sighed. "Rongrong, Xiao Wu, you both know I'm still Dai Mubai's fiancée. No matter how much I don't want that, I can't resist the power of an entire empire. Unless my strength becomes strong enough... but I don't know if time will allow for that."
"Stop, stop, stop!" Ning Rongrong interrupted before Zhu Zhuqing could finish. "Zhuqing, I asked if you have feelings for Su Ming, not about your engagement! Don't change the subject!"
"And you don't need to worry about that. From what I know, the Star Luo Empire doesn't have any Titled Douluo-level experts. The emperor is rumored to be powerful, but no one's ever seen him fight."
"Who cares if you're still engaged to Dai Mubai? The Star Luo Empire has no reach in the Heaven Dou Empire, and even if they did, they wouldn't stand a chance against the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Plus, now that the Clear Sky Sect has sealed itself off, they've lost a powerful ally."
"Without the Clear Sky Sect's support, Grandpa Bone and Grandpa Sword, along with my father, could easily assassinate the emperor of the Star Luo Empire if they wanted to. Their emperor wouldn't stand a chance!"
Ning Rongrong paused, confused. "I don't know why my father and the two grandpas haven't done this yet. It seems like such an obvious solution, even I thought of it."
Zhu Zhuqing remained silent for a moment before replying, "It's probably because of the Spirit Hall. The Spirit Hall is becoming stronger and stronger, standing between the two empires. If it weren't for the empires' large armies, a few high-level Titled Douluo from the Spirit Hall could easily wipe out both empires and their sects."
"If your father and the two grandpas assassinated the emperor of Star Luo, it would plunge the empire into chaos, which wouldn't be good for Heaven Dou. Right now, both empires know that their real enemy is the Spirit Hall, even if they haven't officially allied yet."
Ning Rongrong thought about this and nodded. It made sense, given how powerful the Spirit Hall had become. If they didn't unite, they would never be able to fight back. And that was assuming Qian Daoliu didn't join the battle—if he did, the combined forces of both empires and the sects would be nothing more than a joke.
According to Su Ming's diary, Ning Rongrong guessed that Spirit Hall hadn't attacked the empires yet for two reasons. First, Bibi Dong's strength had temporarily decreased due to her Rakshasa God trial, and her relationship with Qian Daoliu wasn't good, so she needed to focus on the trial. Second, Qian Daoliu was likely wary of Tang Chen from the Clear Sky Sect, unsure whether he was still alive.
But Ning Rongrong shook her head. Why am I, a twelve-year-old, thinking about all this? It's probably better if they don't fight. What if Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone end up like they did in the original story?
Pushing those thoughts aside, Ning Rongrong exchanged a glance with Xiao Wu and continued watching Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing knew she couldn't escape their questioning, so after hesitating for a moment, she finally said, "To be honest, I do have some feelings for Su Ming."
Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up, her curiosity ablaze. It was rare to hear Zhu Zhuqing admit her true feelings.
"But don't get the wrong idea," Zhu Zhuqing added quickly. "The feelings I have for Su Ming are mostly gratitude. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have the strength I do now, and I would've ended up like in the original timeline, dependent on Dai Mubai."
Xiao Wu raised an eyebrow. "Zhuqing, are you sure you don't have any romantic feelings for Su Ming? Not even a little?"
Xiao Wu found it hard to believe. Su Ming is handsome, strong, and has a system backing him up. His minor flaw of being too affectionate doesn't even matter when you look at everything else.
Seeing Xiao Wu press further, Zhu Zhuqing sighed again. "If I said I didn't have any feelings for Su Ming, you wouldn't believe me, would you?"
"As you said, he's handsome, strong, and has that system helping him. But what's most important is that he doesn't see us women as mere resources. Back in Soto City, he stood up for me and helped Rongrong deal with Dai Mubai. So yes, I do have a little bit of romantic interest in him."
"But I'm not focusing on that right now. My priority is to grow stronger."
Zhu Zhuqing then smirked and teased Ning Rongrong, "Besides, haven't you noticed that Su Ming seems more interested in you and Xiao Wu? You're the one who's easier to woo, Rich Lady."
Su Ming: That's only because you're more reserved. It's not as easy to win you over, so I might as well start with someone more approachable, like Ning Rongrong!