"Fine, if you don't want it, then forget it. I respect your decision!"
Xiao Bai snapped out of his daze and waved his hand. Knowing her temperament, he didn't press further.
If it weren't for the soul seal that had allowed her to communicate properly, her prideful nature would likely have prevented them from getting along as they did now.
But speaking of the seal, Xiao Bai's lips curled slightly, a playful glint flashing in his eyes.
Gazing at the enchanting figure before him, he couldn't resist taking a step closer, closing the distance between them until their faces were mere centimeters apart. The faint fragrance of her scent filled his senses as he stared intently into her phoenix-like eyes.
Medusa had felt an inexplicable flicker of joy when Xiao Bai seemed to understand her, but his sudden movement left her puzzled.
When she inadvertently caught the look in his eyes, a faint unease stirred in her heart.
"Human, how dare you—!" Her voice was cool and authoritative, not loud but carrying a slight tremor.
Xiao Bai ignored her rebuke, his gaze fixed on her seemingly composed eyes as he chuckled softly.
"Your Majesty, have you ever heard of... a heart-link?"
*Boom!*
Medusa felt as if her mind had exploded, leaving her momentarily blank. Only one thought remained:
*That damned connection was two-way all along!*
He could sense it too. Until now, she had clung to a sliver of hope that he was unaware. But clearly, this bastard had known the whole time.
Of course—he was the one who had placed the seal. How could he not sense it? It seemed she had been deceiving herself.
While she was still reeling, Xiao Bai gently wrapped his arms around her. The moment he felt her delicate yet curvaceous body against his, the soft pressure against his chest made him take a deep breath to suppress the restless heat stirring within him.
Medusa came back to her senses but didn't struggle. Instead, she lifted her head slightly, her eyes as cold as the abyss, and glared at Xiao Bai with a voice icy enough to freeze hell itself.
"So you knew from the beginning. These past few days... you've been laughing at me, haven't you?"
Right now, she didn't care that Xiao Bai was holding her. What she cared about was whether he had known all along.
A chill settled in her heart. This kind of connection allowed one to vaguely sense the other's emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, love, hatred.
She had seen Xiao Bai several times over the past few days. If he had known everything from the start, pretending ignorance while deliberately teasing her with his words...
Had he been treating her like a fool all this time?
Did he think the emotions of Medusa were so cheap?
Xiao Bai froze for a moment before inwardly sighing. *This woman has misunderstood.*
His expression turned serious as he shook his head, meeting her long, beautiful eyes with a firm yet gentle voice.
"No. It wasn't until today, when my soul power recovered slightly, that I sensed it."
"I know you, understand your temperament. That's why I'm telling you now. If I had pretended not to know and you found out later, you'd probably never want to see me again."
Hearing this, the coldness in Medusa's heart receded slightly, and the frost in her eyes lessened.
Just as Xiao Bai said—if he had truly been toying with her, once she repaid his kindness, they would never meet again.
Every generation of Medusa Queens held their emotions sacred, unwavering unto death. This made them value sincerity more than anyone else.
Her pride could not tolerate such mockery.
Seeing her reaction, Xiao Bai secretly let out a sigh of relief. *Damn, that was close.*
He truly had only sensed the connection today when he saw Medusa. At first, he had been puzzled—how could he share such a bond with her?
Recalling their interactions over the past few months, Xiao Bai pinpointed the soul seal as the culprit. Only that thing could have created such a mystical link between them.
As for how this had happened, Xiao Bai wasn't sure. He had clearly felt the seal shatter that day.
Perhaps when her soul had taken refuge within the seal during the lightning tribulation, some miraculous change had occurred.
But no matter what, this wasn't a bad thing for Xiao Bai.
In fact, it cleared up some of his confusion—specifically, Medusa's recent attitude shifts. If she had also sensed this connection, then her recent behavioral changes made sense.
Her occasional probing over the past few days also suddenly became clear to him. She had been trying to figure out whether he, too, could sense the connection.
Now that he had this link, he could vaguely perceive some of Medusa's emotions, which delighted him.
With Medusa, he had originally assumed it would take a long time for this proud woman to gradually open her heart to him. But now, it seemed that time might not be as far off as he thought!
He had hesitated over whether to tell her, but after hearing her words earlier and understanding her pride, he knew he couldn't keep it hidden. Otherwise, it would only lead to misunderstandings later.
"Release me."
After resolving her doubts, Medusa realized this guy was still holding her. She struggled slightly but couldn't break free, letting out a soft huff of displeasure.
Xiao Bai loosened his grip, gazing at her with a faint smile. His deep, unfathomable eyes softened with warmth as he murmured in a low voice:
*"Souls in resonance, hearts entwined,*
*All things with spirit may combine.*
*A single thought, a shared embrace,*
*Silent affection fills the space."*
Medusa listened, her expression calm as still water, but faint ripples stirred within her heart. Her eyelids lowered slightly as she replied in an indifferent, unhurried tone:
"This queen has no idea what you're talking about."
Xiao Bai sighed inwardly. *This tsundere woman—every time things get serious, she pulls out this line.*
He could roughly guess her thoughts. Wasn't it just that, until she repaid his kindness, she couldn't see her own heart clearly?
*Fine, fine.* Xiao Bai didn't want to push her. Her stubbornness wasn't necessarily a bad thing. There was plenty of time—he could take it slow.
"Before we part, let me give you something," Xiao Bai said with a smile.
Medusa's bright eyes watched him coolly, puzzled. Hadn't she just said she didn't want to owe him anything? And hadn't he agreed? Why bring it up again now?
"How about I give you a name?" Xiao Bai blinked at her playfully.
"Human... This queen already has a name!" Medusa gritted her teeth slightly, glaring at him. *This bastard, who does he think he's looking down on?!*
"Oh? Then may I ask what Your Majesty's esteemed name is?" Xiao Bai was genuinely surprised. The original story hadn't mentioned this!
"This queen is Medusa. Medusa *is* this queen's name!" Medusa lifted her chin, shooting him a disdainful glance as if he were an idiot.
Xiao Bai stared at her, then slowly raised a hand to his forehead, silently consoling himself: *Alright, alright, don't get mad. This silly queen is the one I chose, and someday she'll be part of the Xiao family. Just bear with it.*
"From now on, I'll call you Cai Lin. Otherwise, calling you 'Sha Sha' will only make you sillier!" Xiao Bai said fiercely.
Medusa's delicate brows instantly shot up. "You dare... call this queen silly?"
Seeing her murderous expression, Xiao Bai hastily took a step back. Right now, he was no match for this woman.
Once she put on that crown, he was utterly defenseless. Not to mention, after that bewitching incident, he suspected Medusa's soul power might even surpass his own—after all, she had now fused with the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python's soul and all of his own soul power.
"Haha... Cai Lin, you're brilliant, wise, and peerless! How could you possibly be silly?" Xiao Bai laughed nervously, quickly showering her with praise.
"Hmph!" Medusa shot him a glare but couldn't be bothered to argue further.
"Alright, it's really time to go now." Xiao Bai stepped forward, giving her one last deep look before murmuring softly, "Cai Lin... take care."
He turned and waved, tucking the little golden dragon—who had been pretending to be dead—into his sleeve. A pair of purple energy wings unfurled behind him as he soared into the sky.
In the distance, Hai Bo Dong saw this and hurried to follow. He had been desperate to leave for a while now—every day in the Snake-People Tribe was spent in fear of running into that terrifying woman.
Medusa watched the shrinking dot in the sky, an unreadable glimmer in her eyes. The space around her rippled faintly as her figure gradually faded, leaving behind only a barely audible murmur:
"Cai Lin... huh?"
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