Douluo Dalu 2: The True God King-Chapter 375: [DD2]:

Su Yu handed the Yearning Heartbroken Red to Meng Hongchen, his gaze signaling her.

Meng Hongchen carefully took the Yearning Heartbroken Red with both hands, her eyes lingering on the small, fragile yet resilient white flower growing on the Wujue Stone. Her gaze gradually became unfocused, as if lost in thought.

She looked deeply at Su Yu, her eyes filled with tender affection.

In the next moment, she gently placed her jade-like hand on her chest and spat out a small mouthful of blood.

The fresh blood fell onto the small white flower, slowly seeping into it. Immediately, the flower emitted a golden-red glow before falling off the Wujue Stone.

Meng Hongchen reached out with her delicate hand and caught the Yearning Heartbroken Red.

"Yu, I’ve picked it!"

Meng Hongchen smiled sweetly, her eyes brimming with irresistible affection.

Su Yu stood there, staring blankly at her for a moment, his gaze softening with indulgence.

"Mm~"

Su Yu responded softly and gently wiped the trace of blood off the corner of Meng Hongchen’s lips.

Although he had long known that Meng Hongchen would surely be able to pick the Yearning Heartbroken Red, witnessing this scene still stirred ripples in his heart.

Meng Hongchen’s love for him—this Yearning Heartbroken Red was the best proof.

"You picked it too. That doesn’t surprise me," Wang Dong’er muttered quietly.

"Too?" Meng Hongchen looked at Wang Dong’er in surprise.

Wang Dong’er snorted. "Meng Hongchen, do you think you’re the only one capable of picking the Yearning Heartbroken Red? My feelings for Xiao Su are no less than yours."

Wang Dong’er reached into her arms and took out her own Yearning Heartbroken Red, which she had picked earlier and cherished ever since.

This flower was truly extraordinary. Though it appeared fragile, it was tougher than gold or steel. Even sharp blades couldn’t leave the slightest mark on it.

As long as it remained close to her, it exuded a unique fragrance that never faded.

Wang Dong’er quite enjoyed this flower—it was, after all, a token of her love for Su Yu.

"You have one too, Wang Dong’er?" Meng Hongchen looked at the Yearning Heartbroken Red in Wang Dong’er’s hand, noting how similar it was to her own.

"There are three Lovesickness Heartbreak Reds in total—one for Dong’er, one for you," Su Yu explained with a smile. "I originally intended for Dong’er to consume hers to boost her strength, but she insisted on keeping it as a symbol of love."

Meng Hongchen glanced at Wang Dong’er, then declared, "Then I’ll keep mine too. It’s also a symbol of our love."

Inspired by Wang Dong’er’s actions, Meng Hongchen firmly decided. Strength could always be improved later, but this token of their love was irreplaceable.

What could be more meaningful than the Yearning Heartbroken Red, a symbol of love?

Su Yu: "..."

Su Yu glanced at Meng Hongchen helplessly. "So, you’re following Wang Dong’er’s lead now?"

These flowers were meant to enhance their strength, not as keepsakes!

Rubbing his temples, Su Yu felt a bit exasperated.

Wang Dong’er, on the other hand, looked at Meng Hongchen with an appreciative gaze. "Not bad, Meng Hongchen—you have good taste."

Making the same choice as her? This Meng Hongchen was starting to grow on her.

Su Yu rolled his eyes at Wang Dong’er. "Taste? I think you two are just making things difficult for me."

"Yearning Heartbroken Red is the best and most suitable for you both, and yet you refuse to consume it. Do you think I’m some kind of wealthy patron with endless divine herbs to hand out?"

Wang Dong’er widened her big, innocent eyes and asked, "Aren’t you?"

"Hey~"

Su Yu raised his hand to flick Wang Dong’er’s forehead, but she dodged and stuck her tongue out at him, making a playful face.

"You can’t catch me, you can’t catch me, hehe!"

Wang Dong’er laughed mischievously, radiating joy.

Su Yu shook his head with a smile. This girl...

Turning, his gaze met Meng Hongchen’s pure, untainted eyes. Unlike Wang Dong’er’s playful nature, Meng Hongchen was far more composed and obedient.

After a moment of thought, Su Yu reached into his Treasure Pouch.

When his hand emerged, he held a jade box—flawlessly white and made of the finest cold jade, perfect for preserving rare herbs.

Opening the box revealed a lump of white, gel-like essence that glowed softly and emitted a refreshing fragrance.

"This is the essence of the Narcissus Jade Flesh Bone, Meng. It’s for you," Su Yu said softly, placing the box into Meng Hongchen’s hands.

His stock of divine herb essences was limited, but he still had a bit left.

The Narcissus Jade Flesh Bone was similar to the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid—both were gentle and neutral in properties, making them ideal for someone like Meng Hongchen.

However, the Narcissus Jade Flesh Bone was more effective for enhancing spiritual power compared to the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid.

Each herb had its strengths: the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid was unparalleled in improving physical constitution, while the Narcissus Jade Flesh Bone excelled at boosting spiritual energy.

"The Narcissus Jade Flesh Bone essence looks amazing—it’s no worse than my Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid essence," Wang Dong’er said, leaning over to inspect it with a smile.

"I told you, didn’t I? This guy always has backups. If you keep the Yearning Heartbroken Red, you end up with extra goodies like this!"

Su Yu flicked her forehead, this time landing a precise hit. Wang Dong’er winced and grimaced in pain.

"Xiao Su!"

Wang Dong’er puffed up like an angry bunny, baring her teeth and claws as she lunged at him.

The two wrestled playfully until Su Yu wrapped an arm around Wang Dong’er, giving her a light smack on the rear. Her cheeks flushed red.

"Still not behaving? Admit you were wrong?" Su Yu said viciously.

"I was wrong!" Wang Dong’er pouted, looking pitiful.

"What were you wrong about?"

"Everything!" she replied, blinking tearfully.

"And will you misbehave again?"

"Yes!"

"Hey~"

Su Yu rolled up his sleeves.

Wang Dong’er immediately started mock-crying, her wails sounding almost real.

"Xiao Su, you’re bullying me! Waaa~"

She even dabbed her finger in some spit to fake tears, her beautiful eyes glistening as if she were really about to cry.

Su Yu couldn’t help but laugh, while Meng Hongchen giggled softly as she watched. Wang Dong’er truly was an amusing presence.

After the playful chaos, Su Yu turned to Meng Hongchen. "Meng, the sooner you consume this essence, the sooner you’ll benefit from it. Go refine it now."

Meng Hongchen glanced at the Narcissus Jade Flesh Bone essence in her hands, then at Su Yu. She smiled and said, "Yu, I’ll stay with you for a while and take it later tonight."

"Alright," Su Yu agreed, setting Wang Dong’er aside.

"Meng, Dong’er, wait here for now. I’ll go pick up Ling Guang and Lan Lan. They’re still waiting for me at the hotel."

"Go quickly, then!" Wang Dong’er said, patting her chest. "There are plenty of rooms here. My room can be for Shui Ling Guang and Lan Lan!"

Meng Hongchen was a bit puzzled. "Yu, is she from your Ice God Palace?"

Su Yu smiled and said, "Kind of. Lingguang is my personal bodyguard, and Lanlan is my younger sister."

"Oh~"

Meng Hongchen nodded in sudden realization. "Then you should go quickly. Don’t keep them waiting."

"Alright, I’ll be back soon."

After saying this, Su Yu disappeared.

About half an hour later, Su Yu returned to the small villa with Shui Lingguang and Lanlan.

Meeting Shui Lingguang and Lanlan for the first time, Meng Hongchen was very warm and welcoming. After all, they were both Su Yu’s people.

Shui Lingguang and Meng Hongchen, both having pleasant personalities, got along quite well even on their first meeting.

After arranging for Shui Lingguang and Lanlan to stay in the villa as well, the small villa was now fully occupied.

Since Shui Lingguang was tasked with personally protecting Su Yu, she naturally didn’t want to be too far from him.

And Lanlan was a clingy one.

So in the end, they all stayed together.

After having dinner together, Meng Hongchen returned to her small villa with the immortal herb essence.

Meng Hongchen’s residence was right next door, so it was quite close.

After returning to her villa, Meng Hongchen took a bath. With her long hair draped over her shoulders, she returned to her bedroom.

She carefully placed the Yearning Heartbroken Red aside like it was a treasure and took out a jade box containing the essence of Narcissus Jade Skin Bone.

A gentle expression flickered in her beautiful eyes as she swallowed the essence of the Narcissus Jade Skin Bone in just a few bites. Afterward, she closed her eyes and began meditating.

The night passed without incident.

...

...

The next day.

Dressed in the uniform of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, Su Yu and Wang Dong’er prepared to report to the Illustrious Virtue Hall.

Since it had been a long time since they’d last been there, it was only proper for them to make an appearance on their first day back.

Whether they would go again in the future was a matter for later.

Su Yu’s silver hair flowed over his shoulders, and he wore a moon-white uniform robe. On his chest, he wore a badge, upon which seven stars gleamed brightly.

The seven stars represented a seventh-level Soul Engineer.

Su Yu had earned this badge two and a half years ago.

Back then, he was already a seventh-level Soul Engineer.

As for now, he was a genuine eighth-level Soul Engineer.

Even within Illustrious Virtue Hall, he was undoubtedly among the top tier.

Aside from a few ninth-level Soul Engineers, there were hardly any eighth-level Soul Engineers who could surpass Su Yu in terms of mastery over soul tools.

You could say that, although Su Yu was only sixteen, his expertise in soul tools was enough to earn him the title of a master.

Wang Dong’er, also dressed in a moon-white uniform, had her graceful figure wrapped in loose-fitting attire, leaving little trace of her curves.

Her light blue hair cascaded down to her waist, and her beautiful, lively face carried a pure and playful charm.

The two entered Illustrious Virtue Hall together, their striking appearances attracting quite a few gazes.

Taking an elevator down to the base level, they walked through a long metal passageway and arrived at a grand hall.

Rows of metal tables stretched into the distance, almost beyond sight.

At many of the tables, Soul Engineers were busy crafting soul tools, working fervently. The air was filled with a strong metallic scent.

"It seems the rebuilding is going well. No wonder the Hall Master has been short on funds lately," Su Yu remarked after scanning the area, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

The underground base, previously damaged in an attack by the Body Sect, had been fully repaired.

Perhaps due to the previous attack, the underground base now contained many additional lethal soul tools.

With his advanced spiritual power at the Spirit Domain stage, Su Yu could naturally sense the hidden dangers in the area.

Some of the soul tools even gave him a faint sense of danger.

Jing Hongchen had invested a great deal in this.

After glancing around briefly, Su Yu and Wang Dong’er stepped into the hall.

As they walked, many Soul Engineers greeted Su Yu.

Having spent two years at Illustrious Virtue Hall, and being a well-known figure there, Su Yu was recognized by many.

He responded to each greeting before continuing forward.

Before long, Su Yu ran into some familiar faces.

Ma Rulong and a group of people came from the other side, and they ran right into Su Yu.

"Su Yu?"

Ma Rulong’s eyes flashed with surprise, and a smile appeared on his face. "When did you get back?"

"I just returned yesterday. I thought I’d come by today to take a look. How are you guys doing?"

Su Yu glanced at Ma Rulong’s group, which included Mijia, Lin Xi, Xiao Xiafeng, and others.

They had participated in the last Soul Dueling Competition together and had a decent relationship.

"We’re the same as always, doing alright. What about you? What have you been doing during the two and a half years you were away?" Ma Rulong asked curiously.

The group behind him, including Mijia and the others, also looked at Su Yu with curiosity.

After all, it was unheard of for someone to take such a long leave of absence like Su Yu.

Su Yu was probably the first student in Illustrious Virtue Hall’s history to be so carefree and nonchalant.

But then again, Su Yu had incredible talent, unmatched strength, a powerful background, and ties to the Hall Master.

People just couldn’t compare themselves to him.

"I was out training, honing myself a bit," Su Yu said with a smile.

"That’s good. By the way, you didn’t neglect your soul tool skills, did you?" Ma Rulong asked.

In his eyes, Su Yu’s talent in soul tools was too exceptional to be wasted.

"Of course not," Su Yu replied.

Ma Rulong nodded and then glanced at Wang Dong’er beside Su Yu, looking a bit surprised. "And this is?"

"This is Wang Dong’er, also known as the Wang Dong you all know," Su Yu said.

With just one sentence, Su Yu stunned the entire group.

"She... she’s Wang Dong?"

"Wang Dong is a girl?"

Ma Rulong stared at Wang Dong’er, looking her up and down. He never would have guessed that Wang Dong was a girl.

After all, Wang Dong had done a great job disguising herself as a boy in the past.

And since Ma Rulong and the others were Soul Engineers, they didn’t know much about martial souls.

Naturally, they had no way of knowing Wang Dong’s secret.

Now that they did, the revelation hit them like a ton of bricks.

"Surprised, aren’t you?" Su Yu said with a smile.

"Definitely surprised. You’ve broadened my horizons, Wang Dong. You hid this so well," Ma Rulong said with a sigh.

Wang Dong’er’s face turned slightly red as she explained, "I apologize for the misunderstanding caused by my previous disguise. I hope you won’t hold it against me."

"No, no, not at all. We’re just a bit shocked," Ma Rulong said, waving his hand. Then, as if recalling something, he added meaningfully, "No wonder you always stuck to Su Yu like glue back then, never wanting to leave his side. Turns out you were a girl all along."

"Well, that explains everything."

Hearing this, Mijia and the others chuckled knowingly.