When she said the words "thank you," Ning Rongrong's voice dropped again, her gaze wavering.
Dai Chengfeng looked at the earnest yet slightly shy girl in front of him, and it felt as though the softest part of his heart had been gently touched.
He had originally thought that Ning Rongrong was simply acting out of her spoiled nature, purely liking the design of the ring when she argued with Huo Wu over it.
But he hadn't expected there to be this deeper reason behind it.
She had actually sensed the ring's uniqueness through the treasure-finding talent of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda…
And the first thing she thought of was that it might be useful to him, so she decided to give it to him.
This gesture moved Dai Chengfeng far more than the value of the ring itself.
He recalled giving Ning Rongrong the Kirin Begonia to help evolve her martial soul, but for him, it had been more about his understanding of the original plot and an investment mindset.
Yet Ning Rongrong's reciprocation now felt so pure and sincere.
"Rongrong…"
Dai Chengfeng's voice softened unconsciously, tinged with gratitude. "Thank you. I didn't expect this from you."
Seeing the tenderness and appreciation in Dai Chengfeng's eyes, a sweet sensation welled up in Ning Rongrong's heart. However, her tsundere tendencies kicked in almost immediately.
She forced herself to appear nonchalant, tilting her chin slightly upward, deliberately adopting a light-hearted, almost brash tone:
"Hmph! Don't get any ideas! I… I just did it casually!"
"After all, you gave me that herb before and helped me so much. I, Ning Rongrong, always repay my debts!"
"This ring is just… just a small token of gratitude!"
"Yes, that's exactly it!"
The more she tried to explain, the more her attempts to cover up backfired, and the blush on her cheeks became even more pronounced.
Dai Chengfeng looked at her adorable, contradictory demeanor and felt his earlier gratitude transform into warm amusement and a teasing impulse.
He reached out, not to take the ring immediately, but instead took a small step forward.
They were already standing near the doorway, close to each other.
With this one step, Dai Chengfeng instantly closed the distance between them, almost feeling the warmth of each other's breath.
"!!!"
Ning Rongrong hadn't expected Dai Chengfeng to suddenly move closer. Startled, she let out a small yelp, like a frightened rabbit, jumping backward slightly, nearly bumping her back against the corridor wall.
Her hands instinctively shielded her front, her previously feigned calmness crumbling instantly. Her face flushed red, and she looked at Dai Chengfeng with flustered eyes, stammering:
"You… you… what are you doing?!"
Looking at Ning Rongrong, who had gone from being a proud little princess to a startled bird, Dai Chengfeng couldn't help but chuckle softly.
He stopped advancing, no longer closing in, and simply gazed at her with amused eyes, deliberately drawing out his words:
"Me?"
"I'm not doing anything… I just thought that our Miss Rongrong could also be so… grateful and considerate?"
"Who… who's being considerate?!"
Ning Rongrong was so embarrassed she almost stomped her feet, her heart pounding uncontrollably, nearly bursting out of her chest.
She stared at Dai Chengfeng's handsome face, which was now filled with playful amusement, and felt the surrounding air grow scorching hot.
Seeing that he'd teased her enough, Dai Chengfeng decided to stop before he truly upset this shy little kitten.
He smiled and reached out again, this time solemnly and gently taking the emerald jade ring still resting on Ning Rongrong's outstretched palm. It still carried the warmth of her body.
His fingertips inadvertently brushed against her delicate palm, causing Ning Rongrong to tremble slightly, like an electric shock, and she quickly withdrew her hand.
Dai Chengfeng held the ring between his fingers, feeling its smooth texture, and looked sincerely at Ning Rongrong, whose cheeks were flushed and whose eyes avoided his. He said softly:
"Regardless, Rongrong, thank you for your gift."
"I accept your kindness."
Hearing Dai Chengfeng's thanks, Ning Rongrong's earlier embarrassment gradually subsided, replaced by an indescribable mix of sweetness and satisfaction.
She gave a faint "Mm," her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, still too shy to look up at Dai Chengfeng, focusing instead on her toes.
"However," Dai Chengfeng rubbed the ring curiously and asked, "you sensed it was special. Do you have any idea what it does? How to use it?"
After all, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda's intuition should be more precise, right?
At this, Ning Rongrong finally raised her head. The blush on her face hadn't completely faded, but her expression had returned to normal.
She shook her head, somewhat sheepishly replying, "That… I don't know."
"My intuition only vaguely sensed some kind of energy inside it—very unique—but I have no idea what it does or how to activate it."
"You'll probably need to figure it out yourself."
She paused, then added, "But if my martial soul sensed it, even if I can't figure it out now, it's definitely not an ordinary object!"
"It might even be some kind of hidden treasure!"
Upon hearing this, Dai Chengfeng felt a bit exasperated—receiving a gift without knowing its purpose—but his curiosity outweighed his frustration.
If the evolved Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda sensed something, this ring must indeed be special.
He nodded: "Alright, it seems I'll need to spend some time studying it."
"In any case, thank you, Rongrong."
"I told you not to keep thanking me so many times!"
Ning Rongrong stamped her foot, seemingly regaining some vitality. "I… I'm going back! We have to wake up early tomorrow!"
With that, she practically fled, turning around and running toward her room, leaving behind a graceful yet slightly flustered silhouette.
Dai Chengfeng watched her disappear around the corner of the corridor, shaking his head with an amused smile. He looked down at the seemingly ordinary emerald jade ring resting in his palm.
Moonlight streamed through the corridor window, casting a hazy, mysterious glow onto the ring.
"A mysterious ring, huh?"
Dai Chengfeng muttered to himself, a curious smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "It seems this trip to the Great Star Dou Forest has already become interesting before it even began."
He tightened his grip on the ring, turned back into his room, and gently closed the door behind him.
The door clicked shut softly behind him.
Inside the room, the gentle light of the oil lamp bathed the simple furnishings in a warm glow.
Dai Chengfeng walked back to the bed and sat down again, his fingertips caressing the emerald jade ring. Its smooth texture still seemed to carry the lingering warmth of Ning Rongrong's palm.
He tried infusing a bit of soul power into it, but the ring remained unresponsive, as if it were nothing more than an ordinary jade ring of fine quality.
"The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda's intuition shouldn't be wrong…"
"So it seems it requires a specific trigger or method to activate?"
Dai Chengfeng murmured to himself, preparing to study it more carefully when—
Knock, knock, knock.
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