C7 Then Let's be Friends First

"Why should I get in your car?" Chu Qing asked, a smile playing on his lips. Internally, he groaned, "Oh my god, not her again."

Ye Chenxi returned the smile, her voice light. "Perhaps for your family's sake. Don't you ever consider them?"

Chu Qing maintained his easy grin. "Ah, that's the reason?" He opened the car door and settled into the passenger seat.

A look of satisfaction spread across Ye Chenxi's face. "That's more like it, my man." But suddenly, the car's temperature seemed to spike, and her skin prickled as if pierced by invisible needles—a warning sign of danger.

Her smile stiffened. "Are you threatening me?"

Chu Qing's smile didn't waver as he lightly touched the crystal ornament on the dashboard. As soon as his finger withdrew, the ornament burst with a soft pop, disintegrating into dust.

"I'm not threatening you," Chu Qing assured her.

Ye Chenxi's smile was strained, humiliation washing over her. She felt, for the first time, that Chu Qing's presence was overwhelming her own.

"If you're not threatening me, then what are you doing?" she pressed.

Chu Qing leaned in, his body pressing against hers as he closed the car window.

Chu Qing had to admit, Ye Chenxi had an attractive figure. Sleeping with her wouldn't be the worst thing—provided it was on his terms, not as her conquest.

Ye Chenxi swallowed hard, her nerves on edge. She could easily knock Chu Qing out with a single blow, but the persistent prickle of danger held her back.

"I can help your sister, and your mother too," Ye Chenxi offered. "I'm aware her company has hit a rough patch recently."

"And then?" Chu Qing asked, his posture still suggestive, making Ye Chenxi feel as though her uniform might burst at the seams. Breathing became a challenge.

"We start as friends," Ye Chenxi proposed quickly. "That way, I can assist your mother's company through its troubles."

Chu Qing's smile turned into a chuckle. "So, you pity me?"

Ye Chenxi's anger flickered in her eyes. She inhaled deeply. "No. If you don't want to be coerced into being my boyfriend, then I'll court you properly. Isn't that fair?"

Chu Qing pondered for a moment, then nodded. He recognized that Ye Chenxi's nature wasn't inherently cruel; her rough edges were likely the product of her upbringing in the gang.

"Fine, we're friends. And for the record, I'm open to sleeping with you, but just so we're clear—I'll be the one on top. Now, you can keep driving," Chu Qing quipped, finally sitting back.

Ye Chenxi straightened her crumpled clothes, visibly irked, and with a cold huff, she ignited the engine and pulled away from the school.

Truth be told, Chu Qing had no qualms about befriending Ye Chenxi. As a Sword Immortal renowned for making allies in the Alien World, his reputation for good character was well-established.

"So, where to now?" Chu Qing inquired.

Ye Chenxi glanced at him, her expression a complex tapestry of thoughts. "Let's grab a bite to eat. Oh, and there's something else I wanted to ask you..."

Upon noticing something amiss, Chu Qing inquired, "What's the matter? Is there something you can't discuss?"

Ye Chenxi then posed her question, "Do you practice Ancient Martial Arts as well?" Chu Qing paused for a moment, then it dawned on him that the Ancient Martial Arts Ye Chenxi referred to was the cultivation of Spiritual Energy. It was just that in the Alien World, it was known as cultivating Spiritual Energy, which was why he hadn't made the connection immediately.

"I don't practice Ancient Martial Arts," Chu Qing responded coolly, showing no sign of discomfort from his fib.

Ye Chenxi's eyes blazed with anger as she bellowed, "You're definitely deceiving me! If you haven't practiced Ancient Martial Arts, then how did the crystal ornament shatter? Was it the wind?" She would have likely abandoned the steering wheel and launched into a brawl with Chu Qing if she weren't driving.

Chu Qing, however, answered with a nonchalant shrug, "I simply haven't practiced it. Believe what you will."

Regardless of Ye Chenxi's subsequent remarks, Chu Qing responded to each with a casual indifference.

At this, Ye Chenxi couldn't help but let out a laugh.

"Why are you laughing?" Chu Qing asked.

"I'm amused by how unlike other guys you are. Most guys get shy easily, but you? You're utterly shameless, almost on par with some of the infamous figures from history," Ye Chenxi explained.

Chu Qing just shrugged, unconcerned. "What of it?" Now that he and Ye Chenxi were friends, he felt no need to maintain a facade of seriousness. He was just being his authentic self around a friend. To Chu Qing, spending time with Ye Chenxi was far more enjoyable than with Lin Dong and Ye Mao.

Ye Chenxi, still smiling, remarked, "Well, that's true. But we from the Ancient Martial families do take our dignity seriously, so we tend to be more solemn." She realized that she felt more at ease with Chu Qing than with her family elders or her childhood friends.

Despite being a successor to an Ancient Martial family and a significant figure in the underworld, she was, after all, just a young woman in her early twenties.

Ye Chenxi then spoke more softly, "I've actually done some digging into your family background. But there seems to be no trace of any Ancient Martial family connections. Since you're not keen on discussing it, I won't pry further. These must be your personal secrets."

Chu Qing was well aware of this. As an heir to an Ancient Martial family, it was only natural she would leverage her family's resources to investigate him. Even if Ye Chenxi hadn't intended it, her associates would have looked into his background for her safety.

Chu Qing was about to add more when his expression suddenly shifted, and he yelled, "Watch out!" Simultaneously, he mobilized all the Spiritual Energy within his Dantian.