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Kong Mingan stopped what he was doing for a moment. He could not help but feel that something was wrong. His intuition told him that Zhang Lexuan was acting very strangely right now. Her voice sounded different, and it made him feel an odd sense of unease. He did not push her away, nor did he try to move out of her reach.
Kong Mingan simply patted her hands. She was gripping his clothes so tightly that he feared she might tear them. He did not want to have to explain a torn shirt to the Ice Empress later. After a short silence, he decided to be completely honest with her and spoke plainly.
He told her that he wanted to control her because he wanted to use her to gain control of Shrek Academy over time. He explained that he did not want to destroy the academy. Instead, he preferred to turn Shrek Academy into a place that would train talented people for him.
He wanted it to be a stable base that could provide him with all the talent he needed. Zhang Lexuan whispered back, asking why he had chosen her specifically. Her voice was even softer than before as she waited for his answer.
Kong Mingan looked down at Zhang Lexuan and paused for a second. He told her that part of the reason was that her talent and her abilities were good enough for the job. But he also said there was another reason. It was because of her Moon Spirit and the Sun-Moon Bloodline inside her.
He explained that her bloodline came from the same source as his own. Even though they were not close relatives and were separated by more than five generations, he still saw her as a sister from his clan. He told her that choosing anyone else would not be as good as choosing her. Then he looked at her and said that he needed her.
Zhang Lexuan did not seem to hear the first part of his explanation. She ignored the talk about talent and academies. The only words that stayed in her mind were the last ones he spoke. Her hands had started to loosen their grip on his clothes, but now they tightened again. She held onto him as if he were a rope saving her from drowning.
A strange and complicated look appeared in her eyes. Deep inside that look, there was a tiny hint of something dark and relieved. It was a feeling of finally belonging somewhere.
Even Kong Mingan did not notice this change in her. Zhang Lexuan narrowed her eyes, which were a bit blurry from the wine she had drank. A small, strange smile appeared on her lips. She looked at him and repeated his words, asking if he really needed her now. Her tone was very serious, as if she was making sure of a final promise.
Kong Mingan felt that her tone was very unusual. He could tell that something was not quite right, but he still nodded his head. He told her yes, he did need her. After saying this, he thought for a moment. He used his mind to bring out a contract he had already prepared. The paper had many different rules and clauses written on it.
He placed the contract on the table and looked at Zhang Lexuan. He was about to explain what the contract meant and what she had to do. However, before he could say a single word, Zhang Lexuan moved very quickly. Her face was suddenly right in front of his.
He felt a sudden warmth on his lips. There was the taste of wine and a little bit of sweetness. Kong Mingan felt his body go stiff. He was shocked by what was happening.
His first instinct was to turn his head away to stop her, but Zhang Lexuan did not give him the chance to move. Her eyes were closed tightly. Her hands, which had been grabbing his clothes, moved up and wrapped around his neck. She held him with a stubborn strength, as if she would never let him go.
She was holding onto him like he was the only important thing in the whole world. With an awkward and clumsy movement, she pressed against him even harder. A sweet taste mixed with the wine moved between them, but it also felt like there was the salty bitterness of tears.
Time seemed to slow down as they stayed like that. After a long time, she was the ones to let go of him. Zhang Lexuan rested her forehead against his chest and kept her head down. She was breathing very hard because she needed air.
Her chest moved up and down quickly as she tried to catch her breath. Kong Mingan looked down at her. He saw how stubborn she looked even while she was in his arms.
He asked her in a low voice why she had done that. Zhang Lexuan let out a silly laugh. She looked up at him with eyes that were blurry from wine and filled with a clear obsession. She asked him if this wasn't what he wanted. Then, without waiting for an answer, she leaned in again.
She stopped him from saying anything else. This time, Kong Mingan did not try to stop her. He reached out and put his arm around her waist. He leaned back against the back of the sofa. Suddenly, the air around the sofa rippled with a strange energy. In an instant, both of them disappeared from the room.
The small room became silent again. The only things left were the empty wine glasses and the bottles scattered on the table. The contract remained there too, unsigned and quiet. Everything was peaceful and still. Meanwhile, inside Kong Mingan's room at the Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce, the Ice Empress was resting. She was lying on the soft bed with her face buried in the blanket.
The blanket still smelled like Kong Mingan's fresh scent. Her eyes had a faint silver light in them because she was connected to the spiritual pivot network. She was busy reading a new storybook online. But suddenly, she felt a strange feeling in her heart. She felt uneasy for no reason. She sat up and looked around the empty room. She wondered where Kong Mingan had gone.
The Ice Empress felt a bit annoyed. She pouted her lips because he had left her all alone. He had told her he was going out and that she didn't need to come with him. Then he just vanished. She felt a little bit angry about it. She waited for a moment and then remembered she could contact him. She used her mind to connect to the spiritual pivot network. She found Kong Mingan's name in her contact list and started a voice call. The call connected quickly. She asked him immediately where he was.
Kong Mingan's voice sounded calm in her ear, but he told her he was busy handling some things. The Ice Empress thought his voice sounded a bit strange. He was talking with long pauses between his words. She was confused, but she did not think too much about it. She asked him if he could handle the situation on his own.
She told him to call her if he needed any help. Kong Mingan replied that it was fine, but it might take some time. His voice was still calm, but the pauses were even longer now. The Ice Empress frowned. She wasn't happy that it would take a long time. She didn't want to talk anymore if he was going to be gone for a while. She told him that she would stop talking then. Kong Mingan just said okay.
The Ice Empress hung up the call and lay back down on the bed. Her cheeks were puffed out because she was still feeling uneasy. She thought for a bit and then decided to send him a text message. She asked him again if he could really handle things. Kong Mingan replied almost instantly, telling her not to worry because it was nothing important.
The Ice Empress raised an eyebrow. She started to type another message telling him to come back early and that she would wait for him. But she stopped in the middle of typing. She was silent for a moment and then deleted the words. She only sent a short message that said "Oh." After she sent it, she disconnected from the network.
She told herself she was just asking as part of a routine and that she wasn't actually worried about him. She hugged Kong Mingan's pillow tightly and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and hoped he would be back by the time she woke up.