Chapter 259: Not Worth Another Slap

Lin Yue’s eyes hardened.

She took one step.

Rose immediately grabbed her arm.

"Don’t."

Lin Yue looked toward her.

Rose shook her head.

"He’s not worth another slap."

Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.

"Another?"

Lin Yue looked away.

Rose grinned.

"I’ll tell you later."

Lu Chen’s face became red.

"Rose."

She smiled.

"What?"

"Enough."

"No."

Another direct refusal.

Lu Chen’s pride took another hit.

Then...

He did what he always did.

He looked toward Shen Tian.

The source.

The enemy.

The rival he had built inside his own head.

"You."

Shen Tian sighed.

"Yes?"

"Fight me."

Rose closed her eyes.

Lin Yue stared.

Shen Tian looked genuinely bored.

"No."

Lu Chen froze.

"What?"

"No."

"You scared?"

Shen Tian stared.

Then...

He laughed.

Actually laughed.

People nearby looked.

Lu Chen’s expression turned dark.

Shen Tian eventually stopped.

"Sorry."

He wiped near one eye.

"That was funny."

Lu Chen clenched his fists.

"I’m serious."

"So am I."

Shen Tian slid both hands into his pockets.

"I’ve already beaten you."

"Hand-to-hand."

"Strategy."

"Command."

"Driving."

"Cultivation control."

He tilted his head.

"What are we proving now?"

Silence.

Lu Chen stared.

Shen Tian continued.

"I know I’m better."

His green eyes sharpened.

"Rose knows."

Rose froze.

Then...

Her cheeks turned pink.

Shen Tian looked toward Lin Yue.

"She probably knows."

Lin Yue’s face warmed too.

Lu Chen saw both.

His face became darker.

Shen Tian smiled.

"The only person still confused..."

"Is you."

Silence.

Lu Chen’s Qi surged.

Shen Tian’s expression instantly changed.

Not fear.

Annoyance.

"Don’t."

Lu Chen’s aura grew.

Rose stepped backward.

Lin Yue did too.

Shen Tian remained still.

"I said..."

His green eyes glowed.

"...don’t."

Sovereign Suppression fell.

BOOOOOOM!

Lu Chen froze.

His aura collapsed.

The pavement beneath him cracked.

His knees bent.

He caught himself.

Barely.

Shen Tian hadn’t moved.

Hadn’t taken his hands from his pockets.

Didn’t even look impressed.

Lu Chen gritted his teeth.

His muscles trembled.

Shen Tian slowly stepped closer.

Pressure increased.

Lu Chen’s knees bent further.

Rose’s eyes widened.

Lin Yue’s too.

They had seen Shen Tian fight.

But this...

This was different.

He wasn’t fighting.

He was simply...

Standing above him.

Lu Chen forced one foot forward.

Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.

"Still stubborn."

Another step.

Lu Chen growled.

Then...

Shen Tian increased the pressure slightly.

BOOM!

Lu Chen dropped to one knee.

The concrete cracked beneath him.

Several bystanders gasped.

Rose’s mouth slowly opened.

Lin Yue stared.

Shen Tian looked down.

"Do you understand why I don’t want to fight you again?"

Lu Chen glared upward.

Shen Tian smiled faintly.

"It’s not interesting."

That...

Was worse than being called weak.

Lu Chen’s entire body shook.

"Get..."

His voice strained.

"...this off me."

Shen Tian’s eyes remained calm.

"Ask politely."

Lu Chen stared.

Rose bit her lip.

Lin Yue covered her mouth.

Not because the situation was funny.

Okay...

Partly.

Lu Chen’s pride fought harder than his body.

Finally...

"Remove it."

Shen Tian’s eyebrow rose.

"That’s not polite."

Lu Chen’s eyes became bloodshot.

Rose whispered...

"Oh my God."

Lin Yue whispered back...

"He’s going to explode."

Shen Tian waited.

Lu Chen’s fists shook.

Then...

Through clenched teeth...

"Please."

Silence.

Shen Tian released the pressure immediately.

Lu Chen almost fell forward.

He caught himself.

Shen Tian stepped back.

"See?"

"Progress."

Rose lost it.

She laughed.

Hard.

Lin Yue did too.

Lu Chen slowly stood.

His humiliation reached unimaginable levels.

Shen Tian looked toward Rose.

Then Lin Yue.

Both women were laughing.

Both...

Looking at him.

Not Lu Chen.

Shen Tian smiled.

Rose’s laughter softened.

Her cheeks warmed.

Lin Yue’s too.

Then...

Shen Tian walked between them.

"Come on."

Rose blinked.

"Where?"

"You owe me coffee."

Her entire face brightened.

She immediately tried suppressing it.

Failed.

Lu Chen noticed.

Then Shen Tian looked toward Lin Yue.

"And you owe me dinner."

Lin Yue’s expression changed.

Her cheeks turned pink again.

"I know."

"Tomorrow."

She smiled.

"Tomorrow."

Lu Chen stood behind them.

His expression became completely dark.

Rose followed Shen Tian.

Then...

Stopped.

She turned toward Lu Chen.

For a moment...

Her expression softened.

Not romantically.

Old friendship.

History.

Concern.

"Boss."

Lu Chen looked toward her.

"Calm down."

His face hardened.

Rose continued.

"Seriously."

"You keep doing this to yourself."

He stared.

Then...

His thoughts appeared.

[She chose him.]

Rose heard.

Her softness disappeared.

No.

She hadn’t chosen anyone.

She had chosen coffee.

She had chosen who she wanted to spend time with.

That distinction mattered.

Rose shook her head.

Then turned away.

She joined Shen Tian.

Lu Chen watched her go.

Again.

. . .

Xu Ning appeared beside Shen Tian.

A system notification flashed.

[Ding!]

Lu Chen public dominance attempt failed.

Host suppressed protagonist without direct combat.

Fate stolen: 5,000

Lu Chen Fate Value: 431,500

Another.

[Ding!]

Rose independent-choice event triggered.

Original Destiny: Rose remains emotionally centered around Lu Chen’s approval.

Actual Outcome: Rose openly rejects Lu Chen’s attempted control.

Fate stolen: 4,500

Current Fate Value: 427,000

Another.

Lin Yue original reunion attachment weakened.

Fate stolen: 3,000

Current Fate Value: 424,000

Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.

Not bad.

Then...

Xu Ning’s expression became serious.

[Host.]

"What?"

[The man with Lu Chen.]

"Viper."

[Yes.]

A screen appeared.

Viper

Current Allegiance: Unknown

Connection: Xue Long

Current Objective: Manipulate Lu Chen into conflict with Shen Tian

Shen Tian smiled faintly.

"Manipulate?"

[Apparently.]

"He picked the wrong person."

Rose looked toward Shen Tian.

"What?"

"Nothing."

She narrowed her eyes.

"You do that too much."

"Do what?"

"Get that smile and say nothing."

Lin Yue nodded.

"It is suspicious."

Shen Tian looked between them.

Then...

"Fine."

Both waited.

"Lu Chen was talking to Viper."

Rose immediately stopped.

Her expression became serious.

"You saw?"

"Yes."

"Did Viper give him something?"

Shen Tian remembered the movement.

"Probably."

Rose’s eyes hardened.

Lin Yue frowned.

"We need to know what."

Shen Tian looked toward Rose.

"You still have access to Black Wolf?"

"Some."

"Can you check Lu Chen’s comms?"

Rose hesitated.

That was a line.

Not impossible.

But...

A line.

Shen Tian saw it immediately.

--------

(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)

SEND POWESTONES!!!

ALL SUPER GIFTS (Magic Castle, Space Ship, Golden Gachapon) = MORE ChapterS!