Wu Ming

Qian Duoduo pulled Jiang Wu aside. Jiang Wu looked down at his yanked-open collar, then raised a hand to touch the lipstick mark on his face. He rubbed it twice, but it wouldn't come off. He was still in a state of utter bewilderment.

Qian Duoduo looked at him and tried to hold back, but couldn't help laughing. "Kid, did that scare you?"

Jiang Wu slowly raised his head, his expression impossibly earnest. "Dean Qian, I finally understand. Boys really do have to watch out for their safety when they're out and about."

Qian Duoduo shook with laughter and patted him on the shoulder. "All right, all right. Xiaotao's Evil Fire was acting up; she wasn't after you. She'd never do something like that when she was in her right mind."

She certainly wouldn't do it in her right mind, Jiang Wu thought, but when she wasn't, she nearly stripped my clothes off.

He didn't say it aloud. He simply pulled his collar together and fastened it up to the top button.

But when he thought about what happened after Ma Xiaotao woke up,

Xian Lin'er walked over, her ice-blue eyes sweeping over him from head to toe. Only after confirming he had all his arms and legs did she speak. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Jiang Wu paused, then added, "Just a little shaken."

The corner of Xian Lin'er's mouth twitched slightly, but she quickly suppressed it and resumed her cool expression. "Xiaotao has Evil Fire inside her. Yesterday, you knocked her unconscious and temporarily suppressed it. Today, she fought you, and it erupted."

Naturally, she knew what had happened yesterday.

Ma Xiaotao losing control was a common occurrence as far as Shrek Academy's upper echelons were concerned, because such incidents were quickly resolved.

But for some reason, Ma Xiaotao had suddenly lost control yesterday and nearly hurt someone.

Yan Shaozhe came over from the side, carrying the unconscious Ma Xiaotao. He looked a little embarrassed. "Jiang Wu, about this... I'll have Xiaotao apologize to you in person after she wakes up."

Jiang Wu looked at the girl in red in his arms. Her eyes were closed, and she lay quiet and still, nothing like the person who had been kissing and tugging at him just now.

"There's no need for an apology." Jiang Wu waved a hand. "Senior wasn't doing it on purpose. She couldn't control herself when her Evil Fire acted up. I understand."

He felt a little strange about it. It didn't seem as if he had suffered a loss; if anything, Ma Xiaotao was the one who had lost out.

It was the first time Jiang Wu had seen the person who lost out apologize to the person who benefited.

Yan Shaozhe breathed a sigh of relief, his impression of the boy improving a little more. Xian Lin'er snorted beside him. "Understanding is one thing, but there must be compensation. Yan Shaozhe, see to it."

Yan Shaozhe nodded with a wry smile. "All right, all right. I'll provide the compensation."

Yan Shaozhe left first with Ma Xiaotao in his arms, followed by Cai Mei'er and Du Weilun. Before Qian Duoduo left, he patted Jiang Wu on the shoulder again and said with a grin, "Kid, you fought well today. There was a little accident at the end, but that Mitu Shockwave of yours was interesting. Come find me at the Soul Tool Department later, and I'll give you something good."

Jiang Wu nodded and thanked him, and Qian Duoduo left as well.

Only Xian Lin'er and Jiang Wu remained in the woods.

Xian Lin'er looked at Jiang Wu and asked, "How are you coming along with my books?"

Jiang Wu scratched his head. "Teacher, I'm just about done."

Xian Lin'er nodded slightly. "Come find me once you've finished."

With that, Xian Lin'er turned and flew away.

Watching Xian Lin'er fly off, Jiang Wu let out a long breath. "Today was really bizarre. I can't believe I ran into something like that."

Just then, someone emerged from the woods.

The newcomer was a woman, tall and graceful, with delicate, pretty features.

She was none other than Wu Ming, one of Shrek Academy's living volcanoes.

Jiang Wu had never met her, but he could sense a considerable presence coming from her. She was far weaker than the deans from earlier, but still more than a few levels above him.

Jiang Wu stopped a few steps in front of Jiang Wu and looked him up and down. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the lipstick mark he hadn't managed to wipe clean from his face, and then she smiled.

"Not bad. You're quite handsome." Wu Ming couldn't help praising him.

Jiang Wu looked at Wu Ming in front of him and asked in some puzzlement, "Who are you?"

Wu Ming introduced herself. "My name is Wu Ming. I'm a student of the Inner Court, and Xiaotao's senior."

She had happened to see Ma Xiaotao bring Jiang Wu here, and had come over to check on the situation out of curiosity.

Then she had seen Ma Xiaotao kiss Jiang Wu, which had truly shocked her.

It was only afterward, when she learned that Ma Xiaotao had lost control, that Wu Ming breathed a sigh of relief.

Good sisters had to stay single together. Absolutely no one was allowed to quietly get into a relationship, and if anyone did, it could only be her.

On learning she was Wu Ming, Jiang Wu smiled and introduced himself. "Hello, Senior. My name is Jiang Wu. I'm a student of Freshman Class One."

He searched his memory and recalled what he knew about her.

He couldn't help it. Wu Ming had left a deep impression on him, mainly because she was always looking for a boyfriend.

Jiang Wu couldn't quite understand it. If Wu Ming wanted a boyfriend, all she had to do was say the word.

Unless this woman had done something outrageous in Shrek Academy's Inner Court, there was no way she wouldn't have a boyfriend.

Whether it was her Martial Soul or her talent, Wu Ming was among the most sought-after, and she wasn't bad-looking either. Under normal circumstances, she would surely have plenty of suitors.

Seeing how well-behaved Jiang Wu looked, Wu Ming nodded slightly. "Not bad. You're just a little young. If only you were five or six years older."

She quite liked boys of Jiang Wu's type. His only shortcoming was that he was too young. If she made a move on him, people would surely talk.

She might not care if people talked about other things she'd done, but if anyone said she was an old cow eating tender grass, she absolutely wouldn't stand for it.

Jiang Wu asked in some confusion, "Senior, what did you say?"

He wondered to himself, Could she have taken a fancy to me?

Surely she hasn't been single for so long that she's set her sights on the freshmen?

If that's really the case, Wu Ming needs a zap.

Wu Ming's old face reddened. "Nothing. I'll see you out of the Inner Court."

Jiang Wu nodded and thanked her. "Thank you, Senior."

Jiang Wu followed Wu Ming toward the passage between the Inner and Outer Courts. Wu Ming walked half a step ahead of him at an unhurried pace, glancing back at him from time to time. Her looks made Jiang Wu a little uneasy.

"Senior, why do you keep looking at me?"

"I'm watching to see when that mark on your face will fade." Wu Ming's tone was casual, with a hint of laughter. "Xiaotao uses the kind of lipstick specially supplied to the Inner Court. Once it gets on you, it doesn't come off easily. If you walk out like that, the whole Outer Court will soon know you and Ma Xiaotao kissed."

Jiang Wu raised a hand and rubbed it twice more. Sure enough, it wouldn't come off, so he gave up. "What am I supposed to do, then?"

"Serve it cold." Wu Ming spread her hands. "When we pass the washroom, go in and give it a couple of good scrubs. Get off as much as you can. As for the rest... just treat it as a medal of honor."

Jiang Wu's face darkened.

Wu Ming laughed out loud. When she was done, she asked seriously, "By the way, why was Xiaotao so set on fighting you? I caught a glimpse of her when she came looking for you today. She was so aggressive, I thought you were in for a beating."