Roommate Dai Huabin

"So that's how it is." Shiyu walked in. Seeing that the room had not been fully cleaned yet, he wanted to help out a little.

"I'll do it. You'll be my Young Master's classmate and roommate from now on. How could I let you do this?" The man smiled as he declined.

"You're making me feel awkward instead. This is a room for two, so I'm obligated to clean part of it. I don't want to trouble you with everything." Shiyu smiled, took the broom, and began sweeping.

Seeing Shiyu like this, the man did not insist. He wanted to do something else, but found there was nothing else to do, so he could only stand there awkwardly.

"By the way, classmate, why didn't I see you bring any clothes?" the man asked casually.

"I didn't buy many clothes. This is the only one I have on me," Shiyu replied offhandedly.

The clothes he wore had been bought after coming to this world. He had only bought this one outfit, along with a pair of shoes.

The rest of his money had gone toward food and lodging during this period. Now, he only had ten Copper Coins left, which was no different from having just ten dollars on him.

If Song Lingzhen had not provided his meals and lodging these past few days, he would have struggled even to fill his stomach.

"I see." The man understood, and a trace of contempt flashed through his eyes. It seemed Shiyu came from a poor family with no background.

Shiyu did not pay him much attention. They would probably just be passing strangers to each other, so there was no need to care too much about what the other thought.

"By the way, what's your Young Master's name?" Shiyu asked.

"Dai Huabin." Shiyu gave the man a surprised look.

"You know our Young Master?" the man asked curiously.

"No." Shiyu shook his head. What a strange twist of fate. I actually ended up in the same dorm as Dai Huabin.

He still knew a little about Dai Huabin. He had been spoiled since childhood, arrogant, and carried the air of a Young Master.

Being roommates with him did not sound particularly pleasant. Some conflict would be hard to avoid.

But there was nothing he could do. He had no background, so could he really switch dorms whenever he pleased?

Since he was here, he might as well make the best of it. Shiyu could only comfort himself that way.

"Our Young Master is the son of the White Tiger Duke of the Star Luo Empire. It's inevitable that he'll rise in rank and receive a noble title in the future. He'll become one of the most influential figures in the Star Luo Empire."

The man spoke with some pride, as though serving such a master were a great honor.

"Impressive," Shiyu responded casually. If the other man wanted to boast about Dai Huabin, he could listen. There was no need to argue; he was not someone who picked fights for the sake of it.

"From now on, you should try to earn more favor with the Young Master. If he's happy, he might give you considerable benefits," the man suggested.

He wanted to turn Shiyu into one of his Young Master's lackeys and attendants. He might still be useful at Shrek Academy in the future.

Shiyu gave a polite but awkward smile and did not respond.

He still had some backbone. He did not envy the powerful or hate the rich, nor would he lower himself to curry favor with them.

It was not as if he could not survive without glory and wealth. Why should he bow and scrape before the powerful?

"Don't be so clueless. If you follow our Young Master at Shrek Academy, you'll be eating and drinking well, living in endless splendor. You can have as many new clothes as you want, all woven from the finest silk. Look at what I'm wearing—ten Gold Soul Coins. It might be worth dozens of times more than your clothes." The more the man spoke, the more worked up he became.

Shiyu was getting rather impatient. After quickly sweeping the floor clean, he lay down on his bed.

"I've been tired from traveling these past few days, so I want to sleep. Make yourselves at home." After saying that simply, Shiyu closed his eyes and went to sleep, ignoring them.

"What an ungrateful brat," the other man muttered under his breath.

Shiyu heard him but pretended not to. He went to sleep on his own. Since crossing over to Ten Thousand Years Ago, he had barely rested properly for seven days. Now that he was lying down, he naturally fell asleep, without even sparing a thought for the questions in his mind.

Not long after he fell asleep, a tall Youth dressed in luxurious clothing walked in.

"Young Master." The two men hurried over to greet him respectfully.

Dai Huabin nodded casually and looked toward Shiyu, who was sleeping on the other side.

"This is your roommate. I asked earlier—his name is Shiyu. He doesn't seem to have much of a background and looks rather poor," one of them told Dai Huabin.

"I understand. You can leave for now. Find somewhere to stay near the academy. If I need anything, I'll contact you," Dai Huabin instructed.

"Yes." The two left together.

Dai Huabin sat on his bed. The two beds faced each other, with roughly two meters between them.

He took off his shoes and got onto the bed, then began cultivating on his own. A platinum glow surfaced over his body, and a white tiger phantom appeared behind him.

It was rather faint. During cultivation, a Martial Soul Phantom would only appear in a rough outline.

Shiyu slept until dusk. When he woke, he felt refreshed and comfortably stretched.

Seeing someone cultivating across from him, he naturally identified him as Dai Huabin.

After carefully looking Dai Huabin over, Shiyu felt as though a novel character had stepped into reality.

Dai Huabin's appearance was quite good. He could be considered handsome, with a few hints of dominance amid his masculine features, perhaps due to the influence of his White Tiger Martial Soul.

He was tall and powerfully built, clearly someone who could fight.

Dai Huabin withdrew from his cultivation state. When he opened his eyes, he happened to see Shiyu looking at him from across the room.

"Hello." Shiyu smiled and greeted him.

The two servants being unlikeable did not affect his impression of Dai Huabin.

After all, they had not even exchanged a word yet. Judging Dai Huabin as some difficult noble Young Master just because of his servants would be rather prejudiced.

Dai Huabin merely nodded slightly, appearing rather aloof. He checked the time, got out of bed, put on his shoes, and prepared to go out for dinner.

He really was a little difficult to get along with... Shiyu had no intention of pressing his warm face against a cold shoulder, nor did he want to continue the conversation.

Touching his hungry stomach, he got out of bed and put on his shoes as well. It was time to find something to eat.

The two left the dorm one after the other, with no intention of going together.

Dai Huabin left first, stopping in the corridor to wait for someone.

Shiyu, meanwhile, walked straight out of the dormitory. As soon as he reached the entrance to the residential area, he instinctively looked toward where Mu En was. This Old Man was still lying there.

"Old Man, aren't you getting off work to eat dinner this late?" Shiyu asked Mu En naturally.

Mu En responded like an ordinary old man, "I'm not hungry yet."

"You can endure hunger better than a young man like me." Shiyu smiled and gave Mu En a thumbs-up.

He said nothing else and left the residential area, following the signs toward the cafeteria.

Mu En watched Shiyu's back view for a moment longer, then continued lying there leisurely.

"I need to find a part-time job, or I won't even be able to afford food." Sitting in the cafeteria and eating steamed buns, Shiyu seriously considered the matter.

His dinner consisted of two steamed buns and a bowl of porridge, costing three Copper Coins. This was the cheapest dinner combination available.

Of his ten Copper Coins, seven remained. He could still afford breakfast tomorrow, but lunch would definitely cost more. Whether he could afford it would have to remain a question mark.

The lodging here was truly free, but meals were not included. Teacher Song, who had brought him here, had only promised to cover food on the journey.

As for his life after enrollment, he would need to handle that himself.

"I can't possibly be stumped by a single meal, can I?" Shiyu had a headache. After eating, he began asking around the cafeteria to see whether there was any part-time work available.

That way, his meals should be covered and he could earn a little wage as well—a win-win situation.

He had no other way to make money at the moment, so he could only find a job with no entry requirements first.

"Every day after classes end at noon and in the afternoon, you'll need to come here immediately to help serve food. Afterward, you'll also need to wash dishes. Lunch and dinner are included, and your monthly wage will be ten Silver Soul Coins," the Cafeteria Manager told Shiyu.

"Okay." Shiyu nodded in agreement, feeling that the pay was fairly high.

This is the third chapter today. New Book Sets Sail, and I hope everyone can add it to your favorites and send a few Recommendation Tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Thank you very much.