Third Brother, How About We Switch Academies?

"Who are you? How do you know me? What do you want with me?"

Xiao Wu fired off a string of questions, her eyes filled with vigilance.

Zhu Zhuqing had never been good with words, and the questioning left her even more flustered.

She pointed to the freshly hung plaque behind her and honestly said, "I'm a student of Supreme Academy. My teacher wants to invite you to join our academy."

Then she added, "How about meeting him? He's inside the academy, and he can explain it to you in detail."

Xiao Wu became even more wary and instinctively took two steps back.

"No, there's no need. Thank you for the invitation, but we already have an academy in mind." With that, she turned to leave.

But Zhu Zhuqing panicked.

If she failed the task, her teacher would be disappointed.

She had never done this sort of job in her life. She felt like a pimp soliciting customers.

She had no choice. She was terrible with words, so she could only think of coaxing the girl over first and leaving the rest to her teacher.

"Just meet him once. You won't be disappointed..."

Xiao Wu was about to refuse again when, before the words could leave her mouth, she saw someone slowly walk out of the small courtyard.

It was Jiang Yunzhou.

His features were clear and refined, his face handsome, with a faint smile at the corners of his lips. He naturally looked like the sort of person who could make others lower their guard.

Not to mention the 99 points of charm granted by the system.

Xiao Wu froze without realizing it, her gaze turning unfocused as she stared at him in a daze.

This man was really handsome.

Mm, being friends with him did not seem so bad?

But Jiang Yunzhou had no intention of merely being friends.

He smiled at Xiao Wu, his voice gentle. "Hello, I'm Jiang Yunzhou. Do you have time to chat for a moment?"

He had only shown himself because Zhu Zhuqing had been unable to handle her.

"Huh? Mm, oh, what, what do you want to talk about?" The tips of Xiao Wu's ears reddened slightly. She did not even realize that her tone had softened.

This wild girl, who had always feared neither heaven nor earth, unexpectedly showed a rare trace of shyness.

Even she could not explain what was happening. She only felt that this person possessed an inexplicable attraction, one even stronger than Third Brother's.

"If you don't mind, why not come in and sit for a while?"

He glanced across the street, and his eyes lit up.

Turning to Zhu Zhuqing, who was still somewhat dazed, he said, "Zhuqing, look behind you. That girl in the lace-trimmed short skirt has arrived too. Go invite her over."

Only then did Zhu Zhuqing come back to herself. She had originally wanted to secretly observe how her teacher "recruited people."

After hearing Jiang Yunzhou's words, she knew it was time to get back to work. She could only nod and turn to find Ning Rongrong.

Xiao Wu followed Jiang Yunzhou into the courtyard in a daze.

Before she could even sit down, she heard his voice again, calm yet distinct.

"Xiao Wu, Bone Soft Charm Rabbit Martial Soul, from... the Star Dou Great Forest."

After confirming that no one was nearby, Jiang Yunzhou decided to be direct and exposed her identity outright.

Xiao Wu froze on the spot. The color instantly drained from her face, leaving it full of unease and shock.

Her wide eyes stared at Jiang Yunzhou as though she were looking at a terrifying demon.

She wanted to run, yet she could not stop herself from wanting to know...

Gathering her courage, she asked in a trembling voice, "Y-you, who exactly are you? Why do you know all this...?"

Since Jiang Yunzhou had already laid everything bare, Xiao Wu felt there was no point pretending to be clueless.

She might as well ask directly.

Her heart was in turmoil. How could my identity have been exposed? Is he a Titled Douluo? But he's so young... no, could he be a soul beast too?

Since he even knew that she came from the Star Dou Great Forest, he certainly knew more...

Jiang Yunzhou still wore a composed smile. "I know all your secrets. But don't worry, I have no intention of doing anything to you. I only sought you out to ask whether you wanted to join the Supreme Academy I established."

He paused briefly, his tone becoming more serious. "In other words, I want to take you as my disciple."

Whether or not she joined the academy was not what Xiao Wu cared about most at the moment.

She only wanted to know how he had learned her identity.

"I want to know why you know about me."

She inwardly cried out in alarm. I can't stay here. Is it still too late to run? Should I just kneel and kowtow to him?

But Jiang Yunzhou did not answer her question. Instead, he dropped another bombshell.

"Let me tell you a secret."

"Back when you were six years old, a Titled Douluo had already set their sights on you. You simply never noticed."

The reason he said this was to deliberately hang a blade over her heart.

Xiao Wu felt a chill shoot up her spine, making her scalp go numb.

"Y-you're not lying to me? Why are you telling me this...?"

"No reason. Just giving you a warning! If you encounter danger in the future, you can come find me. I can keep you safe."

"Alright, don't be so nervous. Be careful not to wet your pants. I won't reveal your secret."

"I'll be staying here for a month. Once you've thought it through, come find me anytime."

While the two were talking, Tang San had already grown anxious outside.

What could possibly require talking for so long?

That girl in black had clearly remained within his sight, yet Xiao Wu had followed an unfamiliar man into the courtyard. It made him unable to sit still.

As the seconds ticked by, an inexplicable sense of unease rose in his heart. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he finally left the group.

He headed straight into the small courtyard where Supreme Academy was located.

The moment he entered, Tang San saw Xiao Wu speaking quietly with an unfamiliar man, and a wave of displeasure immediately surged through him.

He narrowed his eyes at Jiang Yunzhou, undisguised hostility showing in his gaze. Then he turned to Xiao Wu and said, "Xiao Wu, it's time to go. It'll be our turn to register soon."

He noticed that Xiao Wu looked distracted and absent-minded, her body even trembling slightly.

His first thought was that this man might have bullied her.

He strode forward and pulled Xiao Wu behind him protectively, coldly demanding, "What did you do to her?"

Afraid that her secret would be exposed, Xiao Wu hurriedly grabbed Tang San's sleeve and explained, "Third Brother, I'm fine. He didn't do anything to me. Let's go back."

Her heart was filled with apprehension as she wondered whether Tang San had overheard what they had just said.

But Jiang Yunzhou remained unhurried. He merely chuckled and waved to Xiao Wu. "Remember what I told you. The choice is yours."

Tang San found his words baffling, while Xiao Wu became even more burdened with worry.

She had only just arrived here, yet not only had her identity been exposed, she had also learned that a Titled Douluo had been secretly watching her all this time.

At the thought of it, she felt cold all over.

She had truly had enough of living in constant fear all these years.

She would almost rather Jiang Yunzhou had been lying to her.

"Xiao Wu, who exactly was that man? What did he say? Why are you suddenly acting so strangely?"

Tang San pressed her with question after question, but every one of them struck directly at the secrets Xiao Wu could not speak of.

"Third Brother, I'm really fine..."

In a low voice, she continued, "How about... we switch academies?"

Compared to Jiang Yunzhou's attraction, Xiao Wu chose the safety of her life.