"Making the bed."
An Zhen reached out and lightly tapped the dazed loli between the brows.
The intimate gesture did not disgust the loli. Her fair little face lowered somewhat shyly. "I... I can just use the wooden bed."
An Zhen froze.
He remembered.
At this point, Huo Yutong even had someone else pay her tuition. Huo Yuhao had not started selling grilled fish yet, so she could truly be described as penniless.
"By the way, did you eat lunch?"
An Zhen changed the subject.
Perhaps he had disliked some of Huo Yuhao's actions in the later parts of the original story, such as bombing Mingdu, but none of that had happened yet, and Huo Yuhao had become Huo Yutong.
An eleven-year-old loli who had been abused alongside her mother by Duchess White Tiger, watched her mother die in such a terrible environment, suffered for so many years, and was even malnourished.
She really made people's hearts ache.
"Not yet."
Huo Yutong felt a little hungry.
"Come on, I'll take you to the cafeteria."
The cafeteria was behind the dormitory area. After thinking for a moment, An Zhen led the loli into the purple cafeteria.
"The white one is for freshmen, but it doesn't even have tables or chairs, and it has a whole pile of stupid rules. The purple one is for fourth- and fifth-years."
It was clean, bright, and furnished with luxurious tables and chairs. The silver metallic gleam gave it an advanced, technological feel. At mealtime, the rich aromas whetted everyone's appetite.
"Xiao Yutong?"
"Little Junior... Brother?"
As soon as An Zhen entered the cafeteria and headed toward the serving window, he heard two calls. Turning around, he saw a young man and woman walking toward them.
Walking in front was a girl who looked fifteen or sixteen. Her long black hair was tied in a ponytail that fell to her waist. Her purple school uniform skirt exuded youthful energy, while her lively phoenix eyes and lovely oval face made her especially striking.
Behind her walked a boy around the same age. He was tall and straight, with short dark-blue hair and a handsome face that gave him a refined air. If he was a mature, steady young heartthrob like an older brother, then An Zhen was like a high-spirited young gentleman who had stepped out of a storybook—the type people found especially likable. Every movement he made brimmed with charm and inspired longing.
"Xiao Yutong." The girl hurried forward and hugged the loli with delighted surprise. "Why are you here?"
"I brought Huo Yutong here to eat," An Zhen explained.
"And who are you?!"
Tang Ya pulled the loli, who was somewhat uncomfortable with such enthusiasm, behind her and stared at An Zhen warily, like a mother hen protecting her chicks.
"An Zhen, a first-year freshman. An old man asked me to look after a fellow student," the young man said with complete sincerity.
That was the truth.
He had merely taken care of her a tiny bit more than necessary.
"Teacher Xiao Ya, Big Brother An Zhen has been taking very good care of me," the loli explained on behalf of the good person.
An Zhen nodded lightly in agreement.
As everyone knew, he was merely a good kid with a somewhat warm heart.
"Is that so?"
Tang Ya was still doubtful, her lovely brows knitting slightly.
"All right, Xiao Ya. I think this little brother is simply helping others out of kindness." The refined youth apologetically explained to An Zhen, "Sorry. Little Junior Brother is out here all alone, so my Xiao Ya worries too much."
"It's fine. You really should be more careful when you're out."
An Zhen waved his hand, then walked directly toward the serving window.
Once An Zhen had left, Beibei and Tang Ya pulled Huo Yutong to an unoccupied corner.
"Xiao Yutong, that An Zhen didn't discover that you're a girl disguised as a boy, did he?" Tang Ya asked worriedly.
"Probably not."
Huo Yutong was not certain. After all, she was currently malnourished, and aside from her somewhat soft voice, her feminine traits were not obvious.
"I told you we should disguise Little Junior Sister's appearance a little," Beibei said helplessly.
"I mean, if cute girls can exist, why can't cute boys exist?" Tang Ya retorted. Then she took a somewhat worn-looking book from the arms of the big boy beside her. "I just dug this out of the dormitory. When you go back, practice your voice a little with it, and you'll be able to sound like a boy. Then just say you had a cold before and your throat was uncomfortable."
"Thank you, Teacher!"
"By the way, shouldn't you be in the first-year cafeteria?" Tang Ya asked in confusion.
"Big Brother An Zhen said there aren't even tables or chairs over there, then he brought me here." Having just arrived and knowing little about the rules, Huo Yutong asked anxiously, "Are we not allowed to come here?"
"It's not that you aren't allowed." Tang Ya touched her cheek. "It's just that lower-year students basically never come here."
The first-year dormitories and cafeteria really were awful. When she first came here, she had thought she had gone to the wrong place.
"Excuse me, are you done talking?"
A voice interrupted them.
The smiling youth held a tray in each hand. Each tray contained the standard three dishes and two soups. The exquisite food was clearly expensive, and its rich fragrance was an irresistible temptation.
Setting down the trays, An Zhen pointed at the empty seat across from him. "Huo Yutong, hurry up and sit down to eat. The energy in these dishes is relatively mild. Anyone who has awakened their martial soul can handle it."
"Huh?"
Huo Yutong had not expected there to be a portion for her.
Tang Ya pressed Huo Yutong down by the shoulders to make her sit. If someone was treating them, why not take advantage of it?
The pretty girl narrowed her eyes, then sat beside An Zhen with a bright smile. "Student An Zhen, your hobby wouldn't happen to be cute little boys, would it?"
She placed especially heavy emphasis on the words "little boys."
"No, my standard for a partner is a beautiful girl with an intellectual personality and a mature way of handling things."
That was one standard.
But no one had said a person could only have one standard for a partner.
What could An Zhen possibly have done wrong? An eleven-year-old boy simply liked appreciating beautiful things.
Her sparkling eyes dimmed for a moment, and a blush immediately surfaced on her fair cheeks. Huo Yutong hurriedly lowered her head. Huo Yutong, Huo Yutong, you only just met him. Big Brother An Zhen was merely being kind. How could you think that way?
The loli had suffered too many misfortunes in the past, so she carefully treasured every rare bit of kindness she received.
"Ah! Then doesn't that mean this young lady falls within your standards?"
"Hehe."
Looking at the girl with one long boot planted on a chair, An Zhen could only answer like that.
"What does 'hehe' mean?!" The girl, who had gotten chummy with him after only a few exchanges, became embarrassed and angry. The fierce-looking girl turned to her boyfriend. "Beibei, am I not intellectual and mature?"
"My Xiao Ya is of course mature and intellectual!" The doting youth replied as his fingers tidied the girl's hair.
"Who's yours?! And call me Teacher!"
"..."
An Zhen did not want to be force-fed affection.
He quickly finished lunch. More than half the dishes still remained, and seeing Huo Yutong still timidly clutching her soup bowl without touching her chopsticks, An Zhen stood up. "Huo Yutong, I'll leave it to you to take these bowls and chopsticks to the collection area later. Remember, don't waste food."
"Huh? All right."
An Zhen left the cafeteria directly. If he stayed seated, this child would probably gnaw a hole into her bowl.
"That guy seems like a decent person."
The moment An Zhen left, Tang Ya stopped playfully bantering with Beibei and instead seriously considered the exchange she had just had with him.
Rubbing his chin and recalling that he had sensed nothing from An Zhen just now, Beibei's refined face showed a thoughtful expression. He said, "I heard that one of this year's freshmen got into a conflict with his roommate, and the two of them went straight to the Battle Soul Arena for a fight. One of them had an extremely mysterious martial soul ability. He merely flashed his soul ring, and the other person inexplicably collapsed to the ground with fist and footprint marks appearing all over his body. He was so frightened that he immediately applied to change dormitories."
"Huh? The school didn't do anything?"
Huo Yutong was surprised. They had fought as soon as they enrolled.
"Xiao Yutong." Tang Ya pinched the loli's soft cheek and explained, "Going to the Battle Soul Arena is voluntary. Besides, a soul master's growth cannot be separated from battle. The school supports settling personal grudges through open and fair fights in the Battle Soul Arena."
"By the way, Beibei, what were that person's martial soul and name?"
"I don't know the name, but I heard the martial soul was World."
Before you continue