The soft, tender rabbit tongue had barely touched the pink lollipop.
A hint of honeyed sweetness and the fresh fragrance of carrots bloomed on her tongue.
The lollipop's flavor
made Xiao Wu's eyes narrow slightly.
She slowly pressed the red candy against her pink lips, then eased it between her lips and teeth.
Only then did she gently sit back down on the edge of the bed.
As the lollipop's sweetness washed over her, even the pain in her bottom seemed to ease considerably.
Her waist and back straightened a little, too.
Holding the lollipop, she copied Ye Qiu, slowly moving her little hand.
Her tongue swirled, letting the glistening candy travel around her mouth as she sucked on it delicately. Her big, round, crimson eyes narrowed into crescents as sweetness filled her mouth.
"Now that's settled. Since you've eaten my food, you have to help me!"
Ye Qiu watched Xiao Wu's look of enjoyment and didn't forget to remind her of what she'd agreed to do.
Xiao Wu was looking down as she enjoyed the lollipop. She glanced to the side at Ye Qiu.
She saw him staring fixedly at her.
A delicate blush bloomed across Xiao Wu's face.
She pulled the sparkling candy from her mouth. It looked as though it were wrapped in a layer of dazzling crystals.
"Sister Xiao Wu understands!"
Xiao Wu nodded slightly and agreed.
Then she put the lollipop back in her mouth and mumbled, "But you still have to give me more to eat in the future. Ah, it's so good!"
"That won't do. Don't think you can eat and drink for free!"
Ye Qiu gently wagged his finger. This was the fruit of his own labor; he wasn't supporting freeloaders.
Xiao Wu frowned and shot him a sidelong glare. Her movements as she tasted the candy immediately grew gentler. She took it out and stuck out her little tongue, licking it softly in hopes of making it last longer.
Watching Xiao Wu's utterly adorable appearance, Ye Qiu felt quite pleased, too. This little rabbit was simply too delicate and charming, making people unable to help but feel fond of her.
Xiao Wu noticed Ye Qiu watching her. Her tender face turned scarlet with embarrassment. She drew in her little tongue, pursed her red lips, and gave an annoyed snort.
She turned the other way and continued eating.
As she turned, she suddenly noticed that Tang San and Wang Sheng were also staring at her. She immediately grew both embarrassed and angry.
"Why are you looking? What's there to see? Do you want Sister Xiao Wu to teach you a lesson?!"
She had something in her mouth, but both her hands were clenched into little fists. Sporting her comical black eye circles, she still looked ready to beat someone up.
Seeing this,
Tang San was secretly glad he hadn't meddled earlier. Otherwise, he would have gotten the cold shoulder again.
Wang Sheng, on the other hand, couldn't help but admire Ye Qiu.
The boss could watch. The rest of them, as his underlings, were there to keep watch and clear the area for him.
Tang San glanced at Ye Qiu, then looked away.
He picked up his belongings and chose a bed at random. Only then did Tang San realize that he seemed not to have brought any bedding.
He couldn't help asking:
"Wang Sheng, don't we have any bedding here?"
A student a few years older than Tang San looked somewhat dejected.
He said helplessly, "We're all work-study students. Our tuition is already waived, so why would they give us bedding, too? We all brought ours from home."
Wang Sheng stepped forward and suggested to Tang San:
"Third Brother, how about using ours for now?"
At that,
Tang San glanced at the bedding on their beds. It wasn't exactly filthy, but it was tattered and worn.
He shook his head and waved them off decisively. "Thanks for the offer, but I'll find another way."
As soon as Tang San finished speaking,
a teacher in his thirties walked in from outside. He looked around, then asked:
"Which of you is the new work-study student? Step forward."
Hearing this, Tang San, confused, took a couple of steps forward.
On the other side, Xiao Wu had finished licking the candy and was still holding the stick in her mouth. She rose gently to her feet, discreetly covering her bottom, and shot a resentful glance at Ye Qiu, who was still sitting on the bed.
The teacher who had arrived looked unremarkable. His light-green hair made Ye Qiu complain inwardly.
He was carrying a set of bedding.
Ye Qiu knew Yu Xiaogang had arranged for it to be brought over for Tang San.
So he stayed seated on the bed and didn't move.
"Which one of you is Tang San?"
The green-haired teacher continued to ask.
"Teacher, that's me!"
Tang San quickly raised his hand and stepped forward.
The teacher looked at him and held out the bedding.
"My name is Mo Hen. You can call me Teacher Mo. Tang San, the Grandmaster prepared this bedding for you."
"Mm!"
Tang San nodded calmly.
He accepted the bedding. It wasn't particularly fancy, but it was clean and dry, and clearly brand new.
Tang San hadn't expected his newly accepted teacher to be so thoughtful. At that moment, Yu Xiaogang's stiff face seemed to soften in Tang San's eyes.
Mo Hen looked at Xiao Wu and Tang San and reminded them:
"You're both first-year work-study students. From now on, you'll be responsible for cleaning the garden south of the athletic field. You'll earn ten Copper Soul Coins a day. If you slack off, the academy has the right to expel you. Understand? Oh, and there's another student who isn't here. Make sure you pass the message on to him."
Tang San and Xiao Wu nodded in unison to show they understood, then turned their eyes toward Ye Qiu.
"Tomorrow is the opening ceremony. Remember to attend. Wang Sheng, you're the oldest here, so explain all the rules to them."
After saying that, the green-haired teacher turned and left.
Xiao Wu looked at the bedding in Tang San's arms and pursed her lips helplessly. Then she looked at Ye Qiu, who, like her, had no bedding.
Their eyes met. Xiao Wu immediately glared at Ye Qiu, her face faintly red.
A few quick-witted work-study students immediately stepped forward.
"Boss, use my bedding for now. I'll fold up the quilt and use it to cover myself and as a mattress."
Another student spoke to Xiao Wu:
"Sister Xiao Wu, you can use my quilt. I can use my mattress as both a cover and a bed!"
Xiao Wu looked at the shabby bedding they offered. She felt a little disgusted and awkward, and instead glanced toward Tang San.
Tang San held his bedding while Xiao Wu looked at him. He didn't know what to do.
He only had the one set.
If he had extra, he wouldn't mind helping Xiao Wu, but in the current situation, they could only fend for themselves.
Ye Qiu smiled and waved his hand.
"Thanks for the offer. I'll find a way myself."
Looking at the little rabbit standing there, wide-eyed and at a loss for what to do,
Ye Qiu smiled and walked over. He acted as if they were already close, reaching out to put an arm around Xiao Wu's shoulders.
"Ah—what, what are you doing?!"
Xiao Wu squirmed and struggled a couple of times. With her brows furrowed and her little face red, she looked at Ye Qiu in confusion.
Ye Qiu gazed into her big, round, crimson eyes.
He smiled. "Little rabbit, how about I take you to buy some bedding?"
Before you continue