"Cough, cough. Of course."
Mo Yuan coughed lightly and turned his face away, avoiding Han Ruoruo's gaze.
At the same time, the moment Mo Yuan looked away, Han Ruoruo couldn't keep her composure either. A shy blush quickly rose across her face, and she took several quick steps back.
"All right, junior fellow, it's getting late. I should head back to the Inner Court, and you should get back to your dorm soon, too."
"Okay."
"Oh, right." Han Ruoruo stopped and turned to look at Mo Yuan, standing beneath the lights. A breathtaking smile appeared on her face, her eyes curving into beautiful crescents.
"Mo Yuan, next time we meet, don't call me Senior Sister. Call me Senior Sister Han instead. It feels more familiar that way. What do you think, little junior fellow?"
Mo Yuan paused slightly at her words. Looking at her lovely face, he gave a quiet laugh.
"Of course, Senior Sister Han."
Under the bright moon, Han Ruoruo's graceful figure finally disappeared from view. Only then did Mo Yuan turn and head toward the dormitory building, all the while mulling over her strange behavior.
He had never been in a relationship, either in his previous life or this one, but surely he knew what romance looked like.
If Mo Yuan's guess was right, Han Ruoruo probably had a favorable impression of him. Perhaps it was because of his looks, or because he hadn't let his friendship with Huo Yuhao and the others make him cover for them?
Or maybe it was a combination of both?
As for Han Ruoruo, Mo Yuan knew exactly how he felt. As the saying went, it was hard for a man to pursue a woman, but easy for a woman to pursue a man.
He wasn't a eunuch, and this wasn't Earth. If the fantasies he'd once kept in his heart could now come true, there was no reason for him to turn her down.
"Tsk. Huo Yuhao's life was already miserable, and now it's gone from bad to worse—from rain and fire to hailstones..."
Meanwhile, after returning to the Inner Court, Han Ruoruo had just reached her dorm when she saw a familiar figure standing outside the door.
The woman had a curvaceous figure and fair skin, stunning looks, and a head of uncommon red hair.
"Junior Sister Xiaotao? What are you doing here?"
When Han Ruoruo saw Ma Xiaotao, she quickly put away the sweet smile that was so unlike her usual manner. In its place appeared a polite, gentle smile.
"Senior Sister Han." Ma Xiaotao greeted her politely, but before she could say anything else, Han Ruoruo spoke first.
"Junior Sister Xiaotao, I've taken care of what you asked me to do. Junior Brother Mo Yuan accepted the uniform. It's a shame it's so late now. I'm a little tired, so I won't stay and chat."
After she finished, Han Ruoruo pushed open the dormitory door and went inside. Before closing it, she waved at the stunned Ma Xiaotao and said, "Good night, Junior Sister."
The door clicked shut. Ma Xiaotao stared at it, momentarily unable to react.
But once she came to her senses, she didn't think much of it. Han Ruoruo had said she was tired and wanted to rest early, and she had already completed Ma Xiaotao's request. Her goal had been accomplished.
Still, Ma Xiaotao felt that something was off. She just couldn't figure out what.
"Forget it. At least she returned his uniform. I should focus on cultivating for now and thank him properly when I have time."
Unable to work it out, Ma Xiaotao gave up thinking about it and turned toward her own dorm.
Time galloped like a steed, and the years flowed by like falling petals. After the sun had risen and set ninety times, three months passed in the blink of an eye.
During those three months, Mo Yuan had mostly lived a life much like the one he'd had in high school on Earth in his previous life. Aside from the occasional trip to Shrek City with Han Ruoruo, he'd spent nearly all his time cultivating.
As it happened, every time Han Ruoruo came to see him, Ning Tian would leave for one reason or another, as if an invisible hand were pulling the strings.
Thanks to his diligent cultivation over those three months and the Soul Ascension Pill, Mo Yuan had successfully advanced from Soul Power Level 41 to Level 42. He was even close to Level 43.
Over those three months, Mo Yuan also occasionally visited the Sea of Consciousness to seek out Electrolux and discuss alchemy with him.
As the Holy Necromancer, Electrolux had reached the pinnacle of the art of the soul. Even in the entirely unrelated field of alchemy, he might have some unexpected insights.
When Electrolux learned that Mo Yuan had inherited the extraordinary art of alchemy, it was as though a new door had opened for him.
He no longer spent his days asleep. Instead, he threw himself into studying the alchemical knowledge Mo Yuan had written down, along with the incredibly complex Dragon Language.
But unlike Mo Yuan, whose circumstances were excellent, Huo Yuhao had been having a thoroughly miserable time ever since he was caught cheating at the Battle Soul Arena.
There had been three thousand students from every year at the arena that day. It took less than a day for everyone to learn that Huo Yuhao had cheated using a Mental Attribute Soul Skill.
The flood of gossip nearly drove the already insecure Huo Yuhao to the brink. If not for Sky Dream Ice Silkworm constantly trying to talk him through it,
Huo Yuhao might have long since been unable to bear the blow, either destroying himself or going down a dark path.
As for Xu Sanshi and Beibei, Mo Yuan hadn't looked into them. He'd only heard other students discussing it in class, and apparently Beibei and Tang Ya hadn't been affected much.
After all, Beibei and Tang Ya had always had good reputations at the academy. With some of the female students who admired Beibei offering their "explanations,"
their cheating had been recast as follows: "They cared too much about their junior fellow, and their concern clouded their judgment. Beibei and Tang Ya meant well; they just handled things badly."
In short, Beibei and Tang Ya were blameless, and everything was Huo Yuhao's fault...
And so, the world where only Huo Yuhao got hurt came to pass.
Dawn broke. As the dormitory building began to stir, Mo Yuan slowly opened his eyes, ending a night of cultivation while seated on his bed.
After tidying up and washing, Mo Yuan and Bai Yi opened the door and prepared to head to class. The New Student Assessment was tomorrow, and today was when the teachers would announce the groups.
Just as Mo Yuan closed the door and was about to leave, the door across from him—Room 108—opened too.
Huo Yuhao, his expression dark, had just stepped out. He looked up and immediately saw Mo Yuan standing in front of him. When he met Mo Yuan's deep, dark eyes, Huo Yuhao couldn't help shivering.
The terrifying scene from three months ago was burned deep into his memory, filling him with dread.
At the same time, a deep hatred had taken root in his heart. He hated Mo Yuan—hated him bitterly.
In Huo Yuhao's eyes, all the gossip and suffering he'd endured over the past three months had been caused by Mo Yuan. He never once considered that if he hadn't cheated, Mo Yuan wouldn't have had the chance to target him, even if he had wanted to.
But all hatred was meaningless in the face of overwhelming strength. Huo Yuhao could only lower his head and avoid looking at Mo Yuan.
Only after Mo Yuan had left did he dare clench his teeth and imagine, again and again, the day he would grow powerful enough to humiliate Mo Yuan as he pleased.
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