Actually Praising Someone

Tang Wulin tugged at Wang Dong's sleeve and shook her head, saying, "Brother, Linyuan didn't bully me."

"Then your eyes..."

"I'm fine." Tang Wulin pretended to rub her eyes and said, "I just accidentally got some sand in them."

Wang Dong's fierce, menacing gaze flickered between Xia Linyuan and Tang Wulin before he snorted, "It better be that way."

"Brother, did you need me for something?"

"Come with me."

Tang Wulin left with Wang Dong, leaving Xia Linyuan all alone in the dormitory.

"Deceiving a little girl like that, you really are as dense as ever when it comes to romance," Gu Yuena's crisp, melodious voice drifted over.

With a flash of silver light, Gu Yuena was already sitting on Xia Linyuan's bed.

Xia Linyuan seemed somewhat helpless. "You've been eavesdropping since just now. Is it fun?"

"Hey, hey! I wasn't eavesdropping. I just came to find you and happened to see it."

"What do you want with me?" Xia Linyuan's expression suddenly turned indifferent; this was his true self.

"Why would I come to find you if I didn't have a reason?"

"Heh, it's definitely nothing good."

"How do you know it's not something good?"

"Want to make a bet?"

"No."

At the east gate of Shrek City, which also served as the main entrance to Shrek Academy.

"Is this the 'urgent matter' you were talking about?" Xia Linyuan glanced at Gu Yuena, looking at the merchants crowding both sides of the street.

"Come on, I just entered human society; there are still so many things I haven't prepared yet."

"Couldn't you have come by yourself? Why drag me along?" Xia Linyuan frowned slightly. "I still have to head over to the Soul Guidance Department later."

"It's just... I'm out of money." At the mention of this, Gu Yuena puffed out her cheeks, her voice growing a bit weaker.

She knew the principle: those who eat others' food become soft-spoken, and those who take others' gifts become short-handed.

Xia Linyuan frowned. "It hasn't even been four days. Did you really spend all one thousand Gold Soul Coins I gave you?"

"Things in Shrek are expensive, okay? A single meal costs me at least one hundred Gold Soul Coins." Gu Yuena's cheeks were puffed up in anger.

Xia Linyuan glanced at her and said indifferently, "Who told you to eat so much and specifically pick the expensive stuff? Don't you know that every time you and Tang Wulin eat, you clear out half the food in the cafeteria?"

"Just consider this a chance to relax," Gu Yuena said, ignoring his point.

"Heh, buy whatever you need to buy quickly. I'm in a rush."

Gu Yuena immediately beamed with joy.

On both sides of the main road outside the Shrek Academy gates, there was everything for sale. The goods were dazzling, with snacks being the most common.

The items here were not only more varied than those in the Shrek Academy shops, but the prices were also much lower.

Gu Yuena led Xia Linyuan around, picking and choosing from various stalls, appearing to be in quite a good mood.

As they walked, the two suddenly smelled a rich, savory aroma permeating the air.

Gu Yuena's eyes lit up. "It smells so good."

Upon smelling this aroma, Xia Linyuan immediately thought of Huo Yuhao's grilled fish.

"Let's go, let's take a look."

Following the scent, Xia Linyuan and Gu Yuena found Huo Yuhao busy grilling fish. At this moment, there was already a long line of people in front of his stall.

Before Xia Linyuan could say anything, Gu Yuena had already pulled him into line behind a female student wearing a yellow uniform.

Gu Yuena said, "I never would have guessed Huo Yuhao had such a skill. It smells quite fragrant; the taste should be pretty decent."

Thinking of the descriptions of Huo Yuhao's grilled fish in the original story—which were practically like a cheat code—Xia Linyuan said indifferently, "It is quite good."

Hearing such a compliment come from Xia Linyuan, Gu Yuena widened her beautiful eyes in disbelief. "You actually know how to praise someone?"

Xia Linyuan didn't want to argue with her and chose to remain silent.

Gu Yuena realized she was being annoying and quietly waited for Huo Yuhao's grilled fish.

Coincidentally, Huo Yuhao was only selling eighteen grilled fish today, and Xia Linyuan and Gu Yuena happened to be the seventeenth and eighteenth in line.

"Linyuan! Gu Yuena! How come you two are here?" Huo Yuhao was overjoyed to see them.

Xia Linyuan smiled slightly. "We came to buy some things. Yuhao, I didn't expect you to have such a hidden talent. You've been holding out on us."

Huo Yuhao scratched his head in embarrassment and said, "Linyuan, you're giving me too much credit. This is just a little skill I learned from my mother; it's nothing worth showing off."

At the mention of his mother, a flash of sorrow crossed Huo Yuhao's bright, intelligent eyes.

Mother...

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out at the gates of Shrek Academy.

Several female students wearing purple uniforms walked out from inside Shrek Academy. The girl leading them looked to be only fourteen or fifteen years old, with a tall, slender, and well-proportioned figure. Her long, golden hair cascaded down her back in large waves, her skin was as fair as snow, and her eyes were as clear as a pool of water.

The moment Jiang Nannan appeared, she immediately attracted the attention of countless people.

If you were to ask why Gu Yuena, whose appearance and temperament were clearly superior to Jiang Nannan's, seemed to have been ignored and treated as if she didn't exist from just a moment ago until now, the reason was simple.

It was because Gu Yuena knew exactly how lethal her appearance was to men, and she knew how much trouble it would bring her if she went out without any preparation. Even though she hadn't covered her face, she had been working hard to lower her presence, so the spotlight naturally fell to Jiang Nannan instead.

Seeing that Xia Linyuan had only glanced in Jiang Nannan's direction once and never looked a second time, Gu Yuena teased, "She is, at the very least, a stunning beauty. Isn't it a bit disrespectful of you to act like this?"

Xia Linyuan didn't even turn his head as he replied, "What's the use of being good-looking? Can you guarantee she won't grow old or die in this lifetime? Once she's dead, will she and the box she's buried in even weigh five pounds?"

"Uh..."

That makes so much sense that I actually can't refute it, but what kind of logic is it that a person and their box wouldn't weigh five pounds after death?

Without any surprise, Jiang Nannan was also drawn over by the aroma of the grilled fish.

"Junior, how much for your grilled fish?" Jiang Nannan asked softly.

Huo Yuhao was busy tending to the four fish he was preparing for Xia Linyuan, Gu Yuena, and Tang Ya. "Senior, they are five Copper Soul Coins each."

Jiang Nannan frowned slightly and subconsciously began to calculate. "Junior, you're selling them a bit too expensively. Even if you sold them for three Copper Soul Coins, you would still make a profit."

Huo Yuhao was stunned.

Having sold sixteen fish already, this was the first time he had encountered a student trying to haggle with him, and a great beauty at that.

Before Huo Yuhao could answer, Xia Linyuan spoke up. "This senior, you're right; if I sold them for three Copper Soul Coins, I would indeed still make a profit. But if I only sell twenty fish a day, or even fewer, do you think the money I earn would be enough to pay for a single meal?"