"Beautiful girl! Sit over here! I've got an empty seat!"
"Get lost! Have you looked at yourself? You think you're worthy of inviting a goddess?!"
The boys around them leaped to their feet, scrambling to invite her over, but Wang Dong'er didn't spare them a glance.
She walked straight to the empty seat beside Huo Yuhao, pulled out the chair, and sat down without hesitation.
The classroom fell silent for a moment, then erupted into a clamor.
"No way! She actually sat next to that guy?"
"Holy crap, now that I look closer, this guy's really handsome too! Could they already know each other?"
"Does this mean I've already lost my first love before anything even started?"
"Damn it! I should've sat in the back!"
Huo Yuhao was sitting with his eyes closed, focusing as he honed his spiritual power in his Sea of Consciousness. When he sensed someone sit down beside him, he opened his eyes.
When he saw that it was Wang Dong'er, his pupils contracted slightly, and he was filled with surprise.
That pervert who'd disguised herself as a boy hadn't been expelled from the academy?
She'd violated the school rules and even planned to sneak into the boys' dormitory. They'd managed to hush up something that serious? Was her family really that influential?
Meanwhile, Cao Jinxuan, seated on Huo Yuhao's other side, was staring at Wang Dong'er in a daze.
In all his life, he'd never seen a girl so beautiful. He hurriedly gave her what he thought was his most handsome smile and struck up a conversation.
"Hello, classmate! My name's Cao Jinxuan. What's yours?"
Faced with Cao Jinxuan's eager greeting, Wang Dong'er merely gave him a cool glance and said coldly, "Shut up. Don't talk to me."
Cao Jinxuan was struck as if by lightning. He slumped back into his seat, utterly dejected, and buried his face in his desk, looking as if life had lost all meaning.
Wang Dong'er's attention hadn't lingered on Cao Jinxuan for even half a second. From beginning to end, it was fixed entirely on Huo Yuhao beside her.
She realized that from the moment she sat down, Huo Yuhao had only opened his eyes to look at her once. Then he'd closed them again.
He hadn't come over to flatter her like the other boys, or apologized for what had happened yesterday. He hadn't even spared her another glance.
It was as if she were just some irrelevant passerby.
He actually dares to ignore me!
A nameless anger surged through Wang Dong'er, accompanied by deep confusion.
That's not right!
This is nothing like what I expected!
Her original plan had been for Huo Yuhao to be completely dazzled by her beauty when he saw her dressed as a girl again.
Then he'd rush over to strike up a conversation and meekly apologize for what happened yesterday!
But the reality was completely different!
Huo Yuhao was acting as though he hadn't noticed her at all, utterly unmoved. He couldn't even be bothered to lift an eyelid.
He's putting on an act!
There's no way he isn't just pretending to be calm!
Wang Dong'er thought this with conviction, the corner of her mouth lifting in a smile.
So he wants to play hard to get?
Fine. Let's see if he can keep up the act after I take the initiative and lower myself to talk to him.
Wang Dong'er cleared her throat and turned toward Huo Yuhao.
Her pretty eyes curved as she gave him a gentle, sweet smile. In a soft voice, she said, "Hello, classmate. You're Huo Yuhao, right?
"There was a bit of a misunderstanding between us yesterday.
"Would you like to have lunch together and talk it over? My treat."
Her words set the entire classroom ablaze!
"Holy crap! The goddess actually invited that guy to lunch?"
"I can't take this! Why doesn't the goddess invite me like that?!"
"Wait, why isn't that guy saying anything? Hurry up and accept! If you won't, let me take your place!"
"I'm so jealous! Why don't I get treated like that?"
The boys around them beat their chests in anguish, their eyes brimming with envy and jealousy as they stared at Huo Yuhao, wishing they could switch seats with him right then and there.
But just as everyone expected Huo Yuhao to nod and accept without hesitation,
he slowly opened his eyes, calmly glanced at the confident smile on Wang Dong'er's face, and shook his head.
"I'm going to cultivate at noon. I don't have time."
That one sentence plunged the noisy classroom into deathly silence.
Wang Dong'er froze. Her pinkish-blue eyes brimmed with disbelief, and her mind went blank.
After a brief, dead silence, the other students erupted in deafening cries of astonishment.
"Holy crap! Did I hear that right? He actually turned her down!"
"He refused the goddess's invitation? Does this guy have something wrong with his taste?!"
"The goddess is completely mortified, and this guy's the worst!"
"I can't believe it. I'd say yes a hundred times over! What's this guy even thinking?!"
The classroom instantly descended into chaos. Everyone was left gaping at Huo Yuhao's words.
Wang Dong'er herself was completely dumbfounded. She'd never imagined he would reject her!
What kind of joke was this?!
She'd actually been rejected in front of everyone by a One-Ring Soul Master?!
Wasn't this guy's Martial Soul the Spirit Eye?
How could he be so blind? Couldn't he see what she looked like?!
Was cultivation really more important than her?
Tap, tap, tap!
Just as Wang Dong'er was getting angry, footsteps sounded from the classroom entrance.
An elderly woman with white hair and a stern face walked in at an unhurried pace. Her sharp gaze swept coldly over the rowdy students, and she barked, "Why is it so noisy? You're still chattering away when class has started. It seems none of you are prepared to study at Shrek!"
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the entire class, then said each word distinctly:
"Now, all of you get to Shrek Square and run one hundred laps around it! Anyone who hasn't finished in an hour can pack up and get out of Shrek!"
Her words sent the classroom into an uproar. All the new students looked incredulous.
They'd just arrived, and already they were being made to run laps. Was this really part of the curriculum?
But before they could complain, six Soul Rings abruptly lit up around Zhou Yi. The terrifying pressure of a Soul Emperor surged over them like a sweeping tide, silencing everyone at once.
"What are you standing around for? Do you want to get kicked out right now?" Zhou Yi snapped.
The students didn't dare hesitate. They poured out of the classroom in a crowd and sprinted toward Shrek Square.
After hearing her, Huo Yuhao asked Zhao Ze in confusion from within his Sea of Consciousness, "Master, can running laps like this really improve Soul Power cultivation?"
"It won't help much."
Zhao Ze's voice came from within the Sea of Consciousness.
"With the time it takes to run a hundred laps, you could do far more effective training. This is a terribly inefficient use of your time."
Huo Yuhao was taken aback.
He'd thought the continent's number-one academy would have some special teaching methods!
"Still, for you, it's quite necessary."
Zhao Ze changed tack and added with a laugh.
"A good sweat will help flush the impurities out through your perspiration."
Huo Yuhao nodded and hurried after the crowd toward Shrek Square.
Wang Dong'er trailed behind. Watching Huo Yuhao's retreating figure, she pouted.
She was just as reluctant to run a hundred laps, but the moment she thought of Huo Yuhao, her competitive spirit flared to life.
Huo Yuhao!
Just you wait!
I'm going to leave you in the dust today!
I'll show you what happens when you make me angry!
Wang Dong'er was fuming inwardly when Zhou Yi suddenly called her over.
"Wang Dong'er."
Wang Dong'er hurried to her feet. "Yes, Teacher Zhou?"
Zhou Yi folded her arms and gave a cold laugh. Her sharp gaze raked over Wang Dong'er, and her voice was icy.
"Well, aren't you something? You've only just arrived, and you're already brazenly violating the academy's rules. You've got some nerve.
"Fine. Everyone else runs a hundred laps. You'll run a hundred and fifty. If you don't finish, you're out too."
Wang Dong'er:???
Before you continue