Han Ruoruo was quite surprised

"It's nothing serious, just some relationship stuff."

Ma Xiaotao opened the courtyard gate, Han Ruoruo walked in carrying a paper package. The package was still steaming, and a fragrant aroma of braised food wafted out.

"I bought braised pig's trotters on the way to the cafeteria."

Han Ruoruo placed the paper package on the stone table, plopped down on the stone bench, and looked up at Ma Xiaotao with her chin raised.

"Relationship problems? Whose relationship problems?"

"Wu Ming's."

Han Ruoruo tore open the paper package, ripped off a piece of pork trotter, put it in her mouth, and chewed it a couple of times.

"Her affair with Dai Huabin?"

"You already know, so stop pretending." Ma Xiaotao didn't hold back and tore off a pig's trotter.

Han Ruoruo and methodically gnawed on the pig's trotter, her mouth never stopping.

"I know Wu Ming has feelings for Dai Huabin. But when I heard you two laughing like that outside the wall just now, I felt like you came up with some terrible idea."

Ma Xiaotao tossed the pig's trotter bone onto the corner of the stone table, wiped her hands, and casually explained her arrangements.

Before Huabin sets off on his training, he will come to collect his "reward." Wu Ming will be present then, creating an opportunity for them to be alone together. She will then bring up the matter of the half-piece of Blazing Gel, making everything fall into place smoothly.

Han Ruoruo stopped gnawing on the pig's trotter.

She looked up and stared at Ma Xiaotao for a full three seconds.

"Xiaotao."

"Um?"

"Are you actively helping Dai Huabin find women?"

Ma Xiaotao tore off the last piece of meat, threw it into her mouth, and replied to her while chewing.

"What are you saying? I'm not his matchmaker, I'm helping Wu Ming."

"Help Wu Ming? You push her in front of a man who's already surrounded by seven or eight women, and you call that helping?"

"What else can I do?" Ma Xiaotao wiped the oil stains off her fingers with a cloth. "Wu Ming is dragging her feet and doesn't dare to go up, shouldn't I give her a push?"

Han Ruoruo put down the pig's trotter and leaned back on the stone bench.

"Xiaotao, we've known each other for quite a while now. What did you say before? 'One love for life, one partner, no one can take me away from you.' That's exactly what you said, right?"

Ma Xiaotao's chewing motion was a beat slower.

That was before.

"That was only a year ago."

A lot can happen in a year.

Ma Xiaotao's tone became calm.

"I used to think that being with one person for life was ideal. But how can all the good things happen to one person? You can't expect someone like Huabin to spend his whole life with just one woman. It's unrealistic."

Han Ruoruo didn't reply.

Ma Xiaotao continued speaking.

"He already has so many women around him. Zhu Lu is his legal wife, Ning Tian is engaged, Ling Luochen is the one in the public eye, and Cui Yajie, Xiao Xiao, and Wang Dong'er are all vying for his attention. If I still harbor the thought of 'I want to have him all to myself,' then I'm just asking for trouble."

"So you're choosing to bring people in?"

"Yes."

Ma Xiaotao spread her hands.

"Since he's destined to have many women around him, I might as well pick a few I get along with. Wu Ming is straightforward, and although she has a bit of a temper, she gets along with me. It's better to have her by his side than to have a complete stranger."

Han Ruoruo lowered her head, looking at the remaining pig's trotters in the paper package, and said nothing.

After a while, she let out a soft breath.

"What you said makes sense."

Ma Xiaotao tilted her head to look at her.

Han Ruoruo poked at the pig's trotter skin with her chopsticks, lowering her voice slightly.

"Even Mu En took the initiative to dissolve the engagement between Grandmaster and Bei Bei, and even encouraged Grandmaster to get close to Dai Huabin. He felt that Dai Huabin was worth his adopted daughter getting close to."

Ma Xiaotao nodded.

"You see, you understand it yourself."

"I understand, that's all."

Han Ruoruo tore off another piece of pork trotter, speaking very slowly.

"But this world truly makes it impossible for people to have their wishes fulfilled. A lifetime of one love... that probably only exists in plays."

She paused, then continued,

"Perhaps only a prodigy like Dai Huabin can hold everything in his hands."

Ma Xiaotao sensed something subtle in her tone.

"You're interested too?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Han Ruoruo without changing her expression. "I'm just worried about you."

"Alright, alright, you're so thoughtful." Ma Xiaotao didn't expose her, stood up and stretched, "The pig's trotters are good, buy a couple more next time."

"You're quite impolite."

"Don't be so polite, we're not strangers."

The two chatted idly for a few minutes about other things. When Han Ruoruo left, she paused at the courtyard gate.

"Xiaotao."

"Um?"

"What if Grandmaster really does develop a relationship with Dai Huabin? What's your attitude then?"

Ma Xiaotao crossed her arms and thought for a moment.

"Grandmaster, the number one student in Shrek Inner Court."

"So what?"

"So if she comes, it means Huabin is even more capable than I thought," Ma Xiaotao chuckled. "We'll see."

Han Ruoruo shook her head, pushed open the door, and left.

On the other side of the Inner Academy is Zhang Lexuan's private courtyard.

The moonlight was already strong.

Zhang Lexuan sat in the wicker chair by the window, slightly lost in thought.

The scene I witnessed at the Soul Fighting Arena during the day still lingers in my memory.

The level 59 Soul King forced back the level 64 Ultimate Fire Soul Emperor, but still faced it head-on. Even through the protective shield, she could feel the terrifying power of that final strike, "Ice Emperor's Wrath."

She remembered what Mu En had told her.

He dissolved the engagement with Bei Bei, letting her choose for herself. Dai Huabin was the person Mu En favored.

But Zhang Lexuan never relies on other people's judgments when making decisions.

Just let things take their natural course.

Cultivation should be the top priority.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, and a silvery-white glow slowly gathered around her.

Zhang Lexuan closed her eyes, and her Martial Soul "Moon" was quietly released. A silver crescent moon phantom rose behind her, and a cool halo enveloped the entire room.

Time flies.

Over the next few days, Dai Huabin resumed his routine of running between the Inner Academy and Outer Academy.

He attends classes in Class One, Grade 3 during the day and meets up with Ma Xiaotao in the Inner Academy in the evening.

Class days were quite uneventful.

Teacher Mu Jin's lectures were gentle and meticulous, Xiao Hongchen listened attentively. Occasionally, she would ask a question or two about the theory of Soul Tool, which Mu Jin greatly appreciated.

Meng Hongchen behaved herself for a few days, sitting obediently by the window during class and occasionally greeting Cui Yajie and the others after class, without actively approaching Dai Huabin anymore.

However, Dai Huabin noticed that Meng Hongchen sometimes appeared in the public training ground of the Outer Academy. He wasn't practicing with his Soul Tool, but rather standing alone on the open ground repeatedly practicing the release rhythm of ice-type Soul Skill.

Her control over ice-type Soul Skill is not bad, but it always falls short of that one crucial element.

On the afternoon of the fourth day, the bell rang to signal the end of get out of class.

Just as Dai Huabin closed his textbook, Meng Hongchen walked over from the front row.

Zhu Lu sat to Dai Huabin's right, glanced up at Meng Hongchen, and remained silent.

Cui Yajie was discussing the afternoon's extra practice with Xiao Xiao when she glanced at Meng Hongchen. Her lips twitched, but she didn't say anything. After what happened last time, she realized that directly confronting Meng Hongchen wouldn't be very effective; this girl's thick skin was just as thick as hers.