Tang Wulin's hand paused slightly as he held the bun. His gaze fell on Xie Xie, who was sitting nearby, gnawing on a chicken leg with a goofy grin. Something indescribable flickered in Tang Wulin's eyes.
Only after Gu Yue turned and left did he slowly lower the bun and sit down beside Xie Xie. He asked softly, "Xie Xie, do you really like eating?"
Xie Xie wiped his mouth with his uniform sleeve, not caring in the least, and looked at Tang Wulin as if the answer were obvious.
"Who doesn't like good food?"
"True. I like eating, too." Tang Wulin nodded gently.
At the time, Xie Xie had no idea that his offhand remark would one day "create" a culinary god.
A gentleman's word was worth a thousand ounces of gold, but Wu Zhangkong wasn't a gentleman. She was a woman.
And so, the promised theory class was changed just like that, replaced outright with physical training. Wu Zhangkong even declared that until they passed the physical training, they wouldn't get a single theory class.
So the afternoon's class was still physical training—and it was even more painful than the morning's.
Xie Xie's Iron Vest went straight from fifteen pounds to thirty. Wu Zhangkong said this was what an assault-type fighter needed, and that he had to finish the training even if he had to crawl.
With the Golden Dragon King Bloodline, Tang Wulin was naturally in excellent physical condition.
Gu Yue's condition was unexpectedly good, too. The elements of the world favored her, protecting and assisting her at every turn.
Only Xie Xie had it the worst of the three, holding on by sheer grit.
As for everyone else—
Aced! Total wipeout.
Tang Wulin wanted to help, but Wu Zhangkong stopped him. Gu Yue, meanwhile, was busy mocking Xie Xie.
"Oh, is that so, Little Scumbag?"
Gu Yue squatted beside Xie Xie, who was sprawled on the ground like a dead dog. A teasing smile tugged at her lips as she picked up a twig and poked his face with it.
"What's wrong? Can't take it already?"
Gu Yue really couldn't resist teasing him.
Xie Xie was like a little firecracker. One touch and he blew up; one bit of soothing and he was fine again.
Give him a little sweetness, and he could turn into a giant dog right on the spot, staring at you with shining eyes and wagging his tail like crazy.
What kind of genius had come up with him? He was just too much fun!
"Bullshit!"
Sure enough, Xie Xie blew up at once. His legs were trembling like a sieve, but he still forced himself to his feet, veins pulsing on his forehead.
A man could never admit that he couldn't perform!
"What do you mean I can't take it? I can go all day, every day!"
"You cheated last time. If you've got the guts, fight me again!"
Flames abruptly gathered in Gu Yue's left hand. She sneered. "Bring it on. Who's afraid of you?"
"You—!"
Xie Xie had only taken one step when his legs gave way again. With a thump, he dropped to his knees in front of Gu Yue.
Xie Xie: "..."
Gu Yue: "Pfft—"
Gu Yue's shoulders shook as she tried to hold back her laughter. She lightly tapped Xie Xie's knee with the twig. "I didn't make you kneel."
Xie Xie's face flushed red. At that moment, he would have given anything to dig a hole and crawl into it.
As she laughed, Gu Yue saw how mortified Xie Xie looked, as if he were about to evaporate on the spot. Before she could think, her hand reached out.
The moment her fingertips touched Xie Xie's arm, Gu Yue froze.
A wicked laugh rose in Xie Xie's heart. Quick as a flash, he seized the fleeting opportunity and deliberately yanked hard, using her own strength against her.
So you wanted to see me make a fool of myself? Then you can join me!
Gu Yue, still squatting, instantly lost her balance. She cried out as he hauled her down, and she fell right beside Xie Xie.
Seeing Gu Yue fall beside him, Xie Xie immediately forgot his embarrassment at kneeling. He lifted his chin and scoffed, gloating over his revenge.
"Haha! Gu Yue, you said I couldn't take it, but didn't you fall, too?!"
"Wahahahaha!"
He was laughing so hard that he didn't notice Gu Yue's face had gone black as the bottom of a pot.
The next second, Gu Yue suddenly raised her hand and landed a swift, merciless blow on Xie Xie's head.
"Xie Xie!"
"Ow!"
Xie Xie let out a pained howl.
Then the stubborn streak in his bones kicked in. There was no way he'd take that lying down.
Xie Xie planted both hands on the ground and, using the momentum to rise, grabbed Gu Yue's face.
"Just kidding, you nasty woman! You think I'm afraid of you?"
Gu Yue was pulled off balance again. Rather than get up, she grabbed Xie Xie's wrist and twisted it hard to the side, sneering. "Fine. Let's see who's afraid of whom."
And so the two of them started wrestling on the training field.
There were no flashy Soul Skills, just the sort of scuffle you'd see between kindergarteners: one grabbed the other's collar while the other yanked at their hair.
Before long, they were rolling around in a heap.
Xie Xie's hair was tousled, its tips smeared with dust;
Gu Yue's skirt was crumpled in several places, and her cheeks had taken on a faint flush from exertion, but her eyes were full of fury.
"Let go! Why are you pulling my hair?"
Gu Yue scolded him through gritted teeth, but her fingers were still clamped around the ends of Xie Xie's hair. She gave them a slight tug, making him grimace in pain.
"You pulled mine first!"
Xie Xie refused to back down. He gripped Gu Yue's wrists with both hands, struggling to pry her hand out of his hair.
Their foreheads pressed together, their noses almost touching. Their breathing grew ragged as they grappled.
There was nothing remotely romantic about it. Both of them were focused solely on crushing the other.
Not far away, the classmates who had been lying on the ground to rest after their "total wipeout" perked right up.
Wherever they were, the instinct to watch the drama was written into human DNA.
Tang Wulin tried to step in and break up the fight. "You two, stop—"
"Don't come over!"
"Don't come over!"
Xie Xie and Gu Yue shouted in unison.
Their eyes met, and both of them froze for a moment.
"Don't copy me!"
"Don't copy me!"
They froze again.
"Are you a mimic? Why do you have to copy me?"
"When did I copy you? You're the one copying me!"
Neither could convince the other, and they started wrestling again.
"...Sigh." Tang Wulin rubbed his forehead helplessly.
"Enough!"
Just then, a cold voice exploded like a thunderclap.
The two of them froze in the middle of their scuffle.
Xie Xie was still propped halfway up.
Gu Yue's fist hung in the air, only a few centimeters from his face.
Wu Zhangkong had somehow come to stand in front of them. Her brow furrowed, and her voice was icy. "It seems this afternoon's training still hasn't drained all your excess energy."
The two of them met each other's eyes again.
They both saw a trace of guilt in the other's eyes, then turned away in unison and reluctantly let go.
Only after they had separated did Wu Zhangkong continue.
"Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Gu Yue. Come see me after dinner."
"No, please, Teacher Wu!" Watching Wu Zhangkong walk away with an unyielding stride, Xie Xie wailed and collapsed onto the field once more.
Gu Yue had already gotten up and brushed the dust off herself.
She glanced at Xie Xie, sprawled on the ground, and snorted. "Tch. Pathetic!"
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