Xie Xie finally managed to soothe him, then brought Tang Wulin to the cafeteria for dinner.
Words alone might not comfort Tang Wulin, but food could.
"Wulin, what's wrong?"
Gu Yue joined the two of them for dinner and quickly noticed that something was off with Tang Wulin.
Tang Wulin was physically tough. Although the redness around his eyes from crying had faded, the sadness in his gaze was far too obvious.
"I'm fine." He shook his head gently. "By the way, Class One... have you looked into them?"
At that, even the usually proud Gu Yue fell silent for a moment. Then she spoke gravely. "Yeah. They might... be a bit troublesome."
Tang Wulin's spirits lifted slightly. He knew all too well how proud Gu Yue was at heart.
For Gu Yue to say they might be a bit troublesome was enough to show that Class One would be a tough opponent.
"How should I put it..." Xie Xie rubbed his chin. "Class One really is pretty strong. All three of their contestants are Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters. That Wei Xiaofeng from this morning is the weakest of the three."
"What?!" Tang Wulin was shocked.
Gu Yue said helplessly, "It's absolutely true, so this match really won't be easy for us."
Tang Wulin's gaze gradually grew fixed.
The difference between one ring and two rings was a qualitative leap.
Gu Yue continued, "It's because of their class that the academy just announced new rules for the Class Promotion Tournament. Each grade will hold its tournament only within that grade. There won't be any more challenges against higher grades."
"Isn't it just because they're afraid Class One will move up a grade and cause a bad influence?" Xie Xie curled his lip disdainfully.
"Besides, Class One has the strongest faculty right now. The academy is paying them special attention and is considering letting them skip a grade."
Xie Xie wasn't worried at all, but Tang Wulin and Gu Yue were clearly affected.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Just then, the cafeteria's loudspeaker suddenly blared:
"An urgent notice!"
"An exceptionally powerful typhoon is expected to hit Eastsea City tonight and last for a week. All students and staff, please take precautions!"
"During the typhoon, all classes and activities at the academy are suspended. Please stay in your dormitories and do not go outside unnecessarily. The Class Promotion Tournament is suspended and will resume after the typhoon passes!"
"An urgent notice..."
The announcement played three times in a row.
The three of them looked at one another, and Xie Xie could barely hold back a laugh.
Wasn't this just a pillow arriving right when you got sleepy?
Under Xie Xie's watchful gaze, Tang Wulin abruptly stood up and headed straight for the cafeteria entrance.
"Wulin, where are you going?" Gu Yue hurriedly called after him.
Without looking back, Tang Wulin shouted, "Xie Xie, Gu Yue! Please let Teacher Wu know for me. The typhoon's about to hit, and I have something to take care of!"
With that, he was already rushing out of the cafeteria.
Xie Xie watched Tang Wulin's hurried figure disappear through the cafeteria doors, scratching his head, the delight he hadn't quite managed to hide still lingering at the corners of his mouth.
When he turned around, he was met with Gu Yue's furrowed brow.
Gu Yue was genuinely exasperated. "How can you still feel like smiling at a time like this?"
Xie Xie immediately wiped away his smile and put on a wounded expression, spreading his hands. "When was I laughing? I just think this typhoon came at the perfect time. It gives us a chance to prepare."
"A chance to prepare?" Gu Yue gave a cold snort.
"Do you think a few days can make up for the gap between one and two rings?"
"Besides, Wulin's not in a good state. He's probably got a lot bottled up right now. Who knows what he's planning to do by running off like that?"
Gu Yue muttered to herself for a while, but got no response at all.
When she turned around, she found Xie Xie happily tucking into his food. Seeing her look his way, he blinked, picked up a piece of fatty meat and put it in her bowl, then mumbled through a mouthful:
"Mm... you eat some."
Gu Yue looked at the greasy piece of fat in her bowl and laughed in fury.
"Eat, eat, eat! Eat yourself to death!"
The moment the words left her mouth, flames burst out. Xie Xie and his bowl were blasted right out of the cafeteria by Gu Yue's fireball.
After dinner, Gu Yue returned to the dormitory to cultivate.
Xie Xie didn't sit idle either. He went to Teacher Wu once more for extra training.
The typhoon lasted a full week. For that entire week, Teacher Wu beat Xie Xie around like a punching bag. But there was nothing he could do—he'd brought it on himself.
Once the typhoon's aftereffects had finally passed, Eastsea Academy resumed its schedule.
The afternoon classes passed quickly.
As soon as school let out, a large crowd of students and quite a few teachers gathered on the field, all waiting to watch the final Class Promotion Tournament match for First Grade.
On one side was Class One, hailed as the strongest class in Eastsea Academy's history. On the other was Class Five, a dark horse that had suddenly risen and stormed through the tournament.
"The Class Promotion Tournament is finally back on!"
"Yeah, yeah! Today's the last match postponed because of the emergency!"
"Teacher Wu is amazing! Class Five has advanced all the way, winning three matches in a row. I heard only one person even had to fight."
The students chattered among themselves, while the teachers gathered around the edge of the competition grounds.
"They're here!"
Someone cried out, and everyone followed the sound with their eyes. Wu Zhangkong and Xie Xie walked at the front, with Tang Wulin and Gu Yue half a step behind. The rest of Class Five brought up the rear.
Yes, Tang Wulin was there too.
This time, Tang Wulin hadn't just avoided being late—he'd returned a whole day early.
Once Class Five had taken their places at the edge of the competition grounds, a commotion arose on the other side.
The students obligingly opened a path.
At the front walked a female teacher who looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight. She bore at least a six-part resemblance to Ye Yingrong, but was more beautiful, and her brows held a haughty air that Ye Yingrong lacked.
Ye Yingrong couldn't help smiling to herself.
When she'd called her sister a week ago, her sister had insisted she didn't care at all. But in truth, she'd dressed up more beautifully than usual today.
The three people following behind her were none other than the contestants from the class hailed as the strongest group of new students in years—
Wei Xiaofeng, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi.
The two sides gathered on opposite ends of the competition platform, waiting for the Class Promotion Tournament to begin.
Ye Yingrong hurried over to Ye Yingluo and said softly, "Sis."
Ye Yingluo gave a quiet, indifferent hum, but her eyes remained fixed on Wu Zhangkong in the distance, filled with complicated emotions.
She still couldn't understand. What was it about her that wasn't good enough?
She'd even convinced herself to turn lesbian, stopped caring what other people thought, and made up her mind to confess to her. She'd even... even prepared herself to be the one on the bottom!
And yet Wu Zhangkong had rejected her, right there in front of everyone!
At the thought, deep resentment surfaced in Ye Yingluo's eyes.
Wu Zhangkong, just you wait. I'll make you regret this!
Ye Yingrong silently took a step back, putting a little more distance between herself and her sister, who had turned into a resentful woman.
Ah, love really did make people lose their wits.
Before you continue