Wait, how had the plot gone this far off track?
In the original story, wasn't Xiao Wu supposed to be paired with Tang San? Why had she come looking for me?
And the area I was assigned was only the teaching building's corridor. I could finish it alone; I didn't need help.
Of course, that wasn't the point. The point was that I didn't want anything to do with the protagonist group.
Lin Yi was speechless inside, but he said, "No need. My assigned area isn't very large either. Let's stick to the original groups."
"Come on, come on." Xiao Wu ignored Lin Yi's reaction, grabbed him, and said as she pulled him along, "Let's finish the task quickly. I'll take you outside to buy meat buns."
"But..." Lin Yi still wanted to say something.
"No buts. Let's go." Xiao Wu cut him off and dragged him out of the classroom.
This Little Rabbit isn't acting right today.
Could her heart be stirring? Does she want to learn about Tang San from me?
No, that didn't make sense. In the original story, she and Tang San had fallen in love at first sight. Had she changed her affections after only a few days?
Hearing this Heart Voice, Xiao Wu's face flushed slightly.
What love at first sight? What change of affections? Why was this guy always thinking such ridiculous things?
Still, she did not bother with that.
What mattered most right now was confirming what Lin Yi had previously said about sacrifice.
She had to stay with Lin Yi and figure out what was going on.
Meanwhile, every move Xiao Wu made was watched by Tang San from the corner.
His brow furrowed tighter and tighter.
For some reason, things had begun heading in a strange direction.
Everyone was distancing themselves from him, yet they were exceptionally warm toward Lin Yi, who had only been here for a few days.
"Wang Sheng." Tang San looked at Wang Sheng beside him. "For this afternoon's cleaning assignments, are we still following the original arrangement?"
According to the previous arrangement, he and Xiao Wu should have been grouped together to clean the corridor on the east side of the teaching building.
Wang Sheng awkwardly rubbed his nose. "Well... Tang San, Xiao Wu said she wanted to be grouped with Lin Yi. So..."
"Can I be grouped with you?" Tang San asked.
Wang Sheng's expression changed, and he hurriedly waved his hands. "No, no, no. I already made plans with Li Qiang. The two of us are a group."
After saying that, as if afraid Tang San might say something else, he hastily packed up and left.
Tang San turned to look at the other Work-Study Students.
The classmates who had usually been fairly respectful toward him either avoided his gaze or pretended to be busy.
Not one of them was willing to be grouped with him.
Lin Yi, who had just reached the classroom door, was startled and somewhat confused.
What's going on? Did the Work-Study Students have some kind of internal conflict?
According to the plot, hadn't Wang Sheng already been beaten into submission by Tang San?
Why was Tang San taking the initiative to invite him now, only for him to refuse?
And the others seemed to be avoiding him too?
Hearing this Heart Voice, Xiao Wu turned back and secretly glanced at Tang San.
Indeed, ever since Tang San had beaten Wang Sheng into submission, everyone had been extremely respectful toward him.
But now, as soon as Lin Yi's Heart Voice came out, everyone became afraid.
Naturally, that included her.
"Lin Yi, let's go get the cleaning tools." Xiao Wu tugged at Lin Yi's sleeve.
"Oh, okay." Lin Yi answered and followed Xiao Wu out of the classroom.
Watching the two of them leave side by side, Tang San's fingers slowly clenched.
He could not understand it.
Just a few days ago, Xiao Wu had been chatting and laughing with him, and had even said she wanted to acknowledge him as her brother.
How had everything changed the moment Lin Yi arrived?
And why had those classmates suddenly become so distant toward him?
"Student Tang San."
A voice interrupted his thoughts.
Tang San turned around and saw a teacher standing at the classroom door. It was Teacher Li, who had sat in on the theory class earlier.
"Teacher Li." Tang San nodded politely.
Teacher Li looked at him with a complicated expression, seeming as if he wanted to speak but hesitated.
During class just now, he had heard far too much information about Tang San.
That information had been so shocking that even the way he looked at Tang San had changed.
"Is something the matter, Teacher?" Tang San asked.
"Nothing." Teacher Li shook his head. "It's just... if you encounter any difficulties in your studies or daily life, you can come find me anytime."
As he said this, there was obvious sympathy in his tone.
Tang San keenly sensed that sympathy, which only confused him further.
"Thank you, Teacher. I'm doing fine," Tang San replied calmly.
Teacher Li nodded, gave him another look, and then turned to leave.
Only Tang San remained in the classroom.
He stood by the window, watching Xiao Wu and Lin Yi chat and laugh as they went to the tool room to collect brooms. The sight was somewhat glaring.
Meanwhile, in the tool room.
Xiao Wu picked out a broom that looked fairly new and handed it to Lin Yi. "Here, this one's not bad."
"Thanks." Lin Yi accepted the broom and casually asked, "I remember you and Tang San being pretty close. Is it really okay to leave him alone?"
"It's fine. My relationship with him is only so-so. We're not that close," Xiao Wu said, picking up a broom for herself as well.
Not that close? What was going on?
Could Xiao Wu be someone who cared about looks, and think I'm more handsome than Tang San?
Lin Yi grumbled inwardly, but nodded on the surface. "All right, then. Let's go."
Xiao Wu rolled her eyes again. This guy really knew how to imagine things.
Still, to be honest, Lin Yi really was better-looking than Tang San and easier to get close to.
The two walked out of the tool room and headed toward the area assigned to Lin Yi.
Along the way, Xiao Wu pretended to ask casually, "Lin Yi, what do you think of Tang San?"
"Tang San?" Lin Yi paused. "I don't know him very well. I only met him today."
What is there to think? He's the protagonist, a cheater with Twin Martial Souls, heir to the Tang Sect, and the future Sea God and Asura God.
His personality has some issues, though. He looks gentle on the surface, but he's actually domineering. He's quite good at that 'those who obey me prosper, those who oppose me perish' routine.
But I definitely can't say that out loud.
After finishing his inward complaints, Lin Yi said aloud, "He seems pretty serious. He should be a hardworking person."
Hearing the evaluation in his Heart Voice, Xiao Wu's heart sank.
Gentle on the surface, but actually domineering?
Thinking back on her time with Tang San, it was true that while Tang San had treated her well, he had been rather cold toward the other Work-Study Students.
And he always had that look of, I have secrets, but I won't tell you, which made him difficult to approach.
"Why did you suddenly ask about that?" Lin Yi asked in return.
"Nothing." Xiao Wu shook her head and changed the subject. "I just think he doesn't fit in very well."
Huh? Didn't Xiao Wu love Tang San the most? How could she say something like that?
But speaking of fitting in, there's no way Tang San fits in. His mental age is nearly thirty. Would he really play house with a bunch of children?
Though, now that I say it, my mental age is in my twenties too, and I'm still here sweeping the floor.
Lin Yi smiled self-deprecatingly and began seriously cleaning the corridor.
Hearing that, Xiao Wu's eyes lit up.
A mental age in his twenties?
Could it be that, like her, he was also a Soul Beast Transformation?
Just as she was about to ask something, Lin Yi's Heart Voice rang out again.
According to the original story, Tang San should have already started working at a blacksmith shop around this time, earning extra money with the Tang Sect's Hidden Weapon techniques to improve his life.
Should I find a part-time job too? The little subsidy Work-Study Students get isn't even enough to buy more than a few meat buns.
Lin Yi sighed, then started grumbling inwardly again.
Ah, I'm pretty pitiful when I think about it.
Being inexplicably transported here would have been bad enough, but then my useless parents tossed me into Notting Academy and just left me to fend for myself.
Still, at least I have Twin Martial Souls. As long as I don't reveal them too early and stay far away from the protagonist group, life shouldn't be too difficult in the future.
Before you continue