That Kind of Relationship, What Kind of Relationship?

"No!" Dong'er shouted almost without thinking, stepping directly between Huo Yuhao and the pair of Ning Tian and Wu Feng.

Clearly, neither Wu Feng nor Ning Tian had expected such a strong reaction from Dong'er, and they both instinctively took two steps back.

"Classmate Dong'er, please don't worry. Sister Feng and I mean no harm; we simply wanted to taste the monitor's cooking."

"I don't mind telling you, even if it sounds silly, but my family's upbringing is very strict. I've never eaten anything like grilled fish before, and I was just so curious about the taste that I came over to ask," Ning Tian quickly recovered, explaining to Dong'er in what she considered a gentle tone.

In her view, the relationship between Dong'er and Huo Yuhao was certainly not ordinary, but she merely assumed they were close from their previous class.

Since Huo Yuhao and Dong'er had been harassed by Wu Feng upon their arrival, Ning Tian felt it was only natural for Dong'er to be wary of her. However, she believed that as long as she showed the right attitude, joining them shouldn't be too difficult.

She tugged on Wu Feng's sleeve, and Wu Feng, catching on, bowed slightly toward Dong'er.

"I am completely convinced by the monitor's skill. However, it was indeed improper of me to challenge the monitor in front of so many people, so I would like to offer my apologies."

"Please, let Ning Tian and me join you for dinner!"

Hearing their words, Dong'er remained in her defensive posture, arms still spread wide.

She wasn't an unreasonable person. Although she had been angry at Wu Feng for challenging Huo Yuhao earlier, after watching their entire battle, Dong'er understood that this Wu Feng was different from the one in her past life. She held no personal grudge against Huo Yuhao; she was simply a girl who loved to fight and was fiercely loyal to Ning Tian.

She had no issues with Wu Feng or Ning Tian either, but this was the first time in this life she would be eating grilled fish with Huo Yuhao...

When she had disguised herself as a boy in her past life, it was fine to interact with Huo Yuhao as a friend and brother, but this time, she had been a girl through and through since the moment she first met him.

She might not be entirely certain that he was that him, but since so many other things had changed, she could certainly accept a Huo Yuhao who had changed as well.

Precisely because of this, she had a bit of selfishness; she didn't want to see anyone else's presence during this first time eating grilled fish with Huo Yuhao...

"It's... it's fine. But not this time. Next time, I'll definitely bring you along, okay?" Dong'er said, her voice faltering.

Wu Feng and Ning Tian exchanged glances, their eyes darting between Huo Yuhao and Dong'er. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, just as Ning Tian was about to speak, Wu Feng hurriedly grabbed her.

"Ha... well, we won't disturb you then. But since it's a promise, make sure to include us next time."

Dong'er looked at Wu Feng with some confusion, clearly surprised by the sudden shift in her attitude.

"Did she... understand what I meant?" Though not entirely sure, Dong'er still cast a grateful look toward Wu Feng.

Wu Feng quickly pulled Ning Tian away from the classroom, leaving only Dong'er and Huo Yuhao inside.

"Sister Feng, what are you doing?" Once they were a good distance from the classroom, Ning Tian panted, asking Wu Feng to slow down.

"My deepest apologies, Young Mistress... I didn't consider your stamina..." Wu Feng looked guilty and moved to support Ning Tian.

Ning Tian waved her off, and after a few deep breaths, she regained her composure.

"Answer my question first, Sister Feng. Why did you suddenly give up?" Ning Tian's mind clearly hadn't caught up yet, or rather, her current knowledge base wasn't enough to lead her to that conclusion.

"Young Mistress, haven't you noticed the relationship between Dong'er and Huo Yuhao?" Wu Feng leaned into Ning Tian's ear and whispered.

"Relationship? Isn't it just a close classmate relationship?" Ning Tian was puzzled. Wasn't that obvious? Was there some hidden secret she had missed?

"Oh, not that kind of relationship. A boy and a girl, and the girl refuses to let others join them so she can have time alone with the boy..." Wu Feng explained excitedly, clenching her fists and tapping her thumbs together.

"That's that kind of relationship!" Wu Feng blurted out, causing other students nearby to turn and look.

"Sorry, sorry, it's nothing." Wu Feng quickly covered her mouth, and the others, indifferent to the sudden outburst, went back to their own business.

"That kind of... what kind of relationship?"

Ning Tian's response left Wu Feng in total despair. She helplessly covered her forehead. The feeling of having such juicy gossip right in front of her but having no one to share it with was truly frustrating; it felt like a stone was lodged in her chest.

Although she wanted to spell it out, she knew that if Ning Tian couldn't catch on to such an obvious hint, explaining it directly would only cause Ning Tian's brain to crash.

"Sister Feng, if it's too hard to explain, never mind." Ning Tian stopped the internal struggle between Wu Feng's left and right brain, and continued:

"Although I don't quite understand, I can guess that our request was clearly inappropriate, at least for Classmate Dong'er."

"But it doesn't matter. There will always be another chance to invite Huo Yuhao."

"A chance to invite Huo Yuhao... Young Mistress, are you planning to directly..."

"Hmm... even if Huo Yuhao might be from Martial Soul Hall, no one says we can't poach him."

At this moment, following the markings on the map, Dong'er and Huo Yuhao left the teaching building in the opposite direction from where Ning Tian and Wu Feng had departed.

"According to the map... there's an artificial inland sea nearby prepared for students with awakened ocean-type martial souls. It's usually supervised when there are no cultivation classes, and you can go fishing as long as you pay a deposit!"

Huo Yuhao pointed to a large blue area on the map. Honestly, he hadn't expected this place to actually have a dedicated fishing spot, and it was quite close to the teaching building.

"But Yuhao... will there really be fish in a simulated cultivation environment designed for sea soul masters..." Dong'er was skeptical. Since it was essentially a simulated environment, wouldn't unnecessary fish interfere with cultivation?

Huo Yuhao shook his head: "Not at all. Research in martial soul studies shows that simulated cultivation requires the participation of corresponding soul beasts and ordinary organisms. Simulated environments without the appropriate flora and fauna were phased out thousands of years ago."

Dong'er nodded, half-understanding. Not long after, the two found the destination marked on the map: a vast expanse of azure water, so large that even Huo Yuhao couldn't see the other side.

Moreover, there were far more people here than Huo Yuhao had imagined. The area designated for fishing was currently packed with anglers clutching their rods.

Among them, Huo Yuhao even spotted a familiar figure with a head so shiny it reflected the light.

That figure seemed to sense Huo Yuhao's gaze and looked over toward them.