Ye Lingling was asking Dugu Yan, but her gaze stayed fixed on Wu Xing.
The young man before her was handsome and striking, with an easygoing air that showed in his eyes and brows.
As Dugu Yan's close friend, Ye Lingling knew her far too well. She wasn't the sort to judge people by their looks alone.
Besides, Yan Yan had just said she didn't know any boys from outside the academy. Yet now she'd thrown herself into this young man's arms and was holding on to him intimately. No matter how you looked at it, something seemed off.
And that joy on her face—the kind that came straight from the heart—only left Ye Lingling more baffled.
"Lingling, this is Wu Xing, my... my very, very best friend."
Dugu Yan was delighted to see Ye Lingling and introduced him eagerly, as if she wanted to share her happiness.
But when it came to describing their relationship, she seemed unsure how to put it. In the end, she simply called him her very best friend.
After introducing them, Dugu Yan turned to Wu Xing and said playfully, "Brother Wu Xing, I'm sure you already know Lingling. Here she is. What do you think? Pretty, isn't she?"
As she spoke, she winked at him.
She clearly remembered how they'd competed to outshine each other in the Chat Group last time, and how she'd promised to introduce her best friend to Wu Xing if he ever came by.
Hearing Dugu Yan introduce her, Ye Lingling's face flushed scarlet.
What was Yan Yan up to? Who introduced a best friend like that? Anyone who didn't know better would think she was setting her up on a blind date!
"Of course I know you. Hello, it's nice to meet you."
Wu Xing nodded lightly. How could he not know her? He'd even sent her an invitation to the Chat Group back then, though for some reason she hadn't joined.
"Hello." Ye Lingling answered with a hint of shyness.
Of course, she wasn't shy because she was facing a handsome man. Dugu Yan's introduction had simply left her feeling awkward.
But then she suddenly realized something and asked, "You know me?"
"Mm. You're the owner of the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul. It'd be hard not to know you," Wu Xing replied ambiguously.
I see.
Ye Lingling wasn't surprised. The Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul was nearly as famous as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
It was only because the Nine Heart Begonia line had so few members that it couldn't compare to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
But its ability to heal the wounded and save lives was renowned across the entire continent.
"Teacher Lin, are you taking Brother Wu Xing to the academy dorms?" After introducing the two, Dugu Yan finally turned to the middle-aged man beside them.
Lin Chengyun nodded and replied, "Yes. I was just about to take this new student, Wu, to the boys' dormitory."
"The boys' dormitory?" Dugu Yan furrowed her brow and said bluntly, "Teacher Lin, move Brother Wu Xing to the Core Disciple dormitory."
"This..."
Lin Chengyun hesitated. My goodness, I know you and Wu Xing are close, but that's not exactly in keeping with school rules.
"What? You can't?"
Dugu Yan raised an eyebrow, her tone turning unfriendly.
"Of course I can." Lin Chengyun hurriedly shook his head.
Though he was a teacher at the academy, he would never dare offend Poison Douluo's granddaughter.
"Since that's settled, give me the key. I'll take him there myself."
Dugu Yan made the decision on the spot, leaving Lin Chengyun no chance to back out.
Lin Chengyun gave a helpless, bitter smile and could only take the key to the Core Disciple dormitory from his Soul Tool and hand it to her.
"Thanks." Dugu Yan finally thanked him with satisfaction, nearly giving Lin Chengyun a stroke.
After taking care of everything as if it were nothing, Dugu Yan turned back to Wu Xing, her manner changing completely. Her voice turned sweet and soft. "Brother Wu Xing, Yan Yan will take you to your new room in the Core Disciple dormitory."
Watching the whole thing, Ye Lingling's mouth twitched. Yan Yan was being far too good to this man. She was nothing like the proud, haughty Dugu Yan Ye Lingling usually knew.
Wu Xing wasn't bothered by any of it. He'd read the original novel and watched the anime, so he knew what Dugu Yan was like.
Besides, he didn't say anything. If he could move into a better dorm, why wouldn't he?
And so, led by Dugu Yan and accompanied by Ye Lingling, with Lin Chengyun watching from a distance in utter despair, the three headed for the Core Disciple area.
The ordinary boys' dormitory had a separate room for each student, but they all lived in the same building.
The Core Disciple dormitory, on the other hand, was a building of its own, complete with a courtyard and a pavilion. The difference was enormous.
What's more, several meters of road separated each pavilion from the next. Even if something happened inside, it wouldn't carry outside.
Don't get the wrong idea. They meant practicing Soul Skills and such. It wouldn't disturb anyone.
"Brother Wu Xing, do you like it here? Yan Yan's dormitory is right across from yours."
After showing Wu Xing around the pavilion, Dugu Yan gazed at him expectantly.
"It's great." Wu Xing didn't just like it; he hadn't expected Heaven Dou Royal Academy to be so lavish that every student got a pavilion.
"Hehe, I'm glad you like it."
Dugu Yan beamed. Then she added, "Yan Yan will help you get settled in a little while."
Watching Dugu Yan act like a different person, Ye Lingling desperately wanted to get to the bottom of it. Just who was Wu Xing, that she was going out of her way to please him like this?
Even if she liked him, surely she didn't have to go this far!
But with Wu Xing there, it wouldn't be appropriate to ask outright, so she pushed down her curiosity.
"No need. I can manage on my own."
Wu Xing turned down Dugu Yan's offer. There wasn't much to tidy up in the pavilion's room anyway. It was spotless, clearly cleaned every day even when no one was staying there.
"All right, Brother Wu Xing. Just tell Yan Yan if there's anything you need. I'll head back for a bit, then come over again later."
Dugu Yan agreed readily. She hadn't wanted to leave, but Ye Lingling had been tugging at her clothes in secret and repeatedly signaling with her eyes.
She'd had no choice but to come up with an excuse to leave.
Wu Xing had naturally noticed Ye Lingling's little gestures and nodded with a smile.
After the two girls left, he began taking the things he used regularly out of his Soul Tool and arranging them around the room.
But things didn't go as peacefully as he'd expected. As he was unpacking, several young men in lavish clothes suddenly barged in.
They were the core members of the Heaven Dou Royal Team, led by Yu Tianheng.
"You're Wu Xing?"
Yu Tianheng looked at Wu Xing with a trace of disdain in his eyes, his tone equally arrogant.
These past few days had been far from pleasant for him.
Dugu Yan had always been quite fond of him and often hovered around him.
But starting a few days ago, her attitude had changed abruptly. She'd stopped seeking him out altogether.
At first, he hadn't paid it much attention. But then Dugu Yan had suddenly broken through to level forty a few days earlier and absorbed a Fourth Ten Thousand Year Ring, causing a sensation throughout the academy and even catching the attention of Emperor Xue Ye.
Her astonishing rate of growth had made him fall for Dugu Yan.
But when he went to see her, he found that the Dugu Yan who'd once looked at him with admiration no longer did so. Instead, she seemed distant.
It left him feeling awful, but he couldn't figure out what had caused the change.
Then he heard some students talking, saying that Dugu Yan had been holding hands with an unfamiliar young man and acting very intimately with him.
After asking around, he learned that she had a man she liked!
He could no longer sit still. After all, among the many students, Dugu Yan had always been known as someone who was devoted to him. If she suddenly switched her affections to someone else, what would the students think? How would they look at him?
So he'd brought along a group of Core Disciples to see which clueless fool had barged in and stolen his place, and to give the guy a show of force.
Before you continue