Douluo Chat Group: They've All Gotten Addicted to Gossiping - Part 7

By the time the morning was over, he felt as if he were starving to the point of distortion.

"Huh? The Notting Grand Restaurant?"

"That place is incredibly expensive! A single dish costs several Gold Soul Coins!"

Xiao Wu's voice rose in shock, and she instinctively clutched the small pouch at her waist where she kept her Gold Soul Coins.

Li Yuan curled his lip: "Just tell me, are you treating or not?"

Xiao Wu looked at the Little White Snake on Li Yuan's shoulder, which also seemed to be gazing at her with eager eyes, then back at Li Yuan's "take it or leave it" expression. A fierce battle raged within her.

Finally, she gritted her teeth and stomped her foot, as if making a great sacrifice: "Fine! I'll treat! At worst, Big Sister Xiao Wu will just have to blow her entire monthly allowance."

"Alright, let's go then."

Li Yuan hadn't expected her to actually agree, and a curve formed at the corner of his mouth.

Given the appetites of him and Ah Bai, a meal at the Notting Grand Restaurant would cost at least a dozen, if not twenty, Gold Soul Coins. Xiao Wu was truly going to bleed for this one.

Following that, the two of them headed toward the academy gate.

As they walked, Xiao Wu stroked Ah Bai's little head, muttering to herself: "Ah Bai, oh Ah Bai, it's all your master's fault for insisting on eating somewhere so expensive, forcing me to bleed money today."

Just then, urgent shouts came from not far away: "Xiao Wu! Xiao Wu!"

The two turned back to see Tang San running toward them, panting, holding something high in his hand.

Tang San reached Xiao Wu and immediately presented the exquisitely crafted card in his hand.

Written on it in bold letters was: [Qixi Festival Special - Notting Grand Restaurant 100 Gold Soul Coin Voucher, valid today only.]

Tang San looked excited, offering it like a treasure: "Xiao Wu, look what I brought for you!"

"I remember you saying before how much you wanted to eat at the biggest restaurant in Notting. Look, this is a voucher I bought only after saving up my Gold Soul Coins for half a year and begging my teacher for help."

"Today is the very last day it's valid!"

Having said that, he looked at Xiao Wu with eyes full of anticipation.

He had prepared for this day for a long time.

Although Xiao Wu hadn't moved into the Seven Dorm because of Li Yuan's warning, Tang San had still fallen for her at first sight.

Xiao Wu, who had been dejected just moments ago at the prospect of bankruptcy, saw the voucher and her eyes instantly lit up: "Wow, Tang San, you're so kind."

"Hehe, of course. Xiao Wu, who in the entire Notting Academy doesn't know that I treat you the best?"

Praised by Xiao Wu, the God King Tang, who had been single for decades in his past life, felt a bit embarrassed. He scratched his head with a silly grin, feeling wonderful inside.

She wouldn't have to pay out of her own pocket.

At that thought, Xiao Wu instantly beamed, full of vitality.

She happily took the voucher and waved her little hand at Tang San, her tone light: "Alright, Tang San, thank you! You go on back now; I'm going to the Notting Grand Restaurant to eat with Xiao Yuan."

With that, she casually hooked her arm through Li Yuan's, looking as if she couldn't wait to dive into the meal.

Tang San was dumbfounded: "Huh?"

Tang San: You are not allowed to bully Xiao Wu

"Xiao Wu, why?"

Tang San looked bewildered, even a little aggrieved. It was his voucher, after all; he was the one who wanted to treat Xiao Wu to dinner.

Why was Xiao Wu taking Li Yuan to eat?

Xiao Wu turned back to look at him, blinking as if she had only just remembered she needed to explain:

"Because Xiao Yuan helped me a lot in the past, and since we're almost graduating, this meal is just the perfect way to thank him."

"Oh, so that's how it is."

Tang San had a sudden realization. He felt much better, even faintly happy and excited.

For years, his pursuit of Xiao Wu had made no progress.

A large part of the reason was that Xiao Wu always seemed to want to find Li Yuan.

But now!

What was this sudden dinner invitation to "thank" him?

This was clearly a move to "repay a favor."

Once the debt of gratitude was cleared, wouldn't she be completely finished with Li Yuan and draw a clear line between them?

Wouldn't that mean his chance had finally arrived?

Thinking of this, the look Tang San gave Li Yuan held much less hostility.

He straightened his back and, with the tone of a man of the house, commanded Li Yuan: "Li Yuan, when you're eating later, make sure you take good care of Xiao Wu. You are not allowed to bully her!"

He had no fondness for someone who had repeatedly looked down on his teacher, Yu Xiaogang.

Hearing this, Li Yuan's mouth curled into a mocking smirk. He glanced at Tang San: "How interesting. She hasn't said a word, yet you're already warning me? If your brain is broken, go see a doctor."

Too lazy to waste more breath on Tang San, he turned directly to Xiao Wu, his tone flat: "Xiao Wu, are we going or not? If not, I'm heading back to the dorm."

"Oh, Tang San, why do you have to run your mouth! Honestly!"

Seeing Li Yuan about to leave, Xiao Wu grew anxious. She stomped her foot at Tang San in annoyance and scolded him.

She had finally managed to convince herself to spend a fortune (though it wasn't necessary now) and had even swallowed her pride; she couldn't let Li Yuan just walk away like this.

Stung by Xiao Wu's shout, Tang San was instantly flustered, looking like a child who had done something wrong: "Xiao Wu, I—I was only doing this for your own good..."

"If you were doing it for my good, then stop running your mouth!"

Xiao Wu snapped at him impatiently. She turned back, immediately replaced her expression with a smile, and grabbed Li Yuan's hand, her tone turning wheedling: "Xiao Yuan, don't listen to his nonsense. Let's go eat, right now!"

Without waiting for Li Yuan to react, she dragged him quickly toward the exit of the academy.

Her posture suggested she was terrified that if she were even a second late, Li Yuan might change his mind, or Tang San would say something else to ruin the mood.

Tang San stood where he was, his hand still outstretched in mid-air. Watching the pair walk away together, he opened his mouth, then hurriedly apologized: "Xiao Wu, I'm sorry! You two must have a good meal!"

Once their backs had completely vanished from sight, he slapped his own face hard, feeling deeply vexed: "Ugh, why did I have to run my mouth?"

But soon, Tang San began to console himself: "Forget it, let Li Yuan have his moment of smugness. He's graduating soon anyway, and someone like him with no background and no resources... well, he'll probably just end up drifting through some mediocre intermediate Soul Master Academy."

At this thought, a flash of superiority crossed his eyes: "It's a good thing Teacher has already secured my spot at an advanced Soul Master Academy... I'll tell Xiao Wu in a few days; she'll be so happy, won't she?"

"I heard that even the most ordinary teacher there is a powerhouse at the Soul Emperor level... I can't even imagine what kind of person the Dean must be."

Tang San could already see the look of admiration in Xiao Wu's eyes.

In comparison, Li Yuan's future seemed dim and lusterless.

Tang San felt a surge of relief, grateful that he had taken Yu Xiaogang as his master early on.

Otherwise, with his own meager background and limited perspective back then, how could he have ever come into contact with an academy of that caliber?

The predecessors plant the trees, and the descendants enjoy the shade.

Tang San had learned this lesson all too well back in the Tang Sect in his previous life.

Why were the direct disciples of the Tang Sect allowed to cultivate the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, while he, an outer disciple, didn't even have the right to glance at it?

He would never forget that suffocating feeling of being excluded from the core heritage.

He had never regretted stealing the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, either.

At worst, he would just carry forward the supreme arts of the Tang Sect in this life, which could be considered repaying the "debt of instruction" he owed them.

And now, his teacher Yu Xiaogang was the "predecessor" who had planted the tree for him, and Shrek Academy was that vast, cool shade.

Tang San looked once more in the direction where Li Yuan and Xiao Wu had disappeared, the last remnants of his displeasure replaced by a condescending pity:

"Li Yuan, oh Li Yuan, you had the chance to go to Shrek if you had just taken Teacher as your master... What a pity, you are truly blind!"

He shook his head, as if he had already foreseen their two vastly different destinies, and turned to walk toward Yu Xiaogang's office.

Notting Restaurant.

At a window-side table, delicious dishes were served one after another.

The two of them and a snake were eating with great delight.

Within an hour, Xiao Wu was stuffed full.

Her little belly was rounded, occasionally contracting.

Of course, that was just her breathing.

Xiao Wu let out a satisfied little burp: "Aha~ I haven't eaten this well in so long. Xiao Yuan, why is Tang San such a nice guy?"

The brainless little rabbit didn't realize at all that Tang San was courting her.

She just thought he was a pretty decent person!

Li Yuan leaned back in his chair, a thin toothpick dangling from his mouth, and said lazily: "Who knows? Maybe... he's just cosplaying a simp."

"Cos... cosplaying a simp?"

"What does that mean?"

Xiao Wu was completely confused, unable to understand him at all.

Li Yuan didn't bother to explain: "It's nothing. Just think of him as a 'warm man.' Anyway, are you done eating? If you are, go pay the bill."

As everyone knows, a "warm man" ranks below a dog; they aren't allowed at the table when eating, they only get to smoke the cigarette butts, there's never toilet paper when they need it, and they only get to drink room-temperature iced tea.

"A warm man?"

Xiao Wu was still lost in the clouds, but she understood the words "pay the bill."

She tried hard to stand up, but halfway through, her legs went soft, and she plopped back down, her little face scrunching up.

Li Yuan asked: "What's wrong?"

Xiao Wu clutched her stomach and gave an embarrassed laugh, her cheeks turning bright red: "That... hehe, I think I ate too much. I'm a bit unsteady."

Li Yuan slapped his forehead: "Sigh... I really give up on you! Couldn't you have eaten a little less and known your limits?"