So... Is the Fox the Female Lead?

As he walked, he spoke to the Jade Spirit Fox.

Little Funi was the name he had given the Jade Spirit Fox.

Little Funi had never given herself a name, so Tang Liu had helped her choose one.

But she liked neither Xiao Qing nor Xiao Lu, so in the end, Tang Liu had simply called her Little Funi.

For some reason, she rather liked the name. She said it seemed to suit her perfectly, and when someone said it, it felt as if they were calling out to her.

Besides, in his previous life, Tang Liu had especially loved little animals like cats and dogs, and he had always been torn over whether to get a cat or a dog someday.

Later, he had heard that keeping a fox was like having a cat and a dog at the same time, so he had always wanted one. He hadn't expected that he would get to fulfill this wish in this life.

"I don't quite understand. It's not as if you'll never see each other again, so why are you so sad?" Little Funi asked in confusion.

Tang Liu smiled, then quietly raised his hand and wiped away the dampness that had slipped from the corner of his eye.

"This kind of complexity is what it means to be human. When you have a fox you care about someday, you'll understand one of the hardships of being human," he replied.

Little Funi shook her head, thinking that humans really were complicated.

"Let's not talk about it anymore. My situation is already pretty good. Unlike my big brother, who hasn't seen Dad in six years and won't see him again for another two. But if I miss him, I can just teleport over to find him."

Tang Liu's tone lightened. "Little Funi, I'll take you around Suotuo City first and see if my big brother has arrived yet. Then we can go register at Shrek Academy. How about that? We'll take the first step toward helping you understand the human world right here."

At that, Little Funi's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly said, "Sure! Let's go explore that Suotuo City first."

Tang Liu smiled and broke into a quick run, while his consciousness slipped into the bracelet on his left wrist.

There wasn't much inside.

Two brand-new sets of clothes that looked carefully chosen.

Some tasty dried food.

And sixteen leather pouches filled with Gold Soul Coins.

His heart felt warm, so why were his eyes wet?

A boy and a girl slowly approached the western gate of Suotuo City.

They both looked to be around twelve or thirteen years old.

The boy wore a blue outfit, stood about 1.7 meters tall, and had a well-proportioned build. His looks were ordinary, but he gave off a warm, approachable air.

The girl wore pink. She was half a head taller than the boy beside her, and though her figure still had a youthful softness, she was already graceful. Her looks were exceptionally beautiful. Her black hair was arranged in a complicated scorpion braid that fell all the way to her calves.

They were Tang San and Xiao Wu.

"We're finally almost at Suotuo City. I just wonder if that Shrek Academy really exists. I also don't know what Grandmaster was thinking. Several intermediate Soul Master academies sent us invitations, but he insisted we apply to this Shrek Academy..." Xiao Wu complained.

Tang San smiled faintly. "The teacher only asked me to apply to Shrek Academy. You're the one who insisted on coming along. Luckily, Nuoding City isn't too far from here. Otherwise, if I'd made you go somewhere even farther, you'd probably have complained even more."

"I don't care. We've already reached Nuoding City, Xiao San. Why don't we rest here for the night, and you can take me around town? Then we'll go apply to Shrek Academy. It doesn't start until the day after tomorrow anyway." Xiao Wu shook Tang San's arm and spoke sweetly.

"Fine, fine. We'll do as you say," Tang San said helplessly.

"I knew you were the best, Xiao San." Xiao Wu was finally satisfied and smiled.

Before long, the two entered the city. After a simple meal, they began looking for a place to stay.

"Xiao San, what do you think of this hotel? Let's stay here tonight."

On the bustling street, Xiao Wu spotted a three-story building called the Rose Hotel at a glance, then pulled Tang San toward it without another word.

"Slow down, or you'll bump into someone," Tang San said helplessly. But he didn't resist, letting Xiao Wu pull him along.

As soon as they entered the Rose Hotel, the rich fragrance of roses wafted over them, lifting their spirits.

Tang San led Xiao Wu to the front desk and said to the staff member, "Could you give us two rooms, please?"

"Two? Are you sure you want two?" The staff member looked at them strangely, with a hint of suggestive amusement.

"Yes. Is there a problem?"

"But we only have one room left," the staff member said.

"One?" Tang San frowned.

"One's fine. We stayed together back at Notting Academy, didn't we?" Xiao Wu said nonchalantly.

"Don't worry, you two. Our 'Red Ocean' is plenty big. There's more than enough room for both of you," the staff member said with a lecherous grin.

"Then please book us the 'Red Ocean,'" Tang San said, taking Gold Soul Coins from the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges to pay.

"Certainly. Please wait a moment," the staff member replied.

But just as he was about to take the money Tang San held out, a deeply jarring voice suddenly sounded.

"I say, this room belongs to me, doesn't it?"

Tang San and Xiao Wu turned around at the same time, looking toward the voice.

A young man of about fourteen or fifteen slowly walked in through the hotel entrance.

He was tall and handsome, with striking features. His golden hair, which just reached his shoulders, fell down his back to around his waist. Most eye-catching of all was his pair of deep blue eyes.

His eyes looked rather wicked, with a captivating charm. But most unusual of all, each eye had twin pupils.

His expression was somewhat cold, and he carried himself with an air of superiority. His expensive white outfit perfectly outlined his tall, slender frame.

He also had an arm around two women who looked a little older than him, both of them exceptionally beautiful.

And from how alike the two women looked, they seemed to be twins.

"What do you mean, yours? Ever heard of first come, first served?" Xiao Wu was the first to lose her patience, and snapped angrily.

The young man didn't pay her any attention. He only gave her an appraising look, then walked straight up to the counter with the twins and said to the staff member, "Don't you know the 'Red Ocean' is reserved by me long-term?"

Don't worry, the female lead is still undecided...