Thinking of how disheveled she looked, Xiao Xiao blushed just as she had when they first met. She hurriedly lowered her head, not daring to look at him again.
That hateful old woman, making me look such a mess! How am I supposed to face anyone now? I hope Xiao Qing won't laugh at me...
When she stayed silent for so long, Su Qing assumed she wasn't feeling well after running. He immediately stepped beside her and swept her into his arms. The sudden sensation of being lifted off the ground made Xiao Xiao instinctively wrap her arms around his neck. When she realized she was being carried, her mind went completely blank.
"D-don't... don't do that. I'm all sweaty. I'll... get your clothes dirty..."
At her words, Su Qing lowered his head. His gentle gaze met the girl's evasive one, and he smiled faintly. "Don't talk yet. I'll take you somewhere shady."
With that, he carried Xiao Xiao off the field and toward a camphor tree nearby. Afraid someone around them might recognize her, Xiao Xiao hurriedly tucked her head against his chest and spoke in a soft, sugary voice:
"People will see us."
At that, Su Qing glanced around. The students who had gathered to watch Freshman Class One run laps had already dispersed. Aside from those still running, everyone resting nearby had turned their attention to Wang Dong, who was flying around and around with Huo Yuhao, her dazzling butterfly wings on display.
"Then you'd better hide well. Everyone on the field is watching us right now."
With Xiao Xiao nestled in his arms, blushing bashfully, his playful side came out. He not only slowed his pace but deliberately whispered a reminder in her ear.
"What?!"
At that, Xiao Xiao's little hands tightened their grip on Su Qing's back, and she kept burrowing her head into his chest.
After gently setting her down beneath the camphor tree, Su Qing spoke in a soothing, unhurried tone:
"Everyone was watching that little butterfly's Martial Soul just now. Who'd have time to look at you?"
Realizing he had tricked her, Xiao Xiao puffed out her cheeks at once, just as she had in the forest.
"Hmph, you big meanie!"
After a soft huff, Xiao Xiao turned her head away and folded her arms across her chest, scolding him in a tone that sounded almost like a pout to Su Qing.
"All right, have something to drink first."
With a smile, he took some juice from his Storage Ring and handed it to Xiao Xiao. But when she saw the moon-shaped Storage Ring on his hand, she seemed to suddenly remember something. She paused, then took a Storage Ring from her Storage Soul Tool and held it out to Su Qing.
"Hmm? What's this for?"
Su Qing was a little confused. It wasn't as if he lacked Storage Soul Tools. The one Zhang Lexuan had given him had a full forty cubic meters of space.
"Hmph, that one was from Senior Sister. This one's from me. Of course they're different!"
Seeing Su Qing's bewildered expression, Xiao Xiao's anger, which had subsided after she finished her juice, flared up again. When Zhang Lexuan had given him a Storage Ring, he'd put it on without a second thought. But when she gave him one, he asked what it was for? How could he treat them differently?
Hearing that, he understood what she meant. He couldn't help feeling both amused and helpless. Who used a Storage Ring as a token of love? Still, he reached out, accepted it, and immediately slipped it onto another finger.
"Thank you, Xiao Xiao. This Storage Ring is beautiful. I'll treasure it."
With that, he pinched her puffed-up cheek. The moment he accepted it, the clouds cleared from Xiao Xiao's expression. She took the hand wearing the Storage Ring and admired it in front of her, liking the way it looked more and more...
Not long afterward, after expelling several students who had tried to game the system, Zhou Yi, just as in the original story, gathered the students and told them to return to their dorms, change clothes, and come back to class. Su Qing walked Xiao Xiao back to her dorm, and after saying goodbye, the two parted ways.
With noon approaching, Su Qing headed downstairs to his dorm room. If nothing unexpected came up, Chen Yao would be bringing him food soon.
Sure enough, he had barely reached his dorm and sat down when a series of knocks sounded at the door.
"Xiao Qing, may I come in?"
"Come in."
Sitting on his bed, Su Qing hurriedly answered the girl's bell-like voice.
A graceful girl wearing a veil walked in. Only then did Su Qing remember that the Demon Flame had almost reached her neck. By now, the area above her chest was most likely covered in burn scars. The dullness in her eyes revealed how difficult life had been since she was injured.
The instant Chen Yao saw Su Qing, her eyes brightened for a moment, then quickly dimmed again. She took the food from her Storage Soul Tool and placed it on the table piece by piece.
"Xiao Qing, I didn't know what you liked, so I packed a little of everything, just like I do for Zhou Qing. Try it first. If there's anything you like, you can ask Senior Sister to tell me, and I'll bring you more next time. I... I'll get going now."
As she spoke, she hurried out as though afraid of something.
Su Qing was about to ask her a question, but then realized why she was acting that way, so he decided not to say anything.
"Mm, I wish everyone were like Senior Zhou Qing."
With that, he shook his head and ate by himself, no longer dwelling on anything else.
Su Qing spent nearly the entire afternoon cultivating. It wasn't until Bei Bei knocked on his door that evening that he came out of his meditative state.
He had thought it would be Zhang Lexuan, but when he opened the door and saw Bei Bei, he was a little surprised. It didn't take him long to realize that Zhang Lexuan had probably been tied up with something and had asked Bei Bei to bring him dinner instead.
"Xiao Qing, the chefs who prepare Sister Lexuan's meals made all this. You're sure to like it."
Su Qing nodded. He wanted to invite Bei Bei to eat with him, but Bei Bei told him he had already eaten. Then, using Tang Ya's help getting a barbecue stall ready for Huo Yuhao as his excuse, he hurried off to lend a hand.
"Well, look at that. They're all so busy. Never mind, I'll see if Xiao Xiao's around later and take her along to help Huo Yuhao drum up some business..."
After silently grumbling to himself, Su Qing resumed eating. He had to admit, having a dedicated chef made all the difference. The ingredients in Zhang Lexuan's meals were all at least a thousand-year-old Soul Beast's flesh, and the taste and texture far surpassed even the standards of the ordinary Inner Court cafeteria.
"What kind of life does Sister Lexuan lead every day?!"
Once he had eaten his fill, he hurried out of his room, only to run into Xiao Xiao standing downstairs in the dormitory, staring into space.
"Xiao Xiao, what are you doing here?"
He walked up to her in confusion and waved a hand in front of her face.
"Huh? I'm waiting for you! But I didn't know which room was yours, so I could only wait here. It's not like you'd stay in your dorm all day, right? Who's that hardworking? Even the class monitor went to Shrek City this afternoon."
Startled by Su Qing's sudden appearance, Xiao Xiao snapped out of her daze and explained why she was waiting there.
"You could've just called up from downstairs. What if I really were the kind of person who cultivated that diligently?"
His voice softened as he spoke to the persistent girl. Was she always this slow on the uptake? If he hadn't come out now, would she have waited for him until midnight?
"It's fine! If you don't come out today, you'll have to come out tomorrow, right? I'll come wait downstairs first thing tomorrow morning. You can't skip class, can you? Hehe."
As she spoke, Xiao Xiao even raised her brows at Su Qing, looking rather pleased with how clever she was.
"You really are a clever little rascal."