It had been nearly a week since the incident between Wu Feng and Huo Yuhao.
Over the past week, Huo Yuhao's life had been surprisingly peaceful.
No one had come to talk to him. No one had called him to account, and he hadn't received any punishment.
Even Teacher Mu Jin had taught her classes as usual and hadn't sought him out.
It was as though nothing had happened.
Wu Feng had continued attending class as usual, but her expression was even sourer than before. Whenever she saw Huo Yuhao, she would turn and walk away, unwilling to stay in the same space as him for even a second.
Huo Yuhao wasn't particularly bothered by it.
He had more or less figured out what was going on.
It seemed Wu Feng had suppressed the matter herself.
That was fine by him.
Huo Yuhao had no time for her for now, so the matter could be considered temporarily over.
As for why Wu Feng had done that?
Huo Yuhao didn't think it mattered.
As long as Wu Feng stopped coming to provoke him, he couldn't be bothered to make trouble for her again.
Of course, if Wu Feng still wanted to court disaster, that was another matter.
What bothered Huo Yuhao most now was still that old monster in his Sea of Consciousness.
Since laying his cards on the table, Ghost Demon Venerable had retreated into the Black Cyclone and pretended to be in seclusion again.
That made Huo Yuhao feel awful.
It was like having a venomous snake in his house.
It didn't bite him, but it lay there in ambush, watching him with sinister eyes.
He had no idea when it might suddenly spring out and sink its fangs into him.
As a result, Huo Yuhao had been much more cautious when cultivating the Ghost Killing Art lately, afraid that some strange change might suddenly appear while he was practicing.
Fortunately, nothing unusual had happened so far.
At least, nothing on the surface.
Inside the Freshman Class 9 classroom in Shrek's teaching building.
Huo Yuhao had just sat down when Ning Tian approached with a bright smile.
"Good morning, Yu Hao."
She had changed her hair ribbon today, and looked even more refined than usual.
Huo Yuhao was just about to respond when Wang Dong set her book down on the desk beside him, directly blocking Ning Tian's approach.
Smack.
The spot was taken.
Ning Tian stopped in her tracks, and Wang Dong sat down in the spot,
without the slightest hesitation.
She sat naturally, as though the seat had belonged to her ever since the academy was founded.
She even greeted Ning Tian.
"Good morning, Class Monitor Ning."
Wang Dong sounded quite polite.
But the words "Class Monitor" made Ning Tian's temple twitch. She almost couldn't stop herself from slapping Wang Dong.
Was that a provocation?
That was definitely a provocation, wasn't it?!
Ning Tian looked at her and managed to force out a fake smile. Gritting her teeth, she asked,
"Wang Dong, have you had some sort of problem with me lately?"
"No."
Wang Dong blinked, looking utterly innocent.
"I'm just sitting beside my roommate. Is there a problem?"
Remembering her position as class monitor, Ning Tian could only suppress her anger and lower her voice.
"You weren't like this a few days ago!"
Wang Dong opened her book without even looking up, and replied calmly,
"Class Monitor Ning, people change."
Huo Yuhao nearly lost it.
Change?
Was this what she called changing?
She was practically one step away from writing "Beware of fire, thieves, and Ning Tian" across her face.
Wang Dong's words left Ning Tian speechless for a long moment. She wanted to retort, but couldn't immediately think of anything to throw back at her.
Just then, Mu Jin walked in with her books, signaling that class was about to start.
Ning Tian had no choice but to give up on sitting beside Huo Yuhao for the time being.
At the same time, she secretly steeled herself.
Well played, Wang Dong! I'll remember this!!
You can't stay by Huo Yuhao's side forever, can you?
Just wait until I find an opening!!
When morning classes ended, Huo Yuhao packed his things and prepared to leave the classroom.
As usual, Ning Tian came over quite naturally.
"Yu Hao, would you like to go to the cafeteria together for lunch?"
Her voice was soft, and she struck just the right tone.
She didn't seem ingratiating, nor did she come across as distant.
That was the skill of the young mistress of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
Even when she was cultivating a connection, she did it so smoothly that no one could find fault with her.
Unfortunately, she had barely stepped closer when a figure moved between them.
Wang Dong stepped forward and clung to Huo Yuhao's arm. Her pretty face said four clear words:
Dream on.
"He's busy at lunch."
Ning Tian's smile didn't waver as she tried her best not to look at Wang Dong.
"I was asking Yu Hao, not you."
Wang Dong lifted her chin and replied without the slightest politeness,
"I'm answering for him."
Ning Tian finally couldn't hold back. She turned to face the person who had thwarted her again and again, and demanded,
"Wang Dong, you and Yu Hao are just roommates, aren't you?"
"Yep."
Wang Dong remained completely unapologetic.
"That's why I know his schedule better."
"He's busy at lunch!"
Ning Tian almost laughed in anger.
What kind of twisted logic was that?
A grown man stuck to another man all day.
And guarding against her as if she were a thief.
Absurd,
utterly absurd!
Huo Yuhao sat to the side, watching the two go back and forth as he quietly packed his books.
He was used to it by now.
Ever since Wang Dong learned that Wu Feng had caused him trouble because of Ning Tian, she had been giving Ning Tian the cold shoulder.
According to Wang Dong's logic,
Ning Tian herself might not be at fault, but the trouble had come from her.
So it was best to stay away from her.
Huo Yuhao thought the logic was surprisingly sound.
But he couldn't help feeling that Wang Dong had only come up with it as an excuse to guard what was hers.
Noticing that Ning Tian still hadn't left, Wang Dong deliberately looked at her and asked with feigned puzzlement,
"Class Monitor Ning, is there something else?"
She said "Class Monitor" very lightly, but it still grated on Ning Tian's ears.
She held back again and again, and in the end managed to keep her composure.
"No."
Then she turned and left.
Ning Tian was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she'd end up fighting Wang Dong.
Though she would probably lose.
Wang Dong gave a soft snort, as if she had won a small battle, and looked thoroughly pleased with herself.
Wu Feng had been standing some distance away the whole time.
The moment Ning Tian returned, she went to meet her.
Suppressing her anger, Ning Tian launched into a furious complaint to her good friend.
"Wu Feng, don't you think there's something wrong with Wang Dong?"
"Huh?"
Wu Feng froze, looking a little confused.
"A man keeps trying to steal my man from me every day."
Ning Tian grew angrier the more she thought about it.
"What is he after?"
Wu Feng opened her mouth, but couldn't find a response.
Ning Tian turned to look at her.
"Wu Feng?"
"Hmm?"
Wu Feng came back to herself and looked at Ning Tian too.
"What is it?"
Seeing her like this, Ning Tian frowned and asked in confusion,
"Wu Feng, what's been going on with you these past few days? Why have you been so distracted?"
"Nothing."
When Ning Tian pressed her, Wu Feng guiltily turned her face away before answering.
Ning Tian watched her for a while. Her voice lowered, and her tone grew more certain.
"Wu Feng, are you hiding something from me?"
At that, Wu Feng's fingers tightened, then quickly relaxed. She deliberately put on a casual air.
"Nothing's going on."
"Nothing?"
Ning Tian tilted her head and looked at her, still suspicious.
"You can fool other people, but not me."
Faced with Ning Tian, Wu Feng could only avoid her gaze.
"Really, it's nothing. I'm just a little tired from cultivating."
Ning Tian stared at her for a long while.
Wu Feng was usually hot-tempered and couldn't keep things bottled up.
She was clearly acting strange now.
But since she didn't want to talk about it, Ning Tian couldn't push too hard.
"Fine."
Ning Tian looked away, then couldn't help grumbling under her breath again.
"That Wang Dong! He's not even anything to Huo Yuhao. What gives him the right to keep stopping me?"
Ning Tian got angrier the more she thought about it.
"It's bad enough that he's pretty, but he's always sticking to Huo Yuhao!"
"What is he after? He's not even a girl."
Wu Feng fell silent for a moment.
She wanted to remind Ning Tian that sometimes it wasn't only women who might try to steal her man. Men could do it too.
But there was no evidence for it. It was only a feeling Ning Tian had, and saying so would make Wu Feng sound like she was crazy.
Besides, the name she wanted to hear least right now was Huo Yuhao's.
The moment she heard those three syllables, her mind went straight back to the stone bricks that day.
It didn't hurt anymore.
But it was definitely embarrassing.
Wu Feng gritted her teeth and made up her mind.
Next time.
Next time, she would beat Huo Yuhao in a head-on fight.
Absolutely!!
Before you continue