Inside Shrek City, the streets were bustling with people and full of life.
Wang Dong was like a little bird that had escaped its cage, chattering nonstop the whole way. One moment she was pointing at a roadside sugar figurine stall; the next, she was tugging Tai Tan along to look at some novel little Soul Tools.
"Second Uncle, look! That lamp is so interesting. It lights up all by itself!"
"Big Uncle, let's go check out that shop. I heard all the jewelry inside is made from rare metals!"
Tai Tan was dragged this way and that, but his face was full of an honest smile as he kept reminding her, "Slow down, slow down. Don't fall."
"There are so many people. Don't get separated from us!"
Niu Tian followed behind them, a faint smile on his face, though his steady gaze kept surveying their surroundings.
Shrek City was far more prosperous than they had imagined.
So much had changed on the continent over the past ten thousand years.
The three of them wandered for a while, stopping here and there. At Wang Dong's suggestion, they finally entered an elegant-looking restaurant.
The money Yan Shaozhe had given them was enough to book out the entire restaurant, but Niu Tian didn't want to draw too much attention, so he only asked for a private room by the window.
Once the door was shut and the noise outside was cut off, Tai Tan let out a long breath and dropped into a chair.
"It's much quieter in here."
Wang Dong poured tea for them herself and asked with a bright smile, "Big Uncle, Second Uncle, what made you decide to come visit me all of a sudden? Isn't the sect busy?"
Niu Tian picked up his teacup and looked at her warmly as he asked in a seemingly casual tone, "With your Big Uncle and Second Uncle keeping an eye on the sect, what could possibly go wrong?"
"You're the one we're worried about. You're all alone at the academy, so we came to check on you."
"How is it? Have you gotten used to living at Shrek? Has anyone been bullying you?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Tai Tan slapped the table beside him. His eyes, round as copper bells, glared at Wang Dong as he said in a deep, booming voice, "Exactly! You insisted on living in the boys' dormitory back then. Your Big Uncle and I were worried sick!"
"You're a girl. That's so dangerous!"
"And even putting everything else aside, what if someone saw you..."
"Oh, Second Uncle!"
Wang Dong's cheeks turned faintly red, and she interrupted him impatiently. "You're so annoying! How many times have I told you? I'm perfectly fine!"
She puffed out her little chest, looking proud. "Besides, who would dare bully me? I'd knock them all flat!"
Niu Tian watched her act like a little peacock and shook his head helplessly, playing along. "Mm, our Dong'er is the strongest."
He set down his teacup and changed the subject. "So, have you made any friends at the academy?"
"Friends..."
The smug look on Wang Dong's face faded a little, and a figure immediately came to mind.
She hesitated, then decided to start with someone else. "Well... I've met Bei Bei, a senior from the Tang Sect, and Teacher Xiao Ya. They're pretty nice."
"Oh?" Niu Tian raised an eyebrow, though he felt nothing in particular.
He knew people from the Tang Sect, of course.
They weren't particularly talented, and none was the person he was looking for, so he continued asking, "Who else?"
Huo Yuhao's figure suddenly appeared in Wang Dong's mind. She couldn't help twisting the edge of her clothes, and her voice grew quieter. "There's... my roommate."
"Roommate?" Tai Tan's ears perked up. Leaning forward, he asked worriedly, "An academy as big as Shrek doesn't even give students their own rooms?"
"That brat hasn't been bullying you, has he?!"
"No, no!"
Seeing Tai Tan like that, Wang Dong's face went pale as she hurriedly waved her hands.
"What are you making such a fuss for!"
"Did you come to visit Dong'er or scare her half to death?!"
Seeing this, Niu Tian punched Tai Tan on the head, glared at him, and said crossly, "What's the boy's name? What's his character like? How well do you get along?"
At Niu Tian's question, Wang Dong froze, suddenly at a loss for what to say.
Huo Yuhao's face instantly rose in her mind.
That guy usually kept quiet, but it seemed like he had more thoughts than anyone else.
All he ever did was grill fish and go burn incense in front of the Sea God statue, acting all mysterious.
The most infuriating part was that he'd beaten her up right at the start of the school year!
At the thought, Wang Dong grew furious.
But then she remembered the bottle of Mystic Water Pills Huo Yuhao had given her later, and the way he'd braced himself against Dai Yueheng's pressure that night just to protect her.
And the fish he grilled... It really was pretty tasty.
He was irritating, but he did seem to treat her pretty well?
Wang Dong's expression shifted from sulky to bashful and back again.
Niu Tian and Tai Tan exchanged glances, both seeing the confusion in the other's eyes.
What was going on with this girl?
"Ahem..."
Niu Tian cleared his throat and asked again, "Dong'er, why did you go quiet? Is your roommate treating you badly?"
"Not really..."
Wang Dong twisted the edge of her clothes, her voice trailing off.
Her mind was a mess as she went over everything that had happened since she'd met Huo Yuhao.
From their initial misunderstanding and fight, to the grilled fish, to the incident with Dai Yueheng...
Well, aside from him beating her up on the first day, he'd treated her pretty well afterward.
At least when Ning Tian had tried to get close to him, he hadn't exactly been friendly to her.
Thinking of Ning Tian made Wang Dong feel a little better.
She looked up at the concerned expressions on her Big Uncle and Second Uncle's faces, hesitated for a long while, then finally muttered, "He... he's actually pretty nice when he's not beating me."
As soon as she said it, the private room fell silent.
The air seemed to freeze in that instant.
"Click."
Niu Tian carefully set his teacup down on the table with a soft sound.
The warm smile vanished from his face, replaced by a fathomless calm that made one's heart tremble.
Tai Tan beside him had gone completely rigid.
His copper-bell eyes stared fixedly at Wang Dong, his mouth half open. He seemed not to have heard her—or perhaps he couldn't believe what he'd just heard.
What did she mean, he was pretty nice when he wasn't beating her?!
What had that little brat Huo Yuhao done to their Dong'er?!
Damn it!!
Only after she'd spoken did Wang Dong realize what she'd said. Her face flushed bright red, and she hurriedly waved her hands to explain.
"Oh, it's not what you think! We just... had a few sparring matches when we first met! Right, sparring!"
But to the ears of the two "fathers" who were already worked up, that sounded no different from making excuses.
Sparring?
A boy "sparring" with a girl?
And "beating" her?
At that moment, the two of them seemed like spitting images of Yan Shaozhe earlier.
They were both like helpless fathers.
The only difference was that Yan Shaozhe had been alone, while they were two.
Apparently sensing that something was wrong, Wang Dong realized she was only making things worse and felt like crying.
"Big Uncle, Second Uncle, it's not what you think. Yuhao is actually pretty nice."
"On the first day of school, I was the one who..."
Seeing that Wang Dong was about to be scared into tears, Niu Tian could only force a smile and grit out, "It's all right, Dong'er. It's normal for classmates to spar a little. Your Second Uncle and I understand, we understand!"
As he spoke, he reached over to pat Tai Tan, who still hadn't come around. He made it look casual, but every pat nearly made the Level 98 Super Douluo grimace in pain, and Tai Tan hurriedly chimed in, "We understand, we understand!"
"Really?"
Wang Dong sounded doubtful, but the trust she'd had since childhood in the two men who had raised her filled the gap.
Just then, their food arrived. As Niu Tian served Wang Dong some dishes, he asked with great "kindness" and apparent nonchalance, "By the way, Dong'er, after we eat, take us to see your dormitory."
"Oh, and it'd be best if we could meet your roommate. Big Uncle has a 'big gift' to give him."
"Don't worry. Your Big Uncle and Second Uncle aren't unreasonable people. Why would we lay a hand on him..."
Inside Shrek Academy's cafeteria.
Huo Yuhao had just picked up a serving of food from the cafeteria window when he suddenly sneezed. He felt a chill down his back.
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