Dorm Seven.
Tang Yin's gaze fell on Xiao Wu, who had already snuggled under her old clothes and fallen asleep.
The reason she wasn't using anyone else's bedding was, naturally, that she thought theirs were dirty.
Tang Yin carefully pulled the old clothes off Xiao Wu, then covered her with the bedding he'd bought especially for her. He sat cross-legged on his own bed and closed his eyes to meditate.
The next day.
Xiao Wu slowly opened her eyes, still bleary with sleep. She looked especially adorable.
"What's this?"
She had just woken up, and her mind was still fuzzy. When she saw the clean, neatly arranged bedding covering her, she grew even more bewildered.
"Am I still dreaming?"
"Where did this bedding come from?"
Xiao Wu sat upright and scratched her head in confusion. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a set of bedding identical to the one covering her on Tang Yin's bed beside hers.
"Could this bedding be from Tang Yin?"
Just then, Tang Yin returned to Dorm Seven from his morning run, instantly catching Xiao Wu's attention.
"Tang Yin, where did you go yesterday? I couldn't find you all day! And is this bedding yours?" Xiao Wu asked one question after another, her eyes full of curiosity.
"Let me answer them one at a time." Tang Yin came closer and explained with a smile, "I got permission to go out yesterday and obtain a Soul Ring. I'm a Soul Master with a Soul Ring now."
"As for the bedding, I bought it. It'll be getting cold soon, and it wouldn't be good if you got sick."
At his sudden words of concern, Xiao Wu's cheeks turned rosy.
"Thank you~"
"Once I've earned some money, I'll pay you back~"
Tang Yin didn't pick up that thread. Instead, he smiled and said, "Come on, get up. Let's go have breakfast, then we have class. Wang Sheng and the others have already gone."
"Breakfast! Sure, sure!" Xiao Wu's eyes lit up, and her stomach gave an answering rumble.
Tang Yin couldn't help laughing.
"What's so funny~" Xiao Wu pouted, her face red. She quickly got up, washed up, then started combing her hair.
Tang Yin watched quietly from the side, then asked at just the right moment, "Want me to help?"
"You're a boy. You know how to comb hair?" Xiao Wu asked in surprise, glancing at Tang Yin.
Tang Yin flashed a mysterious smile and stepped behind Xiao Wu. He took the comb right out of her hand and gently ran one hand through her silky hair.
"I didn't say you could!"
Xiao Wu looked at Tang Yin behind her in the little round mirror she held, her pretty face faintly flushed.
"Hey! Tang Yin!"
Tang Yin calmly combed Xiao Wu's hair. Hearing her call, he lifted his eyes and asked, "What is it?"
"What do your parents look like?" Xiao Wu asked curiously.
"Why are you suddenly asking about that?" Tang Yin asked, slightly surprised.
"Look at how handsome you are. Your parents must be good-looking too," Xiao Wu said with a smile.
"Then you guessed wrong. My... my dad isn't good-looking, and I haven't met my mom yet. As for my appearance, I didn't look like this three months ago. My Martial Soul Awakening mutated, and that changed how I look too," Tang Yin explained with a chuckle.
Nine parts truth, one part lie.
Xiao Wu blinked and asked in surprise, "You haven't met your mom? What do you mean?"
"Isn't it obvious? I don't have a mother!" Tang Yin explained.
"Huh? You don't have a mother?" Xiao Wu froze. After thinking it over, she understood what Tang Yin meant and hurriedly said, "I'm sorry!"
Tang Yin smiled calmly, not taking it to heart. Then he held the finished scorpion braid out in front of Xiao Wu. "Take a look. How'd I do? Not too bad, right?"
Xiao Wu held up the scorpion braid and inspected it, nodding with satisfaction. "Not bad!"
Xiao Wu's eyes shifted. She gave him a sly smile. "Tang Yin, as the boss of Dorm Seven, I've decided to give you a task!"
"What task?" Tang Yin asked, already suspecting the answer.
"From now on, you'll be the one to comb my hair!" Xiao Wu thought for a moment, then clenched her fist and said, "In return, if anyone bullies you, tell me, and I'll get revenge for you!"
"That sounds like a pretty good deal." Tang Yin rubbed his chin as though considering it, then nodded with a smile. "All right, I accept."
Xiao Wu was delighted to hear that.
The cafeteria at Notting Academy was bustling with people.
The second floor.
Usually, only students with some money ate on the second floor, and the food here was far better than anything on the first floor.
The steamed meat buns, the fragrant rice porridge—everything made mouths water.
Tang Yin had just bought twenty meat buns, twenty vegetable buns, and two large bowls of rice porridge.
As soon as he turned around, he saw Xiao Wu standing behind him, clutching the hem of her clothes in both hands, her cheeks flushed.
She tiptoed to glance at the price list, then secretly felt her empty pockets. The smile slipped from her lips, and embarrassment filled her eyes. When she looked at Tang Yin, the corners of her mouth drooped.
"What's wrong?" Tang Yin raised an eyebrow, his voice warm.
"I don't have any money. Wang Sheng and the others treated me to a meal yesterday," Xiao Wu said softly.
Tang Yin spoke gently. "Didn't you see that I bought two bowls of rice porridge? Do you think I can eat all this by myself? There's some for you, too!"
Xiao Wu's eyes instantly lit up, and her earlier embarrassment vanished. Her voice filled with delight. "Really? Then... then I'll just have to do you the favor of helping you finish it!"
Tang Yin smiled and nodded, then headed for a table.
Xiao Wu trotted after him.
After sitting down, even though she was already very hungry, she didn't reach for the food right away. She waited for Tang Yin to tell her to start.
"Don't just sit there. Hurry up and eat! Class is about to start!" Tang Yin urged her, then handed her a meat bun.
Xiao Wu's lips curled up. She picked up the bun and took a big bite. Juices burst out, and her pretty face glowed with satisfaction as her bright eyes curved into crescent moons.
"Tang Yin, you're so nice!"
Tang Yin smiled and started eating breakfast too.
Six years!
A whole six years!
This was the first time in six years he'd eaten a breakfast like this!
Tang Yin couldn't help clenching his fist and swearing to himself, These good days have to last forever!
Tang Yin and Xiao Wu were both first-year students.
The bell rang. As soon as the teacher left, the crowd surged out.
Tang Yin and Xiao Wu headed for the cafeteria too.
"You two, stop right there!"
A rough shout suddenly rang down the hallway, drawing the attention of passersby.
Tang Yin turned to look.
A handsome boy was walking toward them with five other boys his age.
They were clearly looking for trouble.
They had been staring at him and Xiao Wu the whole time. They were obviously coming for the two of them.
"Xiao Wu, do you know them?" Tang Yin asked in surprise.
Xiao Wu pouted. "You weren't here yesterday, so you don't know. The one leading them is Xiao Chenyu, a sixth-year student. People call him Boss Xiao."
"He's especially arrogant and likes bullying the Work-Study Students. If Wang Sheng hadn't stopped me, I would've gotten into a fight with them in the cafeteria yesterday."