Feelings, Xiao Bai, Cao Longyan, and New Homeroom Teacher Wang Yan

The night was deep in front of the outer courtyard dormitory building.

Cao Longyan walked side by side with Jiang Nannan. Just as they reached the building, they saw a petite green figure running over from the distance, sobbing.

It was Xiao Xiao.

Her eyes were red-rimmed, tear tracks still stained her face, and her hair was slightly disheveled; it was clear she had been crying for a long time.

Cao Longyan's heart tightened, and he turned to Jiang Nannan.

"Sister Nannan, you go ahead. A friend of mine over there seems to be in low spirits, I'll go check on her."

Jiang Nannan looked at Xiao Xiao's appearance, then back at Cao Longyan's anxious expression, a flicker of imperceptible dimness crossing her eyes.

So, little brother Longyan already has someone in his heart...

She nodded gently and forced a smile.

"Go on, little brother Longyan. A friend's matters are important. I'll head back to the dorm first."

After the two waved goodbye, Jiang Nannan turned and walked into the dormitory building without looking back. She didn't know why, but she didn't want to see what happened next.

Cao Longyan walked quickly to Xiao Xiao's side, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Xiao Xiao, what's wrong? Why are you... so heartbroken?"

Xiao Xiao looked up at him, her eyes blurred with tears.

She saw clearly that Cao Longyan had returned with Jiang Nannan.

That blonde senior was gentle and beautiful, known as the greatest beauty of the outer courtyard. Standing together with him, they were such a perfect match.

She didn't want to ruin someone else's relationship, nor did she want to hear Cao Longyan say things like "we're just friends."

She sniffled, her voice trembling with a sob.

"Classmate Cao Longyan... could you please stop being so good to me... I might misunderstand..."

With that, she spun around abruptly and dashed into the dormitory building without looking back, leaving Cao Longyan standing there, completely bewildered.

"Huh? What just happened?"

Cao Longyan scratched his head, watching Xiao Xiao's disappearing back, utterly confused.

Was his concern just now that obvious? Is it wrong to be kind to people? What misunderstanding?

He shook his head, sighed, and deciding not to overthink it, turned and walked into the dormitory building.

Dormitory 107.

As soon as Cao Longyan pushed the door open, he was surrounded by Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.

"Longyan, tell us! What exactly is your relationship with Senior Jiang Nannan?"

Wang Dong's face was full of gossip, his eyes shining with an incredibly dazzling light as he looked at Cao Longyan.

Huo Yuhao also looked at him curiously.

"Longyan, you two..."

Cao Longyan felt helpless and could only make up a simple story.

"When I was a child, I went out to play with my sister and met her by chance. We're just friends..."

"Friends?"

Wang Dong clearly didn't believe him and curled his lip.

"Just simple friends? Would 'just friends' make Senior Jiang Nannan ask you to walk with her alone? And chat until this late? Plus, the way Senior Jiang Nannan looks at you is a bit off, you know..."

Huo Yuhao nodded along, his gaze fixed on Cao Longyan, waiting for his answer.

Seeing the two of them so gossipy, Cao Longyan couldn't help but complain inwardly.

No, how did Huo Yuhao learn to be bad from Wang Dong? As expected, two people sleeping under the same quilt end up the same... but what's so off about how he and Sister Nannan are?

Cao Longyan didn't want to say more and changed the subject directly.

"Don't ask about that. Let me ask you something, help me analyze it."

He recounted the encounter with Xiao Xiao and what she had said exactly as it happened, though he framed it as "a friend of mine."

After listening, Huo Yuhao was also completely confused.

"So that girl... why would she say that?"

Wang Dong, however, seemed to have suddenly had his meridians opened; his eyes lit up, and he tried desperately to hold back his laughter, his shoulders trembling.

In the end, he couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing, rocking back and forth.

Cao Longyan and Huo Yuhao looked at him in surprise, wondering what kind of madness had taken him.

"Wang Dong, what are you laughing at?"

Cao Longyan frowned.

Wang Dong finally stopped laughing, looked at Cao Longyan with an expression that said "you're hopeless."

"I'm telling you, Longyan, first of all, can we not make up such fake stories? 'A friend of mine'—isn't it just you? You can only fool Yuhao, who is as emotionally simple as you are."

"And you, it's like you've maxed out your skill points in cultivation, combat, and intellect, but didn't put a single point into romance! Hahaha!"

"What do you mean by that?"

Cao Longyan's brows furrowed even tighter. His left hand instinctively condensed a faint blue orb of light; the Wrath of the Ice Dragon King was ready at a moment's notice.

Seeing this, Wang Dong instantly wilted and hurriedly raised his hands in surrender.

"No, no, no! Brother Yan, I was wrong! I'll tell you, okay?"

He looked toward Huo Yuhao, seeking reinforcements, but Huo Yuhao simply turned his head away, pretending not to see.

"Fine, Huo Yuhao! Even you're bullying me along with Cao Longyan!"

Wang Dong wore a look of disappointment.

Huo Yuhao retorted indifferently.

"You brought this on yourself."

Wang Dong pursed his lips and stopped acting out. Puffing out his cheeks, his expression turned serious in a way it never had before.

"Longyan, do you think it's possible that Xiao Xiao likes you... and then, when she saw you with Senior Jiang Nannan, she got jealous? That's why she said those things and ran off!"

"What?!"

Cao Longyan was completely stunned. His eyes went wide, filled with disbelief.

"You're saying... Xiao Xiao likes me? And she got jealous because she saw me with Sister Nannan? How is that possible..."

From childhood to the present, both before and after his transmigration, he had never been liked by a girl.

After transmigrating, he had only thought about preventing them from getting hurt or helping them escape tragic fates; he had never considered things from that angle.

But, now that Wang Dong mentioned it, it did seem to make some sense.

Watching Cao Longyan's bewildered expression as he fell into deep thought, both Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao couldn't help but laugh.

It was the first time they had ever seen Cao Longyan stumped.

The next morning, in the Freshman Class One classroom.

Cao Longyan, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong finally sat together.

As for Xiao Xiao, she sat in the seat furthest from Cao Longyan, keeping her head down the entire time and deliberately avoiding his gaze.

Xiao Xiao's roommate, Su Yao, curiously leaned over and sat in the seat next to her.

"Xiao Xiao, what's wrong? Didn't you go to deliver medicine to the class monitor yesterday? Why were your eyes red when you came back, and why are you ignoring the class monitor today?"

Last night, while Xiao Xiao was meditating in the dormitory, Su Yao had learned that Cao Longyan was having a duel with a senior in the Soul Fighting Zone and had rushed back to tell her.

Worried that Cao Longyan might be injured, Xiao Xiao immediately grabbed her best healing medicine and ran toward the Soul Fighting Zone.

But she was a step too late; the duel had already ended.

However, after asking around, she learned that Cao Longyan had won and was completely unscathed.

She breathed a sigh of relief and was happily preparing to head back when, unexpectedly, she saw Cao Longyan and Jiang Nannan strolling side by side along the Sea God Lake, laughing and chatting.

In that instant, her heart shattered.

Hearing Su Yao's words, Xiao Xiao's lips moved, but she didn't speak.

Seeing her silence, Su Yao assumed Cao Longyan had bullied her and immediately became indignant.

"Did that guy, the class monitor, bully you? I knew it! Men who are handsome and strong are all the same! He must be a scumbag who plays with people's feelings!"

Just then, Cao Longyan, who was sitting in front, sneezed for no apparent reason.

"Achoo!"

He rubbed his nose, his back feeling a bit chilly.

Why did it feel like someone was badmouthing him?

Xiao Xiao hurriedly raised her head to explain.

"It's not like that! It has nothing to do with classmate Cao Longyan! It's just me overthinking things, being delusional..."

Her voice carried a hint of grievance and a trace of imperceptible inferiority.

Seeing her like this, Su Yao could only sigh and say no more.

There were some things that others shouldn't interfere with, and it was best not to interfere at all...

The class bell rang.

The classroom instantly fell silent.

A figure slowly walked onto the podium.

It was a man who looked to be about forty years old, wearing a Shrek teacher's uniform. Although his appearance was ordinary, he exuded a gentle and scholarly temperament.

The man stood on the podium, his gaze sweeping over all the freshmen below, and he spoke gently.

"Hello everyone, my name is Wang Yan. From today on, I will be your new homeroom teacher for Freshman Class One."

As his words fell, a wave of whispers instantly erupted in the classroom.

"Wang Yan? I've never heard of this teacher before."

"Yeah, we're pretty much familiar with all the teachers at Shrek, so who is this Wang Yan?"

"He looks much gentler than Teacher Zhou, but I wonder how strong he is?"

Everyone wore a look of confusion, save for Cao Longyan, whose lips curled into a knowing smile.

He knew that Wang Yan being scouted by the academy ahead of schedule was the result of the suggestions he had proposed and implemented during the Sea God Pavilion meeting.

However, Wang Yan himself was unaware of all this.

Cao Longyan's gaze landed on Wang Yan, who stood at the podium.

Teacher Wang Yan, I look forward to your guidance in the days to come.

Because of you, this year's Freshman Class One at Shrek is destined to be different.