Misunderstanding Resolved, Elder Xuan?

The conversation in the office concluded, and the group bid Wang Yan farewell before departing.

Xiao Xiao kept her head down, her footsteps hurried; she only wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

She still hadn't figured out how to face Cao Longyan.

"Xiao Xiao, wait a moment."

Cao Longyan's voice came from behind her.

Xiao Xiao's steps faltered, but she did not turn around.

"Let's go to the cafeteria for lunch together. Have you forgotten what you said yesterday at noon? Consider it paying back the meal you were going to treat me to. Also... about last night..."

Cao Longyan's tone carried a hint of persistence.

Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao also chimed in to assist.

"Yeah, Xiao Xiao, let's go together. Since Longyan asked, you should."

Say no more... true brothers are always in my heart.

Xiao Xiao hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded.

She also wanted to clear the air regarding what happened yesterday.

At the entrance of the cafeteria.

As Cao Longyan, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao arrived, they spotted five familiar figures.

Bei Bei, Tang Ya, Jiang Nannan, as well as Xu Sanshi and Hu Meier.

The five of them were standing there, seemingly waiting for someone.

Cao Longyan's gaze swept over them. Seeing Xu Sanshi standing calmly alongside Jiang Nannan and the others, he knew that Xu Sanshi must have already apologized to her.

Cao Longyan held no ill will toward Xu Sanshi.

Among the members of the Mysterious Underworld Sect who preyed on the weak and bullied the common folk, Xu Sanshi could be considered a breath of fresh air.

He set aside his previous coldness and gave a slight nod.

Upon seeing Cao Longyan, Xu Sanshi hurried forward and bowed deeply to him.

"Junior Cao Longyan, thank you for showing mercy yesterday."

Having said that, he turned to Huo Yuhao and offered a solemn apology.

"Junior Huo Yuhao, I was in the wrong yesterday. I shouldn't have snatched your grilled fish, and I nearly wrecked your stall. I'm sorry."

Huo Yuhao felt a bit embarrassed and waved his hands hurriedly.

"It's alright, Senior Xu Sanshi. My stall didn't suffer any real damage."

It was his first time experiencing a fifth-year senior apologizing so sincerely.

Xu Sanshi's gaze then fell upon Xiao Xiao.

Looking at her petite figure and then at Cao Longyan standing so close to her, his true nature surfaced, and he teased, "Not bad, Junior Cao Longyan! Is this your girlfriend? You've got a great eye; she's truly adorable. I'm envious. Finding someone right after school starts—you've really got the style I had back in my day!"

Cao Longyan waved his hands repeatedly, quickly denying it.

"Senior Xu Sanshi, don't talk nonsense. We are just classmates for now."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Xu Sanshi felt a chill run down his spine.

He turned his head mechanically, meeting Hu Meier's gaze.

Hu Meier was wringing her hands together, her face dark, wearing a stiff, forced smile.

"Sanshi, are you saying that I'm not good enough?"

"And that you've been flirting behind my back?"

Xu Sanshi's face turned deathly pale. With a thud, he slid to his knees before Hu Meier, wrapped his arms around her legs, and wailed.

"Meier, that's not what I meant! Our Meier is the best! The best in the whole world!"

"Meier, I didn't do anything, I'm being framed! My sincerity toward you is witnessed by the sun and the moon, by heaven and earth! How could I ever have a change of heart?"

The group watched this scene with a sense of revulsion, nearly gagging, and cast looks of shock and disdain toward Xu Sanshi.

However, those who felt that looking at Xu Sanshi was an affront to their eyes quickly averted their gaze.

Xu Sanshi, however, didn't care in the slightest; his skin was as thick as his turtle shell.

As long as he could appease Hu Meier, pride and the like meant nothing.

In his eyes, face was the least valuable thing of all.

Flustered by his display, Hu Meier's face turned red, and her attitude softened immediately.

This farce caused the awkwardness in Xiao Xiao's heart to vanish into thin air.

She realized then that she had never been Cao Longyan's girlfriend, so why had she felt the need to be so jealous yesterday?

How truly self-indulgent of me... What I need to do is work hard to improve myself and let this secret crush have a real outcome.

Thinking of this, a smile bloomed on her face once more. She leaned in close to Cao Longyan's ear and whispered.

"Longyan, I'm sorry about last night."

Cao Longyan smiled and shook his head.

"It's fine, it's all in the past."

Their intimate whispering was taken in entirely by Jiang Nannan, who stood not far away.

Jiang Nannan's heart gave a violent squeeze, as if it had been viciously pricked by a fine needle.

A sour, stinging sensation she had never felt before instantly spread throughout her entire body.

She forced herself to appear calm and looked away, though her heart was in complete turmoil.

During lunch, the nine of them sat together, chatting and laughing.

Through their conversation, the group began to grow familiar with one another.

Xiao Xiao finally learned that Cao Longyan and Jiang Nannan were merely friends who had met while playing as children, not what she had imagined.

The last trace of gloom in her heart dissipated completely.

In the afternoon, all the students of Freshman Class One, with the exception of Cao Longyan, followed the training schedule Wang Yan had set that morning to work on their physical fitness.

Cao Longyan, having asked Teacher Wang Yan for leave, remained in the dormitory to consolidate his cultivation and contemplate his upcoming plans.

Because he was about to reach level forty and needed to obtain a fourth soul ring for his Ice Dragon King martial soul, he spent the entire afternoon immersed in his spiritual sea, discussing the acquisition of the ring with Sky Dream Ice Worm and Ice Empress.

The afternoon passed quickly.

Dorm 107.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong returned to the dorm, exhausted from their afternoon training, and happened to run into Cao Longyan just as he finished meditating.

Fortunately, Sky Dream Ice Worm and the others had warned him in time; he ceased the circulation of his Soul Suppressing Art, nearly being discovered by them.

They could sense that Cao Longyan's soul power had refined even further.

Longyan really is a monster, his soul power improves so quickly... As for us, we haven't even seen a shadow of improvement.

Huo Yuhao rested for half an hour, changed his clothes, and took his tools to the spot where he had sold grilled fish the day before.

Cao Longyan and Wang Dong followed him, just as they had yesterday.

Only this time, Xiao Xiao had joined them.

At noon, she had heard about their grilled fish plan and had volunteered to come along.

When the four of them arrived at the stall, they found Tang Ya, Bei Bei, Jiang Nannan, Xu Sanshi, and Hu Meier already waiting.

Huo Yuhao felt a bit embarrassed and quickly started the fire to grill the fish, preparing one for each of the five of them, as well as for Cao Longyan, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao.

Although Huo Yuhao insisted they not pay, everyone tacitly left their soul coins at the stall's payment area.

Yesterday's grilled fish had been a massive hit, receiving unanimous praise.

The number of people coming to buy grilled fish today was clearly several times higher than the day before.

Even though Huo Yuhao had tripled the amount of fish he prepared, it was still in short supply.

Just then, a disheveled figure wandered over slowly, drawn by the aroma.

It was an old man with white hair, wearing a tattered white robe. His hair was a mess and his face was stained with grime; he looked just like any old beggar one might see on the street.

The old man darted past Cao Longyan, snatched the grilled fish he had just received and hadn't yet eaten, took a huge bite, and mumbled indistinctly.

"Longyan, you have something good to eat and didn't call this old man? I'll just take this fish for now—it's delicious!"

Cao Longyan looked at the white-haired old urchin before him, shook his head helplessly, and sighed.

"Elder Xuan, stop messing around... This is grilled fish made by my friend. If you want barbecue, just tell me."

"I was waiting for you to say that!"

Elder Xuan's eyes lit up.

"Do it now, I can't wait!"

Cao Longyan: "..."

He'd been played by this old man again; this wretched old geezer was truly wicked!

Except for Bei Bei, everyone present stared at the white-haired old man in shock.

Elder Xuan? Barbecue?

Who exactly was this sloppy-looking old man?

And why did Cao Longyan know him?