Zhu Lu Comes Calling

Wang Dong opened her eyes, and a dull ache immediately welled up in her chest. She couldn't help letting out a soft groan.

"Awake?" Huo Yuhao jumped down from the windowsill and walked over to Wang Dong's hospital bed, studying her.

Seeing that her clothes had been changed into Shrek Academy patient robes, Wang Dong flushed and shrank back warily. "My clothes..."

When Huo Yuhao saw Wang Dong retreating from him the moment she woke up, he had been somewhat confused. Then, hearing her question, he waved a hand. "Hey, I didn't change them. I only brought you to the infirmary. By the time I turned around, that female teacher had already changed you."

Wang Dong visibly relaxed, but then looked at Huo Yuhao nervously again.

Huo Yuhao merely shrugged. Although he knew Wang Dong's identity, he had no intention of exposing it now. Pretending not to know, he said, "We're both men, so why are you so nervous? Is looking going to cost you skin or flesh?"

Wang Dong's face quickly reddened. She pulled the blanket higher over her head and said petulantly, "What's it to you? More importantly, did we win or lose?"

"Of course we won," Huo Yuhao said calmly. "But don't ask how. It was my second soul skill, Final Word."

Wang Dong poked her head out from under the blanket, glanced at Huo Yuhao, and asked anxiously, "What about Xiao Xiao? Before I passed out, I saw that Hell White Tiger pouncing at her."

"She's perfectly fine. She said she was going to buy you dinner, but who knows where she wandered off to." As he spoke, Huo Yuhao took an apple from the fruit basket beside him and began peeling it.

Only then did Wang Dong fully relax. She sized Huo Yuhao up and said, "You said that was your second soul skill, Final Word. I didn't expect you to be hiding so much."

As Huo Yuhao cut the apple into small pieces, he rolled his eyes at Wang Dong. "I told you all long ago that I was hiding something too. In fact, as long as they aren't idiots, every team in the semifinals has a trump card. No one would come without one, including the two teams we eliminated."

Wang Dong gave a soft snort, then forced herself upright and said, "That still means we're stronger. Even with trump cards on both sides, ours was better."

Huo Yuhao did not argue. He simply stuffed a slice of apple into her mouth. "Who knows when Xiao Xiao will be back? Eat something first."

Wang Dong had been speaking when a piece of apple was suddenly pushed into her mouth. A shy flush immediately appeared on her face. She took two bites of the apple Huo Yuhao had offered her, then mischievously tapped his finger with the tip of her tongue.

Huo Yuhao withdrew his hand and leaned awkwardly against the windowsill, his gaze drifting over Shrek Academy.

It was already late when Wang Dong woke up. The fading light of the sunset spilled across Shrek Academy's grounds, coating the campus in gold.

They had been granted permission to stay in the infirmary tonight. If Wang Dong's condition improved by tomorrow morning, they would attend classes as usual. If not, Huo Yuhao would go get her a leave slip.

Wang Dong reached toward the cup on the bedside table. Catching sight of her clumsily trying to reach it from the corner of his eye, Huo Yuhao chuckled and stepped over to pour her a glass of water.

"Seriously, your physical condition is terrible. You took one slap and ended up like this. You look like you're practically half-paralyzed," Huo Yuhao teased as he poured the water.

Wang Dong said indignantly, "Was that just an ordinary slap? That was a Martial Soul Fusion Skill from a Soul Elder and a Soul Grandmaster!"

Huo Yuhao shook his head, then reached out and scooped Wang Dong into his arms.

"Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing?!" Wang Dong's face instantly turned several shades redder than before. Her hands weakly pushed at Huo Yuhao's chest, making her look like a delicate beauty about to be ravished.

Holding Wang Dong with one arm, Huo Yuhao brought the cup to her lips with the other. "In your current state, can you even drink by yourself?"

Wang Dong's face remained flushed, but she stopped resisting. Instead, she rested her head on Huo Yuhao's shoulder and obediently sipped the water from the cup.

"This young master is only... making a temporary compromise." After drinking some water, Wang Dong still stubbornly maintained her pride.

Huo Yuhao smiled faintly. He was about to add that her mouth was the hardest part of her when he suddenly sensed something. He set Wang Dong back on the bed and turned his gaze toward the door.

The next moment, the infirmary door was kicked open without warning. A petite figure stood there, glaring fiercely at Huo Yuhao.

It was none other than Zhu Lu. Blood still stained the corner of her mouth, and with Huo Yuhao's sharp eyesight, he could see that one of her canine teeth was missing, leaving only an empty gum.

Wang Dong had wanted to cling to Huo Yuhao a little longer, but the relaxed atmosphere was abruptly shattered. She frowned in displeasure and snapped first, "Are you sick? The match is over, so what are you chasing us down for now?!"

Huo Yuhao pressed Wang Dong back onto the bed, then stepped forward and scrutinized Zhu Lu. "What do you want? And by the way, you'll have to compensate us for kicking in the infirmary door."

Zhu Lu stared at Huo Yuhao with ferocity in her eyes, though beneath it lay a hint of aggrieved humiliation. Gritting her teeth, she held out her hand. "Give me back my tooth!"

Huo Yuhao raised a brow, momentarily baffled by Zhu Lu's reaction. After thinking back for a moment, he finally recalled something. "You mean that tooth the Hell White Tiger sent flying was yours?"

Seeing his reaction, Zhu Lu flew into a rage. She summoned her Martial Soul and slashed a claw at Huo Yuhao's face. "Stop playing dumb! You knocked it out!"

Huo Yuhao lost patience as well. His hand wound around the side of Zhu Lu's claw like a spirit snake, seized her wrist, and pinned her entire body against the wall.

"It already fell out. How am I supposed to give it back? Do you want to put it back in exactly as it was?! Besides, who would pick up your tooth in a situation like that? Even if you want the original one, I can't give it to you." Huo Yuhao was speechless. Was this even a normal person? This was the first time he had seen someone demand compensation like this after having a tooth knocked out.

Zhu Lu struggled wildly, glaring at Huo Yuhao with one eye as she gritted out, "Don't think I don't know! You people from Star Wolf City love collecting other people's teeth and making them into accessories. I don't want you hanging my tooth on your body!"