"Cough, cough."
Seeing Little Fox lost in thought, Su Chen coughed lightly to get her attention.
"Keep staring and you'll walk right into a tree."
At Su Chen's words, Hu Liena's pretty face instantly turned red. She shot him a glare, then hurried into the cafeteria.
Just as Hu Liena had said, she really was treating Su Chen to a good meal this time.
As soon as they entered, she ordered the best and most expensive dishes. All the meat came from Soul Beasts that were a hundred, a thousand, or even more than ten thousand years old, and the chefs who prepared it were top-class. Any one dish cost hundreds of Gold Soul Coins.
In the three months since Su Chen had started working at Spirit Academy, he wouldn't even have dared dream of eating at a place like this!
sigh!
A meal like this must cost several thousand Gold Soul Coins, right? She's being so generous right off the bat, I'd feel bad asking to borrow money from her now.
Su Chen ate while doing the math in his head.
...Although Tang San was headed to Shrek and there was still a long time before he discovered the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, now that Su Chen had some strength, he had to get out there and harvest the herbs as soon as possible!
Only if you gave someone the herbs would they willingly work like an ox or horse for you.
Hu Liena didn't eat much. She kept sneaking glances at Su Chen, her thoughts a mystery.
"Su Chen, I remember you saying before that your Martial Soul was a chicken, right?"
"Pfft!"
At Hu Liena's words, Su Chen instantly spat out the food in his mouth.
Come on, have some manners!
Hu Liena looked at him suspiciously and asked,
"Did I say something wrong?"
"I remember you telling me your Martial Soul was a chicken and your Innate Soul Power was two and a half, right?"
Su Chen wiped his mouth and nodded.
"That's right. My Martial Soul is a chicken, but it mutated last night."
"What!"
Hu Liena was instantly startled.
"Your Martial Soul mutated?"
"Quick! Let me see your chicken!"
Uh...
Su Chen froze, at a loss for what to do.
Do you hear yourself?
"Maybe not here. I'll show you when we get somewhere private."
Hu Liena had a theory. Su Chen must have received a reward last night, and his Martial Soul must have undergone an especially powerful mutation. She pressed him for more.
"What's so difficult about that?"
"Your Martial Soul isn't something you can hide anyway. Hurry up and bring it out. Let me see what your chicken Martial Soul mutated into!"
Just as one of them was saying, "Let me see it," and the other was saying, "Please don't, bro," two figures approached from nearby.
Xie Yue and Yan.
One was Hu Liena's older brother, and the other was Hu Liena's Boiling Sheep.
"Nana."
The moment Yan saw Hu Liena, he broke into a huge grin and quickened his pace.
But when he noticed Su Chen eating at the same table as Hu Liena, his expression visibly darkened. The envy, jealousy, and resentment in his eyes were impossible to hide.
Damn it!
What kind of luck did this bastard have to get a meal alone with Nana?
Hu Liena gave Yan a somewhat annoyed look and warned him,
"I don't feel like arguing with you, but I'm warning you: Su Chen is my friend. Drop your usual act. If you dare do anything to him, don't blame me for turning against you!"
"And don't call me Nana."
Hu Liena knew what Yan was like. Whenever there was a man around her, he'd go out of his way to provoke him.
Xie Yue glanced at Hu Liena, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
When Hu Liena had brought Su Chen back before, both Xie Yue and Yan had been there. But Xie Yue couldn't figure out how Su Chen, an orphan, had enough money to treat his sister to a meal worth several thousand Gold Soul Coins.
Yan sat down beside Su Chen, while Xie Yue took the seat beside Hu Liena.
A brief silence fell.
Just as Hu Liena was about to speak, she saw the diary update in her mind.
[Ah, Love Continent!] [This continent has no shortage of two kinds of people: hopeless romantics and devoted simps.] [Feng Xiaotian, Oscar, Yan, Flender.] [The first two won the hearts of their beloved, while the latter two spent their lives in misery.]
"sigh."
Su Chen turned to glance at Yan beside him and couldn't help letting out a sigh.
What a shame.
A simp gets nothing.
Yan instantly exploded and snapped,
"What do you mean by that? You're just a measly Soul Master. If it weren't for Nana, I'd slap you so hard you'd stick to the wall and never come off!"
"No, it's just that seeing you reminded me of a friend from the grasslands." Su Chen was entirely sincere. Yan really had made him think of, 'Boiling Sheep, Pleasant Sheep's out of strength—give him a push!'
"Hmph."
Yan snorted and said no more.
Su Chen didn't bother with him. He'd eaten his fill, so he turned to Hu Liena.
"Actually, I came to you today because I have a couple of things I'd like your help with."
"First, I'd like to borrow some money. Second, I'd like to borrow a map of Sunset Forest. If you can, could you also help me get leave? I need to go to Sunset Forest in the Heaven Dou Empire."
"If you ever need anything in the future, I can help you once."
Yan sneered from the side. "You're going to Sunset Forest? Don't forget, if we hadn't run into you last time, you'd have died on the outskirts of Star Dou Forest."
"You're just a measly Soul Master. Nana will never need your—"
"Shut up!"
Hu Liena glared at Yan, then turned to Su Chen with a gentle expression.
"Of course."
"Are you going to Sunset Forest alone?"
Yan was so furious on the sidelines that he was trembling. The double standard was glaringly obvious.
Damn pretty boy.
Other than that handsome face, what else have you got?
Su Chen nodded firmly, delighted.
"I'll just take a look around the outer area. I won't go in, so I should be fine on my own."
Su Chen couldn't be bothered with this Boiling Yan. If Hu Liena weren't helping him, he'd have kicked him away with a Wind God Leg.
What Golden Generation?
When I, Long Aotian, do things, I never worry about the consequences!
Hu Liena took out her Gold Soul Card and handed it to Su Chen.
"This is my supplementary Gold Soul Card. Take it and use it. Then wait for me at the academy gate at noon. I'll get your leave this morning and find you a complete map of Sunset Forest."
As for this, Su Chen hadn't really expected much. After all, he and Hu Liena weren't especially close. If she could help smooth things over, that would be great. If she couldn't, he wouldn't hold it against her.
Still, Hu Liena's attitude made Su Chen question everything he knew.
Does Love Continent really run on good looks!?
Bah.
Are you trying to tell me what to do?
"Hu Liena, thank you so much. You're my first friend here."
Su Chen finished eating and drinking, then patted his backside and left.
Hu Liena's pretty face flushed as she quietly watched Su Chen's departing figure.
Yan's face turned green. The hell did you pat my butt for?
Xie Yue hadn't said a word the whole time. Now he couldn't help grumbling inwardly, Sis, why are you blushing so much? He just said he'd be your friend. Have you already picked out your kids' names?
"Cough, cough!"
Xie Yue coughed lightly to get her attention. Hu Liena came back to her senses and said,
"Brother, go pay the bill. I have something to discuss with my teacher."
"What?"
"I didn't even eat. Why should I pay?"
Xie Yue looked completely helpless.
Yan couldn't hold back and immediately snapped,
"Damn it!"
"That pretty boy got a free meal and money out of her, too!?"
Hu Liena ignored them both and hurried off toward Spirit Hall.