In the dormitory hallway, Wang Dong'er stood outside Room 402. Her short pink-and-blue hair was a little tousled from the earlier scuffle, and a faint red mark remained on her forehead where Lin Shuo had flicked her. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, then pushed open the door.
Inside, Huo Yu'er had finished cleaning and taken a shower. Hearing the door open, she looked up and met Wang Dong'er's gaze.
"Hello, my name is Huo Yu'er," she said first, her voice gentle.
Wang Dong'er sized up her new roommate: slender and delicate, with refined features and a hint of timid restraint in her blue eyes. She looked like a sweet, soft girl who'd be easy to bully. Wang Dong'er looked away, pulled a blanket from her Storage Soul Tool, tossed it onto the other bed, and plopped down. Her voice still held a trace of frustration. "My name is Wang Dong'er."
Noticing that she seemed to be in a bad mood, Huo Yu'er asked cautiously, "Dong'er, what's wrong?"
At that, Wang Dong'er couldn't bring herself to say she'd fought someone in Soul Fighting and been pinned to the ground, unable even to get up. That was too humiliating. She pursed her lips. "It's nothing. Someone just bullied me."
Huo Yu'er blinked, unsure how to respond, and could only offer a quiet word of comfort.
After complaining for a while, Wang Dong'er finally felt a little better. Only then did she notice that Huo Yu'er had already cleaned the dorm. She coughed awkwardly and began unpacking her things.
"Yu'er, thanks for the effort. I'll do the cleaning next time."
Once they had put their things away, Huo Yu'er stood and looked at Wang Dong'er. "Dong'er, I'm going to the cafeteria to eat. Want to come with me?"
Wang Dong'er rubbed her stomach. The earlier scuffle had taken a lot out of her, and her stomach was already growling.
"Sure, let's go together." She hopped off the bed and brushed the wrinkles from her clothes.
The two left the dormitory building. They had only gone down a few steps when Huo Yu'er stopped.
Lin Shuo was leaning against the wall by the entrance, arms folded across his chest, as if waiting for someone. Afternoon sunlight spilled through the gaps in the plane-tree leaves, casting mottled shadows over his silver-white robes. The play of light and shadow made his handsome features all the more striking.
Huo Yu'er's eyes lit up, and she hurried down the steps. "Big Brother Lin!"
Wang Dong'er followed behind her. The moment she saw Lin Shuo, she stiffened. She whipped her head toward Huo Yu'er, then toward Lin Shuo, her expression as if someone had stuffed a whole lemon into her mouth.
"Big Brother Lin?" Wang Dong'er's voice rose half a pitch. "You know him?!"
Lin Shuo raised an eyebrow. When Mu En had assigned Wang Dong'er to Room 402, he'd already known the two of them would be roommates. "Little Wang, we meet again." Huo Yu'er looked from Wang Dong'er to Lin Shuo and back, suddenly realizing something. "Big Brother Lin, Dong'er, is there some misunderstanding between you two?"
At the words "Little Wang," Wang Dong'er nearly jumped. She grabbed Huo Yu'er and tugged her behind herself, like a mother hen guarding her chicks. "Yu'er, stay away from him. This guy's no good."
Lin Shuo's lips curved slightly. He slowly straightened up from the wall. "Little Wang, it's not nice to talk about your big brother behind his back."
"Who are you calling Little Wang? My name is Wang Dong'er!" The girl's face flushed. "I agreed to be your underling, but you're not allowed to call me Little Wang."
Sheltered behind Wang Dong'er, Huo Yu'er poked half her head out, watching the two of them exchange barbs with curiosity. She didn't quite understand what had happened between them, but she could tell that although Wang Dong'er spoke harshly, she didn't truly dislike Big Brother Lin.
Wang Dong'er bit her lip and glared at Lin Shuo, only to find him looking at her with a faint, amused smile. His dark eyes seemed especially clear in the sunlight.
Her heartbeat skipped. She turned her head away.
"...Come on, weren't we going to eat?" Wang Dong'er tugged Huo Yu'er along by the wrist and strode off. After a few steps, she stopped and, without looking back, muttered, "Hey, are you coming or not?"
Lin Shuo chuckled and followed them.
The three walked side by side along the tree-lined paths of Shrek Academy. New and returning students they passed turned to stare. A boy so handsome he seemed unreal, a pretty girl with short pink-and-blue hair, and a slender girl with soft blue hair—wherever the trio went, they drew every eye.
They entered the cafeteria, and Lin Shuo led them straight to the innermost section. "Come on, my treat today. Yu'er, you're at a crucial age for cultivation and growing. If you're having any difficulties, just tell me."
Huo Yu'er was about to say something, but Lin Shuo didn't let her get a word in. "You might think the Gold Soul Coins are a lot right now, but once your cultivation improves, whether you become a Soul Master or a Soul Engineer, this amount will be nothing to you. If you want to pay me back, wait until your cultivation has improved." With that, Lin Shuo took out some Gold Soul Coins and handed them to Huo Yu'er.
Feeling Lin Shuo's firm concern, Huo Yu'er was warmed by it. She didn't refuse again. After accepting the coins, she looked at him with determination. "Big Brother Lin, I'll definitely pay you back someday."
Lin Shuo shook his head and ordered a serving of Scaled Demon Alligator Meat and Cloud Velvet Sparrow Soup for each of them.
"Thank you, Big Brother Lin." Huo Yu'er took the food and nibbled a small bite. Her eyes widened. "It's so delicious!"
Wang Dong'er awkwardly picked up a bite with her chopsticks. After chewing twice, a reluctant look of satisfaction appeared on her puffed-up face.
"Is it good?" Lin Shuo asked.
"...It's all right," Wang Dong'er said stubbornly, then bit into the meat with a scowl. One day, she'd eat this guy out of house and home!
Huo Yu'er looked at Wang Dong'er and couldn't help smiling. Yet for some reason, she felt a little bitter inside, though she couldn't understand why.
By the time they finished eating, Wang Dong'er's attitude had softened, if not completely. At least she wasn't gritting her teeth anymore. After all, when you'd eaten someone else's food, it was hard to keep being so hostile.
"Hmph, I'll treat you next time, and then we'll be even." Wang Dong'er wiped her mouth, striving to preserve the last shred of her pride.
Lin Shuo glanced at Wang Dong'er. "Suit yourself."
Two days later, in the Freshman Class One classroom.
As soon as Lin Shuo entered, he drew everyone's attention. He paid no heed to their stares and glanced around the classroom. Then he strode toward a window seat in the back row.
Lin Shuo had barely taken his seat when an elderly woman entered the classroom. It was Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi entered the classroom and looked over everyone. The room fell abruptly silent.
"My name is Zhou Yi. Before we begin, I want you to know this: my class only trains monsters, not trash. Anyone without talent will never pass the examination."