Zhou Yi

In the dormitory hallway, Wang Dong'er stood before the door of room 402. Her powder-blue short hair was slightly disheveled from the earlier commotion, and a faint red mark remained on her forehead where Lin Shuo had flicked her. She took a deep breath, struggling to calm her nerves, before pushing the door open.

Inside the room, Huo Yu'er had finished cleaning and had just stepped out of the shower. Hearing the door open, she looked up and locked eyes with Wang Dong'er.

"Hello, my name is Huo Yu'er," Huo Yu'er spoke first, her voice soft and gentle.

Wang Dong'er sized up her new roommate—slender and delicate, with refined features and a hint of shy reserve in her blue eyes. She looked like a soft girl who would be easy to bully. He withdrew his gaze, pulled a quilt from his Storage Soul Tool, tossed it onto the other bed, and sat down with a thud, his tone still carrying lingering frustration: "I'm Wang Dong'er."

Seeing that she seemed to be in a bad mood, Huo Yu'er asked cautiously, "Sister Dong'er, what's wrong?"

Wang Dong'er couldn't bring herself to admit that she had been pinned to the ground during a soul duel and couldn't even get back up; it was too embarrassing. She pursed her lips and muttered, "Nothing, just got bullied by someone."

Huo Yu'er blinked, unsure of how to respond, and could only offer a soft word of comfort.

After venting her complaints, Wang Dong'er felt a bit better and finally noticed that Huo Yu'er had already cleaned the room. She coughed in embarrassment and began to unpack her luggage.

"Yu'er, thank you for your hard work. I'll handle the cleaning next time."

Once they had finished tidying up, Huo Yu'er stood up and looked at Wang Dong'er: "Dong'er, I'm planning to head to the cafeteria for a meal. Would you like to come with me?"

Wang Dong'er rubbed her stomach. The earlier ordeal had indeed consumed a lot of energy, and her stomach had already begun to growl.

"Sure, let's go together." She hopped off the bed and patted the wrinkles out of her clothes.

As the two walked out of the dormitory building and descended a few steps, Huo Yu'er stopped in her tracks.

At the entrance of the dormitory, Lin Shuo was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, seemingly waiting for someone. The afternoon sun filtered through the gaps in the sycamore leaves, casting dappled light and shadows onto his silver-white robes. His refined and handsome face looked even more striking amidst the interplay of light and shadow.

Huo Yu'er's eyes lit up, and she hurried down the steps: "Big Brother Lin!"

Wang Dong'er followed behind her, and the moment she saw Lin Shuo, she froze. She whipped her head toward Huo Yu'er, then back to Lin Shuo, her expression as if someone had shoved a whole lemon into her mouth.

"Big Brother Lin?" Wang Dong'er's voice rose by half an octave. "You know him?!"

Lin Shuo raised an eyebrow. He had known they were roommates ever since Mu En assigned Wang Dong'er to 402. "Little Sister Wang, we meet again." Huo Yu'er looked from Wang Dong'er to Lin Shuo, suddenly realizing something. "Big Brother Lin, Dong'er, is there some kind of misunderstanding here?"

Hearing "Little Sister Wang," Wang Dong'er nearly jumped. She grabbed Huo Yu'er and pulled her behind her, like a mother hen protecting her chicks. "Yu'er, stay away from him. This guy is no good."

Lin Shuo's lips curled slightly as he slowly straightened up from the wall. "Little Sister Wang, it's not very polite to talk about your big brother behind his back like that."

"Who are you calling Little Sister Wang? My name is Wang Dong'er!" The girl's face flushed with heat. "Even though I agreed to be your little follower, you aren't allowed to call me Little Sister Wang."

Huo Yu'er, shielded behind Wang Dong'er, poked her head out and watched the two of them trade barbs with curiosity. Although she didn't fully understand what had happened between them, she could tell that while Wang Dong'er was cursing him fiercely, she didn't actually hate Big Brother Lin.

Wang Dong'er bit her lip and glared viciously at Lin Shuo, only to find him looking at her with a half-smile, his pure black eyes appearing exceptionally bright in the sunlight.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she turned her head away.

"...Let's go. Didn't you want to eat?" Wang Dong'er tugged at Huo Yu'er's wrist and strode forward. After a few steps, she stopped, didn't look back, and muttered, "Hey, are you coming or not?"

Lin Shuo chuckled and stepped forward to follow them.

The three walked side by side, traversing the tree-lined paths of Shrek Academy. The new and senior students they passed all turned to look—a boy handsome beyond reason, a refined girl with powder-blue short hair, and a slender girl with soft blue hair; this combination was the center of attention wherever they went.

As they entered the cafeteria, Lin Shuo led them directly to the innermost section. "Let's go, it's my treat today. Yu'er, you're at a critical stage for cultivation and physical growth. If you run into any difficulties, you can tell me directly."

Huo Yu'er wanted to say something, but Lin Shuo didn't let her. "You might think these Gold Soul Coins are a lot now, but once your cultivation improves, whether you become a Soul Master or a Soul Tool Master, these will be insignificant to you. If you want to pay me back, wait until your cultivation is higher." With that, Lin Shuo took out some Gold Soul Coins and handed them to Huo Yu'er.

Feeling Lin Shuo's firmness and concern, Huo Yu'er felt a warmth in her heart. She didn't refuse again, and after accepting them, she looked at Lin Shuo with a determined gaze. "Big Brother Lin, I will definitely pay you back in the future."

Lin Shuo shook his head and ordered a portion 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, took a small bite, and her eyes widened. "This is so good."

Wang Dong'er awkwardly picked up a piece with her chopsticks, chewed twice, and a reluctant look of satisfaction appeared on her pouting face.

"Is it good?" Lin Shuo asked.

"...It's alright," Wang Dong'er said stubbornly, then took a vicious bite of the meat. She would eat this guy into poverty sooner or later!

Huo Yu'er looked at Wang Dong'er and couldn't help but curve her lips into a smile. Yet, for some reason, she felt a slight bitterness in her heart, though she didn't know why.

By the time the meal was finished, Wang Dong'er's attitude hadn't completely softened, but at least she wasn't grinding her teeth anymore. After all, it's hard to be harsh when you've eaten someone else's food; to continue acting that way would be a bit embarrassing.

"Hmph, I'll treat you next time, and we'll call it even." Wang Dong'er wiped her mouth, trying to maintain the last shred of her pride.

Lin Shuo glanced at Wang Dong'er. "As you wish."

Two days later, in the classroom of the Freshman Class One.

The moment Lin Shuo entered the room, he drew the gaze of the entire class. Lin Shuo paid no mind to those stares and scanned the room. Then, he strode toward the back row by the window.

Just as Lin Shuo sat down, an elderly woman walked into the classroom—it was Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi entered, swept her gaze over everyone in the room, and the classroom fell into sudden silence.

"My name is Zhou Yi. Before we begin, I want to tell you this: my class only cultivates monsters, not trash. Anyone without talent will not pass the assessment."