Lin Yan casually closed the door.
As he turned around, he happened to see Wen Ruan's little head peeking out from the bedroom doorway.
The trace of displeasure he'd felt about Ma Hongjun immediately vanished.
Back in the bedroom, Lin Yan swept Wen Ruan into his arms. As he helped her out of her clothes, he said,
"Anyway, we'll have plenty of time later. Let's have dinner with everyone tonight."
"Okay~"
Wen Ruan agreed without a second thought.
Then, she eagerly wrapped her pale arms around Lin Yan and took the initiative to kiss his thin lips.
Sounds of passion echoed through the room. The bedroom's only window was also sealed off by a layer of opaque ice.
Evening soon arrived.
The setting sun painted the horizon a fiery red.
Suotuo City Hotel.
In the private room, Flender sat beside Lin Yan, chatting away with a grin so wide his old face seemed ready to split.
"Lin Yan! From the day you first joined Shrek Academy, I knew you weren't destined to remain in the pond. And now look at you—you've really made something of yourself."
"You're in the Crown Prince's Guard. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne, won't that make you the Guardian General?"
At the words "Guardian General," Tang San, sitting across the table, stiffened. His eyes had grown somewhat sullen.
"What? His background is actually that astonishing?"
"The future Guardian General of the Heaven Dou Empire—and I nearly became his opponent?"
"Good thing the conflict earlier today didn't escalate any further."
Thinking this, Tang San felt a trace of relief.
Just then, Lin Yan spoke.
"It's not that exaggerated."
"There's still a long road ahead."
He was modest, but he didn't deny what Flender had said.
His status as a member of the Crown Prince's Guard really could bring him many advantages.
At the very least, these so-called Shrek Seven Devils wouldn't dare casually challenge his authority anymore.
Seeing that Lin Yan had accepted his prediction, Flender's smile grew even brighter.
The Guardian General stood second to one person and above tens of thousands.
He'd never imagined that one day, a figure of such importance would emerge from Shrek Academy.
He really owed Lin Yan a great deal. He felt proud just to be associated with him!
"Since we're here, why don't you share some cultivation tips with your juniors?"
Flender's gaze swept across the group.
"You didn't know, did you?"
"Lin Yan is twelve this year, and his Soul Power is already at level forty-nine."
"What?"
Those who didn't know Lin Yan's strength stared at him in shock. Tang San was so startled that he let out a cry.
"Level forty-nine! He's a full twenty levels above me!"
"Why? Why is he cultivating so fast?"
"I have the Mysterious Heaven Skill, the most top-tier meditation method on the continent, and I absorbed two Hundred-Year Soul Rings at the limit of their age range. So why, at the same age, has he left me so far behind?"
"And that terrifying physical strength of his..."
Thinking of this, Tang San looked at Lin Yan again, and a trace of wariness had appeared in his eyes.
On the other side, Ning Rongrong was almost as shocked as Tang San.
"Level forty-nine?"
"He's even stronger than Father expected!"
"How many resources has the imperial family poured into this guy?"
"Are they really raising him to be another Marshal Ge Long, a protector of the Crown Prince?"
"Can the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect still win him over?"
"Or does the sect intend to ally itself with the imperial family? But isn't that forbidden by the powers on the continent...?"
Questions crowded Ning Rongrong's mind, knitting her brows into a tight frown.
Ning Fengzhi had wanted to marry Ning Rongrong to Lin Yan.
This wasn't a new idea, either. Even Sword and Bone Douluo had urged Ning Rongrong to spend more time with Lin Yan as early as possible.
Unfortunately, Ning Rongrong had been at her most rebellious as a little girl. The more her elders told her to do something, the more she refused.
As a result, the relationship between the two had made no progress.
But that didn't mean Lin Yan had made no impression on Ning Rongrong.
As she grew more mature, Ning Rongrong had begun to guess what Ning Fengzhi and Sword and Bone Douluo had in mind.
She had long heard that Lin Yan was exceptionally talented, powerful, and handsome, and that girls at Heaven Dou Academy adored him.
There were even rumors linking him to Dugu Bo's granddaughter and the heir of the Ye Family.
Now that she'd finally met him...
"All right, let's order."
Lin Yan's voice came at just the right moment, interrupting everyone's thoughts.
His tone was relaxed.
"Dean, I've finally got a little vacation. Let's put cultivation aside for now."
"Fatty, you're the best at eating. Go order for us first. If anyone else wants something, they can tell the server."
"Then I won't hold back."
Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up. He immediately started to get up and leave the private room to find the server.
Unlike everyone else, whose minds were filled with all sorts of thoughts, his were simple.
He was just thinking about what delicious, expensive, extravagant dishes to order later!
Over the years, whenever Lin Yan came back and treated everyone to a meal, it was the thing Ma Hongjun looked forward to most.
"Lin Yan, you don't know how stingy Dean Flender is. Getting a big meal out of him is harder than climbing to heaven."
Ma Hongjun complained to Lin Yan as he waddled toward the door.
Flender rolled his eyes at him.
"You little rascal, when have I ever let you go hungry?"
"All you ever think about is food and drink. Why don't you try competing with Lin Yan at cultivation?"
As he spoke, Flender even tried to kick Ma Hongjun's plump backside.
But Ma Hongjun was nimble. He darted away in a flash.
The sight made Lin Yan want to laugh.
That naive fatty. His mind really is simple. He probably thinks about nothing but food and women...
Tsk. What a waste of such good talent.
As Lin Yan sighed inwardly, Ning Rongrong suddenly spoke from across the table.
"Lin Yan, you..."
"Do you still remember me?"
Lin Yan raised his eyes, his tone calm.
"You're Sect Master Ning's daughter, right?"
"You recognize me?" A hint of delight crept into Ning Rongrong's voice.
"Mm. I remember you."
Lin Yan didn't pretend otherwise.
That old fox Ning Fengzhi had appeared in front of him several times in recent years, trying to bring his daughter and Lin Yan closer.
So there was no reason Lin Yan wouldn't know who Ning Rongrong was.
"Why did you come here? Did you have a fight with your family?"
Ning Rongrong looked a little awkward at that. She hadn't expected Lin Yan to have formed that kind of first impression of her.
It annoyed her, and she also felt a little resentful toward Ning Fengzhi.
"Not exactly. I just... I just thought things would be more interesting outside."
Lin Yan:
"Then be careful."
With Wen Ruan there, Lin Yan didn't say much more to Ning Rongrong.
Partly because he was afraid Wen Ruan might get jealous, and partly because he still had another matter to deal with.
Lin Yan's brows drew together slightly. His gaze turned cold as he looked at Tang San.
"Stop using those crooked tricks against your companions."