"If you like it, have some more."
Xiao Wu cupped her other hand underneath, ready to catch any juice that dripped down.
Ning Rongrong watched the scene from the side, unwilling to be outdone.
She took a box of candied fruit from the paper bag, opened it, picked out the biggest piece, and offered it to Qin Chuan. "Brother Chuan, have something sweet after your buns. I brought these candied fruits from home. You can't buy them in Suotuo City."
Qin Chuan was still chewing a bun. He reached out to take the candied fruit and nodded. "Thanks, Rongrong."
Xiao Wu glanced at Ning Rongrong, and Ning Rongrong glanced back at Xiao Wu.
Their gazes met in midair, then both looked away.
The atmosphere turned just a tiny bit delicate.
But Qin Chuan pretended not to notice and lowered his head to keep eating.
[Good, good. They're both feeling competitive. This is much better than I expected.]
Just then, someone came walking over from the dormitory building.
It was Tang San.
He was dressed in a blue outfit today and looked like he was heading to the academy cafeteria.
As he passed the pavilion, he casually glanced over.
That glance made his whole body freeze.
Xiao Wu was feeding Qin Chuan a bun.
Ning Rongrong sat beside them, smiling brightly.
The three of them were gathered around the stone table, looking like they were having a great time chatting.
Tang San stopped walking, his fists clenching with a creak.
[Xiao Wu, what are you doing? Why are you feeding Qin Chuan breakfast? Every morning, when I bring you food from the cafeteria, you say, "No, no, don't bother." And now you're feeding another man buns??]
Tang San's temples throbbed. He stared at Qin Chuan's face, growing angrier by the second.
The guy did have a handsome face, with well-proportioned features and sword-straight brows sweeping into his temples, but so what?
They were both level twenty-nine Soul Grandmasters. What gave him the right? What gave him the right to have Xiao Wu treat him so well?
Tang San clenched his fists and walked over.
His footsteps crunched across the gravel.
"Qin Chuan."
The three of them turned around.
Qin Chuan still had half a bun between his teeth. He looked at the classmate glaring at him, calmly swallowed his mouthful, and said, "Yeah, Tang San. What brings you here? Have you eaten? Why not sit down and watch me eat?"
Tang San's face turned ashen.
"Hmph! Who wants to watch you eat breakfast? Do you even know what you're doing? You'd better watch yourself."
Qin Chuan spread his hands, looking utterly innocent. "What did I do? I'm just having breakfast. I haven't done anything."
"Stop playing dumb!" Tang San stepped forward, leaving only the stone table between them. "Xiao Wu is mine... Xiao Wu and I are the ones who sit together. What are you, an outsider, butting in for?"
Qin Chuan sneered inwardly. [Yours? Who gave you the nerve? You're staking your claim first thing in the morning?]
But he didn't let it show. He only tilted his head. "Tang San, that's not right. Xiao Wu belongs to herself. She's nobody's appendage. She brought me breakfast of her own free will. What's the problem?"
"You!"
Tang San raised his right fist, Soul Power surging along his arm. He could release his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul at any moment; if he wanted, a single strand of Blue Silver Grass could bind Qin Chuan tight.
But using Soul Skills to hurt people was forbidden at the academy, so Tang San wanted to beat him with his fists instead.
Qin Chuan looked at the raised fist. He didn't move aside or stand up.
He just sat there, looking up at Tang San, his face calm.
[Hmph, Tang San. Go ahead and hit me in front of Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong. The more you act like this, the more they'll feel sorry for me. The more overbearing you are, the more they'll hate you.]
Qin Chuan even narrowed his eyes slightly, a faint, careless smile on his lips.
Seeing that smile made Tang San's blood surge even harder. He felt Qin Chuan was provoking him.
Just then, Xiao Wu stood up.
She stepped in front of Qin Chuan.
She spread both arms and lifted her chin slightly, facing Tang San's fist head-on. Her scorpion braid swung from her shoulder to her back, its tail swaying once at her waist.
"Tang San, what are you doing!" Xiao Wu's voice wasn't loud, but it carried plenty of bite.
Tang San's fist hung in midair. He couldn't bring it down, but he couldn't pull it back either.
"Xiao Wu, move aside. This has nothing to do with you."
"How does it have nothing to do with me? He's just having breakfast, and you're trying to hit him. What gives you the right?"
As Xiao Wu spoke, she held one arm out in front of Qin Chuan like a wall. Her arm was slender, but it was taut with determination. She had no intention of yielding.
Tang San was struck speechless.
He looked at Xiao Wu's face, the face he'd dreamed of getting close to. Now it was turned toward him, cold as ice.
Xiao Wu had been fierce with him before, and they'd bickered plenty of times, but there had always been a hint of intimacy in her fierceness. It had been playful. This was different. There wasn't a trace of teasing in her eyes. She was genuinely displeased.
It felt like a knife had plunged into Tang San's heart. It hurt, hurt, hurt!
[Xiao Wu, when did you get so close to Qin Chuan? Just the day before yesterday, you were still calling me Third Brother. How did you change overnight?]
"Xiao Wu, I'm only looking out for you. This Qin Chuan, he... he's no good." Tang San struggled for a long time before forcing out those words.
"Do you even know him? How many times have you talked to him? Tang San, I'm really disappointed in you!!" Xiao Wu rattled it all off in one breath, her chest rising and falling slightly.
Tang San stood there, stunned.
"Classmate? Disappointed?"
His hand slowly lowered. He clenched his fist, then relaxed it, then clenched it again. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't know how to begin.
"Xiao Wu, move aside. I'm going to teach Qin Chuan a lesson today, no matter what!" Tang San forced out another line.
Sitting on the stone bench, Qin Chuan felt the warmth of Xiao Wu's back. A faint peach-blossom scent drifted over from her—that was Xiao Wu's scent.
Just then, Qin Chuan slowly stood up, placed a hand on Xiao Wu's shoulder, and gave it a gentle pat twice.
"Xiao Wu, thanks for protecting me. You should move aside."
"No. I can't move." She clenched her fists, lowered her center of gravity, and bent her knees slightly. It was the combat-ready stance of the Soft Bone Rabbit.
If Tang San really attacked, she was ready to take him on at any moment.
When Tang San saw Xiao Wu take up that stance, his face darkened.
He was half furious and half heartbroken.
[She wants to fight me? For Qin Chuan, she wants to fight me??]
Just as the tension was about to snap, Ning Rongrong stood up too.
She walked over to Xiao Wu and stood shoulder to shoulder with her. Then she opened her mouth and spoke just as bluntly.
"Tang San, you're picking on a classmate first thing in the morning. What kind of behavior is that?"
The two girls stood on either side in front of Qin Chuan, arms spread. Their position couldn't have been any clearer.
Tang San glanced at Xiao Wu, then at Ning Rongrong.
Their eyes were the same.
Firm. Unyielding!
"You two..." Tang San's voice trembled a little. It was hard to tell whether he was angry or feeling something else.
"Move!" He raised his voice, making one last desperate attempt.
"No! No, we won't!" Xiao Wu's temper flared, and she shouted even louder than he did. "You think yelling at me will work? Who do you think you're shouting at, Tang San!"
Ning Rongrong said nothing, but she stood half a step farther forward than Xiao Wu, shielding Qin Chuan completely.
The pavilion fell into a tense silence.
Tang San gritted his teeth, his chest heaving. He looked at Xiao Wu, then at Qin Chuan. Qin Chuan was sitting on the stone bench, calm as ever. He even lifted his bowl of congee and took a sip.
That mouthful of congee nearly sent Tang San through the roof.
"Fine! Very well!" Tang San punched the pavilion's stone pillar, then turned and strode away.
Qin Chuan watched until his back disappeared.
The three of them sat back down.
Ning Rongrong picked up a cup of fresh milk, inserted a straw, and held it out to Qin Chuan. "Here, Brother Chuan. Sorry you got such a fright just now. That awful Tang San—if he makes me angry, I'll go tell my Sword Grandpa!"
Qin Chuan took the milk and waved a hand. "Don't. Tang San belongs to the Clear Sky Sect, and his family has a lot of clout. Better not make a big deal out of this for my sake."
"So what if he's from the Clear Sky Sect? My Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect isn't a pushover either!" Ning Rongrong pouted, but Qin Chuan's words still managed to talk her down.
"Fine. I'll listen to you, Brother Chuan."
Ning Rongrong lowered her head and pushed the cup of milk closer to Qin Chuan.
Watching the scene from the side, Xiao Wu wondered how Ning Rongrong had arrived at the very same idea as her. She glanced at Ning Rongrong, and Ning Rongrong glanced back. Then they both looked away again.
Caught between them, Qin Chuan secretly felt delighted.