"Brother, what's wrong?!" Tang Shan sprang to her feet in a panic, her face full of worry.
"Where's that yellow-haired Xiao Wu?!" Lan Yu rose, climbed the steps, and headed for Dorm Seven.
He should've let that damned shapeshifting Soul Beast Er Baiwu taste his move, "Soul Beast Annihilation"!
"Brother, where did you get 'yellow-haired' from? Xiao Wu has long, jet-black hair."
"Long hair? A girl?!" Lan Yu stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Tang Shan. "She isn't a boy?"
"Of course she's a girl." Tang Shan obediently nodded.
Her fair palm pressed against Lan Yu's forehead. She blinked her big, dewy eyes. "Brother, you're not coming down with something, are you?"
Sigh, looks like I'm going to get Tang-style Syndrome too!
Lan Yu sighed and slowly shook his head. "I got the wrong idea. Let's go back to the dorm."
Tang Shan naturally linked her arm through his, and the two walked side by side until they reached the entrance to Dorm Seven.
Lan Yu had just touched the doorknob when he suddenly remembered they hadn't bought any bedding. He smacked his forehead, full of regret. "How could I forget something so important?"
"Is it bedding? Don't worry, Brother. A teacher from the academy brought us two sets earlier. He said they were a reward for students with Innate Full Soul Power." Tang Shan explained.
Lan Yu was a little surprised. He hadn't expected such a pleasant surprise.
The two pushed open the door and entered Dorm Seven.
"Brother Yu!" Wang Hu immediately came over, his manner deferential.
When the teacher had just brought the bedding, Wang Hu had heard that Tang Shan and Lan Yu both had Innate Full Soul Power.
Since Tang Shan, his younger sister, had a Dragon-type Martial Soul, there was no way her brother Lan Yu's Martial Soul was anything to scoff at.
A future big shot like him wasn't necessarily worth sucking up to, but Wang Hu had just offended him, so he still had to show proper respect.
Lan Yu looked at Wang Hu. Seeing him turn from haughty to obsequious, he gave a faint smile and nodded.
Wang Hu was quick on the uptake, immediately stepping aside to clear the way.
"So this is your brother, Tang Shan?"
A cool voice reached Lan Yu's ears. He looked up and saw a girl in a black dress, her bearing as chilly as her voice.
Lan Yu glanced around. Seeing that she was one of only two girls in Dorm Seven, he understood.
So this was Xiao Wu.
Tang Shan spoke next, confirming his guess.
"Brother, this is Xiao Wu." Tang Shan stepped forward to introduce her.
"Hello, I'm Lan Yu." Xiao Wu took the initiative, extending her right hand.
"Hello." Lan Yu gave her hand a brief shake, then let go.
Before the two could say another word, Tang Shan tugged at Lan Yu's sleeve and pointed to the neatly made bed, her face brimming with pride. "Brother, look! Did I make it nicely?"
The girl puffed out her chest, blinking her bright, dewy eyes as she waited eagerly for praise. Lan Yu's eyes filled with affection. "Our Xiao Shan is the best."
Xiao Wu raised an eyebrow as her gaze moved between the three beds.
Lan Yu, who'd left ages ago, had already returned, but the teacher who'd promised her bedding was nowhere to be seen.
Even Xiao Wu, sheltered as she was, could tell what had happened.
Damn it! He actually played me!
She turned her gaze toward Tang Shan, an idea taking shape.
"Xiao Shan~ Could you lend me your bedding?"
"Huh?!"
Lan Yu's eyes narrowed as he stared at Xiao Wu.
Er Baiwu, I see you haven't learned your lesson!
"No!" Tang Shan flatly refused.
"Then~ could you sleep with me? Move your bed over and we can squeeze together."
"No! I don't want to sleep with you!" Tang Shan shook her head. If she moved her bed over, wouldn't she be farther from her brother?
Hearing Xiao Wu say that, Lan Yu finally realized Xiao Wu had taken the bed he'd found for Tang Shan.
Xiao Wu, you're really asking for a beating!
"Fine~" Xiao Wu's shoulders slumped, her head drooping.
The tyrant of the Star Dou Great Forest had never before been rebuffed by a human girl.
Looking at Xiao Wu's dejected expression, Tang Shan came up with an idea.
Share a blanket?! Right, we can share one!
"Brother, look how pitiful Xiao Wu is~ I really want to lend her my bedding, so you and I can share one bed. But I'm afraid you might not want to..." Tang Shan gazed at Lan Yu with big, pleading eyes, her little face utterly adorable.
"How could I not want to sleep with you?" Lan Yu reached out and stroked Tang Shan's hair.
Tang Shan's eyes lit up, and she continued to sound him out. "Then...?"
Lan Yu gave a helpless nod of consent.
"Yay!" Tang Shan cheered and walked over to Xiao Wu with her hands behind her back.
There's no human warmth in the world at all! Crouching on the ground, Xiao Wu pouted and traced circles in the dirt with her finger.
Tang Shan gave a light cough and looked down at her. "You can borrow my bedding."
Xiao Wu jerked her head up. Her wounded expression turned to astonishment, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.
"Well? Do you want it or not?"
"Th-thank you."
"If you want to thank someone, thank my brother."
Without waiting for Xiao Wu to reply, Tang Shan rushed to the bed, grabbed the bedding she'd just laid out, and tossed it onto Xiao Wu's bed.
Then, excitedly, she started to move her bed over to join Lan Yu's.
"There's no need to move it. I'll go over there." Lan Yu stopped her.
"Then I'll help you, Brother!" Tang Shan hurried over and started pulling Lan Yu's bed.
"Careful not to get your fingers caught."
"I won't!"
Once they'd put the beds together, Lan Yu leaned close to Tang Shan's ear and whispered, "Xiao Shan, draw me the Hidden Weapon blueprints you can remember."
"Okay~" Tang Shan's cheeks flushed, and she obediently nodded.
Night had fallen deep, and Dorm Seven lay silent.
Lan Yu looked at Tang Shan, sleeping peacefully with her head resting against his chest, and the corners of his lips curved slightly upward.
On the other side, Xiao Wu curled up beneath her blanket and secretly lifted a small corner. Her eyes darted as she stole glances at Lan Yu's bed. As for why she was peeking, even she didn't know.
Hmm?
Lan Yu suddenly sensed someone watching him and whipped his head around.
Xiao Wu panicked, wrapped herself tightly in her blanket, and pretended to be asleep. Every so often she even gave a lazy little moan to throw him off.
After a quarter of an hour, once he was sure Tang Shan was breathing evenly and sleeping soundly, Lan Yu gently moved her little head back onto the pillow and tucked her in. Then he slipped out of bed, tiptoed to the door of Dorm Seven, and quietly opened it.
"Brother~ where are you going?" a soft, drowsy voice came from behind him.
Huh?!
Lan Yu stopped and looked back.
Tang Shan had already sat up, her long hair falling over her shoulders and her fair collarbones faintly visible. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, looking especially lovable.
"Brother's going to the bathroom." Lan Yu returned to her, rubbed her cheek, tucked the blanket around her, then turned and hurried out of Dorm Seven.
What's he going to do?
From beneath her blanket, Xiao Wu secretly poked her head out and curiously watched the closed door.
Something's not right. He's definitely hiding a secret!
"Xiao Wu? Where are you going?" Tang Shan had almost fallen asleep again, but a rustling sound woke her. She looked at Xiao Wu in confusion.
"I... I have a stomachache." Xiao Wu clutched her stomach and hurried out of Dorm Seven.
Silver moonlight spilled across the grounds of Notting Academy. The night breeze had died down, and all around was silent.
Lan Yu left the dormitory building and headed straight for the academy's back hill.
In the distance, Xiao Wu watched Lan Yu's retreating figure.
What's he doing on the back hill in the middle of the night? He's definitely hiding something!
The trees cast overlapping shadows through the woods. Moonlight filtered through the branches, scattering broken flecks of light across the ground.
Lan Yu stopped and gazed into the dark woods, calling softly, "Mom?"
His voice echoed gently among the trees.
A slender figure in a pale blue dress drifted down through the woods, arriving before Lan Yu in an instant.
Just as Lan Yu was about to speak, Ah Yin's eyes flashed and the corners of her lips lifted. "Come on out."