Daily Life and Ripples

A week after the list of core disciples was announced, life at Shrek Academy gradually returned to its normal rhythm.

But for Huo Chen, that week was anything but peaceful.

First, there was Ma Xiaotao. Ever since what happened by Sea God Lake, she had appeared in the outer courtyard almost every day.

Sometimes, she came looking for him during the noon break with a basket of fruit. Sometimes, she happened to pass by his office after training in the evening. Sometimes, she simply stood beneath the tree outside his window for a while, waved when she saw him look up, then turned and left.

She never deliberately disturbed his work, yet her presence was far too strong to ignore.

"Teacher Huo, are you free to have dinner together tonight?" That afternoon, Ma Xiaotao appeared at his office door right on schedule again, carrying a food box in her hand. Her long red hair glowed warmly in the sunset. "I found a pretty good grilled fish restaurant in Shrek City. I thought you might like it."

Huo Chen put down his pen. Looking into her bright eyes, the words of refusal reached his lips before he swallowed them back. "Alright. Let me finish reviewing this file first."

Ma Xiaotao smiled in satisfaction, walked into the office, and sat down in a chair beside him. Opening the lid of the food box, she released an enticing fragrance. "I was afraid you'd be hungry, so I brought some snacks first. You can eat while you work. It won't delay you."

Huo Chen looked at the neatly arranged pastries in the box and smiled helplessly. He picked one up and took a bite. It truly tasted good—sweet without being cloying, melting the instant it touched his tongue.

"Is it good?" Ma Xiaotao rested her chin in both hands, her eyes sparkling as she watched him.

"It's good."

"Then I'll bring you some every day from now on."

"Don't you need to train?"

"How could training be more important than you?"

Huo Chen was left speechless by her direct attack. He could only lower his head and continue reviewing the files, pretending not to notice the smiling eyes fixed on him.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere around Ice Empress and Snow Empress was much more subtle.

Ice Empress appeared perfectly normal on the surface. She ate and drank as usual, and whenever it came time to tease Huo Chen, she never held back a single remark.

But Huo Chen noticed that she had been appearing within his field of vision far more often lately. Previously, she spent most of her time at Homecoming Cottage or her residence in the academy. Now, however, she would often "happen" to appear on his way back from class, "happen" to go eat at the same time he went to the cafeteria, or "happen" to enjoy the shade beneath a tree near his office.

Snow Empress, on the other hand, was much more composed. She still drank tea, read books, and took walks every day, occasionally giving Huo Yuhao some guidance in his cultivation.

But there was now a trace of scrutiny in the way she looked at Huo Chen, as though she were observing whether he could truly keep the promises he had made.

One night, when Huo Chen returned to Homecoming Cottage, he saw Snow Empress sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard, admiring the moon. Moonlight spilled across her silver-white hair, casting a soft halo around her. She looked like a fairy beneath the moon, cold and beautiful.

"You're back?" she asked without turning around.

"Mm." Huo Chen sat down on the stone bench beside her. "Why are you still awake so late?"

"I can't sleep." Snow Empress lifted her teacup and took a light sip. "That red-haired girl came to see you again today?"

Huo Chen fell silent for a moment, then nodded honestly. "Yes."

Snow Empress did not respond. She merely drank her tea in silence. After a long while, she finally said blandly, "She's quite persistent."

"She is."

"Do you like her?"

The question came too directly. Huo Chen froze for a moment, unsure how to answer.

Snow Empress turned to look at him. The moonlight reflected two cold points of light in her eyes. "I'm not questioning you. I simply want to hear what you truly think."

Huo Chen was silent for a moment before answering seriously, "I have a favorable impression of her, but I wouldn't call it love yet. It's more responsibility than anything else. She entrusted herself to me, and I can't betray that trust."

"Responsibility and fondness will become love someday." Snow Empress withdrew her gaze and looked once more at the bright moon in the night sky. "If you didn't feel even the slightest fondness for her, you wouldn't have allowed her to approach you time and again."

Huo Chen could not refute that.

Snow Empress rose to her feet and carried her teacup toward the house. When she reached the door, she stopped without looking back. Her voice was as light as the wind. "I won't stop you, nor will I interfere with your choices. But remember—what you said, you must do."

She pushed open the door and went inside.

Huo Chen sat alone in the courtyard, gazing at the bright moon as he let out a soft breath.

The next day, Huo Chen went to teach Class One as usual.

Ever since the freshman assessment, the students of Class One had become noticeably more respectful toward him. Some had once harbored doubts about his strength, but those doubts had now completely vanished.

In their place was an almost fanatical trust. Whatever Teacher Huo said had to be right; whatever Teacher Huo arranged had to be good.

That trust made teaching far smoother.

After class, Wang Dong followed him out of the classroom.

"Teacher Huo, I have a question I want to ask you."

"What is it?"

Wang Dong looked around, confirming that no one else was nearby, then lowered her voice. "That red-haired older sister who often comes to see you—is she Senior Ma Xiaotao from the inner courtyard?"

"Yes."

"What is your relationship with her?"

Huo Chen stopped walking and turned to look at her. Wang Dong grew somewhat uncomfortable under his gaze and looked away, speaking with feigned ease. "I'm just curious. It's fine if you don't want to tell me."

"She's my friend." Huo Chen gave a proper, conventional answer.

"Just a friend?" Wang Dong pressed, with a seriousness in her tone that even she herself had not noticed.

Huo Chen looked into her golden eyes, fell silent for a moment, then said, "Wang Dong, there are some things I still can't give you a clear answer about. But there is one thing I can tell you: no matter what happens, you are my student. That will never change."

Wang Dong froze for a moment, then lowered her head and gave a muffled "Oh." She turned and walked back to the classroom, her steps much slower than when she had come, as though she was thinking about something.

Huo Chen stood in the corridor, watching her back disappear through the classroom door, and let out a soft sigh.

That evening, he ran into Xiao Xiao, who was doing extra training beside the martial arts field. The afterglow of the setting sun spilled across the training ground, stretching her shadow long.

She was practicing her control over the Nine-Phoenix Flute's sound waves. The flute's notes rose and fell, echoing through the dusk.

Huo Chen stood at the edge of the field and listened for a while. Only after she finished a piece did he comment, "Your control of the tone is much more refined than it was last week, but your key changes are still a little stiff. It would be better if the transitions were smoother."

Xiao Xiao turned around. She was slightly startled when she saw him, then revealed a gentle smile. "Teacher Huo, you haven't gone back yet?"

"I just finished handling a few matters. I heard you practicing while passing by, so I stopped to listen for a bit." Huo Chen stepped closer. "Have you run into any problems with your cultivation lately?"

Xiao Xiao thought about it, then shook her head. "Not for now. After practicing the soul power circulation route you taught me last time for a while, I really do feel that it's much smoother than before."

"That's good. If you have any problems, come find me anytime."

"Mm." Xiao Xiao nodded. After hesitating for a moment, she added, "Teacher Huo, I heard that core disciples get missions to train outside. Is that true?"

"There is such a thing. Core disciples have at least one opportunity each year to train outside. They might hunt soul beasts to obtain soul rings, or carry out missions issued by the academy. What is it? Interested?"

"A little," Xiao Xiao said honestly. "I've never traveled very far from Shrek City since I was little. If I could go out and see the world beyond, it should be very interesting."

"You'll have the chance." Huo Chen smiled. "If there's anything you don't understand then, you can come ask me."

"Alright." Xiao Xiao smiled as well, her smile appearing especially warm beneath the setting sun.

As Huo Chen turned to leave, he caught sight of Ning Tian and Wu Feng sitting together in a corner on the other side of the martial arts field.

Wu Feng was animatedly recounting something that had happened during training that day, while Ning Tian listened quietly, occasionally chiming in with a word or two. The atmosphere between them was natural and harmonious.

He did not go over to disturb them. He merely glanced at them from afar before continuing on his way back.

By the time he returned to Homecoming Cottage, it was completely dark. He pushed open the door and saw Ice Empress sitting in the hall, holding an apple in her hand without eating it, simply turning it over and over as if she were lost in thought.

"You're back?" she asked without raising her head.

"Mm."

"That redhead came looking for you again today?"

"...You're certainly well informed."

Ice Empress snorted, set the apple on the table, and rose to her feet. "I couldn't be bothered to pry into your affairs. She just makes too much of a commotion every time she comes. The whole academy knows about it."

After saying that, she walked straight to her room without waiting for Huo Chen's response and shut the door.

Huo Chen stood in the hall, looking at the apple that had been turned in her hand for so long. He picked it up and took a bite. It was very sweet.

He tossed the core into the trash, turned off the lights, and returned to his room to rest as well.

As the night deepened, the little courtyard of Homecoming Cottage returned to silence. Moonlight spilled over the bluestone paving, as though a thin layer of silver frost had been spread across it. A few distant barks drifted over, only to be quickly swallowed by the night wind.