Daily Life with Ma Xiaotao, Preparing to Meet Ling Luocheng

(PS: This book's settings have been revised. Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luocheng are best friends, as required by the plot.)

Two days after the incident in the core disciples' training room, Huo Chen's life briefly returned to a relatively peaceful rhythm. However, that peace did not last long.

That evening, Huo Chen had just left the core disciples' classroom. Before he reached the office building, he spotted a striking figure standing beneath the parasol trees outside the teaching building.

Ma Xiaotao had clearly dressed up with care today. She wore a short, dark-red leather jacket over a fitted black top, outlining her curvaceous figure.

Below, she wore a black miniskirt with black stockings and a pair of dark-brown knee-high boots, making her already slender legs even more eye-catching.

Her long, fiery-red hair draped over her shoulders, looking like flowing flames beneath the setting sun. Standing there, she looked like a vividly painted work of art.

Passing students kept glancing her way. Some older students who recognized her quietly murmured, "Why is Senior Ma from the inner courtyard here in the outer courtyard today?"

New students who did not recognize her discreetly tugged at their companions' sleeves and asked, "Who's that pretty red-haired sister?"

Ma Xiaotao ignored those gazes entirely. With her arms folded, she leaned against the tree trunk, casually sweeping her eyes over the entrance to the teaching building.

When she saw Huo Chen emerge, her eyes lit up. A smile curled across her lips as she walked over at an unhurried pace in her boots.

"Class over?" She stopped in front of him, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him. Her tone was casual and natural, as though greeting an old friend she had known for years.

"Just got out." Huo Chen looked her over, his gaze lingering briefly on her outfit. "Why are you dressed like this today?"

"Doesn't it look good?" Ma Xiaotao looked down at herself, then raised her head and blinked, a hint of mischief in her smile. "I changed through several outfits before settling on this one."

"It looks good," Huo Chen said honestly.

Ma Xiaotao smiled in satisfaction, with a trace of smug pride in that smile.

She naturally hooked her arm through his, the movement as smooth as if she had done it countless times. "Come on, have dinner with me. I trained all day today. I'm starving."

Huo Chen did not refuse. Letting her hold his arm, the two of them walked out of the academy gates side by side.

Ma Xiaotao chose a small restaurant in Shrek City's old district. The place was not large, but business was good. The rich fragrance of bone broth drifted out from inside, mingled with the scents of chopped scallions and pepper, especially tempting in the evening air.

The owner clearly knew her. The moment he saw her, he greeted her with a smile. "Xiaotao, you're here? The usual seat?"

"Yes, the usual." Familiar with the place, Ma Xiaotao led Huo Chen to a window-side booth. Without even looking at the menu, she skillfully ordered two bowls of the house-special bone broth noodles and several side dishes.

"You really know how to find a place," Huo Chen said, looking around the restaurant. Yellowed menus covered the walls, while the table corners had been polished bright by time. The whole place carried the lively warmth of an old establishment.

"Of course. I've been around Shrek City for so many years. I know perfectly well which places are good and which aren't."

As Ma Xiaotao spoke, she unwrapped two pairs of chopsticks and placed one in front of Huo Chen, her movements as natural as if she had done it countless times.

The bone broth noodles arrived soon after, steaming hot with rich soup and a layer of bright green chopped scallions floating on the surface.

Ma Xiaotao picked up her chopsticks, lifted a bundle of noodles, blew on them, and put them into her mouth. Then she let out a satisfied sigh. "This is the taste. Whenever I'm training in the inner courtyard, I want to come have a bowl every few days."

Huo Chen took a bite as well. The broth was rich and mellow, and the noodles were springy and chewy. It really was quite good.

He lowered his head and ate a few bites. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Ma Xiaotao secretly watching him as she ate, her gaze carrying both scrutiny and satisfaction, as if she were confirming something.

"What are you looking at?" He raised his head.

"Watching you eat noodles," Ma Xiaotao answered righteously, without the slightest embarrassment at being caught. "It looks good."

Huo Chen shook his head helplessly and lowered his head to continue eating.

Ma Xiaotao smiled and continued eating as well. A natural, comfortable silence flowed between them.

Halfway through the meal, Ma Xiaotao suddenly put down her chopsticks, picked up her teacup, and took a sip. Then, as if remembering something, she casually said, "Oh, right. Besides having dinner, there's something else I wanted to talk to you about today."

"What is it?"

"I have a best friend named Ling Luocheng. She's an inner courtyard student and an ice-element Soul Master."

Ma Xiaotao set down her teacup and unconsciously traced circles on the tabletop with her finger. "She's run into a bit of trouble lately."

Huo Chen's chopsticks paused halfway to the noodles.

Ling Luocheng. He remembered that name.

In the fate line, she had been an inner courtyard student at Shrek Academy. Her Martial Soul was the ice element. She was exceptionally gifted and had a cold, aloof personality. She was one of the few female Soul Masters in the inner courtyard who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Ma Xiaotao.

She came from a declining family of ice-element Soul Masters. Her family hoped that she could restore its former glory, so they had always placed high demands on her.

"What kind of trouble?" Huo Chen asked.

Ma Xiaotao fell silent for a moment, seemingly choosing her words. "Her family has been putting pressure on her lately. They want her to place in the top three in this year's inner courtyard assessment to restore the family's reputation. But her Martial Soul encountered a bottleneck while breaking through Rank 60. The purity of her ice element is stuck at an awkward point. If she can't find a way to break through, let alone make the top three, even keeping her place in the inner courtyard might be a problem."

She raised her head and looked at Huo Chen, a trace of seriousness in her eyes. "I know you helped Ning Tian and Wu Feng resolve the issue of their Martial Soul evolutions. So I wanted to ask if you could help her too."

Huo Chen did not answer immediately. He put down his chopsticks, leaned back in his chair, considered it for a moment, and then asked, "What exactly is her Martial Soul like? Is it pure ice element, or does it contain other attributes?"

"Pure ice element," Ma Xiaotao replied. "The Ling family has passed down ice-element Martial Souls for generations. Their lower limit is high, but their upper limit is limited. Her current predicament is that her ice element has already reached the limit of her family's inheritance. To go any further, she needs outside help."

"Have you told her about me?"

"Not yet." Ma Xiaotao shook her head. "I wanted to ask what you thought first before deciding whether to tell her."

Huo Chen nodded. "Find a time to have her come see me. I'll first take a look at the specific condition of her Martial Soul, then decide what method to use to help her."

Ma Xiaotao's eyes brightened, and a smile curved across her lips. "I knew you'd agree."

She reached out and patted Huo Chen on the shoulder, her tone carrying the forthrightness of an elder sister. "Don't worry, I won't let you help for nothing. If there's ever anything you need from me, Ma Xiaotao, just say the word."

"Do we still need to say things like that between us?" Huo Chen picked up his teacup and took a sip.

Ma Xiaotao froze for a moment, then smiled, warmth and contentment glimmering in that smile.

She raised her teacup as well and clinked it against his. "Alright, no more talking. It's all in the tea."

The two exchanged smiles and each took a sip.

After they finished eating, Ma Xiaotao paid the bill. The two left the little restaurant and slowly made their way back along the old street.

Night had fully fallen, and the lanterns lining both sides of the street lit up one after another, casting a warm, bright glow over the bluestone pavement.

The evening breeze carried the chill of early autumn, stirring Ma Xiaotao's loose red hair. She walked beside Huo Chen with light steps, the hem of her leather jacket swaying gently in the night wind.

"Oh, right. Ling Luocheng is really beautiful," Ma Xiaotao suddenly said, her tone carrying a hint of mischief.

"She has long ice-blue hair, skin as white as snow, and a cool, aloof temperament. She's the acknowledged ice beauty of our inner courtyard. Don't let your eyes get stuck on her when you see her."

Huo Chen shot her a helpless look. "Are you introducing a student to me, or setting a trap for me?"

"Both." Ma Xiaotao admitted it openly, then laughed. Her laughter sounded especially crisp in the night breeze.

Huo Chen shook his head and said nothing.

When they reached the entrance to the inner courtyard, Ma Xiaotao stopped and turned to face him.

The streetlamp behind her cast a warm yellow halo, tracing her silhouette with a soft golden edge.

She looked up at him, a trace of reluctance in her eyes, but even more than that, contentment and reassurance.

"Then I'm going in," she said.

"Mm."

Ma Xiaotao did not turn around immediately. Instead, she stood where she was and looked at him in silence for a moment. Then, she suddenly rose onto her tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

The kiss was light and fleeting, carrying the scent of bone broth noodles and a faint sweetness.

She stepped back half a pace, a smug smile on her face. "Good night."

With that, she turned and quickly walked through the inner courtyard gates. Her red hair swept out a sharp arc beneath the streetlamp before she soon vanished into the darkness beyond the gates.

Huo Chen stood at the entrance to the inner courtyard, watching her figure disappear behind the gates. He reached up to touch his lips and smiled helplessly.

Then he turned and headed back the way he had come.

The night breeze brushed past him, carrying the chill of early autumn and a faint, elusive fragrance.

He walked beneath the streetlamps at an unhurried pace, recalling the name Ma Xiaotao had mentioned earlier.

Ling Luocheng.

He remembered it.