Leaving the cafeteria, Meng Chen watched the bouncing Xiao Wu, a trace of confusion rising in his eyes.
No matter how he looked at it, Xiao Wu's mental maturity did not seem like that of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Could it be that after Soul Beasts took human form, their minds were automatically reset?
Or perhaps Soul Beasts matured mentally at a slow pace, and even though Xiao Wu's cultivation had surpassed a hundred thousand years, her mind was still that of a child.
Damn it, San Gou, couldn't you have written your settings properly? They're full of fucking loopholes.
Meng Chen cursed inwardly.
The biggest setting loophole in Douluo was the Soul Beasts.
All they had to do was distinguish a Soul Beast's age from its cultivation and establish that a Soul Beast's actual age differed from its cultivation.
Yet San Gou insisted on making a Soul Beast's cultivation equal to however many years it had lived. What a fucking stupid setting.
Meng Chen followed Xiao Wu to the work-study student dormitory.
Calling it a dormitory was generous. It was really just one large communal sleeping area, with all the work-study students crammed together and no partitions between them.
Seeing Meng Chen follow her inside, Xiao Wu tilted her little head and asked curiously, "Eh, A-Chen, aren't you going back to your dorm for a nap?"
"Xiao Wu, are there any other girls in your work-study dormitory?" Meng Chen asked instead.
Xiao Wu shook her head. "I'm the only girl."
Hearing that, Meng Chen frowned slightly. He reached out, grabbed Xiao Wu's slender arm, and pulled her out of the work-study dormitory.
"Come with me."
"Ah, where are we going?"
Xiao Wu was a little bewildered, but when she felt Meng Chen's hand tightly gripping her arm, her heart trembled, and her rabbit ears went soft again.
Meng Chen pulled Xiao Wu all the way to the academic affairs office and found Director Su, who was drinking tea.
"Director Su, I need a dorm room!"
Director Su put down his teacup and looked at Meng Chen and the Xiao Wu he was holding with some surprise before asking,
"What is it, Student Meng? Why do you suddenly want to change dormitories?"
"I'm not changing. Xiao Wu is. She's a girl living in a work-study dormitory full of boys, sleeping in an open communal bed with no partitions. Isn't that inappropriate?"
"Mm, it is rather inappropriate."
Director Su nodded, but then said awkwardly, "However, Student Xiao Wu is a work-study student and can only stay in the work-study dormitory. Those are the rules. Unless she pays her own fees like you do, she cannot stay in another dormitory."
The moment Xiao Wu heard that changing dormitories would cost money, she shook her head repeatedly.
"A-Chen, I think the work-study dormitory is quite nice. There's no need to spend money changing rooms, and besides, besides, I don't have any money..."
"I do."
As soon as he finished speaking, Meng Chen took out a small cloth pouch from the Bone Dragon Ring and pulled out two Silver Soul Coins.
"Director Su, please help Xiao Wu transfer to a girls' dormitory."
Director Su's gaze fell on the Bone Dragon Ring, and a glint flashed through his eyes.
A storage Soul Tool? Where did this child get it? He clearly didn't have it yesterday. Who gave it to him?
Xiao Wu's little mouth immediately formed an "O" when she saw Meng Chen take out two Silver Soul Coins.
Two Silver Soul Coins were twenty Copper Soul Coins. They could buy quite a lot of carrots!
Director Su withdrew his gaze from the Bone Dragon Ring and thought to himself, Anyone who can produce a storage Soul Tool is no ordinary Soul Master. This child's talent must have caught the attention of a powerful Soul Master, who gave it to him.
Director Su then accepted the two Silver Soul Coins and processed Xiao Wu's dormitory transfer application.
"There are not many female students at the academy. Although Student Xiao Wu has been assigned a four-person room, only one girl is currently living there. It's right above your room..."
Director Su handed the slip to Meng Chen and told him where Xiao Wu's dormitory was.
Meng Chen accepted the slip. "Thank you, Director Su."
Director Su smiled and watched Meng Chen and Xiao Wu leave.
On the tree-lined path, Xiao Wu looked at Meng Chen holding her hand. Her rabbit ears trembled, and her little lips moved as she spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
"A-Chen, I really didn't need to change dormitories."
Meng Chen stopped and turned to look at Xiao Wu seriously.
"You do. Boys and girls should keep their distance. At three, they shouldn't sit together; at seven, they shouldn't sleep in the same bed. You're a girl sleeping with a bunch of boys. It could easily lead to misunderstandings. And if any of those boys are perverts, it'd be even more dangerous."
Although Xiao Wu did not understand what he meant by three and seven, she could feel Meng Chen's concern for her and nodded obediently.
"Is that so? I understand. I'll pay back those two Silver Soul Coins."
Meng Chen did not refuse. "Sure. Once you become a Soul Master, you can receive a Soul Master allowance from Spirit Hall. It's one Gold Soul Coin a month."
"One Gold Soul Coin? That's so much!" Xiao Wu exclaimed in surprise.
She would receive one Gold Soul Coin just for becoming a Soul Master. It seemed she needed to become one sooner.
When they arrived at the dormitory, Meng Chen quickly helped Xiao Wu change rooms with the slip approved by Director Su and bought her a brand-new set of bedding.
"Wow, new bedding! It's so soft and comfortable!"
In the new dormitory, Xiao Wu lay on the freshly made bedding Meng Chen had prepared, hugging a pink pillow as she rolled around and hummed contentedly.
Seeing Xiao Wu so cheerful, Meng Chen's lips curved slightly into a faint smile.
"The dormitory has been changed. Xiao Wu, take your nap first. I'll head downstairs to rest too. As for the rest of your luggage, we'll get it after school this afternoon."
"Mm-hm!" Xiao Wu buried her head in her new pillow and responded twice.
Only after Meng Chen left did she lift her head and look at the closed dormitory door, a faint sadness filling her pink eyes.
Ever since her mother died, it had been a long time since someone had cared for her like this.
"Mom..." Xiao Wu buried her head in the pillow again and murmured softly, tears glimmering faintly in the corners of her eyes.
She missed her mother.
If only her mother were still here...
"Little one, you're being so good to that little rabbit. Are you planning to trick her into sacrificing herself?"
Ye Xishui's voice sounded beside Meng Chen's ear. He shook his head lightly and did not explain much.
When the noon break ended, Meng Chen had barely opened his dormitory door when he found Xiao Wu already waiting outside.
"A-Chen, why did you get up later than me? If you'd slept any longer, I would've knocked on your door."
Xiao Wu put her hands on her hips and complained about him getting up late, her rabbit ears twitching.
Meng Chen reached out and patted Xiao Wu's rabbit ears, soothing her. "All right, all right. Let's get to class."
Xiao Wu gave a light huff, then turned and skipped away. Meng Chen followed behind her as they headed to the classroom together.
Inside the classroom, Tang San saw Meng Chen and Xiao Wu enter, and a shadow flashed through his eyes.
When the afternoon lessons ended and the dismissal bell rang, Xiao Wu shot out of the classroom like the wind and rushed straight for the second cafeteria. Meng Chen followed close behind.
"This one, this one, and this one!"
On the second floor of the cafeteria, Xiao Wu looked at the dazzling array of dishes and ordered three in a row before Meng Chen could say anything.
Meng Chen glanced at the three dishes.
Stir-fried shredded carrots, stir-fried bok choy, and steamed egg custard.
He felt a little helpless. He knew Xiao Wu was trying to save him money.
Meng Chen did not say anything about it, only asking the cook to add two large chicken legs.
When Xiao Wu saw the large chicken legs, she froze slightly.
She had not ordered those.
"I ordered them. We're both still growing. What's the point of eating only vegetables? We need to eat more meat."
Meng Chen handed one large chicken leg to Xiao Wu and explained.
Xiao Wu looked at the chicken leg, her little mouth parting slightly. In the end, she said nothing and simply picked it up and began gnawing on it.
After dinner, Meng Chen said he needed to relieve himself and told Xiao Wu to wait for him downstairs.
Once Xiao Wu went downstairs, Meng Chen went to the kitchen and asked for several fresh, tender carrots, placing them in the Bone Dragon Ring.
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