Roommates

"First, Lin Yun earned his place at Imperial Martial University himself. It has nothing to do with me. Second, whether he's worth it is my business. It's not for you, Jiang Yu, to judge. Third..."

Su Nianhe stared Jiang Yu straight in the eye, her tone icy.

"You talk too much!"

Jiang Yu shook his head in disbelief. He had never expected Su Nianhe to disregard his dignity so completely for some poor kid.

He was, after all, a young master of the Jiang family!

"Nianhe, why can't you understand? No, I have to set you straight today!"

Jiang Yu's temper flared as well.

He turned to Lin Yun and warned, "Kid, grab your bowl and chopsticks and get lost. I want to speak with Nianhe alone."

Su Nianhe snapped, "Jiang Yu, don't go too far!"

Jiang Yu said dismissively, "This is going too far? I'm the Jiang family's third young master. If I tell him to get lost, does he dare not to?"

"You!"

Su Nianhe was about to stand up and throw him out, but Lin Yun gave her a look and stopped her.

Lin Yun raised his eyes to Jiang Yu, a faint smile curling at his lips. "You're right. I'm only in it for the money. So if you want this seat, it's simple. Name your price."

Su Nianhe instantly understood what he meant. A glint of mischief flashed through her eyes, and she pushed herself up from the table, feigning anger. "Lin Yun, what do you mean by that?"

"Nianhe, did you hear that?" Jiang Yu sounded smug, as though he had caught Lin Yun red-handed. "This kid only cares about money. You've done so much for him, and he doesn't care one bit!"

Ignoring Su Nianhe, Lin Yun pulled up his payment code and held it out before Jiang Yu. "One million, and I'll leave immediately."

"One million?" Jiang Yu burst out laughing as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. "Just as expected of a poor bumpkin from the countryside. You're selling Nianhe for one million? You really deserve everything she's done for you."

Without another word, he transferred the money on the spot.

In his eyes, spending one million to let Su Nianhe see Lin Yun's true colors was more than worth it.

Besides, once Lin Yun lost Su Nianhe's protection, Jiang Yu had plenty of ways to get that million back.

Lin Yun received the transfer notification, put away his phone, picked up his backpack, and walked straight to an empty table behind them.

Jiang Yu smugly adjusted his collar and unhurriedly took the seat Lin Yun had just vacated.

"Nianhe, just think of it as meeting the wrong—"

"It's a little sunny here."

Su Nianhe stood up as well, picked up her water cup, and walked straight over to Lin Yun's table. She even casually took the menu from his hand.

The smile on Jiang Yu's face froze instantly. He stood there dumbfounded, unable to react for a long while.

When he finally realized he had been played, his face flushed bright red. He shot to his feet and rushed over.

"Kid, you tricked me? Give me my money back!"

Lin Yun looked up, his face full of confusion. "Why should I return it? Didn't I sell you that seat? A deal's a deal. No take-backs, right?"

"You!" Jiang Yu gritted his teeth in fury, then turned to Su Nianhe. "Nianhe, the money is a small matter, but how could you—"

"Then don't ask for it back."

Su Nianhe cut him off, her voice cold.

"You were the one who started insulting people. You were the one who insisted on taking that seat. And you handed over the money willingly. Now you're chasing after us for it? Do you want everyone to see how the Jiang family's third young master goes back on his word?"

"Leave on your own, or don't blame me for making you."

Jiang Yu's lips trembled twice. He pointed at Lin Yun, then looked at Su Nianhe's icy expression. In the end, he did not dare offend the Su family's eldest daughter beyond repair.

With his chest full of rage, he shot Lin Yun a vicious glare and left in embarrassment with his entourage.

The diners at nearby tables could not help chuckling and whispering among themselves. The Jiang family's third young master had tried to steal a chicken only to lose the rice used to bait it. They were also curious what was so special about Lin Yun that Su Nianhe would defend him like this.

Lin Yun could not hold back his laughter either.

"That must be the foolish son of some landlord. Come on, order a few more dishes. Young Master Jiang is treating!"

"Then I won't hold back!"

Su Nianhe giggled.

The corners of her eyes curved into crescents.

She had known Lin Yun for so long. He had always been quiet and reserved before, like a stuffy gourd, yet now he had actually taken the initiative to play a trick on someone.

That was a good thing in her eyes.

Soon, a waiter wheeled over a cart, and one exquisite dish after another was set on the table, their aroma filling the air.

As they ate and chatted, their conversation gradually turned to the start of school.

Lin Yun picked up a bite of food and casually asked, "Is there any kind of test for Imperial Martial University freshmen?"

"Yes. You'll be tested directly after registration tomorrow, and the results will determine the first class placement." Su Nianhe took a sip of soup and explained, "Imperial Martial University has some of the best faculty in the country. Instructors for regular classes are at least Great Martial Master realm, while the lead instructors for advanced classes are Grandmaster-level experts. Freshmen have vastly different foundations, so assigning classes by aptitude is standard practice and makes targeted instruction easier."

She paused and glanced at Lin Yun, her tone carrying a trace of regret.

"It's a shame you dispersed your cultivation and started over. Otherwise, with your original strength, we might have ended up in the same class. But it's fine. There are monthly exams every month, and anyone whose ranking improves significantly can apply to transfer classes. There'll be plenty of chances."

Lin Yun nodded thoughtfully.

It was good that there was a class-transfer system.

He calculated the money he had left. It was just enough to support a third round of dispersing his cultivation and starting over. After rebuilding, he could even raise his cultivation back to the first level of the Martial Apprentice realm.

As for class placement, there was no rush. He would further solidify his foundation first, then aim for an advanced class after the monthly exams.

The gap between instructors in regular classes was limited, so it would not delay him much.

The meal passed in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. When it came time to pay, Lin Yun insisted on covering the bill, treating it as though he were using Jiang Yu's million to buy the meal.

Su Nianhe did not argue with him. Smiling, she said she would treat him in return once school started.

There was still plenty of daylight after they finished eating, so they decided to enter the campus early with their admission notices.

Security at Imperial Martial University's gates was strict. Even the guards were Martial Master realm cultivators, and they were only allowed through after their information had been verified.

Past the gates, a broad tree-lined avenue stretched straight ahead. Martial arts grounds, teaching buildings, and training zones stood on either side. Older students in training uniforms could be seen everywhere, their auras steady and far more vigorous than the martial artists of Azure City.

The dormitory area was at the very back of campus. The men's and women's dorms were separated by an artificial lake and lay quite far apart.

At a fork in the path, Su Nianhe waved. "I'll walk you this far. Message me anytime if you need anything."

"Okay." Lin Yun nodded goodbye and turned toward the men's dorms.

Each intake at Imperial Martial University had a full two thousand freshmen. There were more than a dozen men's dormitory buildings, arranged in neat rows.

Following the information he had found on the official website, Lin Yun located Room 606 in Building Seven.

He raised a hand and pushed open the dorm room door. Someone was already inside unpacking.

The youth was of average height and slender build, with naturally curly short hair and black-framed glasses resting on his nose.

He was squatting on the floor, rummaging through a suitcase crammed full of things. Apart from a few changes of clothes, it contained nothing but vacuum-packed cured meat, glass jars of chili sauce, and dried fruit carefully wrapped in oil paper, all carrying a rich, homey scent.

Hearing the door, the youth turned around and flashed a bright, easygoing grin.

"You're my roommate, right? I'm Gu Xiaoman, from Lingnan. Have you eaten? My mom insisted on making me bring all this cured meat, saying I might not get used to Imperial Martial University's cafeteria. She thinks this place is like our little county town."

As he spoke, he patted the bulging suitcase beside him and warmly offered, "Want some? Just steam it over water and it's ready. It smells amazing."

At first glance, Lin Yun could tell he was outgoing and lively. He nodded slightly and replied politely, "I'm Lin Yun, from Azure City. I've eaten already, but thank you."

"Azure City? I know it. It's in the southeast, right? By the sea. I heard there are fewer ferocious beasts there, so it's much more comfortable than Lingnan." Gu Xiaoman stood up and dusted off his hands, his chatterbox opening all at once. "Our place is terrible. Every summer, the areas outside the city are full of venomous mosquito beasts, swarming through the air in huge clouds. When I was little, I went into the mountains to gather herbs and nearly got surrounded by a swarm. My dad was the one who saved me..."

He went on and on about his hometown without the slightest sense of distance between them.