Love-Brained People Were as Common as Stray Dogs by the Roadside

"Young Pavilion Master?"

Tang Ya's eyes widened as she pointed at Huo Yuhao, stammering, "Y-you... you..."

Bei Bei beside her was also stunned.

The two stared fixedly at the eleven-year-old boy before them, their faces filled with disbelief.

What kind of absurd twist was this?

Just moments ago, they had been sympathizing with their poor little junior brother.

They had lamented how such a promising talent had been separated from his companions and absorbed a useless ten-year spirit ring, utterly ruining his invincible foundation.

They had even been planning how to pay out of pocket after returning and get some high-grade spirit medicine to nourish their little junior brother.

Yet now, a receptionist had bowed deeply and directly informed them that the Spirit Medicine Pavilion, renowned throughout the three Douluo kingdoms... was actually this kid's family property?

"Little Junior Brother, just who are you?"

Bei Bei took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the ridiculous shock in his heart.

Huo Yuhao blinked.

He looked innocently at the two before him.

"I don't know."

He shook his head, firmly refusing to admit anything.

Tang Ya's mouth twitched violently.

Didn't know?

Did he take them for fools?

Someone had called him Young Pavilion Master so naturally, bowing at a full ninety degrees, and he said he didn't know?

Just as Tang Ya could no longer resist rolling up her sleeves to force an answer out of him—

"Since he doesn't know, let me explain it for him."

A cool yet somewhat gentle voice came from the staircase leading down from the second floor.

At the sound of that voice—

Huo Yuhao's eyelid twitched, and he let out a deeply troubled sigh.

He turned his head somewhat stiffly.

Bei Bei and Tang Ya also instinctively looked toward the voice.

At the second-floor stairway stood a girl who had appeared at some unknown point.

She looked to be around thirteen or fourteen.

She wore clean, simple everyday clothes, her long black hair casually braided behind her head.

Her features did not possess the stunning beauty that overwhelmed one at first glance, but they carried an exceptionally pleasing air of intelligence and coolness.

More than that, though she stood there casually, every movement radiated the elegance and composure of someone long accustomed to high status.

Under Tang Ya and Bei Bei's stunned gazes,

the exceptionally poised girl walked straight over to Huo Yuhao.

She completely ignored the other two.

Then—

the girl directly opened her arms and wrapped them naturally around Huo Yuhao's neck.

"Smack."

Right there in the crowded hall, she actually planted a kiss on Huo Yuhao's delicate little face.

Tang Ya: ...

Bei Bei: ...

The two froze on the spot, their minds instantly crashing.

Huo Yuhao let her hold him with a deadened expression.

He knew it would be this script.

Ju Zi was becoming more and more unrestrained.

Perhaps because, as he grew older, his appearance increasingly resembled the Huo Yuhao in her memories, Ju Zi's displays of affection had become ever more overwhelming lately.

She had even pulled out the stunt of declaring her claim over him in public.

"Hello, you two."

After kissing him, Ju Zi leisurely released Huo Yuhao.

She turned around with an impeccable, perfect smile on her face.

"Let me formally introduce myself."

"I'm Yuhao's fiancée, Ju Zi."

F-fiancée?

Tang Ya swallowed.

Although soul masters on the Douluo Continent matured early, dating at eleven or twelve was hardly considered a big deal.

After all, in this world of the Douluo Continent, love-brained people, puppy love, eloping for love, and romantic debts of passionate lovers were simply as common as stray dogs by the roadside.

"Sister Ju Zi."

Huo Yuhao rubbed his cheek and seriously interrupted the atmosphere.

"I've already joined the Tang Sect."

"And I'll soon be going with Eldest Senior Brother and Teacher Xiaoya to study at Shrek Academy."

The moment he said that—

the composed smile on Ju Zi's face instantly froze.

The next second, her eyes visibly reddened.

"You're going to Shrek?"

She bit her lip tightly, her clear eyes filled with sudden reluctance and sorrow.

She looked exactly like a devoted young wife about to begin a long-distance relationship with her husband.

Huo Yuhao silently watched her performance.

Honestly, it would be a loss for the Douluo Continent's entertainment industry if this woman did not become an actress.

Going to Shrek Academy had clearly been arranged by her from the start.

Yet she acted more convincingly than anyone.

But Tang Ya and Bei Bei did not know the truth.

Seeing Ju Zi's pitiful appearance, the guilt of the two instantly hit its peak.

It was as though they outsiders had forcibly torn apart a pair of suffering lovebirds.

"Um... sister-in-law, Shrek Academy is in Shrek City. Outsiders only need to register before they can enter and visit."

Tang Ya awkwardly tried to comfort her, even unconsciously changing how she addressed her.

Ju Zi gently wiped the corner of her eye.

She took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed that heartbreakingly fragile look.

Then, she took two exquisite little crystal bottles from her clothes.

The bottles held two different kinds of pills. Huo Yuhao recognized them as Red Jade Pills and Blue Jade Pills.

"Since Yuhao has already joined the Tang Sect, I'll have to ask you two to take good care of him at the academy in the future."

Ju Zi offered the two bottles with both hands.

"These are specially made Red Jade Pills and Blue Jade Pills."

"Their purity and medicinal effects far surpass the ordinary products sold outside. They have never been sold publicly, so please accept them as a small token of my appreciation."

Tang Ya glanced at the bottles.

Just one glance—

the dense spirit power fluctuations that rushed at her nearly blinded her.

These were specially made premium versions that could not be bought outside at any price.

And she was just giving them away as a casual greeting gift?

"They're too precious. We can't accept them..." Bei Bei repeatedly declined.

Yet neither of them could withstand Ju Zi's gentle persuasion, and they accepted the items with great embarrassment.

"Please rest for a while in the VIP room. I have some private matters to attend to, so excuse me."

Ju Zi politely nodded, casually summoned an attendant, and had the three arranged in the most luxurious VIP room on the second floor.

Then she turned around and went off to handle her own affairs.

Inside the VIP room.

The moment the door closed, Tang Ya pounced over like a starving tiger.

She directly pinched Huo Yuhao's cheeks with both hands.

"Not bad, Little Junior Brother. You really hid things well."

Tang Ya gritted her teeth as she kneaded his face, angrily saying, "Young Pavilion Master of the Spirit Medicine Pavilion, filthy rich at home, casually handing out limited-edition pills."

"And just now, you put on that pitiful little act and were going to make us pay?"

Huo Yuhao's cheeks were being pinched so hard that his speech was unclear as he repeatedly begged for mercy.

"I was going to say something, but you didn't give me a chance to speak."

Bei Bei looked at the two priceless spirit medicines in his hands.

He sank completely into thought.

He had originally believed that his little junior brother had a tragic background and terribly bad luck.

But now it seemed—

with this kind of financial backing, let alone a useless ten-year spirit ring—

even a block of wood could be smashed into a Soul Emperor with enough high-grade resources.

Their impoverished, rundown Tang Sect did not even have a sect headquarters, yet they had somehow picked up such a wealthy junior brother.

So whose luck was actually good here?

The two surrounded Huo Yuhao, jokingly interrogating him.

Until more than half an hour later.

Click.

The VIP room door was pushed open once more.

Ju Zi walked in from outside.

This time, however, a little tagalong followed behind her.

She was a very petite girl.

She looked to be around twelve years old.

She was not very tall, with shoulder-length black hair, lively childishness between her brows, and the unique shyness of a young girl on her face.

She looked like a soft, adorable, well-behaved little girl.

Tang Ya froze for a moment.

Before she could ask anything—

Ju Zi had already led the little girl over to Huo Yuhao.

"Yuhao, let me introduce you."

Ju Zi pointed to the girl beside her.

"This is Xiao Xiao."

"She'll also be a new student entering Shrek Academy soon. I've already made the arrangements, and she'll be placed in the same class as you. You can study together and look out for each other."

Huo Yuhao raised his head, the light in his eyes flickering uncertainly. Ju Zi had even managed to recruit Xiao Xiao in advance.

The advantage of foreknowledge was simply too insidious!

Of course, Huo Yuhao was no longer surprised by it.