Talking Xiao Wu into Living Together

At dusk, in the little villa.

Ye Hua led Xiao Wu across the threshold, his gaze sweeping over the courtyard as his eyes lit up slightly.

The yard was not large, but it had been kept neat and tidy. Blue bricks paved the ground, several clusters of unknown flowers and grasses grew by the walls, and two crooked jujube trees stood in the corner, their branches laden with unripe green fruit.

"Wang Sheng really came through!"

Ye Hua could not help but sigh. This little villa was cheap and good, close to the academy, and only ten minutes away back and forth.

Most importantly, the villa was inconspicuous. Even if Tang San wanted to disgust him, he would not be able to find the place.

Not bad! Not bad!

"Enough already." Xiao Wu shrugged and muttered, "You insisted on making me come house-hunting with you. Now that you've seen it, I should head back to the academy, right?"

"There's a dorm inspection tonight. If I don't get back soon, I'll get a warning."

Seeing Xiao Wu turn to leave, Ye Hua quickly reached out and caught her arm. "Wait. I'm the older brother and you're the younger sister. How could I let you live in a dorm?"

"Brother, what... what do you mean?" Xiao Wu planted her hands on her hips, trying to put on the air of Dorm Seven's boss, but the faint blush on her ears gave her away.

Leaning against the doorframe, Ye Hua looked perfectly composed. "Exactly what I said. You're my little sister. How could I let you sleep in a communal bunkroom?"

"I'm a work-study student. If I don't live in the dorms, where am I supposed to live?" Xiao Wu's ears shot upright. "And Wang Sheng and the others may be a little timid, but they're all good people..."

"Tang San is in Dorm Seven too."

Xiao Wu's words came to an abrupt stop.

"Tonight, he broke an arm and a leg, so he can only lie there groaning in bed." Ye Hua lazily stretched. "But what about after he recovers?"

"Every morning when you open your eyes, the first thing you see will be his face. Every night before you close your eyes, the last thing you see will still be his face."

Xiao Wu knitted her brows tightly. Her young, adorable face had practically formed the character for "river" between her eyebrows!

She recalled Tang San's gaze sliding from her face to her chest, then from her chest to her legs, damp like a tongue, greasy like...

Eugh! She could not bear to think about it!

How could there be such a person in this world—a useless poser, rude and greasy, lecherous and without morals!

There was not a trace of appreciation in those eyes, only greed and possessiveness. He had practically treated her like a toy that was destined to fall into his hands!

Xiao Wu shuddered, goosebumps rising all over her body as she shook her head like a rattle-drum.

"I'm not staying! I won't live in the same room as him even if you beat me to death! Disgusting!"

"But where would I stay?"

Ye Hua merely smiled without answering.

"Wait!" Seeing his expression, Xiao Wu suddenly realized something, her eyes widening into perfect circles.

She pointed at Ye Hua's nose. "Y-you... you don't mean for me to live here, do you?"

"Mm."

"With you?!"

"Mm."

Xiao Wu's face instantly turned red!

The flush spread from her neck all the way to the tips of her ears!

Even the loose hairs hidden in her braid stood on end. She looked exactly like a rabbit with its fur puffed up!

"Ye Hua! Do you know... do you know what it means for a male and female rabbit to live together!"

Well, she had even stopped calling him Brother.

Ye Hua played innocent and blinked at her blankly.

Xiao Wu pursed her lips, making sure no one was outside the courtyard before whispering, "Only... only rabbits that are married live in the same nest!"

The evening breeze spilled over the wall, rustling the jujube leaves.

Ye Hua froze for two full seconds, then revealed an expression somewhere between laughter and tears.

"Then tell me," Ye Hua said, bending his knees slightly so their eyes were level, "don't rabbit siblings live in the same nest too?"

Xiao Wu turned her head away, closed her eyes, and puffed out her cheeks indignantly.

"You're a rabbit, and I'm a rabbit too!" Ye Hua moved around to stand in front of her turned-away face again. Ignoring her tightly shut eyes, he raised two fingers and waved them.

"Two underage rabbits—why distinguish between male and female? I'm your brother, and you're my sister. It's only natural for siblings to live in the same courtyard."

"Do rabbit parents make their children split up and live separately before they've even grown up?"

Xiao Wu was still conflicted. "But..."

"Don't worry. The villa has several bedrooms." Ye Hua straightened up and left the choice to her. "Of course, if you think it's inconvenient, I'll take you back to the academy."

Silence.

Xiao Wu lowered her head, twisting the end of her braid around her fingers again and again.

The setting sun dyed the side of her face warm orange, her lashes casting long, delicate shadows across her cheeks.

"...Fine."

"Since you and I are siblings..."

[Ding—]

[Xiao Wu's rescue progress +5%]

[Current rescue progress: 25%]

The corners of Ye Hua's lips lifted slightly before settling again.

"Then it's decided. Another day, I'll submit a report to Director Su and apply for off-campus housing for you."

"Tonight, I'll have to trouble Wang Sheng to cover for you. Don't worry, Wang Sheng is sharp. Even if we don't tell him, he'll know what to do."

"Good night!"

Ye Hua escorted Xiao Wu to her bedroom, thoughtfully laid out new bedding for her, and blew out the lamp.

His footsteps gradually faded away, leaving behind the slap-slap of slippers in the corridor before everything returned to silence.

Xiao Wu turned over beneath the blankets and buried her face in the clean buckwheat-husk scent of the new pillow.

The bedding was thick and warm, completely unlike the hard wooden beds in Dorm Seven.

She thought of Tang San's sticky gaze, then of how Ye Hua had never touched her improperly. Everything about him had been so gentlemanly.

"Brother..."

In the bedroom next door, Ye Hua sat cross-legged on the bed.

"System, begin fusing the Soul Ring!"

[Command confirmed—Thousand-Year Soul Ring fusion begins]

[Detected that the host's soul power has reached level fifteen. After fusion, the host will directly break through to the Soul Master realm and obtain the first soul skill]

A warm force rose from his dantian. Unlike the scorching heat of his martial soul's evolution, this power was gentle and fine, like a silent spring rain nourishing all things.

A pale violet Soul Ring slowly revolved within his consciousness. Faint patterns flowed across its halo, ancient and mysterious.

It descended from his consciousness, sank through his meridians, and finally settled around the body of the Coiling Dragon Staff.

The five-clawed golden dragon pattern on the Coiling Dragon Staff suddenly lit up. The dragon raised its head and swayed its tail, as though celebrating the acquisition of its first Soul Ring.

The next instant—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

His soul power surged wildly!

The level-fifteen bottleneck was as thin as rice paper before a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, breaking with a single poke!

Ye Hua's soul power level began climbing from fifteen!

Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen...

At last, it stabilized firmly at the peak of level twenty.

All he needed was another Soul Ring to become a Great Soul Master!

What made Ye Hua's heart race even more was that the information on his first soul skill naturally surfaced in his mind.

[First Soul Skill: Fire Dragon's Roar]

[Effect: When the staff is swung, it unleashes true dragon flames. It possesses immense force and penetrates everywhere, with significant restraining effects against plant-type martial souls and defense-type Soul Masters]

[Additional bonus: Attacks carry dragon might, creating rank suppression against beast martial soul Soul Masters. The degree of suppression is inversely proportional to the quality of the opponent's martial soul]

Ye Hua opened his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

"This soul skill doesn't seem to be a direct attack type. It feels more like an enchantment for the Coiling Dragon Staff."

"But it doesn't matter. I also have the god-tier soul skill, the Nine Heavens Staff Technique. One full combo should leave any opponent utterly battered."

"Therefore, the powerful assault-type soul skills that everyone craves are not that important to me instead."

After washing up simply, Ye Hua lay down on the bed.

The Coiling Dragon Staff, level-twenty soul power, a poison-immunity physique, and the Fire Dragon's Roar he had just obtained—there were more and more cards in his hand, and his foundation was growing ever steadier.

Now, as long as Tang Hao did not make a move, he was invincible!

It was just that... Tang San would return home after the school year ended and would definitely cry to Tang Hao about what had happened.

Unless he was hard-hearted and strong-willed enough to swallow it himself rather than let his "useless" father see him make a fool of himself!

"Forget it. No point thinking about it. At worst, I'll take Xiao Wu and leave!"

"As long as I reach Shrek on time six years from now and save Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong, that will be enough!"

"If I can't come up with something to deal with Tang Hao in six whole years, then this cheat-user would be nothing but trash!"

With that thought, Ye Hua fell into a deep sleep.

What he did not know was that, in the master's office, a conspiracy between teacher and disciple against him was unfolding...