Jiang Nannan with Twin Ponytails

"Uh—"

After seeing what she looked like, a flash of surprise passed through Lin Yan's eyes, and his footsteps subconsciously came to a halt.

She was an exceptionally delicate-looking girl. Though her brows and little face were full of youthful immaturity, it did nothing to diminish the refinement of her features. Her medium-length golden hair was tied into two lively, adorable ponytails, and the freshman uniform she wore revealed her identity.

At that moment, her brows and eyes also held surprise and astonishment. Her bright, beautiful eyes, like golden glass, stared unblinkingly at Lin Yan.

"It's you!"

The two spoke at the same time, as though they had planned it.

That was right. She was the golden-haired beauty Lin Yan had encountered in the Star Dou Great Forest not long ago, when she had been accompanying her teacher to obtain her second Spirit Ring.

At the time, they had been locked in an intense battle with a Demon Fox spirit beast.

It was Lin Yan who had suddenly appeared and helped them out of their predicament.

Lin Yan had never expected that he would meet her again so soon, here at Shrek Academy.

"I didn't expect us to meet again. Do you still remember me?"

Lin Yan raised an arm, casually wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, and smiled.

"Mm."

The golden-haired girl nodded lightly and said in a crisp voice, "I remember you. You were the big brother with the wolf-tooth club in the Star Dou Great Forest."

Hearing how she addressed him, Lin Yan could not help but smile. "My name is Lin Yan. What about you?"

The golden-haired girl hesitated for a moment before shyly saying, "My name is Jiang Nannan."

"Jiang Nannan?"

Lin Yan gave the twin-tailed golden-haired girl before him a surprised look and blurted out, "You're Jiang Nannan?"

Lin Yan was truly surprised.

He had never imagined that the girl he had happened to encounter was the famed commoner belle of Shrek Academy in the future.

On further thought, though, Lin Yan did not find it strange.

Jiang Nannan was around the same age as Tang Ya and Bei Bei. All three had joined Shrek Academy as freshmen in the same intake, which perfectly matched the freshman uniform she was wearing.

"Of course, I'm Jiang Nannan. Do you know another Jiang Nannan?"

Jiang Nannan blinked. Lin Yan's strange reaction left her somewhat puzzled.

"No."

Lin Yan came back to himself and shook his head with a smile.

"You're such a strange person. But I still have to thank you. Thank you for helping my teacher and me out in the Star Dou Great Forest that day." Jiang Nannan spoke with a grateful expression.

"It was nothing, just a small favor." Lin Yan spoke as though it were no big deal.

At the time, he had heard the commotion and originally intended to take a look, just to watch the excitement. Who would have thought that the white fox's attack would come flying straight at him?

Having just obtained the third soul skill of the Reflective Hammer, his hands had been itching to try it out, so he tested the skill's power.

The result did not disappoint him. The white fox was struck by its own rebounded attack and instantly lost half its life.

Jiang Nannan blinked as she looked at Lin Yan, drenched in sweat with even his clothes soaked through, and asked curiously, "Were you running?"

"Mm."

"Big brother, you're a Soul Elder, right? How could you sweat so much just from running?"

"Could there be something wrong with your body?"

"I heard only people with weak constitutions are like this..."

Watching Jiang Nannan blink her large eyes as she curiously examined him, Lin Yan's mouth twitched. He hurriedly explained, "This isn't sweat. It's water from Sea God Lake."

"I was running around Sea God Lake just now, but I accidentally slipped and fell in. That's why I'm soaked all over."

"Oh, so that's what happened!"

After hearing his explanation, realization appeared on Jiang Nannan's pretty, youthful little face.

"Alright, I need to keep running."

Lin Yan was about to resume his morning exercise.

"Wait." Jiang Nannan stopped Lin Yan.

"Is there something else?" Lin Yan looked at Jiang Nannan.

Jiang Nannan suggested, "I haven't thanked you properly yet. It's still early, and you probably haven't had breakfast. Let me treat you to breakfast as thanks, alright?"

Lin Yan thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."

Lin Yan paused his morning run and followed Jiang Nannan toward the outer courtyard cafeteria.

"Do you know where the cafeteria is? I certainly don't."

As they walked, Lin Yan casually found a topic to talk about.

"Of course I know. But you, exercising in the academy so early in the morning—you must have passed registration yesterday, right? After entering the academy, didn't you take a look around and familiarize yourself with the place?" Jiang Nannan asked curiously.

"No." Lin Yan shook his head. "I was busy cultivating!"

"No wonder you've already reached Soul Elder cultivation at such a young age. You train so diligently every day. Big brother, may I ask how old you are?"

"Ten."

"Then we're the same age."

Jiang Nannan looked at Lin Yan admiringly, though she said with a hint of discouragement, "Even though I work very hard, I only have level twenty-three soul power now."

"Level twenty-three?"

A strange look appeared in Lin Yan's eyes.

Jiang Nannan had only obtained her second Spirit Ring ten or so days ago. Normally, after a Great Soul Master obtained a second Spirit Ring that was seven or eight hundred years old, the energy from the Spirit Ring should have raised their soul power to level twenty-one.

How had Jiang Nannan reached level twenty-three?

After asking her about it, Lin Yan finally learned that Jiang Nannan had reached level twenty soul power more than half a year ago.

However, as a commoner-born Soul Master without any backing, she could not obtain a Spirit Ring whenever she wished like Lin Yan could. She had waited for more than half a year before finally getting an opportunity to acquire one.

Yet throughout those months, she had not slackened in her cultivation.

As a result, her soul power had continued accumulating in secret. Only after she obtained her second Spirit Ring did it all manifest at once, bringing her to level twenty-three soul power.

The two chatted as they walked, soon arriving at Shrek Academy's cafeteria.

Unlike the dormitories, whose conditions were all the same, the cafeteria was completely different.

Here, if you had no money, you could only eat steamed buns and porridge. If you had money, even delicacies from land and sea were available.

Having just finished exercising, Lin Yan's stomach was rather empty. He did not hold back at all, pointing wildly at the menu hanging on the wall and ordering twelve expensive, top-quality dishes in one go.

Beside him, Jiang Nannan looked as though she wanted to say something but could not bring herself to.

Only after Lin Yan found a seat and sat down did he notice something was off about Jiang Nannan's expression. "Jiang Nannan, what's wrong?"

Jiang Nannan's little face reddened slightly. Her small hands twisted together nervously as she said awkwardly, "You ordered so much food, but I don't have that much money on me."

"Uh—"

Lin Yan came to his senses.

Only then did he remember that Jiang Nannan had brought him here to treat him to a meal. The hunger in his belly had made him forget that entirely at the sight of all the delicious food.

"It's fine, come sit down. I'll treat this time, and you can treat next time!"

Lin Yan said with a smile.

Lin Yuhuan had given him a million Gold Soul Coins before he left. He was hardly short on this little bit of money!

"That doesn't seem right. I said I would treat you."

Jiang Nannan's little face flushed as she spoke somewhat embarrassedly.

"It's fine. If I tell you to sit, then sit."

Lin Yan stood up, guided her to the table, and pressed a hand on her shoulder to seat her.

Before long, dish after dish of fragrant delicacies was served before them.

"Eat!"

After saying that to Jiang Nannan, Lin Yan, his appetite wide open, was the first to start eating.