Someone Wants to Steal My Penguin

"No, she'll just throw me into the sea and let the Demon Soul Great White Shark chase me around three times," Jiang Lan confessed honestly.

Liu Erlong paused for a moment, then laughed out loud, "Then I should get along very well with your Mom Bo Saixi."

As they spoke, the two people and one soul arrived at the gate of the girls' dormitory.

Liu Erlong put Jiang Lan down, straightened his penguin hat, and patted off non-existent dust from his clothes. "Alright, Xiao Wu and Rongrong live in this building, they should be here by now. Go find them yourself. I have things to do, I can't keep you company. But remember this, if you dare to talk nonsense again, I'll drag you to the training ground and have all the students from the Blue Tyrant Academy spar with you."

"Okay, okay." Jiang Lan felt like she'd been granted a pardon and was about to run into the courtyard when she stopped after a couple of steps. She turned back and bowed deeply to Liu Erlong, her tone extremely respectful, "Goodbye, Aunt Liu! I wish you find your Mr. Right soon! If all else fails, my master might really consider it—"

"Get out!" Liu Erlong gave a feint kick, and Jiang Lan darted into the yard like a startled penguin.

Doro followed behind him, turning back to wave his little hand at Liu Erlong as a farewell.

Liu Erlong stood there, watching the little dumpling disappear behind the bamboo bushes, and couldn't help but shake his head, but the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

This cheeky brat is much more interesting than those students at the Blue Tyrant Academy who always have a stern face.

Jiang Lan ran into the center of the courtyard in one breath, bent over and held her knees, panting heavily.

Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong were sitting on the veranda sharing a bag of roasted chestnuts when they heard the noise and looked up.

Ning Rongrong was taken aback at first, then put down the chestnuts and waved to Jiang Lan: "Little Guga, what are you doing here? And you're all sweaty."

"Being chased by a violent auntie..." Jiang Lan gasped for breath, looked up, and saw the half-peeled chestnut in Ning Rongrong's hand. Her eyes lit up instantly. "Give me a few! I almost got squashed into a penguin pancake!"

"What penguin biscuits?" Xiao Wu peeked out from behind a pillar, her cheeks bulging as she chewed on chestnuts, crumbs still clinging to the corners of her mouth.

"It's a penguin that's been squashed," Doro explained earnestly as he followed into the yard.

Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong exchanged a glance and burst out laughing at the same time.

Jiang Lan ran over angrily, squeezed between the two, tilted her head back, and took half a chestnut from Ning Rongrong's hand, mumbling, "I don't care, I want to eat a chestnut to calm my nerves."

"Slow down, don't choke." Ning Rongrong smiled as she peeled chestnuts for him, then reached out to wipe the dust off his face.

Xiao Wu also came over and stuffed a small handful of chestnuts she had peeled into Jiang Lan's hand, while ruffling his wind-blown hair. "Who told you to mess with Liu Erlong? She's our dean's old flame, she has a terrible temper, even the dean and Teacher Zhao are afraid of her."

Jiang Lan mumbled between bites, "I didn't say much, I just asked her if she wanted to consider my master."

The chestnut shell in Ning Rongrong's hand fell to the ground with a thud, and she seemed to have been put on pause.

Xiao Wu's eyes widened as she stared at Jiang Lan for a long while before she suddenly burst out laughing and fell against a pillar, "You... you're going to introduce Dugu Bo to Liu Erlong? Hahahaha! Why don't you just introduce her to Dean Flender!"

"That won't do. Dean Flender is too stingy," Jiang Lan said seriously. "At least my master feeds me and gives me a shop. Aunt Liu can only eat grilled cold noodles after marrying Flender."

Xiao Wu laughed even louder, tears streaming down her face.

Ning Rongrong clutched her stomach with one hand and frantically slapped the floor with the other, laughing so hard she could barely speak, "You... you absolutely mustn't let Dean Flender hear you say that... or he might... he might dismantle all your robots and sell them for scrap..."

"Then he'll have to beat my Guga Legion first." Jiang Lan puffed out his chest and proudly raised his chin.

"Where are your robots? Bring them here, I want to see them spar with Zhao Wuji." Xiao Wu wiped away her tears of laughter and started egging them on.

"Another day, after the competition is over, I'll show you something even more amazing." Jiang Lan peeled chestnuts, her eyes crinkling with laughter, looking like she had returned to her usual clever and cheeky self.

Ning Rongrong asked with some curiosity, "A competition? What kind of competition are you going to participate in?"

Jiang Lan nodded and said, "Yes, Sister Bing'er and the others invited me to join the Skywater Academy Team to participate in the Continental Elite Tournament of Advanced Soul Master Academy."

After listening to Jiang Lan's words, Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong exchanged a glance, their meaning clear.

Someone is trying to kidnap their fat penguins.

Xiao Wu popped the last chestnut into her mouth, patted the broken shells off her hands, and sat up straight. "Skywater Academy? You mean that academy that only accepts girls? Are their teams all pretty older women?"

"Yes, they all look great." Jiang Lan nodded, completely unaware that Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong's expressions had changed.

"So you haven't come to see us these past few days because you've been with them?" Ning Rongrong asked with a smile, her voice so sweet it could melt your heart.

"We weren't together every day, just training, eating, drinking milk tea..." Jiang Lan peeled chestnuts, her tone casual as if she didn't take it seriously at all. "Sister Bing'er said I was a surprise weapon, and she made me a substitute, to play in the competition later."

"Oh, substitute." Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong repeated the word in unison, their voices rising slightly.

"Yes, a substitute. Sister Yue'er said that when I go on the field, I can take them down with one punch and be the coolest player on the field." Jiang Lan said, raising her chubby little fist and waving it, completely unaware that the two girls' eyes had become like two sharpened knives.

Ning Rongrong leaned closer, hooked her arm around Jiang Lan's neck, and pulled him into her embrace, Little Demoness smile on her face, "That's perfect, we've also received the competition notice. Shrek Academy will be competing as the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Second Team. See you on the field then. Don't come crying to your sister for forgiveness, okay?"

"I'll lose?" Jiang Lan tilted her head back, her cheeks still covered in chestnut crumbs, but her eyes shone brightly. "Sister Rongrong, when did you learn to joke around?"

"Don't be stubborn now. When Zhuqing tries to catch you, let's see if you can still run away." Xiao Wu joined in, poking Jiang Lan's round cheek with a finger. "I don't believe I can't deal with you, you little brat."

"Then I'll challenge Sister Zhuqing to a one-on-one duel. If I win, you each have to treat me to a good meal." Jiang Lan stuck out her tongue, crawled out of Ning Rongrong's arms, picked up the last chestnut, peeled it, stuffed it into her mouth, and made a face at them.

The three of them laughed and joked under the corridor until evening before Jiang Lan took Doro and climbed over the wall to leave Blue Tyrant Academy.

Before leaving, Xiao Wu chased after him to the door, stuffed chestnuts wrapped in a handkerchief into his pocket, and told him to remember to rest well before the competition and not to tinker with those robots all day.