Bei Bei's Troubles: A Plan for Tang Chuan's Personality?

A freshly made Mojito was set before Huo Yuhao.

The scent of lime mingled with the coolness of mint. He took a sip and narrowed his eyes in contentment.

Bei Bei, meanwhile, received a bright green drink with a refreshingly unusual name.

Green Mood.

Then Huo Yuhao launched straight into his performance.

"It's like this, senior."

"I was in the Star Dou Forest, trying to get my first soul ring. I was starving, so I roasted a few Lanqiu Chickens by a stream..."

"Then Sister Tang Ya and her brother followed the smell over and said they wanted some of my chicken!"

"I figured, why not? What harm could a few bites do? So I shared it with her!"

"But after she ate it, Sister Tang Ya thought my chicken was especially delicious. She enjoyed it so much that she wanted to reward me..."

"So she and her brother Tang Chuan helped me get my first soul ring!"

After another sip of his Mojito, Huo Yuhao suddenly slapped his forehead.

"Oh, right! Sister Tang Ya also invited me to join the Tang Sect!"

"What?!"

Bei Bei's eyes went wide.

"Xiao Ya invited you to join the Tang Sect?!"

"Did you accept?!"

Huo Yuhao shook his head honestly.

"No, I turned her down."

"You turned her down?!"

Bei Bei's voice cracked, and he shot to his feet.

"Why would you turn down such a great chance to join the Tang Sect?"

Huo Yuhao circulated his Soul Power and stimulated his tear glands.

In the next instant, his eyes turned red.

Huge tears spilled down his cheeks like beads from a broken string.

"Senior... you don't understand..."

Huo Yuhao's shoulders trembled slightly, grief written all over him.

"My good-for-nothing father died when I was little. It was just my mother and me growing up, and people looked down on us and bullied us all the time..."

"Sister Tang Ya and Brother Tang Chuan are good people, but I was afraid joining the Tang Sect would only cause them trouble. I was afraid Sister Tang Ya would come to hate me..."

"Boo-hoo..."

Billion-year soul skill, Depression—activate!

Super effective!

Seeing that a single question had made his young schoolmate cry, Bei Bei panicked.

"Hey, don't cry!"

"That's not what I meant. I..."

Bei Bei stood there at a loss. He wanted to comfort him, but had no idea where to start.

Besides, he had drunk far too much that night, and his head was already fuzzy.

Huo Yuhao's tears turned his thoughts to mush.

The alcohol hit him, and his emotions surged.

Just like that, Bei Bei opened up without a shred of caution.

"You don't understand, junior..."

Bei Bei let out a long sigh, his voice tinged with bitterness.

"I really like Xiao Ya..."

"I fell for her the moment I saw her."

"I want to help her. I want to join the Tang Sect and stand beside her as she restores its glory from ten thousand years ago!"

"But..."

Bei Bei's voice rose sharply, edged with resentment.

"But every time I try to join the Tang Sect, that brat Tang Chuan stops me!"

"Every single time!"

Bei Bei slapped the table so hard that wine splashed out of his glass.

"I'm telling you, junior, I seriously suspect Tang Chuan has a sister complex!"

"He follows his sister around all damn day, never leaving her side!"

"I can't even find a chance to go up and talk to Xiao Ya!"

"Tell me that isn't infuriating!"

Huo Yuhao kept his head down, tears still clinging to his cheeks.

But the faintest smile tugged at his lips.

Just as I thought!

When Huo Yuhao met Tang Ya and her brother Tang Chuan in the Star Dou Forest, something had puzzled him.

Where was Bei Bei, the Tang Sect's senior disciple and walking treasury from the original story?

So during the day, Huo Yuhao had asked around Shrek Academy.

What he found out came as a shock!

Thunderclap Beibei, who should have been the outer court's strongest student and a formidable name in his own right...

Was now known around the outer court as Drunkard Beibei!

Huo Yuhao had formed a suspicion then.

That was why he had come to this tavern at night to "run into" Bei Bei.

And sure enough, he had learned exactly what he wanted to know!

Outwardly, though, Huo Yuhao raised his head in "anger."

"Senior Bei Bei, how can you say that about Brother Tang Chuan?"

"Brother Tang Chuan helped me hunt for my soul ring. He's a good person!"

"I won't let you slander him!"

"A good person?"

Bei Bei gave a cold laugh. Fueled by alcohol, his jealousy and competitive streak burned hotter than ever.

"You're still too young, junior. You can't judge people by appearances!"

"That brat Tang Chuan has always looked down on everyone!"

"Sure, he's talented. He's already a three-ring Soul Elder at his age!"

"Honestly, even I might not be able to beat him..."

"But..."

Bei Bei changed tack.

"The brat hasn't even officially enrolled, and he's already questioned the academy's teaching methods over and over!"

"I've heard him say plenty of times that Shrek Academy's soul master training system is garbage, a complete waste of time and resources!"

"But... heh heh!"

A sly grin spread across Bei Bei's booze-flushed face.

"This time, I'm helping the teachers in academic affairs assign the new students to classes!"

"And I've made up my mind. I'm putting that brat Tang Chuan in that sadistic old hag Zhou Yi's class!"

"You have no idea. Zhou Yi is the strictest, most sadistic homeroom teacher in our outer court!"

"In her class, even a dragon has to curl up, and a tiger has to lie down!"

"She'll put Tang Chuan through hell and grind every last bit of arrogance out of him!"

"Hahahaha..."

The more Bei Bei thought about it, the more pleased he became. The thought was so satisfying that he burst out laughing.

Huo Yuhao, meanwhile, kept his head down as he rapidly sifted through everything he had learned.

The pieces of information came together in his mind, and a plan gradually took shape.

"Come on, senior, don't just drink. Have something to eat!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Huo Yuhao ordered several more bottles of the most expensive wine, along with grilled sausages, bread, and a heap of other late-night snacks.

The sucker was paying tonight anyway. Might as well get his money's worth!

Huo Yuhao took everything and headed straight out.

As for Bei Bei, the sucker stuck with the bill, he was sprawled across the table, snoring like thunder and sleeping like a log.

Two days later.

In the early morning, a light mist rose from Sea God Lake and drifted through Shrek Academy, lending it the air of a fairyland.

The cafeteria, however, had nothing magical about it.

Newly enrolled students stood in long lines, bleary-eyed and eagerly waiting for breakfast.

Huo Yuhao strode into the cafeteria, ignored the long queue, and went straight to the front.

"Chef!"

"Five Soft Bone Rabbit meat buns for this beautiful lady. My treat!"

Huo Yuhao smiled and tipped his chin toward the girl at the front of the line.

"Hey, beautiful. Can I get to know you?"

The girl turned at Huo Yuhao's words.

She had long black hair, a tall figure, and delicate, beautiful features, with a hint of allure in her eyes.

But her eyes themselves drew the most attention.

Her left eye was pale blue, her right pale yellow. The mismatched colors gave her an air of mysterious charm.

Zhu Lu frowned and looked Huo Yuhao up and down.

"Sorry, I'm not interested in you!"

"That's a shame."

Huo Yuhao shrugged, not the least bit embarrassed by the rejection.

Instead, he promptly took out his meal card, swiped it, picked up the buns, and walked away.

"Zhu Lu, a top-tier beauty like you really does attract guys who think they have a chance!"

The female student behind Zhu Lu teased her with a grin.

A restrained smile appeared on Zhu Lu's face.

She had turned the boy down, but being approached in public still made her feel flattered.

Just then...

The cafeteria worker serving the food looked at Zhu Lu and the girl beside her as if they were idiots.

"He was cutting in line, damn it! What are you so pleased about?"

"Tch... What a nutcase!"