Little Huo, a Girl? Huo Yuxi!

"Yuhao, what are you standing around daydreaming for? Hurry back and work on your cultivation. The Freshman Assessment is only half a month away." Just as Huo Yuhao stood lost in thought, Xiang Jun appeared silently behind him and patted his shoulder with a smile.

"Huh? Big Brother Xiang Jun?"

Looking at the smiling, blue-haired figure behind him, Huo Yuhao sniffled. The scene he had witnessed not long ago surfaced unbidden in his mind, and a sour pang immediately filled his heart.

"I was afraid I'd disturb you..."

That pitiful, aggrieved look sent a flicker of suspicion through Xiang Jun's eyes.

Wait, is he jealous?

Could it be over Tang Wutong? Surely it couldn't be over me!

After two and a half months of Xiang Jun's careful feeding, Huo Yuhao was no longer the scrawny boy he had once been.

His once-sallow skin had gradually become fair and rosy. Slightly long, dark-blue hair fell loosely behind his head, complementing eyes that occasionally flashed with light. He was the very picture of an adorable young boy.

Perhaps his height was the only thing that had not changed.

Xiang Jun narrowed his eyes slightly. After spending so much time together, he had long since noticed that Huo Yuhao's behavior was odd in all sorts of ways.

For instance, he had never seen Huo Yuhao in the bathroom.

At that thought, Xiang Jun decided to test his suspicions.

"Let's head back and get some rest early, too. It wouldn't be good if you caught a chill." Without giving Huo Yuhao any chance to react, Xiang Jun stretched out both arms and swept him into a bridal carry against his chest.

"Huh? W-wait!"

Huo Yuhao was about to refuse when he suddenly felt his body become weightless. By the time he came back to his senses, he was already lying in Xiang Jun's arms.

Sensing that presence that inexplicably put him at ease, Huo Yuhao's little face instantly flushed crimson. He stammered for ages without managing a single complete sentence.

"Big Brother Xiang Jun, put me down! If someone sees us, they'll gossip about you!" After a brief daze, Huo Yuhao began struggling with all his might.

Gossip?

Do they really think my Seagod's Trident is just a fishing spear?

Xiang Jun paid it no mind and strode brazenly toward the dormitory.

After struggling in vain for a while, Huo Yuhao finally resigned himself to his fate. He simply closed his eyes and rested quietly against Xiang Jun's chest, listening to that strong, steady heartbeat.

"That wretched Huo Yuhao! He's practically courting death!"

In a patch of bushes not far from the pair, Tang Wutong, who had witnessed everything, was grinding her molars so hard they nearly shattered.

"No, no, this princess needs to try harder! As the Sea God's successor, Xiang Jun absolutely cannot stray down the wrong path!"

Inside the freshmen's dormitory, everyone's expressions turned strange at the sight of the figure in Xiang Jun's arms, but no one dared say anything.

Over the past two months and more, Xiang Jun's name had gradually spread throughout the Outer Court. He had fought dozens of Soul Fighting matches so far without a single defeat.

And Dormitory 108 was notorious for turning its lights out early and loving baths.

Still, those scrutinizing gazes made Huo Yuhao feel as though needles were pricking his back, and he hurriedly burrowed deeper into Xiang Jun's arms.

Late that night.

Huo Yuhao quietly opened his eyes. Seeing Xiang Jun absorbed in meditation, he finally tiptoed out of bed.

The instant he left the room, Xiang Jun, who had been cultivating, silently opened his eyes.

"Sneaking around like that... Let's see what Huo Yuhao is up to!" Xiang Jun gave a crooked grin, and his figure vanished from the spot.

In the corridor, Huo Yuhao carefully inspected his surroundings with his spiritual power, utterly unaware of Xiang Jun behind him.

He cautiously approached the communal bathroom. Only after confirming that it was empty did he tiptoe toward the showers.

Choosing the shower stall farthest from the door, Huo Yuhao hurried inside and locked it. Only after doing all that did he let out a deep breath of relief.

"Phew! That feels much better!"

Freed from the binding strips of cloth, two mischievous little apples immediately popped out.

Although he had not inherited the white tiger martial soul, Huo Yuhao still possessed the Zhu Family's excellent genes. With sufficient nutrition, in just two and a half months, he had gone from utterly unremarkable to a young lotus just revealing its pointed buds.

Outside the shower room, Xiang Jun suppressed his presence as much as possible, attracting none of Huo Yuhao's attention.

Through the hazy glass wall, Xiang Jun watched the petite figure inside scrubbing clean, and his expression froze.

Wait, when did Huo Yuhao's pecs get so exaggerated?

Slipping silently out of the shower room, Xiang Jun felt his mind descend into chaos.

Did Huo Yuhao get Wang Dong's script?

When Huo Yuhao finished washing and returned to the dormitory, he discovered that the previously pitch-black room was now brightly lit. A bad feeling suddenly rose in his heart.

Looking up, he saw that Xiang Jun had emerged from meditation at some point and was sitting on the edge of his bed, studying him with a strange expression.

"B-Big Brother Xiang Jun, why are you still awake this late?" Huo Yuhao's gaze darted about, not daring to meet Xiang Jun's eyes.

"Oh, I just went to the bathroom." Xiang Jun examined Huo Yuhao's dripping hair as he spoke meaningfully.

The bathroom?!

Huo Yuhao's pupils abruptly contracted, and that foreboding feeling grew even stronger.

Could Big Brother Xiang Jun have discovered something?

"Oh, I see. Hahaha." Huo Yuhao forced himself to act natural and walked toward his bed.

But the instant he sat down, Xiang Jun spoke again.

"Yuhao, it's been a full week since we last nourished your meridians, hasn't it? It's time again!"

Hearing that, Huo Yuhao's little face immediately flushed crimson. Still, he obediently nodded his little head and tossed his uniform jacket aside.

Looking at the expectant Huo Gua, Xiang Jun gave a crooked grin and teased, "Don't forget your uniform undershirt, too. That's the only way to get the best results!"

My uniform undershirt?!

Xiang Jun's words instantly sent Huo Yuhao into a panic. He hurriedly waved his little hands and stammered, "N-n-no need, Big Brother Xiang Jun. This is already fine..."

Huo Yuhao's reaction only made Xiang Jun more certain of his suspicions.

Well, damn. Did he really get Wang Dong's script?

I've seen food deliveries, but this is the first time I've seen the food delivered straight into my mouth.

Does he really think I'm Liu Xiahui, the man who could hold a woman in his lap without temptation?

"Little Yuhao, are you sure there's nothing you want to confess to me?" A playful smile curled Xiang Jun's lips as he sat down beside Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao could no longer hold out. Even if he had been slow on the uptake, by now he could tell that he had been completely exposed.

At that realization, Huo Yuhao instantly wilted, lowering his head and not daring to meet Xiang Jun's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Big Brother Xiang Jun. I-I-I..."

"My name isn't actually Huo Yuhao. My real name is Huo Yuxi..."