Xiao Wu Was Holding On a Little Tight!

A voice rang out from outside Dorm Seven.

"Which one of you is Tang San, and which is Ye Lin?"

"I'm Tang San. He's Ye Lin."

Tang San called out to Mo Hen as the teacher approached.

"Please give me the bedding my teacher sent. Thank you, Teacher Mo."

Tang San held out his hands, waiting for Mo Hen to pass him the bedding.

"Thank you, Teacher Mo."

Mo Hen paused. He looked up at Tang San, a strange expression crossing his face.

"Tang San?"

Mo Hen pulled the bedding closer to his chest.

"This bedding is for Ye Lin, not you."

Tang San's smile froze.

Only then did he remember: Yu Xiaogang had taken Ye Lin as his disciple, not him!

"Grandmaster already told me."

"Ye Lin is the disciple Grandmaster took in, not you. What are you trying to snatch it for?"

Mo Hen placed the bedding in Ye Lin's arms.

"Thank you, Teacher Mo!"

Mo Hen nodded, gave them a few brief instructions, then left.

Tang San stared at the bedding in Ye Lin's arms, furious.

That was his!!!

In his previous life, Yu Xiaogang had given that bedding to him.

He had used it for six years, then shared it with Xiao Wu for countless nights.

To him, it had long since become more than just bedding.

But now it was in Ye Lin's arms.

Tang San withdrew his hands, lowered his eyes, and took a deep breath.

It's fine. So what if I don't have bedding? It's just a possession. It won't affect my cultivation.

Thinking that, he began to calm down.

But a moment later, another thought struck him.

In my previous life, Xiao Wu and I slept under the same quilt because I had bedding.

Now Ye Lin has it. Does that mean Xiao Wu will sleep with Ye Lin in this life?

No way. Please, no! My Xiao Wu, you can't sleep with Ye Lin!

And it'll go on for six years! Xiao Wu, please don't!

Tang San was so anxious he could almost cry.

Sitting beside Ye Lin, Xiao Wu listened to Tang San's thoughts, and the corners of her mouth lifted.

You don't want me to sleep with him?

Now I'm definitely going to.

Besides, what does it matter to you who I sleep with?

She blinked her round eyes and tilted her head toward Ye Lin.

"Oh no, I don't have any bedding either."

"Ye Lin, yours is so big. Can I have half?"

Ye Lin stared at her. "Huh?"

He stood there holding the brand-new bedding, utterly dumbfounded.

Give you half?

Wouldn't that mean sleeping together?

He instinctively wanted to refuse, but Xiao Wu had already come over. Grinning, she tugged at a corner of his quilt.

"It's settled, then. We can squeeze in together. We're classmates, after all."

Tang San's face went green.

His teeth ground together as he glared at Ye Lin.

Ye Lin swallowed.

"Xiao Wu, I don't think that's a good idea."

"The two of us, sleeping under one quilt..."

Xiao Wu had already made the bed.

"I'm not scared, so what are you scared of?"

"What, you think I'm going to rape you?"

"Come on, lie down. Let's see if there's enough room."

They lay side by side on the bedding. There was just enough room.

Tang San watched, his green face turning purple.

He finally couldn't hold back.

He cleared his throat and spoke louder than usual.

"It's getting late, and we haven't eaten yet. We should hurry to the cafeteria."

At the mention of food, Xiao Wu immediately perked up.

"Sure! Let's go eat."

Ye Lin sprang up from the bedding, nodding frantically as though he'd been granted a reprieve.

"Let's go, let's go. Time to eat."

Finally, a chance to get away from Xiao Wu.

Wang Sheng waved a hand.

"Come on, I'll take you to the cafeteria."

The group filed out of the dormitory.

Tang San deliberately walked at the back, his gaze fixed on Ye Lin and Xiao Wu ahead of him.

Ye Lin walked so fast he was nearly jogging.

Xiao Wu kept pace beside him, occasionally turning to say a few words.

The sight made Tang San seethe, but there was nothing he could do.

The cafeteria was close to the work-study students' dormitory. They reached it in no time.

Ye Lin had barely stepped inside when a familiar voice called down from above.

"Ye Lin."

He looked up and saw Yu Xiaogang beckoning from the second floor.

"Good timing. Come upstairs and eat with me."

Ye Lin nodded at once. "Sure!"

He had no choice but to go upstairs and get a free meal from Yu Xiaogang.

He was flat broke.

After the meal, Yu Xiaogang took Ye Lin back to his quarters.

Once inside, Yu Xiaogang sat down at his desk.

He took a thin booklet from a drawer and handed it to Ye Lin.

"These are some basic cultivation methods I compiled. They aren't top-tier techniques, but they should help you cultivate Soul Power faster."

Ye Lin accepted it with both hands. "Thank you, teacher!"

Yu Xiaogang nodded.

"You have Innate Full Soul Power. Tomorrow, I'll take you out to hunt for your first Spirit Ring."

Ye Lin went rigid.

My first Spirit Ring?

Tomorrow?

A four-hundred-year-old Mandala Snake instantly came to mind.

I don't have the protagonist's plot armor!

Seeing Ye Lin's fear,

Yu Xiaogang waved a hand. "Don't worry. I've already made arrangements for your safety."

"I asked Sigma, the head of Nuoding Academy, to come with us. He's a level-forty-two Battle Soul Sect. He'll be there to protect you."

Ye Lin stared for a couple of seconds, then smiled.

"If the headmaster's coming, I feel much better."

Still, he couldn't help wondering.

In the original story, Grandmaster took Tang San alone. Why has he brought the headmaster along this time?

Has the plot gone that far off the rails?

But on second thought, his life would be safe tomorrow. Grandmaster could do whatever he liked. Who cared whether it matched the plot?

"By the way, Tang San is your friend, and he also has Innate Full Soul Power. Bring him along tomorrow, and we can find him a Spirit Ring while we're out."

Ye Lin paused, then nodded. "All right, teacher. I'll thank you on Tang San's behalf."

By the time Ye Lin returned to Dorm Seven, nearly everyone was asleep.

Tang San lay on his back on a bare bed frame without even a mattress. The hard wooden boards dug into him.

He had his hands behind his head and was staring at the ceiling.

"Tang San, still awake?"

"I just got back from my teacher's. Grandmaster said he's taking me to hunt for a Spirit Ring tomorrow. He asked me to tell you to come too, so he can find you a suitable one while we're there."

Tang San's eyes lit up.

So Gangzi knows what's good for him after all.

Fine. Since he wants to take me, I suppose I can go.

That four-hundred-year-old Mandala Snake will be mine after all.

Seeing Tang San agree, Ye Lin said no more and made his way over to his bed.

Xiao Wu was already lying down. When she saw him, she shifted inward to make room.

"You're back?" Xiao Wu said sleepily. "Come lie down."

Ye Lin hesitated, then took off his outer clothes and lay down.

The bedding was large enough, but lying side by side, their shoulders and arms inevitably touched.

Ye Lin tensed and edged toward the outside, leaving a narrow gap between them.

Xiao Wu didn't seem to mind. She rolled onto her side to face him and mumbled, "Don't move so far away. If you fall off, I'm not helping you."

"Mm," Ye Lin answered stiffly, not daring to move.

After a while, Xiao Wu's breathing grew steady. She seemed to have fallen asleep.

Only then did Ye Lin relax. He closed his eyes, ready to sleep.

But before long, an arm suddenly landed across his chest.

Ye Lin froze.

Xiao Wu rolled over, buried her face against his shoulder, and wrapped an arm tightly around his waist. Both her legs tangled with his.

Ye Lin: "..."

Tang San was still awake.

He lay on his side, facing Ye Lin and Xiao Wu.

When he saw Xiao Wu's arm wrap around Ye Lin's waist,

his breath caught.

He shut his eyes and tried to drive the image from his mind.

Cultivate. Cultivate. Circulate the Mysterious Heaven Skill. Don't think about any of that nonsense...

Then Xiao Wu snuggled deeper into Ye Lin's arms.

Tang San nearly lost control of his Mysterious Heaven Skill.

His eyes flew open. His chest heaved a few times before he forced his eyes shut again, lips pressed into a thin line.

No. I can't let this affect me.

It's nothing.

After everything I saw in my previous life, what's one quilt? What's one Ye Lin...?

The next moment, Xiao Wu clamped both legs around Ye Lin's leg.

The squeeze jolted Ye Lin awake.

Xiao Wu, you're holding on a little tight!