A Boy's Promise, Xiao Xiao's Keen Senses

Huo Yuhao could not face Wang Dong right now, so he hurriedly got out of bed to leave.

He had just reached the door when he heard Wang Dong'er's voice.

"Yuhao, where are you going?"

Huo Yuhao turned around with an awkward expression. "Wang Dong, yesterday... what happened yesterday..."

Wang Dong'er sat up and looked at him. "What, have you forgotten what happened yesterday?"

"No, I haven't... haven't..." Huo Yuhao stammered.

Wang Dong'er walked up to Huo Yuhao and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Are you trying to pretend nothing happened yesterday?"

Looking at Wang Dong'er from so close, Huo Yuhao blushed again, though this time it was not the effect of the ten-thousand-year whale glue.

"I don't care. After what you did last night, you have to take responsibility for me."

Huo Yuhao looked into Wang Dong'er's eyes and hesitated.

It was not that he was unwilling. He simply felt he probably was not worthy. Wang Dong'er was beautiful, came from a wealthy family, and had an even more powerful background.

And him? He was all alone in the world. He did not think he had the right to say he would take responsibility for Wang Dong'er.

Looking at the expectation in Wang Dong'er's eyes, Huo Yuhao nodded earnestly. "All right, I promise. When I grow up, I'll marry you."

He was not worthy of Wang Dong'er as he was now, so Huo Yuhao resolved to work even harder and strive to become worthy of her.

"Then it's settled. If you ever dare let me down, I'll kill you," Wang Dong'er said, pretending to threaten him.

"I won't let you down." Huo Yuhao was utterly serious. This was a promise engraved in his heart.

"All right, you stink. Go take a shower first."

Huo Yuhao sniffed his clothes. They really did smell a little.

He went into the bathroom, and water streamed down over his head.

Honestly, so much had happened that night that he still had not processed much of it.

Wang Dong'er leaned against the bathroom door, listening to the splashing water inside. "Yuhao, is there anything you want to ask me?"

"Why are you dressing as a boy?"

"My family told me to. They said it would be safer."

Safer?

Huo Yuhao did not quite understand. How could it be safe for a girl to live in the boys' dormitory?

Wang Dong'er continued, "But I think it's pretty fun, too."

"Then what's your name? Is it still Wang Dong?"

"My name is Wang Dong'er."

"Dong'er..."

Huo Yuhao quietly savored the name.

"Dong'er, can I call you that?"

"Of course, but preferably only when we're alone. I still plan to keep dressing as a boy. If you don't want people looking at us strangely, you'd better keep calling me Wang Dong."

"All right, Dong'er."

Sweetness filled both their hearts.

After the cold water flowed over his head, Huo Yuhao felt much more clearheaded.

Only then did he remember that Wang Dong'er had long shown many signs that she was a girl. Unfortunately, he had been more willing to believe he had fallen for a boy than to consider that Wang Dong'er might be a girl.

Huo Yuhao realized he seemed to have fallen for this person who was beside him every day long ago.

After his shower, Huo Yuhao got dressed and came out. In the past, he sometimes went without a shirt, but he no longer dared to do that.

"Wang Dong, I'm sorry about yesterday," Huo Yuhao apologized solemnly.

"Forget it. Neither of us expected something like that to happen yesterday. I never had that problem when I ate whale rubber before."

"Good thing it was me. If it had been another woman, I'd have had no choice but to rid the world of a menace."

Wang Dong'er held out one finger, then made scissors with her other hand and mimed a snip.

Huo Yuhao suddenly felt a chill along his lower legs.

Seeing Huo Yuhao shudder, Wang Dong'er smiled.

"Come on. If you're late for class, Zhou Yi will nag you again."

Wang Dong'er and Huo Yuhao entered the classroom, their eyes meeting Dai Huabin's the moment they stepped inside.

Dai Huabin's pupils contracted when he saw the two of them alive. When he had received no report last night, he had known something had gone wrong. He had not expected both of them to actually still be alive.

He clenched his fist and slammed it against his thigh.

Damn it, couldn't one Soul Emperor and five Soul Kings kill them?

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong'er sat down behind Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao turned around and stared at them. "Strange. Why do you two seem different?"

"How are we different? Didn't you just see us yesterday?" Wang Dong'er asked.

"Exactly. I just feel like you're different from yesterday. What did you two do yesterday?"

Both of them froze, their hearts pounding like drums. Surely Xiao Xiao could not see through even that?

"Maybe it's because we absorbed the ten-thousand-year whale glue," Huo Yuhao hastily said.

"Really?"

Xiao Xiao still felt that the change was not in their bodies. Rather, the feeling they gave off when standing together was completely different.

Just then, Wang Yan entered the classroom. "Class, let's begin."

Xiao Xiao had no choice but to turn back around and listen attentively.

Wang Yan explained the characteristics of various soul beasts and how to fight them.

Huo Yuhao listened carefully, then suddenly felt a hand poke his waist.

"Stop it," Huo Yuhao whispered very quietly.

Wang Dong'er withdrew her hand.

A little later, she poked him again, but this time Huo Yuhao caught her hand before she could.

Wang Dong'er took the opportunity to lace her fingers through his, holding his hand tightly.

Xiao Xiao keenly noticed the movement behind her. A thought suddenly struck her: could those two have gotten together?

The bell rang, and Wang Yan finished his lesson.

"Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Dai Huabin... the ten of you, stay behind for a moment. Everyone else may leave."

Once the others had left, Wang Yan said, "I've kept you here today because there's something very important to discuss."

"In three days, the academy will hold a selection tournament for core disciples, covering everyone from the second through sixth years. However, the final outcome probably won't have much to do with you."

"Mr. Wang, what is the selection for?" Xiao Xiao asked.

"All outer court core disciples under fifteen may participate, including those from the Soul Tool Department. We'll choose seven people, and those seven will take part in an important activity."

"Generally speaking, those seven places go to fourth- and fifth-year students. As for what they'll be doing after being selected, I don't know either."

"Then, sir, if we can't get selected, why should we participate?" Lan Susu asked.

"Just do your best. If even one of you happens to be selected, that would be a very good thing."

"All right, go back and prepare."

After leaving the classroom, Huo Yuhao asked, "Wang Dong, what do you think this selection tournament is for?"

"Do you remember how many people they're choosing?"

"Seven."

"Then think about it. What at Shrek has to do with seven people?"

"Could it be the Shrek Seven Devils?" Xiao Xiao suddenly darted out from the side, giving them both a fright.