Dai Huabin! Huo Yudie's Wager

"My foolish disciple."

"How could you treat him to grilled fish!"

Yan Shaozhe wore a bitter expression as he blurted out.

He knew his disciple loved the grilled fish from a certain shop in the city, and that was probably where they had gone. But grilled fish really had been the wrong choice this time.

"Teacher..."

"What's wrong with grilled fish?"

Ma Xiaotao did not immediately understand and asked in confusion.

There should have been nothing wrong with eating fish, right? Or was Chu Ge actually unable to eat fish?

That couldn't be right either. Chu Ge had clearly enjoyed eating it. Well, she had enjoyed herself, so she had instinctively assumed he had too.

"Xiaotao."

"Have you ever seen anyone treat someone to grilled fish on their first meal together?"

Yan Shaozhe sighed helplessly and spoke.

Their first meal together was obviously an important occasion. It would shape their first impressions of each other and help them communicate and get to know one another.

Xiaotao had truly suffered a crushing defeat this time.

He had overestimated his disciple's abilities. This girl had never gone out for a meal with a boy before. Even when she bought food, she merely followed her girlfriends and picked up whatever caught their fancy. She truly had no experience.

"Well..."

Those words jolted Ma Xiaotao awake as though from a dream. The image of herself clutching copper coins to buy grilled fish immediately surfaced in her mind.

That really did seem like a problem!

She had only taken Chu Ge for grilled fish because she couldn't decide what the two of them should eat. But now that her teacher had pointed it out, it really did seem three parts impolite, three parts hasty, and three parts disrespectful.

Once she knew Chu Ge better, eating like that would be fine. But just as her teacher had said, they weren't close yet!

"Especially since..."

"Chu Ge even treated me to grilled fish too..."

At that thought, Ma Xiaotao fell silent, her face flushing crimson with shame. She felt utterly embarrassed.

Who treated someone as badly as she had?

Next time.

Next time, I'll definitely treat Chu Ge to something delicious.

That was all she could tell herself.

Xiaotao is blushing?

Watching Ma Xiaotao's reaction, Yan Shaozhe's eyes lit up. She was blushing! This was incredible.

It's in the bag!

He could barely contain the wild delight in his heart.

As the old saying went, a maiden's blush spoke louder than every monologue in the world. There was certainly no falsehood in that.

Naturally, the same held true for Xiaotao, who had never been in love.

"Xiaotao, did you and Chu Ge go for a walk?"

Yan Shaozhe asked with anticipation on his face.

"Yes, yes. After we finished the grilled fish, we took a short stroll along the path in the Outer Court near Sea God Lake."

Ma Xiaotao nodded and answered candidly.

But because she still felt ashamed, the blush on her face had not faded in the slightest.

Little did she know that Yan Shaozhe interpreted her reaction in an entirely different way.

"Good."

Yan Shaozhe immediately smiled at her answer.

Especially when he saw the blush on her face, the elderly man assumed she was feeling bashful, and his excitement grew even stronger.

It seemed that, brief though their time together had been, the two were very pleased with each other.

"Keep up the good work. Your teacher believes in you."

He nodded as he told her plainly.

"Keep up the good work?"

Ma Xiaotao looked bewildered at his words, feeling rather at a loss.

Keep up the good work?

If her teacher meant that she should cultivate diligently and keep improving, she understood that. But saying it at a time like this seemed rather strange. Surely he couldn't mean she should keep up the good work treating Chu Ge to meals?

"Then I'll..."

"Keep up the good work."

Ma Xiaotao raised her head and said with a bright smile.

Meanwhile, in the Shrek Outer Court.

"She really is incredibly efficient. Ma Xiaotao has distilled even the way she handles things down to pure speed."

After parting with Ma Xiaotao, Chu Ge clicked his tongue in wonder, his expression filled with emotion.

From her arrival to her departure, it felt as though a long time had passed, but in reality, hardly any time had gone by.

Without exaggeration, this was the first time he had ever had such an efficient date with a girl. Perhaps it would also be the only time in this life.

Apparently, even dates with girls came in an express version. Perhaps that counted as a unique experience too...

"It should be just about time to eat."

Chu Ge smiled. He hadn't eaten much earlier anyway. Now that mealtime had arrived, should he have a little more?

It was noon, and with classes over, students from all over the Outer Court appeared before him. The place she had chosen was not particularly large. Calling it packed would have been an exaggeration, but there was still a considerable flow of people.

Just then, Huo Yudie and Tang Wutong came into view again. This time, however, neither seemed particularly calm.

The young girl's anger was written all over Tang Wutong's face, while Huo Yudie's expression was more cold and severe.

That was because a boy now stood before them.

He was around twelve, with blond hair and an arrogant expression. His mismatched eyes were full of cold severity, and when he looked at the person before him, his gaze brimmed with disdain.

Beside him, a generously endowed girl silently kept him company.

He was none other than Dai Huabin.

"Huabin, do you know this person?"

Zhu Lu asked cautiously from beside him. He shook his head, coldness appearing on his face.

"I really never expected this."

"Even a brat born to a lowly maid like you could make it to Shrek."

Dai Huabin stared at Huo Yudie, undisguised contempt covering his face as he sneered.

He had clearly recognized her.

He had never imagined that a lowly maid's brat, whose ill fortune had brought death to her mother and older brother, could enter Shrek Academy.

"Who are you calling that!"

"What gives you the right to talk about our Yudie like that!"

Tang Wutong could no longer contain herself. Unconcealed anger filled her pretty face as she shouted.

Huo Yudie said nothing, but the chill on her face spoke volumes. She was considering whether she could kill the person before her despite the gap of an entire major realm.

She wanted revenge. Desperately, desperately!

But as she thought it over, her heart fell silent again.

This was a public place. If she did something like that, where could she go afterward?

This isn't my chance...

At that thought, she clenched her fists.

"Trash."

"Even after joining Shrek, you're still trash. You don't even have the courage to speak to me."

Dai Huabin mocked her without the slightest restraint. The smile curling his lips was painfully glaring.

"Now that you've joined Shrek, you must have something to your name. Do you dare compete with me?"

"If you lose, kowtow."

"Do you dare?"

Dai Huabin spoke mockingly.

A contest between the two of them would be practically a guaranteed victory for him. He had only suggested it because the person before him annoyed him.

A little bitch's brat deserved to live in his home? To attend the same academy as him? Her very presence was an insult to him.

"You..."

Tang Wutong's face was filled with fury. Two Soul Rings instantly appeared, and she nearly declared in her heart that he had chosen the Way of Seeking Death.

"We accept the wager."

Only then did an unquestionable voice ring out, and Chu Ge appeared beside the two girls.

Dai Huabin, you're awfully arrogant.

Showing off...

I'll send you flying!

(End of chapter)