Douluo: I Can Become Stronger by Pitfalling Yu Xiaogang

If you really want to rest, I'll build you a little grass hut, spread straw and thatch inside, and paste a rabbit hide over it for you. You can rest as much as you like.

Why are you resting while hugging me?

What am I supposed to do now?

Should I move or not?

If I move and wake you up, you'll get mad at me.

If I don't move, my arm's gone numb, you know that?

You know your big head isn't stuffed with cotton, right?

Do you know that?

The system was utterly dumbfounded!

This guy's inner thoughts really were abundant...

And... what was with this sudden Tianjin-flavored rant?

Since when had you become a Tianjin native?

Ranting aside, Zhang Tianyu still held Xiao Wu without moving an inch.

After a while, breathing in Xiao Wu's fragrance, Zhang Tianyu fell asleep too.

By the time he woke up, the sun outside had already begun to set.

Xiao Wu was already awake. She sat by the bed with her back to him.

He rubbed his bleary eyes and sat up.

Hearing the movement, Xiao Wu's delicate body trembled. She slowly turned around and secretly glanced at him before quickly turning back again.

Her face was flushed red, and she looked flustered.

"Xiao Wu, you're awake?" Zhang Tianyu asked groggily. "When did you wake up?"

"J-Just now," Xiao Wu said nervously.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Tianyu asked curiously. "Why do you seem to be shaking a little? Are you cold?"

"No." Xiao Wu hurriedly stood up, still not turning around to look at Zhang Tianyu. "Um... well... it's getting late. We should go check out. Y-You should hurry up and get up to put your shoes on. I-I'll go rinse my mouth..."

"Oh." Zhang Tianyu slowly got up and looked for his shoes.

Getting up to brush his teeth and rinse his mouth were both good habits.

Only then did he notice that something seemed off about his clothes. They looked a little different from before he went to sleep.

Maybe he had slept restlessly and wrinkled them up.

"Where are my shoes... Oh, here they are. Hey, when did I take my shoes off? Didn't I fall asleep in a daze while still wearing them?"

Zhang Tianyu muttered to himself in confusion as he put on his shoes.

The system did not answer.

"And I feel like I slept really deeply. I didn't notice at all when Xiao Wu slipped out of my arms or when she woke up."

The system still did not answer.

"Are you deaf, System? Didn't you hear your host asking you something?"

"Huh? Were you asking me? I thought you were talking to yourself."

At that moment, Xiao Wu came out of the bathroom. Apparently, she had not only rinsed her mouth but also washed her face. The strands of hair around her little face were still damp.

She still did not dare look at Zhang Tianyu. Her face was red as a little apple.

"Wait for me. I need to go rinse my mouth and wash my face too." After saying that, Zhang Tianyu thought to himself, Have I got liver problems or indigestion lately? My mouth always tastes weird whenever I wake up.

"Mm~" Xiao Wu answered obediently with a blush, not daring to look at him.

Zhang Tianyu gave her a strange look. This girl was acting a little weird.

After checking out and leaving the hotel, it took quite a while for the blush on Xiao Wu's face to gradually fade.

Along the way, she barely spoke to Zhang Tianyu. Whenever she did, her little face seemed ready to turn red again.

It left Zhang Tianyu completely baffled.

What's wrong with you?

Did resting all afternoon mess up your head or something?

"Are you feeling unwell?" Zhang Tianyu asked.

"No," Xiao Wu quickly said.

Zhang Tianyu shrugged. "Fine. It's already this late, so are you hungry?"

As if she had some kind of stress response, Xiao Wu immediately said, "Not hungry. I'm not hungry at all..."

"Alright, then shall we head back to the academy?"

"Okay." Xiao Wu lowered her head, not daring to meet Zhang Tianyu's eyes.

As they talked, the two turned the corner, and Zhang Tianyu immediately spotted Ning Rongrong sitting in a street-side restaurant, leisurely having afternoon tea.

Ning Rongrong also saw Xiao Wu and Zhang Tianyu.

The three stared at each other through the restaurant's floor-to-ceiling glass windows, six eyes wide and three faces utterly bewildered.

Actually, Zhang Tianyu's bewilderment was an act.

He knew Ning Rongrong had not obediently gone running with Oscar. Instead, she had been eating, drinking, and having fun around Suotuo City.

It was only around four in the afternoon. Judging by the timeline in the novel, Ning Rongrong would probably set off back to the academy at nearly five, arriving just as night fell.

"Rongrong?" Xiao Wu froze.

"You two...?" Ning Rongrong was also stunned.

"Rongrong, what are you doing here?" Xiao Wu walked over and asked curiously.

"Uh... I..." Ning Rongrong had clearly not expected to run into them here.

She had disobeyed Flender's running order and sneaked out, so seeing the two of them now made her panic.

Especially Zhang Tianyu. Seeing him made her even more flustered than seeing a teacher.

She did not know why she became so nervous whenever she saw Zhang Tianyu.

Zhang Tianyu's gaze was like a sharp sword, as though it could see straight through her heart.

"Uh... I... I completed the task the dean assigned me, and then... came out for a walk..." Ning Rongrong said with an awkward laugh. "What about you two...?"

Xiao Wu's little face reddened again. "We also came out for a walk..."

Seeing the blush on Xiao Wu's face, Ning Rongrong's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and her gaze sharpened.

That little red face was clearly suspicious. What had these two come out to do? What had happened?

It was worth pondering!

But why did Zhang Tianyu's expression seem unchanged?

If something had really happened between them, Xiao Wu's expression would be so obvious that Zhang Tianyu's expression definitely would have changed too.

But now, only Xiao Wu was blushing, while Zhang Tianyu showed no reaction at all.

Something was off. This was definitely off!

"Did you two really just come out for a walk?" Ning Rongrong pressed.

"Ah, yes," Xiao Wu answered first, as though afraid Zhang Tianyu would speak.

Then, before Ning Rongrong could say anything else, Xiao Wu immediately went over and linked arms with her. "By the way, what task did the dean assign you and Oscar?"

Ning Rongrong's expression stiffened. "Uh... it was nothing much. Just running, to train our bodies. The dean said support-type soul masters needed even stronger physiques and endurance..."

"Running? It wasn't just an ordinary running task, was it? How far did you have to run?"

Ning Rongrong glanced at Zhang Tianyu in a panic. "Uh... well..."

Zhang Tianyu felt helpless.

Although he did not know why Xiao Wu did not want to mention that the two of them had gone to the Rose Hotel for an afternoon nap, it was obvious that she did not want Ning Rongrong asking too many questions.

But Ning Rongrong just had to ask.

Of course, Ning Rongrong had run off without completing Flender's task, so she did not want Xiao Wu asking too many questions either.

Yet Xiao Wu just had to ask.

Were these two stepping on each other's landmines as a show of friendship?

Stepping on each other's landmines to show goodwill?

And you, Ning Rongrong—why were you looking at me with such frightened, panicked eyes?

I'm not a teacher or the dean. It's not like I can slap you... uh, no, anyway, these two were both damn weird.

At that moment, the system suddenly spoke. "Host, you're usually quite smart."

"What do you mean?" Zhang Tianyu froze.

The system stopped talking.

"Hey, damn it, you only say half of it—might as well leave half behind at the crematorium!"

"Uh... it wasn't that far. Just run a little and it's done," Ning Rongrong said.

"Oh, I see." Xiao Wu nodded. "Then... we'll be going first."

"Wait, I'll go back with you." Ning Rongrong put down her teacup, left several silver soul coins, and departed the restaurant with Xiao Wu and Zhang Tianyu.

Xiao Wu was a little unhappy.

Why were you so clueless, Rongrong!

I wanted some alone time with Tianyu!

Why did you have to come be a third wheel?

Ning Rongrong watched Zhang Tianyu and Xiao Wu enjoying their little world outside, feeling somewhat displeased.

Moreover, she knew perfectly well that she had sneaked out. If she returned to the academy just like this, there was a good chance she would be punished by Flender.

And Flender currently favored Zhang Tianyu the most, so if he saw her returning with Zhang Tianyu, perhaps he would not punish her.

After all, she was the top figure among the younger generation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and also its young mistress.

Ning Rongrong appeared gentle and delicate, innocent and pure on the surface, but she was actually quite calculating.

Since they were bringing Ning Rongrong along, they naturally could not fly back on a sword. Xiao Wu certainly would not let Zhang Tianyu hold Ning Rongrong.

So the three of them went to the carriage station again and hired a carriage.

By the time they arrived at the academy, darkness was beginning to fall. The three of them came to the main training ground, just as the others were also heading over.

Seeing Ning Rongrong with those two, Oscar was a little stunned.

The others also wore strange expressions. Where had the three of them gone?

At that moment, Flender walked over, swept his gaze across the eight students, and asked, "Oscar, have you all finished running twenty laps?"

Oscar said, "Yes, Dean. I finished."

"I asked whether all of you finished, not whether you did," Flender said.

Oscar turned to look at Ning Rongrong, only to find that she was looking at Zhang Tianyu.

Oscar suddenly felt a little heartsick, but he still gritted his teeth and said, "Yes, Dean. We finished."

"Good. Very good. Come here." Flender gave a sinister smile and slowly raised his right hand, lightly patting Oscar's shoulder. "I greatly appreciate your spirit of camaraderie.

"Since that is the case, go run another twenty laps. Let me see just how deep your camaraderie runs. If you do not finish, you will not eat. I have already sealed your Soul Power, so do not even think about undoing it. Go."

Oscar said nothing. He merely nodded silently, then turned and ran outside.

Flender turned to Ning Rongrong. "Tell me, did you complete the assignment I gave you this morning?"