The next day, dawn's light glimmered faintly.
In front of the teaching building at the Heaven Dou Royal Junior Soul Master Academy, the snow had begun to melt.
After arriving at the academy, Meng Chen could not help noticing that the noble students seemed to be looking at him rather differently.
But on reflection, it made sense. Some nobles in the empire's upper circles...
Naturally had access to information ordinary people could not obtain.
News that Prince Xue Xing had been punished in the Imperial Study and stripped of his position as City Guard Army Commander-in-Chief had quietly spread among the leaders of the major noble families the previous night.
Everyone knew full well that this seemingly harmless boy had more than just His Highness the Crown Prince, whose power reached throughout the court, standing behind him.
Even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the greatest support sect under heaven, was doing everything it could to protect him.
Meng Chen did not care what these people thought, however. He made his way unhurriedly to the classroom and sat down in his seat.
He had barely settled in when light footsteps sounded outside the classroom.
A moment later, Ning Rongrong rushed in like a gust of wind.
Today, the little girl wore a brand-new pink dress trimmed with soft down, her hair tied into twin ponytails. In her hands, she carried a two-tiered, carved rosewood food box.
The instant Ning Rongrong entered, she ran straight to Meng Chen's desk without so much as glancing at the other students.
"Meng Chen! Look what I brought you!"
Ning Rongrong placed the food box on his desk, then proudly lifted the lid.
Inside, two tiers of crystal-clear pastries were neatly arranged.
"These Spirit Jade Snow Cakes were steamed overnight by the sect's master chefs, using Glazed Tile Fruit that Daddy specially sent people to pick from the mountain behind the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. They're not just delicious-they can gently nourish your meridians, too!"
Ning Rongrong planted her hands on her hips and lifted her little, snow-white chin, her eyes brimming with anticipation for praise.
Looking at the pastries before him, Meng Chen chuckled. "Young miss, you came running over first thing in the morning just to bring me treats?"
"What else? Someone nearly lost his life a few days ago. If I didn't take pity on you, who knows where you'd be hiding and secretly crying?"
Ning Rongrong huffed. Though her tone was haughty, she could not conceal the concern in her eyes.
Meng Chen picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. It melted on his tongue, a sweet, delicate fruit fragrance slipping down his throat.
A faint warmth did indeed flow through the meridians in his body. For a Soul Grandmaster, food like this was truly a potent tonic.
Meng Chen offered sincere praise. "It really does taste good. Thanks, Rongrong."
The corners of Ning Rongrong's mouth rose despite herself.
But the next moment, she suddenly looked toward the figure beside the classroom window.
Gu Yuena was still sitting quietly, like an immortal untouched by the smoke and bustle of the mortal world, keeping everyone a thousand miles away.
The smile on Ning Rongrong's face faded slightly. She bit her lip, her fingers clutching the hem of her skirt.
Meng Chen was immediately surprised by her expression, but he said nothing and took another pastry to eat.
After a long while, Ning Rongrong drew a deep breath, reached out to separate the tiers of the food box on the desk, and cradled the second tier in her arms.
"Meng Chen, come over with me."
Lowering her voice, Ning Rongrong tugged awkwardly at Meng Chen's sleeve.
Meng Chen stood up with a smile. "Is our young miss going to catch up with classmate Gu?"
"Who wants to catch up with her?"
Ning Rongrong glared at him, her face flushed, and muttered, "I belong to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. We draw a clear line between kindness and grudges, and we never leave a favor unpaid! She saved you, which means she did me a huge favor. I don't want to go through life carrying that debt!"
With that, Ning Rongrong took small steps toward the seat by the window, steeling herself.
Meng Chen followed unhurriedly behind her.
As Ning Rongrong approached, Gu Yuena looked up slightly from her book and quietly watched the two of them come over.
Several noble students who had been watching Ning Rongrong held their breath as well.
After all, ever since they had enrolled, there had been friction between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's little princess and this commoner prodigy.
Now that Ning Rongrong had approached her on her own initiative, was she about to pick a fight right here?
But what happened next took everyone by surprise.
Standing before Gu Yuena's desk, Ning Rongrong set the rosewood food box on its edge.
"Hey, Gu Yuena."
Ning Rongrong lifted her little face, trying hard to maintain her young mistress's poise, though she was clearly speaking a little too quickly.
"Meng Chen already told me what happened in the south of the city the day before yesterday."
"I draw a clear line between kindness and grudges. Whatever your reason for stepping in, you helped Meng Chen, and that makes you a friend of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. These are Spirit Jade Snow Cakes specially made by our sect. You couldn't buy them even if you had the money. I went out of my way to give you half, so consider yourself lucky."
Having said that, Ning Rongrong seemed to have exhausted all her strength. She turned her head slightly and gazed out the window, pretending not to care.
But behind her back, her hands were tightly entwined.
Gu Yuena looked at the food box on the desk, then at Meng Chen standing beside it.
As the Silver Dragon King, she had no interest in human food to begin with, and she disdained dealing with these frail human children even more.
Yet when her senses swept over the food box, she detected a trace of pure spiritual energy from heaven and earth within it.
More importantly, beneath Ning Rongrong's awkward manner, Gu Yuena sensed no insincerity whatsoever.
In the eyes of Soul Beasts, human emotions were often complex and filthy.
Yet the emotional fluctuations coming from the little girl before her were so pure and straightforward.
The chill in Gu Yuena's eyes gradually receded.
Meng Chen chose that moment to speak with a smile. "Classmate Gu, Rongrong means well. These Seven Treasure Spirit Jade Cakes are considered rare even across the continent. Try one. They really do taste good."
Gu Yuena cast Meng Chen an indifferent glance.
She remained silent for a while, until Ning Rongrong began to grow restless, embarrassed at the thought that she was about to be rejected outright.
Then Gu Yuena reached out, gently lifted the food box's lid, and took out a pastry.
Under Ning Rongrong's astonished gaze, Gu Yuena placed the pastry in her mouth and chewed slowly.
The pure fragrance of Spirit Fruit spread between her lips and teeth, cool and sweet. It was indeed unlike ordinary mortal fare.
"It tastes all right."
Gu Yuena swallowed the pastry. Her tone remained cool, but the lines of her expressionless little face had visibly softened.
"Thank you."
Those two simple words instantly relaxed Ning Rongrong, who had been rather tense.
"Hmph, of course! How could anything I bring out be bad?"
"Since you've accepted my gift, I'll be generous about our old grudges and won't hold them against you anymore!"
Ning Rongrong huffed, clasped her hands behind her back, and walked back with light steps.
As she passed Meng Chen, she did not forget to step on the toe of his shoe, lowering her voice to scold him petulantly.
"What are you looking at? Hurry back to your seat. I'm still hungry!"
Meng Chen smiled helplessly, his gaze inadvertently meeting Gu Yuena's by the window once more.
The silver-haired girl calmly withdrew her gaze, closed the food box's lid, and placed it neatly at a corner of her desk.
Though she said nothing more, they both understood without words that she had accepted the olive branch.
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