Teaching assistant Song Qing

"What are you looking at!" Xiao Yan's eyes widened slightly, frightening Dan Chen into taking two steps back.

"Heh heh." Xiao Yan slowly walked up to Dan Chen, watching her with a wicked grin.

For every step he took forward, Dan Chen took one back. Before long, he had cornered the girl against the wall again.

"Little wife, why are you watching me instead of hurrying home? Did you miss me?" Xiao Yan braced one hand against the wall, his eyes fixed on Dan Chen's lovely, peach-blossom eyes.

A pink flush began spreading up Dan Chen's neck again, rising to her face like the mercury in a thermometer.

She nodded, then shook her head. Her mind had stopped working again, and all she could do was blush and say, "No, I didn't."

"You silly little thing." Xiao Yan laughed at her reaction and couldn't resist reaching out to brush a finger across her dainty nose. Although that electric shock to his soul felt rather unpleasant, the way she frowned slightly without daring to resist was truly adorable.

"Shall I walk you home?" Xiao Yan looked at her.

Dan Chen froze for another moment before nodding with a blush. "Y-you're not allowed to do anything naughty."

"Naughty? I, Xiao Yan, am an upright gentleman, every bit as honest as my teacher. Why would I do anything naughty?" Xiao Yan said with a straight face.

Disbelief was written all over Dan Chen's little face, but she still chose to leave with him.

The first stirrings of youthful love were always full of magic. Boy or girl, almost no one could escape that black hole. Even knowing that danger lay ahead, they still couldn't help plunging in like moths drawn to a flame.

"Why didn't you use three kinds of beast flame when you refined the Three-Pattern Green Spirit Pill that day? With your soul strength, you should be able to control the transitions between three beast flames."

As they walked, Xiao Yan abandoned his usual frivolity and began discussing alchemy seriously with Dan Chen.

"I-I was afraid adding another pattern would make the refinement fail, so I played it safe." At the mention of alchemy, Dan Chen shed her usual shyness, a gleam appearing in her jewel-bright eyes.

Xiao Yan took it all in without any change in his expression, continuing to smile gently as he discussed various questions about alchemy with her.

Dan Chen's soul strength was actually no weaker than Cao Ying's; only her Dou Qi cultivation lagged behind. Of course, that also had something to do with her cautious nature.

Cao Ying was the sort of woman who had sailed smoothly forward since childhood. Strong-willed, she acted boldly and aggressively.

With her introverted personality, Dan Chen always put caution first.

Xiao Yan was different: bold yet meticulous, thick-skinned, and willing to use any means to achieve his ends. He had the classic temperament of a ruthless overlord.

"Actually, I think replacing Dust-Cleansing Grass with snow moon clear when refining the Emperor's Extreme Pill wouldn't cause any problems. It could even increase the chances of success and improve the pill's quality."

Along the way, the normally reserved Dan Chen surprisingly became the main speaker. Xiao Yan, by contrast, only chimed in now and then. Though he spoke little, his remarks often hit the nail on the head.

He's such a bad boy, but he really is amazing. As Dan Chen spoke, she looked up at the young man's handsome face, with its hint of roguishness.

For some reason, her face kept growing inexplicably hot.

"Snow moon clear would certainly work better for refining the Emperor's Extreme Pill, but don't forget how expensive it is. It costs almost as much as the magic core of a sixth-rank magical beast."

As he spoke, Xiao Yan stopped and glanced at Dan Chen with a smile. "You're home."

"Ah?" Dan Chen stared at the familiar residence before her, seemingly startled by how quickly the time had passed. With a lingering reluctance on her pretty face, she nodded. "Oh!"

You innocent girl, you're done for. You're about to fall in love! With that thought, Xiao Yan smiled and said, "See you tomorrow, little wife!"

Then he turned and walked away without lingering.

"See you tomorrow." Dan Chen's lips moved slightly as she spoke in an exceedingly soft voice, her little face flushed.

Only after Xiao Yan's figure disappeared from sight did she turn and walk through the gates.

"W-what's going on here?" The Dou Wang expert who had been guarding the entrance all this time looked utterly bewildered.

Hadn't this young man only known the young miss for ten days or so? This was only his third visit to the Dan Residence, so how-how had he already started calling her his wife?

And judging by the young miss's expression, she seemed to feel nothing beyond shyness.

Ah, young men have been masters of romance since ancient times... the Dou Wang thought.

Early the next morning, the youths arrived ahead of time in a classroom specially set aside by the Pill Tower.

"Who's the class monitor? Come take attendance." The speaker was a young man not much older than Ye Zhong, only around twenty, yet the alchemist's robe he wore bore the insignia of a sixth-grade alchemist on its chest.

His youthful face barely qualified as handsome, and his expression carried a hint of arrogance. Yet there was a faint heat in his gaze when he looked at Cao Ying.

"Yes, Teacher Song Qing." Ye Zhong nodded to the young man.

Song Qing was only two years older than him, yet he was already a peak sixth-grade alchemist. It was said that he would certainly reach the seventh grade within three years.

He was reportedly a disciple of the Pill Tower Grand Elder, with talent second only to Cao Ying's within the Pill Tower. He had hopes of becoming its youngest elder of the current generation, and even had a chance of becoming one of its next titans.

Song Qing was still a peak sixth-grade alchemist, so he did not yet qualify to teach. However, thanks to his exceptional talent and the Pill Tower's focus on nurturing him, he had been appointed a teaching assistant.

He was responsible for handling the class's miscellaneous affairs.

"Cao Ying, Que Peng, Zong Tu... Dan Chen, Shi Hao... Xiao Yan..."

"Xiao Yan?" Ye Zhong called again, only to find that Xiao Yan was absent.

What's this guy doing? A little sweat appeared on Ye Zhong's forehead, because he could already sense Song Qing frowning beside him.

Just as he was wondering, the door opened and Xiao Yan walked in, having changed into black robes.

The instant he entered, quite a few of the girls' eyes lit up.

In white robes, Xiao Yan always radiated sunshine and nobility, brimming with youthful charm. Now, dressed in black, he had an air of deep mystery. Combined with that roguish touch on his face, it gave him a rather devilish allure.

"Brother Xiao Yan, you're finally here." Ye Zhong breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Xiao Yan enter.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm late." Though Xiao Yan apologized, there wasn't a trace of guilt on his face. He had merely been the last to arrive; he wasn't actually late.

Song Qing frowned as he glanced at Xiao Yan.

Flaunting your swagger? You're courting death!

Still, mindful of his standing, he said coolly, "Since everyone's here, find yourselves a seat."

The students all found seats upon hearing this. Xiao Yan picked one at random and was just thinking of calling Dan Chen over when he saw Cao Ying approaching, swaying her alluring little waist.

"Well, well, what brings Young Miss Cao to my humble seat?" Xiao Yan joked, crossing one leg over the other.

But Cao Ying sat down with a teasing smile in her eyes and said, "Brother Xiao Yan's alchemy is outstanding. Of course I want to learn from you, Brother Xiao Yan."

Something's wrong. There's something off about this woman. Xiao Yan was wondering what the problem was when he felt an icy gaze settle on him. Looking up, he found that it belonged to the teaching assistant, Song Qing.