Third Soul Skill: Shyness

Cao De sat opposite Zhu Zhuqing and picked up a glass of water, taking a sip.

The two drank their tea without saying a word.

A noise came from the top of the stairs. Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong came downstairs arm in arm.

As they descended, Ning Rongrong held on to the railing and walked very slowly.

Xiao Wu noticed immediately and asked with concern, "Rongrong, what's wrong? Did you hurt your leg?"

"I just had a little fall after drinking last night." Ning Rongrong smiled and stroked Xiao Wu's head.

Xiao Wu bent down to check the injury on Ning Rongrong's leg with concern. Ning Rongrong, meanwhile, winked at Cao De.

Xiao Wu didn't notice. Only after finishing her inspection did she say, "It's nothing serious, but you shouldn't wear stockings for a while. They don't let your skin breathe."

"Okay! Thank you for worrying about me, little sister Xiao Wu."

"Call me Sister Xiao Wu."

Watching Ning Rongrong's sly smile, Cao De's lips curved upward. "Come down and eat."

"Okay!" Xiao Wu cheerfully took Ning Rongrong's hand and led her downstairs.

The two girls sat down.

Ning Rongrong picked up the menu on the table. "How about this plain rice porridge?"

Cao De suddenly felt something rubbing back and forth against his calf.

He activated the infrared vision of his Laser Eyes and glanced down. Sure enough, it was Ning Rongrong.

Cao De didn't even know what to say. This side of Ning Rongrong was a little... a little...

At the mention of plain porridge, Xiao Wu firmly shook her head and asked, "Do they have carrot porridge?"

"Let me look." Ning Rongrong flipped through the menu, but her leg never stopped moving.

Cao De smiled as he watched the two order. "I'll have pumpkin porridge. What about you, Zhu Zhuqing?"

"Plain porridge is fine for me," Zhu Zhuqing replied.

Clatter. The menu in Ning Rongrong's hands fell onto the table.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Wu asked with concern.

"Nothing, nothing." Ning Rongrong picked the menu back up.

She tugged hard at her leg, but it wouldn't budge. Yes, Cao De had trapped it between his legs.

"Cao De, what else would you like?" Ning Rongrong asked with a smile.

"Anything's fine. You girls choose." As unruffled as an old man, Cao De picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Okay." Ning Rongrong wore a radiant smile, and her leg beneath the table stopped moving.

Clatter.

The chopsticks beside Ning Rongrong just happened to fall to the floor.

"I'll get them. Rongrong, order a few more carrots. I'm really hungry," Xiao Wu said with a smile.

She bent down to pick up the chopsticks.

The instant Ning Rongrong's chopsticks fell, Cao De released her leg. Ning Rongrong wasn't playing fair!

Ning Rongrong winked at Cao De again.

Cao De sipped his tea and returned her smile.

After those little incidents, Ning Rongrong stopped trying anything else.

They leisurely enjoyed their meal.

Bang!

The door was shoved open, the tremendous noise echoing throughout the first floor.

Cao De looked up and saw Zhao Wuji furiously scanning the room before turning toward their table.

Only when Zhao Wuji spotted Ning Rongrong during his scan of the room did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Earlier, he'd been so preoccupied with that idiot Tang San that he'd only remembered Ning Rongrong after leaving the Star Dou Great Forest.

He had already offended Tang San. If anything happened to Ning Rongrong as well, Zhao Wuji might as well hang himself from a southeast-facing branch.

"Teacher Zhao," Cao De called out in greeting.

Only then did Zhao Wuji notice Cao De, and he froze.

"Cao De, you're not dead?" Zhao Wuji's face was full of astonishment.

"Got lucky." Cao De brushed him off casually and returned his attention to his food.

The girls ignored Zhao Wuji as well. They had all seen how he had behaved back then.

Zhao Wuji sat down nearby awkwardly, leaving the questions in his heart unspoken.

He waited for Cao De to finish eating so they could return to Shrek Academy together.

At Shrek Academy, Oscar lay in bed with purple lips, clearly suffering from severe poisoning.

"San, I know you're angry right now. Oscar was at fault too. But if you don't cure the poison, he'll really die. You won't be able to stay at Shrek Academy either." Yu Xiaogang frowned deeply and patted Tang San's shoulder.

Tang San looked at Oscar lying in bed, his tightly clenched fists slowly loosening. "I understand, Teacher."

A pleased smile appeared on Yu Xiaogang's face, and he patted Tang San's shoulder again. "I knew you could see the bigger picture."

Tang San tapped his waist several times, producing medicine bottles of various sizes, and took out a few pills.

He slowly helped Oscar sit up. As his palm swept across Oscar's chest, a tiny silver needle pricked him without anyone noticing.

After placing the pills in Oscar's mouth, Tang San stood up and said, "Teacher, it's done."

Yu Xiaogang nodded and said with a smile, "I haven't asked what Soul Ring and skill you obtained this time. Let your teacher assess them for you."

At Yu Xiaogang's words, the corner of Tang San's mouth twitched. "Teacher, hunting Soul Beasts this time wore me out a little. I'll go back and rest."

With that, Tang San pushed the door open and left.

Yu Xiaogang was a little stunned. Had Tang San acquired a garbage Soul Skill? From what he knew of Tang San, if it had been an awesome Soul Skill, he would already be showing it off.

The way he'd acted just now meant he must have acquired a rather poor Soul Skill. His teacher would have to comfort him.

Yu Xiaogang grumbled inwardly.

As he walked, Tang San still refused to give up. What if his third Soul Skill had mutated? What if!

Clinging to that hope, Tang San found a deserted patch of woods.

Blue Silver Grass appeared in his hand, along with three yellow Soul Rings.

"Third Soul Skill: Shyness!"

Tang San gave a low cry and carefully observed his surroundings, but nothing changed.

His gaze fell on the Blue Silver Grass in his palm, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

The leaves of the Blue Silver Grass had actually, actually, actually-curled up.

Unwilling to give up, Tang San called out again in a low voice, "First Soul Skill: Blue Silver Grass Entanglement!"

Thick Blue Silver Grass instantly sprang up beneath Tang San's feet and tightly bound a tree.

Tang San gave another low cry. "Third Soul Skill: Shyness!"

The entwined Blue Silver Grass instantly softened, its barbs and leaves all curling up.

Tang San sank weakly to his knees, pounding the ground with his fists. "How could this happen? How could this happen?"

Tang San wallowed in misery in the woods.

Inside the carriage.

Ning Rongrong linked her arm through Xiao Wu's and asked with a smile, "Xiao Wu, tell me, what would you do if your brother liked another girl?"

Xiao Wu blinked and picked up the fruit knife from the fruit platter. "Cut it off, I guess."

Sitting opposite her, Cao De felt a chill in his crotch and gave an awkward laugh. "Xiao Wu, there's no need to go that far, is there?"

"Then what do you suggest, Brother?" Xiao Wu asked with a smile, toying with the fruit knife in her hand.

"Leniency for confession, severity for resistance," Cao De replied timidly.

Pfft! All three girls burst out laughing.

Cao De couldn't quite figure out what was so funny. And what did Zhu Zhuqing's laughter mean?

Noticing Cao De's gaze, Zhu Zhuqing immediately suppressed her smile and resumed her cool, aloof demeanor.

"Cao De, I never thought you'd have your cowardly moments too. Hahaha!"

Ning Rongrong recalled how Cao De had just behaved, then thought back to his earlier cool demeanor. The contrast made her laugh even harder.

Xiao Wu smiled and said, "It's not like I eat people. You don't need to confess either. I already know about you and Rongrong."

Ning Rongrong was a little surprised. "Xiao Wu, you already know?"

Xiao Wu nodded calmly. "I know everything, including how loudly you cried out."

Ning Rongrong froze for a moment, then leaned close to Xiao Wu's ear. "Then how about the three of us do it together?"

Xiao Wu understood, and her face instantly turned red. How could someone like this exist? How could she actually say something like that?

Little Bunny pictured it for a moment, and her face turned even redder.

"Rongrong, y-you... stay away from me!"