Wang Dong

Hearing this, Huo Yuhao glanced at his already tidied bed, then looked up in surprise at his roommate, who was glaring at him with a flushed face and puffed cheeks.

"So kind of you? Thank you."

Wang Dong's cheeks grew hotter. She awkwardly turned her head away and stubbornly said, "Who said I was being kind and tidying up for you? That filthy pile was just an eyesore."

Suddenly, she seemed to realize something and put on a lofty air again. "Don't change the subject. Can you follow these rules or not?"

Seeing how quickly her expression changed, Huo Yuhao countered helplessly, "I can take a few extra days of cleaning, but as for the rest, why should I listen to you?"

Wang Dong snorted coldly. "If you don't listen, I'll beat you out of here. Try me if you don't believe it."

Clearly unfazed by the threat, Huo Yuhao simply looked at Wang Dong calmly, the corners of his mouth lifting. "Sure. How do you want to try?"

Seeing that he refused to back down, Wang Dong felt something was amiss. But she had already said it. How could she take it back? Wouldn't that leave her with no standing at all from now on?

"No Martial Souls. Hand-to-hand combat. Are you in?"

First Dad and Second Dad have tempered my body with heavenly treasures since I was little. My physical abilities far surpass anyone else's. As long as he's below rank thirty, won't beating him be as easy as turning over my hand?

Huo Yuhao had not expected her to dare make such a request either. He immediately took a stance, extending one open hand in a composed gesture.

"Come on."

At that moment, Huo Yuhao was deeply moved. In all the time since he had started reading novels, not one opponent he had encountered had been evenly matched with him. He had never even had a chance to try learning the moves in them.

This time, the other party had proposed it himself, so Huo Yuhao was going to let him get a taste of the "Sunflower Acupoint-Sealing Hand" and the "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth."

No sooner had he spoken than Wang Dong, unable to bear the provocation, surged forward, her fist driving straight toward Huo Yuhao's shoulder with a rush of wind.

Huo Yuhao slid sideways and easily avoided the punch.

After several successive attacks missed, Wang Dong felt a flicker of alarm, and her attacks grew increasingly hurried. Yet whether she punched or kicked, Huo Yuhao always anticipated it and dodged.

As Huo Yuhao dodged, he offered his assessment. "Your forehand is weak, your backhand unrefined, your footwork loose, and your reactions sluggish. Not one move is any good, and you still want to challenge me?"

"Shut up!"

Humiliated and furious, Wang Dong planted her left foot and raised her right leg high in a standing split, chopping it straight down at Huo Yuhao.

This time, Huo Yuhao did not dodge. He swiftly closed in on Wang Dong, raising his hand to catch her calf firmly.

As her warm, slender calf landed in his palm, Wang Dong's entire body abruptly stiffened.

Huo Yuhao applied a little strength and, taking advantage of her loss of balance, turned gently, pinning Wang Dong against the wall.

The distance between them rapidly narrowed, their breaths mingling. One of Wang Dong's legs was still held up by Huo Yuhao, and she was sandwiched between him and the wall in a somewhat comical position.

Huo Yuhao was a little surprised to discover that Wang Dong, a boy, actually gave off a faint, fresh fragrance that was very pleasant to smell.

Moreover, the other party's body was very supple and resilient, with a warm softness to it. At the thought, he squeezed Wang Dong's calf again.

Wang Dong's fair cheeks instantly turned scarlet. She tried to struggle but could not muster any strength, so she hurriedly protested, "Put me down!"

"Admit defeat, and I'll put you down."

"You-"

How could I possibly admit defeat? But staying in this position...

"No fighting in the dorms!"

As the voices of several senior students rang out, the previously closed door suddenly opened.

They had heard sounds of fighting outside and sensed that something was wrong. Hurrying inside to look, they discovered two handsome boys pressed face-to-face beside the wall in an extremely intimate pose.

"..."

Both sides fell silent at once.

"Ha... haha... um, keep it down when you do this sort of thing in the future. Sorry for interrupting!"

After offering that well-meaning reminder, the student in the lead quickly shut the door.

"Senior, why didn't you stop them?"

"Shut up. You need to learn to respect everyone's choices. Don't tell anyone about this. I just never expected it-they're already like this after only a few days. Won't they be turning the lights out early every night from now on?"

Every word of the conversation outside drifted through the gap in the door into their ears.

"..."

"I admit defeat. Put me down."

By now, Wang Dong's face was so red it looked ready to drip blood. She could not take it anymore, and her eyes held a faint trace of despair and resignation.

Seeing this, Huo Yuhao released his hold. Wang Dong staggered half a step before steadying herself, then lay straight down on the bed.

"My reputation is gone. Completely gone. When people look at me and him, who knows what wild things they'll imagine..."

Huo Yuhao looked in confusion at Wang Dong, who was mumbling something he could not make out, and asked, "What does turning the lights out early mean?"

Wang Dong stiffened and kept her mouth shut.

"..."

When she did not respond, Huo Yuhao continued, "It's not that I can't accept those conditions you mentioned. But what I need is respect, not orders!"

She did not answer, instead pulling the blanket over her face. Then, as though something had occurred to her, she pulled it down again.

"Wang Dong."

"What?"

"My name. Wang Dong."

"My name is Huo Yuhao. I look forward to getting along with you."

The heat had yet to fade from Wang Dong's cheeks. She awkwardly turned onto her side and mumbled, "Got it. You talk too much. Since we're supposed to respect each other, we'll take turns cleaning... no, you have to make it up to me for a few days. And what happened just now... don't tell anyone!"

Huo Yuhao answered softly, "No problem."

Seeing that Huo Yuhao had agreed, Wang Dong covered her entire body with the blanket again.

He looked so cute, but it turns out he's a tough bone to crack. He put me in such an embarrassing position just to do a few days less cleaning. How humiliating. From now on... at least for today, I'm not talking to you again!

Huo Yuhao...

Meanwhile, looking at Wang Dong, who had fallen asleep, Huo Yuhao found it unbelievable too. Isn't it only afternoon? How can you sleep?

We've already had a conflict on the first day, but it doesn't seem like a big problem. Still, what should I do tonight? Maybe I should lie low for now and leave it until a few days later.

With that thought, Huo Yuhao moved quietly and gently pushed open the door, planning to stay at Sister Luochеn's courtyard for a few days.

Seeing Huo Yuhao return, Ling Luochеn said in delighted surprise, "Yuhao, what brings you here?"

"Um, Sister Luochеn, that guest room... could I stay there for a few days?"

"Of course. Little Yuhao can stay for as many days as he likes."

Ling Luochеn secretly rejoiced. Although she did not know why Little Yuhao had returned, it was a good thing.

"Wow, how did I just fall asleep? You didn't even wake me."

Wang Dong abruptly sat up in bed. Looking at the sky outside, which had already darkened, she felt a little annoyed. Now I'll have to spend the night cultivating.

"Huh? Where's Huo Yuhao?"

They had been fighting fiercely during the day, yet the dorm room was now empty, which instead left her feeling uncomfortable all over.

"Where did he run off to?"

Wang Dong frowned, feeling both angry and awkward. Is this guy deliberately avoiding me? Honestly, he wasn't even the one who lost out...

Puffing out her cheeks, she paced back and forth by the door, wanting to go out and look. But the moment she thought of what had happened that morning, she returned to the bedside as though sulking.