Xiao Wu's Affection: Get!

"Heh!" Su Lin sneered and took a deep breath, his chest swelling slightly. Just as Tang San thought he was about to release his Lightning Rat to spar with him, Su Lin turned his head, raised his voice, and shouted toward the far end of the corridor, "Teacher! Someone in Dorm Seven is bullying the newcomers! Help!"

His voice was incredibly loud, carrying the piercing high pitch unique to a six-year-old as it traveled straight down the corridor. Never mind three floors away-even over at the teaching building, they could probably hear it faintly.

Just one second later, hurried footsteps sounded at the far end of the corridor, drawing closer.

Tang San, who stood nearest, had his eardrums buzzing from that shout. He instinctively turned his head aside, his mouth twitching as he covered his ears with a speechless expression. "Hey! You-!"

The work-study boys at Dorm Seven's door all took a large step back in perfect unison, staring at Su Lin in horror as though they had seen a ghost.

Standing behind Su Lin, Xiao Wu froze for a moment too, staring blankly at him. "You can do that?"

Su Lin smugly glanced back and raised his eyebrows at Xiao Wu. "This is called subduing the enemy without a fight. Classmate Xiao Wu, watch and learn."

What a joke. He would have to have a short circuit in his brain to provoke Tang San at a time like this.

Leaving everything else aside, Haozi might well be lurking in some corner.

If he released Pikachu to fight Tang San now, winning the fight would be a minor matter. Pikachu would probably die one night in the future from a wooden club flying out of who knew where.

Forget all that talk about the strong bullying the weak. The Tang-style thinking of the old Tang family was not something ordinary people could fathom.

Just then, a middle-aged man wearing a dark blue instructor's uniform strode over, looking displeased as he surveyed everyone. "What happened?"

Completely unruffled, Su Lin raised his little hand, pointed at Wang Sheng and Tang San, then pointed at Xiao Wu. "They bullied her."

"I didn't..." Wang Sheng stiffened his neck and was just about to offer a few words in his defense, but when he looked up and met the teacher on duty's darkening gaze, most of his bravado instantly drained away. He could no longer get a word out.

Although this teacher on duty was only an ordinary Soul Grandmaster, he had worked at Nuoding Academy for over a decade, after all. What kind of student mischief had he not seen?

The guilt was written all over Wang Sheng's face. One look was enough to tell he had been caught red-handed.

The teacher on duty then looked at Tang San. Tang San's expression was much calmer than Wang Sheng's, but his lips were pressed into a thin line, and an indescribable sense of grievance lay suppressed in his eyes. Clearly, he had yet to recover from the absurd turn of events in which a six-year-old had shouted for a teacher to tattle on him. His entire bearing seemed dazed.

The teacher on duty sighed.

To be honest, he had long known about the rules these work-study students in Dorm Seven had come up with. Every new intake had to establish a pecking order: win and become the boss, lose and become a lackey. It was always the same routine. It was not as though the teachers had heard nothing about it, but they all tacitly agreed to leave it alone.

After all, they were merely a bunch of work-study students, with neither backgrounds nor resources, constantly crossing paths at the academy. They already had reason to thank heaven and earth if the regular students did not bully them. This little roughhousing within their dormitory really did not warrant making a major issue of it.

But this time was different.

The teacher on duty could not help taking another couple of looks at Su Lin. This boy was someone Principal Jiang had personally instructed them to pay special attention to that very morning. Any single one of the reasons was enough that a mere teacher on duty like him could not afford to slight him.

Since Su Lin had spoken up, if he still failed to deal with it and word reached Principal Jiang, he would be the one to suffer.

So, after a moment's consideration, the teacher on duty sternly told Wang Sheng and Tang San, "Apologize to this student. Also, for the next half month, the two of you will be responsible for cleaning this floor. Clean it once every morning and evening. I'll inspect it myself."

Wang Sheng's mouth twitched, but seeing the teacher on duty's expression, which brooked no argument, he could only resign himself to his fate. He turned and bowed awkwardly to Xiao Wu. "S-sorry."

Tang San was helpless too. He had never imagined Su Lin would tell a teacher. How could this little kid be so shameless? With circumstances leaving him no choice now, he could only follow suit and apologize to Xiao Wu.

"Su Lin, are you satisfied with this resolution?" The teacher on duty turned around, his tone unconsciously softening considerably as he addressed Su Lin, even taking on a somewhat consultative note.

"That's fine. Sorry for the trouble, Teacher." Su Lin nodded obediently, looking sensible and well-behaved.

He had never intended to make a big deal out of this. He had merely wanted to cut in on an iconic scene along the way and make a connection with Xiao Wu while he was at it.

Stopping at this point was good for both sides.

Still...

After a pause, as though something had suddenly occurred to him, he added, "Oh, right, Teacher. Could I trouble you to move Xiao Wu to another dormitory? She's a girl, so it's not very convenient for her to stay in Dorm Seven with so many boys. I'm afraid she might be targeted again later."

"Move dormitories?" The teacher on duty froze, looking troubled. Had any other student dared make such a request, he would have sent them off to cool their heels elsewhere. But again, the student before him was Su Lin. Unable to refuse outright, he could only say with some difficulty, "Su Lin, Xiao Wu is a work-study student..."

His words were vague, but his meaning was clear. Work-study students were not included in the academy's accommodation budget to begin with. Giving them a communal dormitory was already an extra consideration. If they arranged a separate dormitory, who would cover the additional accommodation fees, maintenance fees, and other expenses?

He was just a struggling teacher. There was no reason for him to go that far for a student he did not even know.

"That's not a problem." Su Lin grinned and swept his hand grandly, declaring with extravagant generosity, "Don't worry, Teacher. I'll cover her tuition from now on."

Wealth Village might not have much of anything else, but it certainly had plenty of money.

The monthly allowance Uncle Grant gave him alone amounted to ten whole Gold Soul Coins.

Never mind supporting one work-study student-that sum was more than enough to support an entire class.

"Huh? No, no need." Xiao Wu hurriedly tugged at Su Lin's arm and shook it, saying quietly, "Let's just forget it. I heard tuition is pretty expensive. Besides, none of them can beat me. No one can target me."

"It's all right." Su Lin turned his head and looked gently at Xiao Wu. "We're friends, aren't we?"

Xiao Wu opened her mouth, and the faintest trace of warmth immediately rippled through her large, watery eyes. She paused, then nodded firmly. "Mm! We're friends!"

"That's right."

Su Lin grinned.

Seeing this, Tang San instinctively covered his chest. For some reason, he kept feeling hollow inside, as though he had lost something.