In Dorm 108, Lin Mo lay sprawled on his bed for the Nth time, looking as though he had nothing left to live for.
Humiliating. Absolutely humiliating!
Lacking theoretical knowledge, he had actually tried to support nearly a hundred people with his two-ring cultivation, only to flop onto the plaza and pass out.
Passing out was one thing.
But what was the point of only staying out for ten minutes?
Even more humiliatingly, after Zhou Yi explained why he had fainted, every student in Class One had been moved to tears. They all swarmed over and hoisted him high, howling away like primitive people choosing a chief.
Lin Mo sat up on his bed with his face buried in his hands. He desperately needed a shower to cool his head.
All of today's classes had ended, and the remaining time was theirs to spend as they pleased. After showering, Lin Mo decided to take a stroll around Shrek City.
He really had never visited Shrek City in his previous life.
Except, just as Lin Mo stepped out of the academy's eastern gate, he happened to spot Huo Yuhao running a stall not far from the city gate, skillfully cleaning a batch of black carp.
Lin Mo wanted to take a detour, but judging from his previous experiences, he was a hundred percent certain he would be stopped.
Sure enough, Huo Yuhao, who had been cleaning the carp with his head lowered, suddenly looked up and picked him out of the passing crowd at a glance.
"Lin Mo!"
Huo Yuhao immediately set down what he was holding and waved happily at him.
Lin Mo nodded and walked over.
Why hadn't he refused? Because Lin Mo had already figured out the pattern. Even if he found an excuse to leave, he might run into Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao somewhere later.
Running into Xiao Xiao would be fine, but if he ran into Wang Dong'er...
Just thinking about Wang Dong'er's endlessly chattering little mouth gave Lin Mo a headache. He would rather stay with Huo Yuhao.
Seeing Lin Mo approach, the delight in Huo Yuhao's eyes deepened, and he hurriedly stood to offer him his stool.
Without the slightest ceremony, Lin Mo pulled the stool under his backside. Once seated, he propped up his chin and watched Huo Yuhao continue cleaning the carp. It looked as though he planned to earn money by selling grilled fish.
A grilled fish would fetch five copper coins at most.
And him? One Gold Soul Coin a day.
Sure, Huo Yuhao could earn one Gold Soul Coin by selling twenty-five fish a day, but that was before deducting costs and labor.
In his previous life, he had belonged to an evil cult. There had been no wages, and the job description had been risking his life.
Although Xu Yuwan provided food and lodging, she hadn't paid him either.
For the first time, Lin Mo felt that earning money could be so secure and easy. Now this was a normal person's job!
As he thought about it, he couldn't help imagining Gold Soul Coins raining from the sky, while everyone's wealth across the continent shrank a hundred millionfold except his own.
"Hehe, hehehe..."
He was an upstanding young man who neither gambled nor did drugs.
And here on the Douluo Continent, he didn't even dare lust after anyone. What was wrong with indulging in a few fantasies?
To an outsider, Lin Mo was simply giggling like an idiot, but Huo Yuhao, with his rose-tinted filter, was instantly entranced.
Huo Yuhao's POV be like:
The boy sat on the little stool, his posture lazy and relaxed, one hand supporting his chin while the other rested casually on his knee. Afternoon light spilled through the city gate and fell over him, gilding him in warm gold.
His short black hair was a little tousled, a few disobedient strands sticking up, while a faint hint of blue-green streaked the ends.
Under the light, it shimmered, now bright, now dim.
His features had already taken shape, with a prominent brow and a straight nose. Although a lingering boyish softness still showed in his cheeks, the lines of his brows and jaw were already beginning to reveal a sharp edge.
Most devastating of all were those eyes.
His ink-dark eyes were gazing unblinkingly at her, a faint smile rippling in their depths, utterly focused.
As though... he were looking at some priceless treasure.
The instant Huo Yuhao's gaze met those eyes, his heart gave a violent tremor, then began pounding like mad-thump, thump, thump.
I love him.
Love him, love him, love him, love him!
Those words rampaged through his mind, flooding every corner like a scrolling wall of messages.
I love the way Lin Mo looks at me!
I love the way Lin Mo smiles at me!!
I love, love, love Lin Mo!!!
When Lin Mo emerged from his fantasy, he found Huo Yuhao staring blankly at him with a suspicious blush on his face, completely unaware that the carp on the grill were almost burning.
Lin Mo clicked his tongue in disdain. Even if Huo Yuhao were cured, he would still drool.
With that thought, he pointed a fingertip. The flames on the grill quivered, then gathered at his fingertip like a stream of red water.
"Still spacing out? The fish are about to burn."
"...Huh? Ah!"
Huo Yuhao snapped back to his senses. Only then did he realize he had lost his composure, and his blush deepened. He hurriedly turned around and scrambled to flip the fish on the grill.
With a flick of his finger, Lin Mo sent the flame, which had turned blue-green at his fingertip, back onto the grill.
Once the first batch of grilled fish was ready, its fragrance quickly spread. Soon, an older student in a yellow uniform followed the scent over to ask the price.
"Little brother, how much for your grilled fish?"
"Five copper coins each, senior."
The yellow-uniformed senior promptly bought one. At the very first bite, his eyes went wide. The skin was crisp and the flesh tender, and after swallowing, he even felt a faint sense of comfort in both body and mind.
"Little brother," the yellow-uniformed senior said, slapping ten copper coins straight onto the table, "give me two more!"
Seeing his excitement, several other older students skeptically bought one each as well. After eating them, they all praised the fish to the skies.
Before long, Huo Yuhao's tiny stall was surrounded so tightly that not even water could have trickled through.
Huo Yuhao hadn't expected his grilled fish business to do so well either. He hurriedly told everyone that only fourteen fish remained, and that it was first come, first served. Anyone who hadn't secured a place in line should come back tomorrow.
One appetizing grilled fish after another came off the grill, and everyone around him was eating with such relish that, as Lin Mo watched, his stomach began to rumble.
One second, Lin Mo's stomach rumbled.
The next, Huo Yuhao held a grilled fish out in front of him.
"Lin Mo, try it. It's delicious!"
Perhaps it was an illusion, but Lin Mo actually saw a dog's tail wagging madly behind Huo Yuhao.
Still, with a fish delivered right to his mouth, how could he not eat it?
Lin Mo casually took out a silver needle and pricked the grilled fish. After a glance confirmed that its tip hadn't turned black, he bit into the fish.
Hiss~ So delicious!
Huo Yuhao's grilled fish had looks, aroma, and flavor in abundance.
By comparison, his own cooking forfeited the contest in looks, aroma, and flavor.
"Brat, you dare refuse to sell to me?!"
Just as Lin Mo became absorbed in the delicious food and began wolfing it down, a deep, powerful, furious shout abruptly dragged him back to his senses. His sixth sense sounded an alarm as well.
He looked up and saw a large hand reaching for Huo Yuhao's face.
Lin Mo's gaze instantly turned cold.
The chill he had honed on the edge of life and death in his previous life spread from his body. Several people standing close to him immediately shuddered and instinctively moved away.