After handing in the sheets of white paper on which they had written their future cultivation preferences, the other students left the classroom and returned to their dorms. Only Lin Xi and the other two remained. At that moment, the other classes were still heatedly discussing their group assignments for the freshman assessment.
"Hand them over. Wang Dong, what are you hiding for?" Zhou Yi took the sheets from the three of them. Wang Dong immediately lowered her head and quietly stepped back, hiding behind Lin Xi.
Looking at the three sheets in her hand, Zhou Yi's eye twitched. Then she looked up at Lin Xi, Huo Yutong, and Wang Dong.
"Well, well! You three are deliberately trying to put me in my place, are you?"
Hearing that familiar line, Lin Xi froze.
Wait, seriously?
Seeing that Zhou Yi was about to slap the unfortunate sheets onto the desk, Lin Xi hurriedly stopped her.
"Teacher, don't tell me all three of us wrote down the control system?"
"...?"
Zhou Yi gave him a startled look and nodded.
"That's right."
He had originally thought Lin Xi had led the others in playing a prank on her. Judging by his surprised expression, was that not what had happened?
The corner of Lin Xi's mouth twitched as he looked at Wang Dong, who had somehow hidden behind Huo Yutong instead.
"Wang Dong, come here and change what you wrote."
"Huh? No!"
Under Zhou Yi's and Lin Xi's piercing gazes, Wang Dong steeled herself and explained.
"I know choosing control seems a little wrong for me, but look, I can fly and use ranged attacks. I can easily oversee and control the situation across the whole field. Doesn't that count as a kind of control too?"
"Change it."
But Lin Xi refused to listen to her excuses and merely repeated himself with a dark expression.
"Waaah, Teacher Zhou..."
Unable to persuade Lin Xi, Wang Dong could only turn her tearful eyes toward Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi did not know whether to laugh or cry at her antics.
"Don't look at me. I know what you're thinking. You don't want to be separated from Lin Xi, right? You fool, when have you ever seen power attack and control go their separate ways? Yes, you'll be assigned to different classes, but you won't be separated from him. Change it."
"Hehe." A smile instantly blossomed across Wang Dong's face, as though her tears just now had all been fake. "That's good, then!"
Then, in a few quick strokes, she changed the control system she had written to the power attack system.
After that little fuss, Zhou Yi had lost her temper for scolding. She turned to Lin Xi and Huo Yutong.
"What about you two? Lin Xi, I know you're definitely suited to the control system. But what's going on with Huo Yutong? Fan Yu told me about that Soul Skill of yours. It's an auxiliary-type skill, isn't it? Don't tell me you don't want to be separated from Lin Xi either?"
"No." Huo Yutong gently shook her head. "Although my main role right now is support, that doesn't mean I won't have offensive Soul Skills in the future. In my view, the control system suits me better than the auxiliary system."
She did not want to play support.
Not wanting to be separated from Lin Xi was part of it, but most importantly, she did not want to be someone who could only stand behind him. She wanted to fight alongside him.
Zhou Yi nodded in agreement.
"True. Thinking it over carefully, the control system really does have better prospects than the auxiliary system. You pass."
She paused, then looked at Lin Xi.
"Lin Xi, do you know why I asked you three to stay?"
She believed this clever child would understand what she meant.
"..."
Yet no answer came from Lin Xi.
He was simply staring at Wang Dong with a frown, his thoughts unknown.
Zhou Yi immediately grew somewhat angry and slapped the desk.
"Lin Xi, are you listening?!"
"Ah." Only then did Lin Xi snap out of it. "Are you saying we have to win the championship?"
"Yes, that goes without saying." Only then did Zhou Yi's expression ease. She sighed. "But I have another request. It would be best if you didn't make a move. Even if you do, don't take it too seriously, all right?"
"Oh." Lin Xi instantly understood what Zhou Yi meant. "You're telling me not to steal too much of the spotlight, right? No problem."
In fact, his participation in this assessment benefited no one.
Having an expert who could instantly kill a Soul Emperor step into the arena to beat up a bunch of elementary schoolers with no more than three rings was like a tiger charging into a flock of sheep. There was no suspense whatsoever.
That went against Zhou Yi's original intention.
Her task was to get more of her students noticed by the academy, not to let Lin Xi alone steal all the glory.
Of course, Lin Xi had no objection to that.
He was no sadist. Beating up little kids did not interest him in the slightest.
More importantly, Lin Xi had always felt that Huo Yutong lacked far too much confidence. It was time to let her beat some of her peers and build up her confidence.
The present Huo Yutong was already different from when she first enrolled. With her weaknesses initially addressed, she was absolutely outstanding among children her age.
He looked forward to seeing Huo Yutong's confident expression in the future.
He had not realized that he himself was the greatest reason for Huo Yutong's inferiority complex.
He asked with a smile.
"Teacher Zhou, was there anything else you wanted to keep us here for?"
"No."
"All right, we'll head back first, then. Is that okay?"
"...Mm."
With somewhat complicated feelings, Zhou Yi watched Lin Xi lead the two girls out of the classroom.
Although her first impression of Lin Xi had been terrible, she actually thought quite favorably of him now.
Calm in handling matters, polite, mild-tempered, talented, and quick-witted, he could be called the ideal student.
Unfortunately, their principles differed. They were destined not to get along.
After returning to the dorm room, Lin Xi did not choose to start cultivating immediately as he usually did.
Instead, he turned around and looked at Wang Dong with a solemn expression.
"Wang Dong, why did you write down the control system earlier? Was it really like Zhou Yi said? You didn't want to be separated from me?"
"Huh?!" Caught off guard, Wang Dong immediately became flustered. Blushing, she turned her head aside and said rather petulantly, "Y-yes! What, is that not allowed?"
"If that's all it is, there's certainly nothing wrong with it."
Yet although she had turned her face away, Lin Xi refused to let her evade him. He shifted position and looked straight into Wang Dong's eyes.
He asked.
"Wang Dong'er, you don't have a crush on me, do you?"
Although Wang Dong had always been rather clingy with him, he had thought it was simply because they were roommates and had not taken it to heart.
But after what had happened today, he felt he could no longer turn a blind eye.
This was not something an ordinary roommate would do.
Perhaps he had been looking in the wrong direction all along. The one he really needed to guard against was not Huo Yutong, but himself.
"Eeeeeeh-?!"
Suddenly addressed by her real name and asked such a sensitive question, Wang Dong completely lost her composure.
"D-d-d-don't be ridiculous! You're always bullying me, making fun of me, and giving me dirty looks! Do you think I'm a masochist?!"
"Fair point." Lin Xi let out a long breath. "That's good, then. It would be terrible if you liked me."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Wang Dong immediately grew displeased again. "Would having me like you make you that unhappy?"
"...What exactly do you want?"
"A-anyway." Wang Dong coughed awkwardly and shifted her gaze elsewhere, looking somewhat guilty. "I don't like you that way, so don't get the wrong idea."
"Understood."
Lin Xi nodded and sat down on the bed, ready to begin cultivating.
Wang Dong stared, dumbfounded.
"You're not going to ask me again?"
Lin Xi rolled his eyes.
"You've already said that. What else is there to confirm?"
Based on Wang Dong's answers and reactions just now, he was ninety percent certain that she currently had some feelings for him.
Knowing that much was enough for now. Asking more would only introduce more variables.
Lin Xi could not help feeling a headache coming on.
He did not think he had treated this girl particularly well over the past three months.
His sarcasm and verbal attacks went without saying. He had barely even shown Wang Dong a pleasant expression.
Why had she still developed feelings for him?
What the hell? Surely she couldn't really have the makings of an M?