Zhang Yang was still examining his reward.
Suddenly, Xiao Xiao quietly sidled over.
The two were already sitting close together, with only Huo Yuhao between them. Now they were just a meter apart.
Her youthful face was tense and apprehensive, and her ears turned bright red as she spoke. She had actually taken the initiative to invite him?
That caught Zhang Yang off guard.
But on second thought, it wasn't so strange.
She might have looked adorably ditzy, like a delicate little loli, but while her chest wasn't big, her courage was.
Just a few days ago, she had confessed to Wang Dong'er right in front of Huo Yuhao, though she hadn't succeeded in the end.
"Sure! I just got to the academy and don't know anyone or anything here. Having someone show me around would be great!"
Zhang Yang was doing it on purpose, of course. Even if Xiao Xiao hadn't invited him, he would have approached her himself.
All three people before him were targets the system had identified. Maxing out their favorability would earn him rewards.
"Yay! That's great!"
Xiao Xiao cheered without thinking when she heard him.
She completely forgot that class was still in session.
For Zhang Yang's sake, Zhou Yi had originally turned a blind eye to everyone's chatter and let it go.
But this girl was going too far. How could she ask Zhang Yang on a date... no, how could she disrupt the class?
"Xiao Xiao! Stand up!"
"As punishment, you're not allowed to sit down for the rest of this class!"
Zhou Yi glared fiercely at her, exercising her authority as the homeroom teacher.
Seeing this, the students' gazes once again converged on Zhang Yang, and quite a few girls beat their chests and stamped their feet.
Was it that easy to ask Zhang Yang out? If they'd known, they would have gone for it too. Xiao Xiao had beaten them to it!
"All right, all right, class is starting. Quiet, everyone!"
Zhou Yi let out a helpless growl, finally remembering her job.
But this class was destined to be anything but peaceful. Everyone's mind was elsewhere.
Whether bold or bashful, the girls kept staring at Zhang Yang from time to time. What was on the blackboard didn't matter.
The boys were much the same. A few looked at him with stars in their eyes, just like the girls, while most were hostile and jealous. Either way, not one of them wasn't looking.
Even Zhou Yi wasn't much better, really.
Max-level charm was overwhelmingly powerful, sweeping up mature beauties and lolis alike.
With a classroom environment this awful, her temperament should have made her angry.
Yet whenever she felt like losing her temper, one look at Zhang Yang made her anger vanish for no apparent reason.
And so, the morning's classes ended in a daze, with no one remembering what had been taught.
Although Xiao Xiao's legs had gone weak from standing, the thought of having lunch together soon made her feel as if happiness were overflowing.
The moment she heard the bell, she didn't hesitate for an instant. She immediately came up to Zhang Yang and said with a smile, "Come on, come on! I know a place with really good food!"
But just then, Zhou Yi, who hadn't yet left the lectern, suddenly cut her off. "Zhang Yang, stay behind for a moment. I have something to ask you..."
Xiao Xiao's head was full of question marks...
Beside her, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong'er widened their eyes.
Quite a few classmates who had been sneaking glances at Zhang Yang and couldn't bear to leave yet also heard Zhou Yi.
Surprised murmurs immediately arose. What was the homeroom teacher planning? Was the old cow after tender grass?
"Come to think of it, is Teacher Zhou single?"
Many people wondered about that, but didn't know the answer.
Zhang Yang didn't refuse. He told Xiao Xiao to wait a moment, then walked straight to the lectern.
A check-in panel instantly appeared before him. Although she was only a minor supporting character, the system had recognized her too.
[Zhou Yi: homeroom teacher of Freshman Class One, favorability: 30 (satisfied and appreciative) (check-in unavailable)]
"Teacher Zhou, did you need something?"
As Zhang Yang spoke, his sunny, cheerful bearing was on full display.
"It's nothing important. I just wanted to ask which department you plan to choose."
"I don't know much about Body Martial Souls, especially one as unusual as yours, so I need to get a clear idea first."
So she was asking about class assignments.
Though Zhou Yi had a bad temper, she was sufficiently qualified as a teacher.
Understanding dawned on Zhang Yang. With a resolute expression, he gave his answer without the slightest hesitation.
He had already given this some thought, so it wasn't difficult to decide.
"I choose the control department."
How was a charm Martial Soul supposed to be used?
History had already provided the answer.
Ten thousand years ago, during the Douluo I era, Hu Liena had been a weakened version of Zhang Yang.
Once someone was charmed, wasn't that equivalent to controlling them? It was actually very easy to understand.
There was another reason as well. Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong'er, and Xiao Xiao had all chosen the control department, and being in the same class would make it easier to build favorability.
"Hmm... I don't really understand, but if you say so, it should be right. I'll ask a teacher from the inner academy later. Come find me anytime if you need anything."
Zhou Yi neither grew angry nor questioned him.
She simply felt that Zhang Yang was right.
She gently hinted that he could come to her, then suddenly seemed to remember something.
"Oh, right. Your records say you have Innate Full Soul Power at rank ten, but you haven't obtained a Soul Ring yet. Do you need help?" She seemed to want to say more, but after glancing at Xiao Xiao and the other two not far away, she closed her mouth again.
"Thank you for the offer, Teacher Zhou, but there's no need. Senior Sister Zhang has already promised to take me to the Star Dou Great Forest once I've gotten familiar with the academy." Zhang Yang politely declined, smiling faintly at Zhou Yi.
She was a character recognized by the system, after all.
If the opportunity was right, it wasn't as though he couldn't check in with her, was it?
Of course, she was certainly a very low priority. She couldn't compare with Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong'er, or Xiao Xiao, nor could she compare with Senior Sister Zhang.
He meant Zhang Lexuan. She had brought him back to the academy, so there was no way she would just leave him to his own devices. Her "after-sales service" was very sincere.
"Mm, then I won't worry about it."
Zhou Yi nodded. Did her tone seem to conceal regret?
Zhang Yang didn't think much of it. He cupped his fists in farewell, then turned and walked out of the classroom.
Xiao Xiao hurried after him. Somewhat "unexpectedly," Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong followed too.
"Hey, you two..." Xiao Xiao had suggested lunch together because she naturally wanted to be alone with Zhang Yang, so her expression darkened a little.
"We're teammates for the freshman assessment now. We're afraid you'll get lured away!" Wang Dong'er spoke as though it were only natural, but her eyes had already given her away.
There's a chance! Zhang Yang gave her a silent thumbs-up.
Building favorability with them at the same time was fantastic!
As for Huo Yuhao, he was slow to react in this regard and was simply tagging along with Wang Dong.
"Since we all get along, let's go together." Zhang Yang readily agreed.
"Fine, together it is. Wang Dong, you definitely did that on purpose!" Xiao Xiao pouted and grumbled under her breath.
Soon, the four of them headed toward the academy gates.
How could they eat in the cafeteria on their first "date"?
Xiao Xiao wasn't short of money, so she offered to treat them to a meal at a restaurant outside.
They crossed the main road from the teaching building, and it was quite a long way. The journey was anything but peaceful.
The effect of max-level charm wasn't simply an improvement in looks, but a transformation from the inside out.
Even though Zhang Yang didn't deliberately show his face and had even covered it a little to keep a low profile and avoid trouble,
his seemingly "glowing" bearing made him stand out in a crowd, and he still attracted plenty of attention.
Too much charm isn't necessarily always a good thing.
Zhang Yang sighed inwardly, his tone more than a little deserving of a punch.
The four quickened their pace and didn't stop anywhere, finally managing to avoid being surrounded by onlookers.
When they reached the restaurant, Xiao Xiao ignored the proprietress's strange gaze and decisively paid extra for a private room. Her expression was peculiar, and she was filled with emotion.
"Zhang Yang, your constitution is too powerful."
"You don't have a single Soul Ring, and the effect is already this outrageous."
"If you became a Titled Douluo, wouldn't you end up attracting even the goddesses of legend..."