Shrek Academy
Standing before the grand gates now bearing the words Shrek Academy and watching students in green uniforms pass in and out, Li Chang'an immediately knew—this was definitely Flender's handiwork.
"I wonder how my girls are doing?"
He murmured to himself as he stepped through the entrance. Though he had been away for three months, his name had never stopped echoing throughout Shrek, so he had no fear of being turned away.
"Teacher Li, you're back!"
The gatekeeper greeted him with respect before quickly opening the gate.
"Mm, thank you, Uncle Wang. You've worked hard."
Li Chang'an replied warmly, without a hint of arrogance, and walked on, leaving behind a doorman full of admiration.
"As expected of Teacher Li—so approachable. Way better than that arrogant Yu Xiaogang. Hmph, every time that shameless bastard walks by, he acts like he's some big shot. Pah!" the guard muttered to his partner.
"Exactly. You don't even need to compare. I still remember when Yu Xiaogang got caught streaking. I went to watch—hah! Barely five centimeters. Utter disgrace!"
Li Chang'an didn't need to search. With his spiritual power now reaching transcendent heights, a single thought was enough to lock onto Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing's positions.
At the moment, class was over, and the two girls were strolling across the academy grounds. Though Zhu Zhuqing was naturally reserved, she understood her place within their small circle and had grown close to Xiao Wu. The two often ate together, studied together, and walked side by side like this.
Today, Xiao Wu wore a flowing white dress and had tied her hair into a scorpion braid. Her long legs—her pride—were mostly hidden, but her tall figure and sunny personality still shone through, making her appear vibrant and charming.
By contrast, Zhu Zhuqing wore a long black coat. The breeze toyed with its hem, giving her a graceful yet aloof air. With her loose hair framing her cold, beautiful face, she was the very picture of the campus ice queen—embodying the fantasy of countless students.
"Zhuqing, he's been gone for three months now… do you think something's happened to him?" Xiao Wu asked nervously, tugging at Zhu Zhuqing's arm.
"I trust him."
Zhu Zhuqing had accompanied Li Chang'an to her family estate before, so she knew his true identity. That knowledge gave her confidence in his safety.
"Hmm, I guess… But what if he's out there with some other vixen? Zhuqing, if he really brings back another girl, what do we do?" Xiao Wu's thoughts jumped wildly, but she wasn't entirely wrong.
"What can we do? Could you leave him?" Zhu Zhuqing brushed a strand of hair from her forehead, her cool expression softening into a helpless smile.
His nature was never one to settle down quietly. With his identity, how could it be otherwise?
"I could never leave him… but Zhuqing, we have to form an alliance. We stand together—always." Xiao Wu said with determination.
"Alright." Zhu Zhuqing agreed without hesitation. She might not like fighting over love, but that didn't mean she was immune to jealousy.
Just then, a magnetic voice rang out from behind them, deliberately lowered in tone:
"Ladies, how about giving me the honor of a meal?"
"Go away, we're not—" Xiao Wu started to turn him down, but her eyes landed on the familiar figure.
White robes, clean and refined features, loose black hair swaying gently—he stood there as if he had never left.
"Chang'an!"
Xiao Wu's voice leapt several pitches higher as she bounded into his arms, her springy legs carrying her effortlessly. Her slender arms wrapped tightly around his neck, clinging as if she'd never let go.
"There, there, I'm back now."
Li Chang'an chuckled, his hand casually patting her round ass. Her cheeks flushed bright red, but she stubbornly refused to come down.
Zhu Zhuqing finally approached, giving Li Chang'an a small nod. But he, still cradling Xiao Wu in one arm, extended his other toward Zhu Zhuqing.
Clearly, that empty embrace belonged to her.
Zhu Zhuqing hesitated for only a moment before stepping forward, her face burning as she let herself be pulled into his chest. The rapid pounding of her heart betrayed the storm beneath her icy exterior.
The three remained like that for a while before retreating to a nearby pavilion to talk.
Li Chang'an, of course, didn't reveal where he had been. A few casual words brushed it aside. Instead, he reached into his storage soul tool and produced two gifts.
His storage was always stocked with presents for women. Gifts were the perfect way to shift attention away from his long absence—and soften any potential complaints.
Even Zhu Zhuqing, with her cool nature, couldn't resist a thoughtful present—let alone Xiao Wu, who adored trendy trinkets.
For Xiao Wu, he pulled out a limited-edition rabbit-shaped purse from the Li Chamber of Commerce's newest line—priced at ten thousand gold soul coins, and nearly impossible to buy even with money. Though Xiao Wu wasn't big on fashion, she could still recognize its value.
What she didn't know was that Li Chang'an could fetch as many as he wanted—since he himself was the designer.
"Muah!"
Xiao Wu kissed his cheek enthusiastically before sitting aside, absorbed in admiring her new bag. Clearly, she was giving Zhu Zhuqing the next turn.
"This is yours."
Li Chang'an handed Zhu Zhuqing a more elegant bag, perfectly suited to her style.
"Thank you."
Her voice softened as she lowered her gaze, avoiding his eyes.
"Well, shouldn't I get a kiss too?" Li Chang'an teased, tapping his other cheek and closing his eyes in expectation.
A delicate fragrance wafted close, followed by the briefest brush of warm lips. When he opened his eyes, Zhu Zhuqing was already seated a little distance away, her cheeks crimson.
"Ahem. So, did anything happen at the academy while I was gone these three months?" Li Chang'an finally asked, rubbing the spot she had kissed.
"There actually was something."
Xiao Wu set aside her bag and began explaining one matter after another.
First, Yu Xiaogang had not left Shrek in shame. Instead, he stayed and became the academy's librarian.
However, both Flender and Liu Erlong had cooled significantly in their treatment of him. Gone was the warmth they once held.
It wasn't hard to see why—after all, his past behavior had been shameful, especially bullying juniors. And since he refused to honestly reveal the source of his strength, how could they feel at ease around him?
But Xiao Wu's next piece of news once again reminded Li Chang'an of just how relentlessly the Divine Realm worked to "fix" Tang San's destiny.
___
🎉 Big Shoutout to Victor Saez Baez!🎉
A heartfelt thank you to Victor Saez Baez for joining my Patreon and supporting this journey! 🙏✨
Your generosity truly makes a difference and helps bring chapters out faster for everyone. 🚀
Welcome to the VIP family, Victor Saez Baez—you're awesome! 💎🙌