Huo Wu's transformation was something Xiao Ze hadn't expected.
It seemed Huo Wu was only fiery on the surface; deep down, she was still a shy young girl.
This contrast was quite interesting.
Though she said those words, her body seemed to be under a paralysis spell, showing no intention of breaking free. Her usually bright eyes were now moist, like those of a startled fawn.
Ning Rongrong couldn't bear to watch anymore and suddenly reached out to pat Huo Wu's perky little bottom.
"Oh!" Huo Wu jumped up as if electrocuted, springing away from Xiao Ze's embrace. She covered the 'attacked' spot and glared at the suddenly appearing Ning Rongrong with a mix of shame and anger: "You... what are you doing!"
Ning Rongrong put her hands on her hips. "Even if you two want to hug, don't do it in public~"
Then she winked, "Look how embarrassed you've made our little sister Huo Wu~"
Huo Wu then realized how much attention her actions had drawn.
She frantically looked around, finding that not only some of the academy's team members had their mouths agape, but even some teachers were showing meaningful smiles.
"Mmm~~" A cute whimper escaped her throat, and Huo Wu instantly curled into a ball, covering her face and squatting on the ground.
She wished she could find a hole to crawl into, her exposed ear tips so red they almost seemed to bleed.
Xiao Ze found Huo Wu even more interesting; she was truly adorable.
Externally heroic and fiery, internally cute and shy—this contrast made Xiao Ze very interested in her.
But why was she angry before?
Just as Xiao Ze was about to ask, he suddenly noticed Huo Wu, who was squatting on the ground, peeking at him through her fingers.
The moment their eyes met, Huo Wu buried her face even deeper, leaving only a stubborn tuft of red hair sticking out, trembling with her breathing.
Ning Rongrong squatted beside Huo Wu and mischievously poked her flushed cheek: "Oh my, being this shy isn't like the young miss of our Blazing Academy. Weren't you very formidable on the stage before? Even wanting to have a one-on-one fight with our Xiao Ze?"
"No... none of your business!" Huo Wu's muffled voice came from within her arms.
"Eh~ So, student Huo Wu is this cute~" Meng Yiran had also somehow come over, curiously squatting on the other side.
Huo Wu suddenly lifted her head, only to find herself surrounded by several girls. She immediately became flustered and anxious, her eyes reddening: "You all..."
Xiao Ze couldn't help but chuckle at this scene.
He immediately received a look of mortified anger from Huo Wu, but her moist gaze was more like a playful pout than a threat.
"Alright, alright, stop teasing her." In the end, it was Ye Lingling who stepped in to resolve the situation.
However, Huo Wu was still pulled to the back row by Ning Rongrong and the others.
Xiao Ze perked up his ears, wanting to hear what they were saying, but was suddenly drawn by a gaze.
It was a rather handsome young man, tall and slender, wearing a green team uniform.
Xiao Ze knew without guessing that this was definitely the devoted Feng Xiaotian.
Although Feng Xiaotian eventually succeeded, it was hard to say whether Huo Wu truly liked him.
But now, it seemed, he had no chance with Huo Wu.
On the other side, Feng Xiaotian was completely petrified.
He gripped the railing tightly, his knuckles white. His eyes were wide now, watching as Huo Wu, whom he had pursued since childhood, was actually held in Xiao Ze's arms like a docile kitten.
"This is impossible!!" Feng Xiaotian muttered, his voice trembling.
He touched his nose and suddenly felt it was red and round, just like a clown's.
Countless fragments of memories flashed through Feng Xiaotian's mind.
The breakfast he brought every day, rain or shine, Huo Wu always casually tossed to her teammates.
The birthday gift he meticulously prepared, Huo Wu didn't even look at it before stuffing it into her locker.
...
She never seemed to give him a single chance.
"So... what have I been doing all these years!" Feng Xiaotian clutched his hair in agony.
The most ironic part was that Huo Wu's current pursuit of Xiao Ze was exactly like his own back then.
"Captain, are you alright?" A teammate behind him cautiously asked.
"I'm fine!" Feng Xiaotian spun around abruptly, startling his teammate. He forced out a smile that was uglier than crying.
His teammates all felt that Feng Xiaotian was too pathetic.
But it didn't seem to be Huo Wu's fault.
From childhood, Huo Wu had always treated Feng Xiaotian as a good friend, never saying she liked the captain, but the captain had always been persistent.
They had all seen it, and really didn't know what to say.
Now, Huo Wu seemed to have someone she liked. Although the person looked like a scoundrel, it didn't matter since Huo Wu liked him.
They also didn't feel it was their place to say anything.
Furthermore, they believed that someone liked by so many outstanding women was definitely not ordinary, so it was normal for Huo Wu to fall for him.
Xiao Ze was strong and handsome.
Alas... they didn't know where the captain still had a chance of winning.
And Huo Wu didn't like people just because they were powerful; they saw them laughing and joking, it was purely a matter of personality.
Captain, give up.
Of course, they couldn't say these words out loud, they'd be beaten to death.
Not only were his teammates worried about Feng Xiaotian, but even the accompanying teacher was concerned.
The battle between Tianshui Academy and Thunder Academy was nearing its end.
Under the powerful suppression of Tianshui Academy, Thunder Academy was countered.
Yu Tianheng and Jade Heavenheart, the only two Spirit Ancestors of Thunder Academy, couldn't gain any advantage, even with the amplification of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
Water Binger's individual control was too strong, and Snow Dance's comprehensive debuff effects made them very uncomfortable.
As for Dai Mubai, he was also held back. Although one person from Tianshui Academy was not Dai Mubai's match, merely holding him back was enough.
Tang San, without Ice-Fire Refinement, had no ice resistance, so his control abilities couldn't be fully utilized.
Thunder Academy's team had a very obvious weakness: almost all were offensive Spirit Masters, with only Tang San and Ning Youyou being exceptions.
But Tang San's strength couldn't be fully utilized, making him useless, and Ning Youyou hadn't learned Heart Separation Control, so her auxiliary ability was mediocre and couldn't last long.
The remaining four Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragons were fighting very restrictively. Tianshui Academy didn't confront them head-on, just annoyed them and kept them on the move.
Anyone with eyes could see that Thunder Academy was about to lose.
Huo Wushuang sighed and walked over to Feng Xiaotian.
"Don't make that face; it's quite disgusting to look at. The Feng Xiaotian I know isn't like this."
"Wushuang, do you think I'm very ridiculous right now?" Feng Xiaotian sniffled.
"Yes, quite ridiculous."
Feng Xiaotian's face instantly fell.
"But not shameful. You should know that your pursuit of my sister was open and honest. If my sister doesn't like you, that's her business. You've done your part; it just means you two weren't destined.
Feng Xiaotian, you need to be clear-headed. Your life isn't just about my sister; you have your own life, and you need to live for yourself!"