"Xiao Wu, why?"
Tang San looked puzzled and even a bit aggrieved. He was the one who provided the Consumption Vouchers and wanted to treat Xiao Wu to a meal.
Why did Xiao Wu want to take Li Yuan to dinner?
Xiao Wu turned back to look at him and blinked, as if she had just remembered she needed to explain:
"Because Xiao Yuan helped me a lot before. Now that we're about to graduate, I'm just using this meal to thank him."
"Oh, so that's how it is."
Tang San suddenly understood, and his heart immediately felt much better, even slightly happy and excited.
Over the years, his pursuit of Xiao Wu had failed to make any progress.
A big reason for that was that Xiao Wu always seemed to like looking for Li Yuan.
Now it was fine!
What was this sudden invitation to dinner as thanks?
This was clearly "repaying a favor."
Once the debt of gratitude was paid, wouldn't she be completely even with Li Yuan and draw a clear line between them?
Then wouldn't his, Tang San's, chance finally come?
Thinking of this, the hostility in Tang San's eyes as he looked at Li Yuan diminished.
He straightened his back and ordered Li Yuan in a tone that sounded like he was the master of the house: "Li Yuan, when you eat later, you must take good care of Xiao Wu. You're not allowed to bully her!"
He had no good feelings toward this person who had repeatedly shown contempt for his teacher, Yu Xiaogang.
Hearing this, a faint, half-smile appeared on the corner of Li Yuan's mouth. He glanced at Tang San: "How interesting. She didn't say anything herself, yet you're warning me? If there's something wrong with your head, go see a doctor."
He didn't bother wasting more words on Tang San and turned directly to Xiao Wu, his tone flat: "Xiao Wu, are we still going? If not, I'm going back to the dormitory."
"Oh, Tang San, why are you running your mouth! Honestly!"
Seeing Li Yuan about to leave, Xiao Wu immediately became anxious. She stomped her foot in annoyance at Tang San and scolded him.
She had finally convinced herself to spend a fortune (though it wasn't necessary now) and had even swallowed her pride; she couldn't let Li Yuan just walk away like that.
Being yelled at by Xiao Wu, Tang San was suddenly at a loss, like a child who had done something wrong: "Xiao Wu, I... I'm doing this for your own good..."
"If it's for my own good, then keep your mouth shut!"
Xiao Wu interrupted him crossly, then immediately turned around with a smile, grabbing Li Yuan's hand with a slightly pleasing tone: "Xiao Yuan, don't listen to his nonsense. Let's go eat right now, immediately!"
After saying that, without waiting for Li Yuan to react, she pulled him and walked quickly toward the academy exit.
Her posture suggested she was afraid that if she were a second late, Li Yuan would change his mind, or Tang San would say something else to make people angry.
Tang San stood there, his outstretched hand frozen in mid-air. Watching the two of them walk away like a couple, he opened his mouth and hurriedly apologized: "Xiao Wu, I'm sorry! You two must have a happy meal later!"
Once their figures had completely disappeared from sight, he slapped his own face hard, feeling incredibly regretful: "Agh, why did I have to open my big mouth?"
But soon, Tang San comforted himself again: "Forget it, let Li Yuan be smug one last time. Anyway, graduation is coming up. Someone like him with no background or resources... well, he'll probably only be able to scrape by in some ordinary Intermediate Spirit Master academy."
Thinking of this, a sense of superiority couldn't help but flash in his eyes: "Fortunately, Teacher already contacted a High-level Spirit Master Academy for me... When I tell Xiao Wu in a few days, she'll definitely be very happy, right?"
"I heard that any random teacher there is at the Spirit Emperor level... I can't even imagine what kind of figure the Dean must be."
Tang San could already see the look of admiration in Xiao Wu's eyes.
In contrast, Li Yuan's future seemed dim and bleak.
Tang San's heart was full of relief, glad that he had taken Yu Xiaogang as his teacher early on.
Otherwise, with his meager background and knowledge from back then, how could he have ever come into contact with an academy of this level?
One generation plants the trees, another enjoys the shade.
Tang San had experienced this principle all too deeply in his past life in the Tang Sect.
Why could those direct Disciples of the Tang Sect Cultivate the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, while he, an Outer Sect Disciple, didn't even have the right to take a single look?
He would never forget that suffocating feeling of being excluded from the core Legacy.
He also never regretted stealing the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record.
At most, he would flourish the Tang Sect's secret techniques in this life, which could be considered repaying the Tang Sect's "debt of instruction."
And now, Teacher Yu Xiaogang was the "predecessor" who had planted the big tree for him, and Shrek Academy was that vast expanse of shade.
Tang San looked again in the direction where Li Yuan and Xiao Wu had disappeared. The last bit of lingering unpleasantness in his eyes was replaced by a condescending pity:
"Li Yuan, oh Li Yuan, if you had just become Teacher's Disciple, you would have had the chance to go to Shrek... What a pity, you have eyes but cannot see!"
He shook his head, as if he had already seen the vastly different paths their lives would take in the future, and turned to walk toward Yu Xiaogang's office... Nuoding Restaurant.
At a window seat, one plate after another of rich and delicious food was being served.
The two people and one snake were eating with great joy.
Within an hour, Xiao Wu was stuffed full.
Her little belly was bulging and would contract from time to time.
Of course, this refers to her breathing.
Xiao Wu let out a satisfied little burp: "Aha~ I haven't been this full in a long time. Xiao Yuan, why do you think Tang San is such a good person?"
The brainless little rabbit didn't realize at all that Tang San was pursuing her.
She just thought that this person was surprisingly nice!
Li Yuan leaned back in his chair, a long, thin toothpick in his mouth, and said lazily: "Who knows. Maybe... he's cosplaying as Fei Yang Yang."
"Cos... Cos-poo, Fei Yang Yang?"
"What does that mean?"
Xiao Wu was completely confused and didn't understand at all.
Li Yuan didn't explain much: "It's nothing, just think of him as a 'warm man.' By the way, are you done eating? If you're done, go pay the bill."
As everyone knows, a warm man ranks behind a dog; they aren't allowed at the table for meals, they can only smoke cigarette butts, they don't even have paper when they poop, and they can only drink Iced Black Tea at room temperature.
"warm man?"
Xiao Wu was still in a fog, but she understood the words "pay the bill."
She tried hard to stand up, but halfway there, her legs went weak, and with a "thud," she sat back down, her little face scrunched up.
Li Yuan asked: "What's wrong?"
Xiao Wu clutched her stomach and laughed awkwardly twice, her cheeks flushing red: "That... hehe, I think I ate too much, I'm a bit unsteady on my feet."
Li Yuan palmed his forehead: "Sigh... I'm really fed up with you! Couldn't you have eaten a few bites less and stayed within your limits?"
"Oh, I know, I know."
Xiao Wu stuck out her tongue: "I promise next time I come out to eat with you, I definitely won't be like this!"
Li Yuan glared at her: "You still want a next time? Forget it, give me the Consumption Vouchers, I'll go pay."
"Oh, okay, here."
Xiao Wu obediently handed over the vouchers. Watching Li Yuan's back as he walked toward the counter, she suddenly felt something was wrong.
"Eh? Wait... I was clearly the one treating him to a meal, so how did it end up like he's treating me and then scolding me like a parent?"
By the time she realized it, Li Yuan had already finished paying and returned.
He frowned and asked: "Can you still walk?"
Xiao Wu tried to move, but she let out another small burp and said with a miserable face: "Burp~ It seems... still no. My stomach is so full, it hurts a bit when I stand up."
"What a hassle."
Li Yuan curled his lip and didn't say much else.
He bent down slightly, one hand hooking under her smooth, tender thigh and the other supporting her jade-like back, then he picked her up in one go.
Hmm, the feel was unexpectedly good.
Her skin was delicate and smooth, but she was a bit too thin, with not much weight to her.
She'd probably be better after being nourished a bit... "Eek!"
Her body suddenly suspended in the air, Xiao Wu gave a soft cry and instinctively wrapped her arms around Li Yuan's neck, her pink cheeks instantly flushing: "Wh-what are you doing?"
"Walking."
Li Yuan carried her and walked steadily toward the restaurant exit, saying as if it were only natural: "Don't you see what time it is? The moon is already high up. If we wait for you to digest before leaving, will we have to wait until midnight?"
Xiao Wu turned her head to look at the bright moon hanging high outside the window; it was indeed not early.
She murmured softly: "Then... then you're being too rough..."
Her voice was very quiet, and Li Yuan didn't hear it.
It was unclear if it was a complaint or something else... At the entrance of Nuoding Academy.
Tang San was as anxious as an ant on a hot griddle, pacing back and forth, occasionally stretching his neck to look at the road leading to the restaurant:
"Why isn't Xiao Wu back yet... Could that bastard Li Yuan have some ill intentions toward Xiao Wu?"