Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, the newly enrolled first-year students had settled into academy life, and the Inner Academy was about to host a grand event—the Sea God's Fate Blind Date Event.
For the students of Shrek Academy, the Blind Date Event was the most anticipated occasion for adult students every year. Even those from the Outer Academy were excited on this day, as it was one of the rare opportunities they had to enter the Inner Academy.
Moreover, they could witness the Inner Academy's senior brothers vying to showcase themselves and admire the radiant beauty of the senior sisters. More importantly, every Blind Date Event was filled with juicy gossip, which was the most captivating part.
Gossip was always the greatest motivator to keep people enthusiastic.
While Outer Academy students looked forward to it, Inner Academy disciples were even more eager—though with an added layer of nervousness. Those without a target felt it, and those with one even more so.
Just like now, in a certain corner of the Inner Academy, a group of male students was chatting nervously, trying to ease each other's tension.
"Seriously, Xie Xie, you're such a mess. Are you really shaking that badly?" Luo Guixing, dressed in custom-made luxurious attire, couldn't help but tease Xie Xie, whose legs were trembling uncontrollably.
"Easy for you to say!" Xie Xie shot Luo Guixing an annoyed glare. "You don't have someone you like, so of course you don't care!"
"Haha, the problem is, if you keep shaking like this, no girl is going to take a liking to you. It's honestly hilarious!" Luo Guixing shrugged helplessly. "You're not even as calm as Big Xu. Look at him—he hasn't changed his expression since we got here."
Their gazes turned to Xu Lizhi, and indeed, the round, chubby boy appeared completely composed, his face wearing a steady, good-natured smile without a trace of nervousness. This left Xie Xie both shocked and disheartened. Was he really worse off than Xu Lizhi?
However, Tang Wulin, standing nearby, noticed something amiss. He saw that although Xu Lizhi was smiling, his eyes were vacant and unfocused. He immediately realized the truth—this wasn't calmness at all. Xu Lizhi was so nervous he'd practically lost his mind!
"Sigh..." Tang Wulin shook his head. It seemed the recent defeat had hit Li Zhi too hard, shattering the courage he'd painstakingly built up. Patting Xu Lizhi's shoulder sympathetically, he turned the topic back to Xie Xie. "Xie Xie, have you tried talking to Yuanen these past few days?"
Xie Xie stiffened at the question, then slumped dejectedly. "I did… but it's like she doesn't even remember who I am."
"Oof." Tang Wulin didn't know what to say, so he just patted Xie Xie's shoulder in encouragement.
At the same time, on Sea God Island...
Jing Shaoyu and Lan Muzi sat chatting, accompanied by a few other senior brothers from the Inner Academy. Aside from Lan Muzi, everyone present was a male participant in tonight's Blind Date Event. Though nominally competitors, they got along well—because they all already had someone in mind.
As the youngest junior among them, Jing Shaoyu naturally became the main target of their teasing.
"Shaoyu, are you really going to attend dressed like that?" said a senior around twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, his face a mix of confusion and amusement. "You must be attending for the first time—clearly lacking experience. Look at us seniors, aren't we all dressed to the nines? Even our married senior brother here is decked out rather flamboyantly, isn't he?"
"Cut it out. I'm the host tonight—how can I not dress formally?" Lan Muzi retorted with a laugh, raising his hand in mock threat.
"Haha," Jing Shaoyu chuckled brightly. He was dressed in a simple white suit and said, "I was afraid if I dressed too extravagantly, none of you seniors would stand a chance tonight."
"You little rascal!" The seniors couldn't hold back their laughter, teasing him in return. "So, we should be thanking you, is that it?"
"Isn't Shaoyu just stating the facts? You lot really have no self-awareness, do you?" Lan Muzi sided with Jing Shaoyu, joining in the banter.
"Alright, so the senior brother and junior brother are ganging up on us now. What do you say, guys?" shouted a senior around twenty-four or twenty-five.
"Of course, we'll teach our junior brother a lesson about the harsh realities of life—let's steal his date!" the others immediately chimed in.
Hearing their words, Lan Muzi laughed heartily. "Stealing dates sounds fun. Shaoyu, we can steal theirs too. Let me see, who's present here tonight?"
The seniors' expressions instantly changed, and they pleaded pitifully, "No, no, Senior Brother Lan, Junior Brother Jing, we were just joking! You two don't know the struggles of us single men. It's hard enough finding a girlfriend after all these years—please go easy on us!"
Jing Shaoyu reassured them, "Don't worry, seniors. Right now, I'm trying my best to avoid attention. Why would I dare provoke any of the senior sisters?"
As he spoke, a bitter smile crossed his face.
"Oh right, we forgot Junior Brother Jing is the one with the real headache," one senior suddenly realized, sounding almost sympathetic.
"What's this? Suffering yet enjoying it?" another senior remarked. "Junior Brother Jing, give us some insight—what are you really thinking? There are seven girls involved. No matter which one you choose, the other six are bound to raise hell, aren't they?"
"Ahem, actually, it's eight," Lan Muzi coughed, feigning mystery.
"Eight?" The seniors were dumbfounded, staring at Lan Muzi in confusion. "Where did the eighth come from? There's Junior Sister Gu Yue, Junior Sister Na'er, Junior Sister Xiaoyan, Junior Sister Ye, Junior Sister Wu, Junior Sister Mo, and Junior Sister Lan—that's seven. Who's the eighth?"
"Senior Brother, stop stirring the pot," Jing Shaoyu said, knowing exactly what Lan Muzi meant—he must have included Dai Yuner in the count.
Jing Shaoyu was already aware that Long Yue and Dai Yuner had come to Shrek Academy for an exchange program. Though he hadn't met them yet, such news couldn't stay hidden for long, especially given his status.
"I'm not stirring the pot. The little princess specifically asked for you by name on her very first day at the academy," Lan Muzi said with a grin. "She's attending this matchmaking event too. Do you really think she'll just sit back and do nothing?"
"Princess?! Junior Brother Jing, you're something else!" The seniors' gossip instincts flared up instantly, crowding around Lan Muzi to pry for details.
Lan Muzi then told them about the visitors from Star Luo Empire. After hearing the story, their admiration for Jing Shaoyu soared to towering heights like mountains and rivers, beyond words, and they all gave him a thumbs-up.
"Junior Brother Jing, impressive!" they cheered in unison.
Jing Shaoyu's bitter smile deepened. To be honest, he hadn't originally planned to participate in the Sea God's Fate event. His relationship with the six women had already reached a harmonious balance, and there was no need to join such a frivolous activity, needlessly increasing the difficulty for himself.
But alas, he couldn't withstand the women's determination. They had all made it clear to him that whether he participated or not, they would definitely be there. What could he do? He couldn't just stand by and watch his beloved companions go on blind dates while he observed from the sidelines, could he?
That was something he simply couldn't do. Left with no choice, he had to participate.
However, the real challenge was just beginning. With all the women joining the event, and according to the rules of Sea God's Fate, only one-on-one pairings were allowed in the end—meaning the women were forcing him to choose one out of six.
Jing Shaoyu tried to negotiate with them, but as if they had conspired, they all avoided him three days prior, leaving him no choice but to passively follow their lead. It seemed everything would have to be resolved at tonight's Sea God's Fate.
What troubled Jing Shaoyu now was one thing: were the women's actions aimed at monopolizing him, leading to a complete fallout, or was this just a temporary rivalry over hierarchy? If it was the former, then after tonight, unless he took some drastic measures, things might truly fall apart.
But if it was the latter, then it would be a happy ending for all. If the women started competing for rank, it would mean they had tacitly accepted the reality of Jing Shaoyu's harem.
Based on past behavior, Jing Shaoyu felt the second scenario was more likely, but he couldn't rule out the first possibility. To prepare, he had made contingency plans for both outcomes.
"You think I can say I want them all? Would you believe me?" Jing Shaoyu chuckled wryly at his seniors' cheers.
The senior brothers reacted with mixed expressions. Some agreed with him, while others didn't, but all admired his courage. To embrace multiple beauties and enjoy such fortune—now that took guts!
"Heh, Shaoyu, want me to give you a little insider info?" Lan Muzi smiled. "Like the numbers assigned to Junior Sister Gu Yue and the others?"
"No need. I'm confident," Jing Shaoyu replied calmly, shaking his head with a confident smile.
"Senior Brother, don't play favorites! If Junior Brother Jing doesn't need it, we do!" Several brothers immediately pounced on Lan Muzi.