Ye Chen and Ma Xiaotao left the training room. Taking advantage of Ma Xiaotao's good mood, Ye Chen also wanted to go out and wander around.
Ma Xiaotao naturally had no objections, but she still reminded him to sleep at her place tonight, as she had already arranged a room.
Ye Chen reluctantly agreed.
After the sparring session with Ma Xiaotao, it was already time for school to end in the afternoon.
Ye Chen chose a direction and arrived at the academy's east gate.
There were many vendors here, and the most successful business was a grilled fish stall.
A black-haired young man was grilling fish seriously, his small face taut.
Beside him, a girl with a high ponytail was helping to sell, and secretly eating while selling.
Ye Chen instantly recognized these two; they should be Huo Yuhao and Tang Ya.
Ye Chen only glanced at them for a moment before looking away.
Although Huo Yuhao was a Child of Fortune, he was a cheater, so he didn't need to cling to anyone for good fortune.
Moreover, he had chosen Ninth Class, so he had no connection with Huo Yuhao.
Thinking of this, Ye Chen almost forgot about today's check-in.
"System, check-in."
Ye Chen silently recited in his mind.
"[Check-in successful, reward "Spiritual Power +50"]"
The moment the reward descended, Ye Chen felt a surge of clarity in his mind, clearly indicating a significant increase in his spiritual power.
Ye Chen discovered that the system's check-in was not random; it was related to Ye Chen's location.
Ye Chen's first lottery draw yesterday was at his own pharmacy, so he drew ""Acupuncture Hundred Solutions" * 1."
And this time, perhaps because of Huo Yuhao, he drew a spiritual power attribute reward.
Ye Chen walked past Huo Yuhao without a glance, heading straight for a ramen stall in the distance.
There were a few tables in the small stall, and a girl was sitting at a table in the corner.
The girl looked about fourteen or fifteen years old. Her figure was slender and well-proportioned, with long golden wavy hair cascading down her back. Her skin was as fair as solidified jade, and her eyes were like a pool of autumn water, sparkling with charm.
However, in front of the girl was only a small bowl of ordinary clear noodles, with nothing added, and only a faint layer of oil on the broth, looking very shabby.
But the girl seemed not to mind the taste at all, eating in small bites, savoring every mouthful.
Ye Chen guessed that this girl should be Jiang Nannan.
Jiang Nannan was one of the few commoners in Shrek Academy, from a poor family. Although she received subsidies from the academy, she was still very frugal in her daily life, but Ye Chen didn't expect her to be this frugal.
If she ate like this, what if she suffered from malnutrition?
Thinking of this, Ye Chen raised an eyebrow and sat directly opposite the girl.
"Hmm?"
Jiang Nannan saw a boy suddenly sit opposite her and instinctively frowned, a little displeased, thinking it was another student coming to strike up a conversation.
Jiang Nannan was about to speak when she looked up and saw Ye Chen's bright, sunny smile. She instantly froze...
"Junior, is there something you need?" A faint, almost imperceptible blush flashed across Jiang Nannan's face as she asked softly.
Her tone carried an inexplicable gentleness.
She had countless admirers, including many young talents, but this was the first time she had seen such a handsome young man. Just looking at him was a pleasure.
Moreover, through his student badge, she could tell his identity: a newly enrolled student.
She was very tolerant of new students, especially such a handsome young man.
"Senior, why do you eat so little?" Ye Chen feigned ignorance and asked curiously.
"Uh... nothing, I'm just on a diet recently." Jiang Nannan covered her bowl and instinctively lied.
Her frugality was well-known, so she usually didn't care about what others thought, as she had long been used to it.
But for some reason, facing Ye Chen, she inexplicably felt a hint of inferiority, as if she didn't want him to see her predicament.
"Senior, frugality is a virtue, but you should also cherish your body." Ye Chen said helplessly.
As a core disciple, Jiang Nannan received a considerable subsidy, but she sent all her money to her mother, keeping only a little for food. Her main source of nutrition usually came from the core disciple's nutritional meals.
However, the nutritional meal was only once a day, which was not enough for Jiang Nannan.
Ye Chen, being skilled in medicine, could tell that Jiang Nannan's aura was a bit unstable, likely due to malnutrition. It seemed fine, but in reality, this condition would slow down her cultivation speed, and over time, the impact would be quite significant.
It was just that in the original work, Jiang Nannan was close to Huo Yuhao, sharing a lot of his luck and gaining many benefits, which allowed her to soar.
"I... I just..." Jiang Nannan seemed to have been hit where it hurt and subconsciously lowered her head.
"Customer, here are your noodles."
At this moment, the proprietress of the stall came over, bringing two large bowls of steaming hot noodles.
These two bowls of noodles carried a rich aroma, and the bowls were generously sprinkled with minced meat and even two large spare ribs, forming a stark contrast with the plain clear noodle soup in front of Jiang Nannan.
"Senior, let's eat together. Consider it my treat." Ye Chen pushed a bowl of noodles in front of Jiang Nannan and said with a smile.
"No... no need, I'm full." Jiang Nannan instinctively refused.
She never accepted gifts from others. Xu Sanshi gave her money every day, but she wouldn't even look at it.
"Alright, I'll be frank."
Seeing this, Ye Chen spread his hands and said sincerely, "My name is Ye Chen, and I'd like to ask Senior to be my private coach and guide me in my cultivation!"
Ye Chen knew Jiang Nannan's personality and that she wouldn't easily accept gifts, so Ye Chen just found a random excuse.
"Ah... why would you look for me?" Jiang Nannan looked at Ye Chen curiously, her beautiful eyes blinking gently, with a hint of confusion, looking especially adorable.
"No reason, maybe it's just fate." Ye Chen smiled slightly.
"Junior, it's still..."
Jiang Nannan was about to refuse when she heard Ye Chen say, "I'll give Senior 200 gold soul coins as compensation every month. This is half of the deposit."
As Ye Chen spoke, he pushed a cloth bag in front of Jiang Nannan, containing 100 gold soul coins.
"200 gold soul coins..." Jiang Nannan subconsciously swallowed.
Normally, she would actually take on some tasks, or rather, part-time jobs. Without delaying her cultivation, she would only earn five or six gold soul coins a month.
And now, guiding Ye Chen would earn her 200 gold soul coins as compensation. This was practically giving her money!
This junior looked kind-hearted at first glance, definitely a good person, and unlikely to have other motives.
Jiang Nannan hesitated for a moment, and considering Ye Chen's good looks, she finally agreed: "Alright, if that's the case, then I'll agree to Junior's request..."
[Translator ]PS: Jiang Nannan's plot has been slightly altered by the author