Chapter 3: Tang Ya and Bei Bei
"Make the bed,"
An Zhen reached out and gently tapped the stunned little girl's brow.
The intimate gesture didn't repel the little girl, whose fair face lowered with a hint of embarrassment. "I... I'll just use a wooden bed."
An Zhen was stunned.
Then he remembered.
At that time, Huo Yutong's tuition was paid by others. Before he started selling grilled fish, Huo Gua could be described as completely penniless.
"By the way, have you had lunch?"
An Zhen changed the subject.
Perhaps Huo Yuhao's actions later in the original novel had displeased him, like the bombing of Mingdu, but now none of that had happened, and Huo Yuhao had become Huo Yutong.
An eleven-year-old, mother and daughter, abused by the White Tiger Duchess, who had witnessed her mother's death in such harsh conditions, who had endured so much hardship for so many years, and who was even stunted in development. It was truly heartbreaking.
"Not yet."
Huo Yutong felt a little hungry.
"Let's go, I'll take you to the cafeteria."
The cafeteria was behind the dormitory area. After a moment's thought, An Zhen led the little girl into the purple cafeteria.
"The white one is the freshman cafeteria, but not only are there no tables or chairs, there are also a ton of broken rules. The purple one is for fourth and fifth graders."
The clean, bright, luxurious tables and chairs are luxurious and elegant, their silver metallic sheen imbued with a sense of advanced technology. At mealtime, the rich aroma whets the appetite.
"Xiao Yutong?"
"Junior...brother?"
An Zhen, entering the cafeteria and heading towards the food window, heard two calls. Turning to look, she saw a man and a woman approaching.
The girl in front looked about fifteen or sixteen, her long black hair pulled back in a ponytail to her waist. Her purple school uniform accentuated her youthful presence, her bright almond-shaped eyes, and her beautiful oval face.
Following behind her was a boy of similar age, slender and tall, with short dark blue hair and a handsome face that gave him a refined air. If he was a mature, steady, and handsome young man, like an older brother, then An Zhen was a proud, happy-go-lucky young man straight out of a storybook, the type to please others. His every gesture was captivating and captivating, drawing people in with yearning.
"Xiao Yutong," the girl swiftly approached, pulling the little girl into her arms with a look of surprise. "Why are you here?"
"I brought Huo Yutong to dinner," An Zhen explained.
"And who are you?"
Tang Ya, pulling the little girl, who seemed unaccustomed to such warmth, behind her, eyed An Zhen warily, like a mother hen protecting her cubs.
"An Zhen, a first-year student, was asked by an old man to look after a classmate," the young man's face brimmed with sincerity.
It was the truth.
He'd only taken care of a few extraneous things.
"Teacher Xiaoya, Brother An Zhen takes good care of me," the little girl explained, defending the kindhearted man.
An Zhen nodded gently in agreement.
Everyone knew he was just a kindhearted kid with a bit of a warm heart.
"Really?"
Tang Ya was skeptical, her beautiful eyebrows furrowing slightly.
"Okay, Xiaoya, I think this young man is just being helpful," the elegant young man explained to An Zhen apologetically. "Sorry, my little brother was out on his own, and my little brother was worried."
"It's okay. You really should be careful when you go out."
An Zhen waved her hand and walked straight to the food window.
Seeing An Zhen leave, Bei Bei and Tang Ya pulled Huo Yutong to a deserted corner.
"Xiao Yutong, An Zhen didn't notice you were disguised as a man, did he?" Tang Ya asked worriedly.
"Probably not."
Huo Yutong was a little unsure. After all, she was underdeveloped, and her female characteristics were not obvious except for her soft voice.
"I said I should disguise my appearance as a little sister," Bei Bei said helplessly.
"There are cute girls in the world, so why can't there be cute boys?" Tang Ya retorted, then pulled a tattered-looking book from the arms of the older boy beside her. "I just found this in the dorm. Go back and practice your voice a little, and you'll become a man. Then say you had a cold and your throat is sore."
"Thank you, teacher!"
"By the way, shouldn't you be in the first-year cafeteria?" Tang Ya wondered.
"Brother An Zhen said there weren't even any tables or chairs over there, so he dragged me here." Huo Yutong, a newcomer and unfamiliar with many of the rules, asked with some concern, "Can't we come here?"
"Not that we can't," Tang Ya touched her cheek. "Normally, no younger students come here."
The first-year dormitories and cafeteria were indeed not very nice. When she first arrived, she thought she had come to the wrong place.
"Excuse me, are you done talking?"
A voice interrupted.
The smiling boy held a tray in one hand, on which lay the standard three dishes and two soups. The exquisite dishes were clearly expensive, and the rich aroma was an irresistible temptation.
Setting down the tray, An Zhen pointed to the empty seat across from him. "Huo Yutong, hurry up and sit down and eat. The energy in these dishes is relatively mild, and anyone with an awakened spirit can handle it."
"Huh?"
Huo Yutong wasn't expecting her to have a share.
Tang Ya pressed Huo Yutong's shoulders and asked her to sit down. Someone was treating her, so why not take advantage?
The beautiful girl narrowed her eyes, smiling broadly as she sat down beside An Zhen. "An Zhen, your hobbies aren't about cute little boys, are they?"
The girl emphasized the word "little boys" with particular emphasis.
"No, my criteria for a partner is a beautiful girl with an intelligent personality and mature approach."
That's one standard, but there's no rule that people can only have one standard for a partner.
What could An Zhen do wrong? An eleven-year-old boy simply enjoys appreciating beautiful things.
His bright eyes dimmed, a blush spreading across his fair cheeks, and he quickly lowered his head. Huo Yutong, Huo Yutong, you just met. Brother An Zhen is just being kind. How could you think that?
Loli's past was filled with misfortunes, so she carefully cherished every precious kindness.
"Ah! So, I'm within your mate selection criteria."
"Hehe."
An Zhen could only reply, seeing the girl with a long boot on the chair.
"What do you mean by hehe?" The girl, who had been arguing with her boyfriend, became a little angry. The stern girl turned to look at her boyfriend, "Beibei, don't I know if I'm sexually mature?"
"Of course my Xiaoya is mature and intelligent!" the boy replied with a doting look, his fingers stroking the girl's hair.
"Who's yours? And you have to call me teacher!"
"..."
An Zhen didn't want to eat dog food.
After quickly finishing lunch, with more than half of the dishes left, An Zhen stood up, looking at Huo Yutong, who was still timidly holding the soup bowl, not moving his chopsticks. "Huo Yutong, I'll have to take these dishes to the recycling later. Remember, don't waste food."
"Huo? Okay."
An Zhen left the cafeteria immediately. If he continued to sit, the child might chew a hole in the bowl.
"This guy seems like a nice guy."
As soon as An Zhen left, Tang Ya paused in her playful banter with Bei Bei, intently reflecting on their recent exchange.
Rubbing her chin, remembering how she hadn't sensed anything, a thoughtful expression crossed Bei Bei's elegant face as she spoke. "I heard this year a freshman and his roommate had a conflict. They went straight to the fighting area. One of them had a mysterious spirit ability. Simply flashing his spirit ring sent the other inexplicably falling to the ground, leaving fist and foot marks on his body. This scared the other person so much that he immediately requested a dorm change."
"Huh? The school isn't doing anything about it?"
Huo Yutong was surprised. A fight had already occurred right after enrolling.
"Xiao Yutong." Tang Ya pinched the little girl's soft cheek and explained, "Going to the Soul Fighting Zone is voluntary. Besides, the growth of a soul master is inseparable from combat. The school supports the open and honest settlement of personal grudges in the Soul Fighting Zone."
"By the way, Beibei, what is that person's martial soul and name?"
"I don't know the name, but I heard that the martial soul is the world."
(End of this chapter)