"Use it... together?!"
Seeing Cheng Xiao's shocked expression, Xiao Wu felt a flicker of embarrassment. But thinking about sleeping without proper bedding, she huffed indignantly. "I'm not afraid of you—what are you scared of? Are you really such a timid boy?"
"You..." Cheng Xiao found himself speechless, utterly defeated by her logic. Wang Sheng and the others watched with undisguised envy in their eyes. The only girl in the dormitory!
"Alright, come help me make the bed." Before Cheng Xiao could refuse, Xiao Wu swiftly pushed the two beds together. She surveyed her handiwork with satisfaction, clapping her hands before beckoning Cheng Xiao over with a cheerful wave.
After making the bed, Cheng Xiao stared at the joined beds, falling into contemplation. If Xiao Wu sleeps here with me, what happens to Tang San?
"Boss Cheng, Tang San, Sister Xiao Wu—it's noon. Shall we get lunch?"
Wang Sheng addressed the three who'd finished their bed preparations.
At the mention of food, Tang San shook his head. "I don't have any money... I'll just eat some dry rations in the dormitory. You all go ahead."
"Huh? Money—you mean those spirit coin things?" Xiao Wu asked with genuine curiosity.
Her innocent question left Wang Sheng mortified. He finally understood—both Tang San and Xiao Wu were completely broke. If he could actually beat them, he'd have cursed them out directly.
"Boss Cheng, you have some money, don't you?" Wang Sheng approached Cheng Xiao, lowering his voice.
"A little. Not much." Cheng Xiao muttered.
His grandfather had given him some spending money before he left—enough for meals, at least.
"That's fine—better than nothing!" Wang Sheng's excitement was palpable.
They were all work-study students. Though he had some money, it was barely enough to treat two people. But if he treated two, he couldn't very well leave the third behind, right?
"Treat Tang San and Xiao Wu." Cheng Xiao shook his head. He'd never liked owing favors.
"Alright! Sister Xiao Wu, Tang San—let's go eat!" Wang Sheng declared magnanimously.
Tang San hesitated briefly before nodding in agreement. All his family's money went to Tang Hao's alcohol. He was poor, certainly, but he wouldn't refuse a free meal.
As for Xiao Wu, she blinked her large, watery eyes. Wang Sheng's generous gesture improved her opinion of him slightly—but what truly intrigued her was Cheng Xiao, who spent his own money to feed others. Among the new work-study students, he was... different.
Minutes later, under Wang Sheng's guidance, the Dormitory 7 group arrived at the cafeteria. The space was vast enough to accommodate all three hundred students across six classes, plus faculty.
The moment Cheng Xiao and company entered, a discordant voice rang out.
"Well, well—if it isn't the poor work-study students. Wang Sheng, do you even deserve to eat in the cafeteria?"
The sudden mockery froze the newly arrived group. Looking toward the source, they spotted a cluster of upperclassmen standing on the stairs between the first and second floors, gazing down at them with undisguised contempt.
The speaker was Xiao Chenyu, Notting Academy's resident bully. Of course, a significant part of his influence stemmed from having a powerful father.
"Wang Sheng, you poor wretches will only ever deserve the first-floor meals!" The moment Xiao Chenyu finished, his lackeys burst into cruel laughter.
The harsh mockery made all the work-study students lower their heads. They lacked the prominent backgrounds of other students. Indeed, as Xiao Chenyu said—they couldn't afford the second-floor cuisine.
Seeing the upperclassman's provocation, Xiao Wu's temper flared. "Who do you think you are? What's so special about the second floor?"
"Oh? What a pretty little thing—but still just a work-study student. Wang Sheng, I'm heading to dinner now. I'll let you poor folks off this time." Xiao Chenyu's laughter was condescending.
With that, the boys surrounding him strode toward the second-floor dining area—where individual orders could be placed—wearing triumphant smirks.
Watching them prepare to leave, an enraged Xiao Wu raised her foot to give chase, but Tang San stopped her.
"Let it go, Xiao Wu. We're here to eat."
"Are you that afraid of trouble?" Xiao Wu glanced at Tang San with displeasure before turning to the silent Cheng Xiao. "This guy bullies us like that, and I'm wrong for wanting to fight back?"
"You're not wrong—the timing is." Cheng Xiao glanced at Xiao Chenyu's retreating group, his tone calm. "There's always an opportunity to teach them a lesson, right?"
"Hmm..." Xiao Wu considered this. "I suppose that makes sense."
Tang San also looked at Cheng Xiao. His reasoning wasn't flawed, but from an adult's perspective, this was merely children's squabbling. Besides, faced with Xiao Wu's questioning, he had no desire to explain further.
Despite thinking this, Tang San still recited the Tang Sect's precepts silently in his heart.
At that moment, Tang San spotted a familiar figure and hurried forward. "Teacher, you're here for dinner too?"
"Indeed. Xiao San, since you're here as well, come join me on the second floor." The master ruffled Tang San's hair affectionately.
"Second floor..." Tang San glanced toward the upper level. Xiao Chenyu's mocking words still echoed in his mind. He looked at Cheng Xiao and the others queuing for meals, hesitated briefly, then said, "Teacher, I'd rather eat with my roommates."
"Very well. Wait for me at the cafeteria entrance after you finish eating." With that, the master headed straight for the second floor.
Witnessing this exchange, Wang Sheng patted Cheng Xiao's shoulder—who stood in line ahead of him—and whispered, "Boss Cheng, does Tang San know the master?"
Cheng Xiao nodded slightly. "Tang San became his disciple."
"What?! Tang San took the master as his teacher?!" Wang Sheng's shock was evident—and coincidentally, his exclamation reached Tang San, who'd just joined the queue.
"Wang Sheng, is there something wrong with me becoming the master's disciple?" Tang San's brow furrowed.
"Well, Tang San..." Wang Sheng's expression turned peculiar, his words hesitant. "The master's strength isn't particularly impressive. Rumor has it he only stays at the academy because of his friendship with the dean. To put it bluntly, he's a freeloader who hasn't broken through level 29 at age fifty. I'd suggest finding another teacher."
Tang San's expression turned grave. He fixed Wang Sheng with a stern look. "If you don't want me to knock you down again, refrain from judging my teacher behind his back."
"This is the first and last warning. And I think... I don't need your charity meal."
With that, Tang San turned and strode toward the second floor. Originally, he'd worried that dining upstairs with his teacher would upset his roommates—but now, he no longer cared.
Wang Sheng hadn't expected such a fierce reaction. He stood stunned. Xiao Wu and the other students in line didn't understand why Tang San had responded so intensely.
Wang Sheng's reminder had been well-intentioned. After all, they'd attended Notting Academy for years—surely they wouldn't deceive a newly enrolled work-study student?
"Cheng Xiao, is Tang San always like this?" Xiao Wu asked, confused.
"I don't know. Tang San and I aren't close—we just happened to enroll together." Cheng Xiao shook his head.
"Boss Cheng, you said Tang San enrolled with you." Wang Sheng seemed to realize something. "He became the master's disciple—didn't you also take him as your teacher?"
At these words, all the other work-study students, including Xiao Wu, turned their attention to Cheng Xiao.
"No." Cheng Xiao replied indifferently, then recounted how the master had attempted to recruit him as a disciple during enrollment.
After hearing Cheng Xiao's account, the Dormitory 7 work-study students collected their meals and sat together, discussing the master's behavior in hushed tones.
"Damn, Boss Cheng—good thing you're not interested in spirit theory." Wang Sheng took a bite of his steamed bun, speaking while chewing. "The master's so-called spirit theories are just what teachers cover in class. It's just not as detailed as his explanations."
"Exactly! Teachers discuss spirit theory during lessons. Why would anyone who doesn't understand theory need a private master? What's the point of attending academy then?"
"Boss Cheng, Sister Xiao Wu—you're both innate geniuses. Don't believe everything the master says. Notting Academy has a library for theoretical study. If you don't understand something, ask the teachers during class. There's really no need to apprentice yourself for basic theory."
The work-study students chimed in one after another over their steamed buns and vegetable soup, their enthusiasm building.
Xiao Wu sat beside Cheng Xiao, listening to her roommates' gossip while observing Cheng Xiao, who focused solely on eating without commenting. Somehow, her curiosity about him only deepened.