"Wu Lin..."
"You're back..."
Ouyang Zixin clung tightly to the young man before her, murmuring as if afraid this was all just an illusion.
This isn't a dream, right?
"Zi Xin Jie..."
Tang Wulin was momentarily stunned, feeling the warmth in his arms before gently embracing her in return, his face equally filled with emotion.
Just as I missed Zi Xin Jie... Zi Xin Jie...
She must have missed me too, right?
"No... impossible..."
"How could Tang Wulin really be with her..."
Beside them, Huang San, who had collapsed to the ground, had now become the true clown, staring blankly at the scene before him, his shock utterly apparent.
The members of Zero Class hadn't been at Shrek Academy for long, yet the stories of those eight were already widely circulated throughout Donghai City. The person before him...
Was none other than Tang Wulin, one of the top three prodigies of Zero Class, wielder of the Golden Dragon King Martial Soul, a peerless combat Soul Master even as a Soul Venerable, and Tang Luochuan's younger brother!
"I provoked him..."
"I actually provoked someone from Zero Class!"
At this moment, Huang San's eyes were filled with disbelief, his heart overwhelmed by terror. Every member of Zero Class had the potential to reach the pinnacle!
In an instant, his vision darkened, and he fainted from sheer fright. Yet even so, no one spared a glance at this pitiful clown, their attention instead fixed on Tang Wulin.
"Eh?"
"Is Wu Lin here to see his girlfriend?"
Wu Siduo and the others, unaware of the situation, were momentarily stunned. Meanwhile, Xie Xie and the rest had stars in their eyes, utterly captivated by this rare romantic moment from Tang Wulin.
Before this, they had only ever fangirled over their leader. This was the first time they'd gotten to enjoy some sweet moments from Wu Lin...
And with Donghai Academy's campus belle, Senior Ouyang, no less! It was undeniably sweet—so sweet it made their teeth ache!
"Judging by this, it's definitely official."
"Wu Lin, ah, Wu Lin... I never thought you, who once swore we'd stay single together, would betray me like this."
Though Xie Xie wore a pleased expression, his heart soon wavered, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself.
Wu Lin, you really played me!
"Let's not just stand here."
"Give them some space."
At this moment, Tang Luochuan watched the scene with a smile, gesturing for the others to follow him.
Clearly, at a time like this, the two deserved some alone time rather than being gawked at by the group.
Besides, since they were already at Donghai Academy, it was time to call upon their former teachers and students to arrange new Soul Master challengers. Though...
"Does Donghai Academy even have students this strong?"
Tang Luochuan frowned slightly. While Donghai Academy was the largest in the city, the overall strength here wasn't particularly impressive.
Soul Venerables could graduate from the intermediate division, and Soul Ancestors were considered outstanding in the advanced division. Finding a Soul King would probably be impossible!
But before long, Tang Luochuan suddenly paused, an idea flashing through his mind. His frown eased, replaced by a smile.
If the students weren't challenging enough... then the teachers would surely do, right?
Long Xuheng: Danger!
"I never expected Wu Lin's girlfriend to be..."
"She looks like such a pretty older sister!"
As they walked back, Zheng Yiran took one last glance in Tang Wulin's direction, her eyes lighting up. Beside her, Wu Siduo and Ye Xinglan also nodded in agreement.
Ouyang Zixin was naturally beautiful, and being a few years older than them only added to her mature charm.
Who would have thought that Tang Wulin—this thick-browed, big-eyed boy who seemed completely unrelated to romance—would have such a gorgeous girlfriend!
"Indeed."
Nearby, Tang Luochuan smiled and nodded. As the campus belle of Eastsea Academy, Zi Xin Jie might have had her Martial Soul talents questioned, but when it came to looks...
Even if she wasn't quite on the same level as Gu Yue and the others, her beauty was something ordinary people could hardly match. That much was certain.
"Indeed?"
Beside Tang Luochuan, Gu Yue silently turned her gaze toward him, a thoughtful expression crossing her mind before she shook her head slightly.
If it weren't for the fact that this was the girl Luo Chuan's younger brother Tang Wulin liked, she might have taken his words the wrong way!
"..."
Meanwhile, though Tang Luochuan and the others had retreated some distance away, Tang Wulin didn't notice at all—his entire focus was fixed on the person before him.
He had always been deeply sentimental, and after failing to bring Zi Xin Jie back to the academy earlier, he had been heartbroken. Now that she was right in front of him, how could he hold back?
Ouyang Zixin felt the same.
At this moment, it all felt like a dream—so unreal. Wu Lin had already gone to Shrek Academy; how could he have returned so soon?
She kept telling herself it was impossible, but the warmth of his body and the trembling she could feel in his embrace left no doubt...
The person she had been longing for was truly here, holding her in his arms!
"Wu Lin..."
"How did you come back? Has Shrek Academy already gone on break?"
Ouyang Zixin pursed her lips, her voice soft.
Truthfully, there were so many things she wanted to say—like whether he had missed her—but in the end, she held back, simply wanting to lose herself in his warm embrace.
A hug like this already said so much!
She loved it and would cherish this moment dearly.
"It's not break yet."
"We're in the middle of final exams. The academy requires us to challenge strong opponents in different cities—this is the last stop, and the place I wanted to come to..."
Tang Wulin smiled gently as he explained his and the others' current situation.
He had really wanted to come to Eastsea City. Even though he knew he could return to see Zi Xin Jie after the break, that didn't stop him from wanting to come now. After all, when you like someone...
You just can't help but want to see them as soon as possible!
"Final exam content, huh..."
"I see."
Hearing this, Ouyang Zixin suddenly understood. She had wondered how Wu Lin and the others could have returned so quickly—if it was for an exam, it made much more sense.
Who would have thought Shrek Academy's exams would be like this!
"No wonder Xiao Xi didn't come with you..."
"Um, could you put me down now?"
The next moment, as if suddenly realizing something, a faint blush appeared on her pretty face. She made a slightly resistant movement and spoke with a hint of shyness.
Earlier, she had been too focused on wanting to hug Wu Lin, only now realizing how embarrassing it actually was—especially since Luo Chuan and Gu Yue had been watching earlier...
Though, she didn't dislike hugging Wu Lin at all.
"Ah..."
"Okay."
Hearing this, Tang Wulin's face instantly turned red as well, and he quickly nodded in embarrassment, completely losing the calm composure he had while holding her earlier.
A hug...
He had just tightly hugged Sister Zi Xin!
At the thought, an irrepressible smile crept onto his face, his mood indescribably happy.
"What are you grinning about…"
Noticing the change in his expression, Ouyang Zixin seemed to understand something, her delicate face wearing a faint smile as she spoke softly.
Wu Lin was happy about hugging her too!
"Sister Zi Xin, I need to go complete the final challenge with my teammates. Would you like to come with me?"
At this moment, Tang Wulin extended the invitation.
"Of course."
Ouyang Zixin smiled gently, her expression full of agreement. She would never refuse Wu Lin.
"Luo Chuan and the others are waiting for you. Let's go."
"Okay!"
Tang Wulin nodded, then walked alongside Ouyang Zixin toward where Tang Luochuan and the group were gathered.
The others had been waiting for some time.
"Wu Lin, Sister Zi Xin."
Seeing the scene before him, Tang Luochuan's smile remained unchanged. Watching his younger brother like this filled him, as an older brother, with immense satisfaction.
Wu Lin had finally grown up!
"Sister Zi Xin."
Nearby, Gu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan, and Xie Xie immediately called out, their faces warm with gentle smiles.
Meanwhile, Wu Siduo, Ye Xinglan, and Zheng Yiran also greeted Ouyang Zixin, just like the others.
"Sister Zi Xin, these are also our teammates—this is Wu Siduo, next to her is Ye Xinglan, and Zheng Yiran, who is Xiao Feng's cousin…"
Tang Wulin then smiled and introduced the group to Ouyang Zixin.
"Hello, everyone."
"To become members of Shrek Academy at such a young age—you're all such talented geniuses. And..."
"You're all such beautiful girls!"
Ouyang Zixin smiled sincerely. None of these girls were any less attractive than her. Indeed, among true geniuses, appearances were rarely lacking.
"Not at all…"
"Sister Zi Xin is so beautiful and kind. Wu Lin is really lucky to have someone like you as his girlfriend."
Hearing this, Zheng Yiran shook her head with a laugh, then replied warmly.
"That's right, that's right."
Beside her, Wu Siduo and Ye Xinglan also smiled, finding it hard not to like this gentle older sister.
"Wu Lin's girl…"
"Girlfriend?"
However, Ouyang Zixin's face instantly flushed crimson at these words, her heart flustered and uncertain. She...
She wasn't Wu Lin's girlfriend yet!
"N-no, that's not it."
"Everyone misunderstood—Sister Zi Xin and I aren't together yet!"
At this moment, Tang Wulin hastily waved his hands in discomfort. After all, he wasn't together with Sister Zi Xin yet!
"Not together yet..."
Hearing this, the group paid it no mind, especially Xie Xie, whose grin didn't fade in the slightest.
Him saying this was just like when the boss had previously said he wasn't together with Sister Gu Yue yet. Sure, they weren't together now, but wasn't it just a matter of time?
"You're here..."
"Why didn't you tell me in advance!"
Just then, a male voice suddenly rang out, and in the distance, the figure of a middle-aged man appeared in their line of sight.
It was none other than the person they'd been most familiar with over the past three years—their teacher, the intermediate division's dean with the cultivation of a Soul Ancestor, Long Xuheng!
————————
Long Xuheng: Remember me as I am now. Who would've thought that a dean like me would one day be beaten up by his own students...
Feed me peanuts!
(End of chapter)