Oscar bro! You finally came back! You don't know how much I missed you! Ma Hongjun dashed forward, rushing to Oscar and Dugu Yan, and directly threw himself into Oscar's arms.
Oscar looked utterly disgusted and pushed away Ma Hongjun's handsome face.
"You're already ten years old, not a little kid anymore, and still acting like this!"
Ma Hongjun finally let go of Oscar, then turned his head to look at Dugu Yan. Her looks and figure were naturally impeccable, instantly making Ma Hongjun's eyes light up.
In his heart, he thought: No wonder even Oscar fell head over heels for her. That temperament, that body, that beauty… If it were me, I'd probably worship her even more than he does.
This reaction of his, in fact, had something to do with what happened half a year ago between him and Dai Mubai. But for now, Ma Hongjun had long forgotten that—his eyes were full of admiration for his "sister-in-law."
"This must be sister-in-law, right?" Ma Hongjun turned to Dugu Yan, his face full of respect. After all, she was the one who managed to capture Oscar's heart.
"Sister-in-law, nice to meet you! I'm Ma Hongjun, Oscar bro's loyal little brother."
Dugu Yan was slightly surprised to see such a handsome boy practically worshipping Oscar, but she smiled politely.
"Hello. I often hear Xiao Ao talk about you. He says your talent is excellent, and that you'll definitely become his right-hand man in the future."
Hearing this, Ma Hongjun, who was already 1.7 meters tall, was so excited he threw an arm around Oscar's shoulders, grinning ear to ear.
"Boss, did you really say that? Forget it, whether you said it or not, it doesn't matter! Since it came from your sister-in-law's mouth, you can't ever take it back!"
Looking at his smug expression, Oscar shook his head helplessly.
"Of course, I said it. Stick with me, and I promise I'll introduce you to a wife as beautiful as your sister-in-law!"
If Oscar hadn't dodged in time, Ma Hongjun would have planted a kiss right on his face.
"Boss, I love you to death!"
Oscar quickly shoved him away and hid behind Dugu Yan.
"Enough! Having my sister alone love me is more than enough."
Dugu Yan looked at the two boys' close relationship and could easily imagine the excitement Oscar must have felt when he had first told her about his bond with Ma Hongjun.
This was something she actually envied. Having such a loyal childhood companion was a kind of wealth most people might never gain in their entire lives.
Oscar then held Dugu Yan's hand and walked over to Zhao Wuji.
"Teacher Zhao, this is my girlfriend, Dugu Yan. The teacher must have already told you about her."
The moment Zhao Wuji saw Dugu Yan, he had already been scrutinizing her, and the more he looked, the more satisfied he felt. Even if she weren't Poison Douluo Dugu Bo's granddaughter, he would still be very pleased with Oscar's choice.
Just from her temperament alone, one could see she was from a distinguished family.
"Dugu Yan, very good. For you to be with Xiao Ao, I, old Zhao, sincerely give you my blessings," Zhao Wuji said warmly.
"Thank you, Teacher Zhao. I've often heard Xiao Ao mention you. Without your constant guidance, I never would have met such a wonderful him," Dugu Yan replied sincerely.
Hearing that, Zhao Wuji felt deeply gratified. For a teacher, such words were enough to keep him happy for life.
And she wasn't wrong. Before Gai Yue had come to the Academy, aside from studying staff techniques under Li Yusong, Oscar's main combat training had always been under Zhao Wuji.
It was precisely because of Zhao Wuji's gravity training and sparring that Oscar's physical fitness had improved so dramatically in just a few short years.
"Hahaha! Shrek Academy welcomes you. But be prepared—my training requirements are stringent. I won't go easy on you just because you're a girl," Zhao Wuji laughed.
Dugu Yan nodded without hesitation.
"Xiao Ao already told me, and I've been training with him for months now. I'll be fine."
Oscar then turned to Dai Mubai and introduced him.
"This is Dai Mubai. Although I spent only half a day with him before I left the Academy, I still have a deep impression.
Back then, during the entrance exam, his arm was broken by Hongjun, but he still gritted his teeth and endured until the end. That's a real man."
Hearing this, Dugu Yan immediately looked at Dai Mubai differently. Not only was he handsome, but clearly, Shrek Academy's few students—though few—were all outstanding talents.
"Hello, my name is Dugu Yan."
Dai Mubai smiled.
"Dai Mubai. Welcome to Shrek, sister-in-law."
His smile was genuine, his welcome sincere, and even calling her "sister-in-law" came from the heart.
Originally, he had doubted why Oscar could be the "big brother" of Ma Hongjun. For him to call Oscar "big bro" had felt impossible.
After all, he was born royalty, grew up with privilege, and never had to lower his head before others.
But after a year at Shrek, he had been utterly convinced by Ma Hongjun—literally beaten into respect.
Before taking the Phoenix Nirvana Pill, Ma Hongjun's soul power was equal to his, but despite being evenly matched, he had never once defeated Ma Hongjun.
Not even once.
And instead of crushing his pride, it only pushed him to fight harder and made him completely accept Ma Hongjun's talent and strength.
Even though Ma Hongjun was three years younger, in this strength-oriented Academy, he was willing to rank beneath him as the third brother.
Because of that respect for Ma Hongjun, Dai Mubai naturally also developed a sense of awe for Oscar, the legendary "big brother" of Shrek.
Even after Hongjun took the Phoenix Nirvana Pill and his strength skyrocketed, Oscar remained the true legend of Shrek—one who was still just a student!
So Dai Mubai's "sister-in-law" was completely genuine.
Though he hadn't yet seen Oscar's real power with his own eyes, if every teacher and student spoke so highly of him, then it couldn't be false.
Dugu Yan smiled.
"Thank you. From now on, we're classmates, no need to be so formal. If you're not used to calling me sister-in-law, just call me by my name."
Right now, although she carried an elegant temperament, she wasn't yet domineering like a future big-sister figure. Because of Oscar, she was still very approachable.
Dai Mubai chuckled.
"I'm used to it. After all, even Hongjun calls him boss, and I can't even beat Hongjun. Calling you sister-in-law, I do so willingly."
Hearing this, though none of them said anything out loud, Oscar, Dugu Yan, and Ma Hongjun all felt delighted in their hearts.
This was Dai Mubai's way of dealing with people. Over this past year, he had come to understand much: that there's always someone stronger, always another genius above you.
And especially in front of geniuses like Ma Hongjun and Oscar, only by showing true sincerity could he win their friendship.
Add a bit of tact and emotional intelligence, and that bond would only deepen. For him, such relationships would become crucial cards in his hand for the future power struggles he would face.
Though Oscar hadn't been around this past year, Dai Mubai's growth and change were obvious—just from a few simple sentences.
Oscar didn't know exactly what Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun had gone through together in this time to make him so willing to call him "big bro" and call Dugu Yan "sister-in-law."
But no matter what, this version of Dai Mubai wasn't unpleasant to him—on the contrary, Oscar had gained some goodwill.
After all, who wouldn't want a friend or even a brother who had talent, background, and emotional intelligence?
Still, he couldn't help but wonder whether Dai Mubai had followed the same path as in the original story—frequenting brothels and living a life of debauchery.
But looking at him now, probably not. Otherwise, Ma Hongjun wouldn't be this close to him.
Oscar might not know Dai Mubai well, but he did know Ma Hongjun.
With Oscar's guidance before, even if Hongjun was interested in romance, he'd never cheapen himself by seeking out prostitutes.
Naturally, that meant Dai Mubai hadn't been living a debauched life either.