Chapter 132: I'm Not a Simp, I Swear!
Shrek Academy, Inner Court.
Na'er sat in a remote corner of the lecture hall, completely tuning out the professor's endless stream of theoretical chatter.
Her head was lowered, eyes fixed on her communicator, utterly absorbed in chatting with Jiang Chen.
Theoretical classes? Not even the dogs would want them.
"Class dismissed!"
As soon as the announcement came, a round, cheerful boy from the back row quickly ran up to a girl at the front.
Xu Lizhi grinned from ear to ear. "Sister Xinglan, there's a new bun shop that opened by the plaza! Wanna go try it?"
"No."
Ye Xinglan packed up her things and walked away without so much as glancing at him.
"Huh? Sister Xinglan, where are you going? I'll come too!"
As her loyal tag-along, Xu Lizhi shadowed her every move like a permanent tail.
But Ye Xinglan's patience was wearing dangerously thin.
"Xu Lizhi! Stop following me! I'm going to train!"
Since her last failure, Ye Xinglan had thrown herself into her practice with absolute determination.
Team match or not—she hadn't lost.
Xie Xie, huh?
Just wait!
"Wait, Sister Xinglan! Don't go! I've got buns that can restore soul power!"
"No."
Ye Xinglan's flat rejection carried not a trace of warmth; this persistent tail of hers had officially become annoying.
Before, she might have tolerated him. But now, his constant presence only slowed her progress.
Still, she didn't scold him harshly. They'd known each other since childhood, after all.
Even so, she was disappointed in his attitude. So what if he was a Food-type soul master?
Did that mean he couldn't grow stronger?
Did that mean he couldn't fight?
Two millennia ago, in the age before mechas and battle armor, the first-generation Shrek Seven Devils had the Food-type soul master Oscar, whose strength was formidable.
Rumors even said that the God of Food allowed the Nine-Colored Goddess to pass her inheritance to Ning Rongrong because of Oscar's compassion.
So why couldn't a Food-type soul master like him—one who even had access to mecha technology—strive to become powerful?
He'd dragged her team down last time—and she wasn't going to let that happen again.
"Stop following me—I'm going to study mecha design!"
"What?" Xu Lizhi blinked. "But Sister Xinglan, I thought you said you were going to train?"
"No, you heard wrong. I'm going to study mecha manufacturing!"
She gathered her belongings and walked off briskly.
Xu Lizhi didn't get angry. He just kept following her faithfully, smiling softly.
As long as he could watch her, he was content.
Besides, he knew her nature—obsessed with swordsmanship, consumed by the pursuit of strength. Nothing else mattered to her.
If he stayed persistent, someday… she'd be his.
He just didn't realize yet how serious the situation really was.
"Xu Lizhi," Ye Xinglan suddenly said, brow furrowing, "I'm studying mecha manufacturing. Are you going to learn the same? You trying to steal my profession too?"
For a moment, Xu Lizhi froze. His lovesick haze cleared briefly.
Right…
If Sister Xinglan studied manufacturing, why should he? Just to stare at her more?
That wouldn't help her at all.
Better to do something useful for her.
So Xu Lizhi clenched his fists and declared, "Got it, Sister Xinglan! I'll study mecha repair!"
He had to help Sister Xinglan!
Ye Xinglan had no idea what he was thinking, but she didn't care. In fact, she was relieved.
Finally lost me, huh.
…
"Senior Sister!"
On another mountain, Tang Wulin was grilling fish. When he glanced sideways, he froze—his beloved senior sister was talking to another man!
And not just talking—smiling too?!
Unforgivable.
"Senior Sister!"
"Stop shouting!"
Mu Xi yanked Tang Wulin back, irritation all over her face. What was wrong with him? Couldn't he pay attention to her for once?
She really wanted to ask him—who mattered more, his senior sister or his teacher's senior sister?
Of course, she'd never actually say it aloud.
Instead, she sighed helplessly. "That man's Qian Gu Zhangting, the grandson of Spirit Transmission Tower's master, Qian Gu Dongfeng. A young prodigy—he's already been designated as the next heir and called the 'Little Tower Master.' If all goes well, the Qian Gu family will achieve an unprecedented line of four Ultimate Douluos."
As the daughter of a Divine Craftsman, Mu Xi knew things others didn't.
So his presence here wasn't surprising. What was surprising was that he'd ended up in their class.
Then she remembered Sima Jinchi's introduction.
Right—Di Tian's personal disciple.
No wonder. Their entire class was basically made of "second-generation soul elites."
Ouyang Zixin turned around, smiling. "I just thought… he's kinda handsome."
Tang Wulin: …
For a moment, he almost tossed his grilled fish into the fire.
Seriously?!
So he was older—so what? So he had a powerful grandfather—so what?!
He had a real dragon inside his body!
He refused to believe that made him inferior to Di Tian…
No—in his heart, he was Di Tian!
This so-called Qian Gu Zhangting dared flirt with his senior sister?
He wanted to punch someone so badly.
"Alright, alright," Mu Xi said with a shake of her head. "He might be handsome, but I've heard his temper isn't great."
Though hailed as the Qian Gu clan's hope, Zhangting's upbringing as a descendant of three Ultimates had left him arrogant despite proper education.
He looked the part of a prodigy—but compared to true monsters, he was still far behind.
If she hadn't met the trio that broke every rule of logic, even she might've thought he was the strongest of their generation.
"Ugh," she sighed.
Ouyang Zixin smiled. "What's that sigh for?"
Mu Xi looked weary. "Just wondering what to do with this ungrateful brat I raised."
She didn't bother hiding her words from Tang Wulin, who laughed awkwardly and immediately handed her a freshly grilled fish instead of giving it to his senior sister.
"Here you go, Senior Sister!"
Mu Xi accepted it with a satisfied nod—though something about it still felt… off.
Ouyang Zixin watched the eager boy nervously fussing over her, unsure whether to laugh or groan.
She genuinely had no idea why this kid liked her so much—especially when she was her best friend's "target."
He was already complicated enough, and this just made everything worse.
Hadn't she told him clearly last time? Or the time before that?
"Tang Wulin," she said gently, "I really don't have any interest in younger boys."
"That's fine, Senior Sister! I'll just grow up faster!"
Ouyang Zixin: …
Mu Xi: …
Ouyang Zixin sighed. "But I don't want to wait for you to grow up."
Was that really it?
Tang Wulin frowned, wondering if Jiang Chen might know some secret art to make him mature faster.
Besides—
"Senior Sister… I'm not that young, am I?"
Thanks to the Golden Dragon King's influence, his body was far more developed than boys his age.
He was definitely not "small."
So why, he wondered, couldn't she see that?
(END CHAPTER)
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