Su Yan sat before a bubbling pot of broth crowded with vegetables and meat. Beside him, 2B held her bowl and watched the pot intently, plucking out each morsel the moment it finished cooking.
Across the table stood another pot, its interior divided into two halves by a yin-yang partition. One held an angry red, spicy broth; the other was mild and milky-white.
Xiao Wu and Nihilister sat side by side behind it.
The table was laden with food. Su Yan and 2B had ordered a little of everything, while Nihilister had practically ordered every kind of meat available. Xiao Wu had a stack of white radishes beside her and a mountain of vegetables waiting to be cooked.
"So, Xiao Wu, does this make up for what happened earlier? 2B's already apologised. Can you forgive us?"
Xiao Wu looked up from her food, gave 2B a small nod, then turned her stare on Su Yan. Her lips settled into a pout.
"So, yes to 2B and no to me?"
She grabbed a white radish and bit into it with a loud crunch.
Her expression suggested she preferred it cooked, but she took another bite anyway.
"Alright, I get it. You're still mad. But you do know those taste better cooked?"
Another crunch was his answer.
Su Yan slowly pushed a cup of tea towards her.
She set down the half-eaten radish and took several large gulps. Then she slammed the empty cup onto the table and stuck out her tongue.
"Bleguh. That didn't taste anything like a carrot."
"Why did you even do that?"
"I was showing I was angry. Angry, damn it!"
She crossed her arms and turned away from him.
"Xiao Wu, I need you to use your words," Su Yan said with a small smirk. "I can't understand if you don't tell me what you're angry about."
"Humph."
He looked towards Nihilister for help. She kept eating, a smug smile on her face and amusement dancing in her eyes.
For a moment, he could picture her holding popcorn instead of a bowl of meat.
"HUMPH!"
Xiao Wu's second harrumph was considerably louder.
Su Yan turned back to her. She remained half-turned away.
He waited.
The pots bubbled between them. Beside him, 2B continued eating.
Less than a minute passed before Xiao Wu stole a glance at him and found him quietly watching her.
Her shoulders relaxed. She turned back to the table, picked up her chopsticks and began adding more vegetables to the hotpot.
"You're no fun."
"You're being unreasonable here. I don't even know what I've done wrong," Su Yan said, raising his hands in surrender.
She sighed.
"You never told her about me."
Her voice grew quieter.
"I told my friends about you."
"Xiao Wu… Look, it's not that I forgot about you. You just didn't come up in conversation. I promise I didn't forget about you."
"Really?"
"Really. Look."
With a thought, Su Yan drew a small silver brooch from his storage soul tool onto the table. Its rabbit shape was still crooked and uneven.
"See? I've kept your gift with me. It's been with me everywhere I've travelled."
She sniffled and nodded solemnly.
"I believe you. I, Xiao Wu, in all my infinite mercy, shall forgive you this once."
Su Yan snorted.
"Where did you learn that line? I don't remember you ever saying it before."
She immediately brightened.
"From Rongrong! She's this really fun girl I met at Shrek, and—"
That was only the beginning. Xiao Wu went on to tell him about the friends she had made and everything they had been doing since leaving Nuoding.
Su Yan listened attentively, his expression calm.
His thoughts, however, were another matter.
From what she was telling him, events had strayed further from the canon he remembered than he had realised.
He should have seen the warning when Yu Xiaogang left Nuoding with them.
With Grandmaster accompanying them, their stay in Soto had been brief. There had been no fight with Dai Mubai over a room at the Rose Hotel, no visit to Flender's shop.
Even Shrek's entrance test had been bypassed. Grandmaster had used his connections to arrange their admission directly, sparing Tang San and Xiao Wu the fight against Zhao Wuji.
Yu Xiaogang's training methods had changed as well. There was still physical conditioning, but alongside weighted runs and hikes, he sent them across Soto to work a variety of jobs, many involving strenuous physical labour.
After a short period of that, they began competing in the Great Spirit Arena. Rather than keeping them there until they earned silver badges, Xiaogang had them seek out its strongest opponents within their division. Then he announced that they would be travelling, challenging different arenas and encountering different opponents.
According to Xiao Wu, he wanted them to gain as broad a range of combat experience as possible. An unfamiliar Martial Soul or Soul Skill should not leave them helpless simply because they had never encountered it before.
She had heard that explanation so often she reckoned she could give the lecture herself.
Their travels eventually brought them up against the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy team.
Shrek had won decisively. In Xiao Wu's telling, their opponents had barely stood a chance.
Qin Ming had invited them to join Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, just as he had in canon. That explained what had brought them here. But they had been turned away and ended up at Blue Tyrant Academy, now newly christened Shrek Academy.
The broad sequence was still familiar. What unsettled him was how much sooner everything had happened.
"Tell me, Xiao Wu, where is Teacher Qin Ming now?"
"He's still travelling with the Royal Fight Team. They said they were going to stick to their original plans."
"What about Tang San? Where is he?"
Xiao Wu hesitated.
"He isn't with us right now. Not long after we moved into the new Shrek, he disappeared. The teachers told us he was getting special training and that we'd see him again soon."
A chill ran through Su Yan.
"When was that?"
"Nearly a month ago, I think."
Nearly a month. Tang San was probably already at the Ice-Fire Well. If so, Su Yan had been too late before he'd even reached Heaven Dou.
She picked up some more food from the pot and began eating again.
"I really hope he's alright. I want him to come back already."
Su Yan picked up his bowl and ate in silence.
A while later, a commotion rose from the street outside.
"XIAO WU! WHERE ARE YOU?"
The four of them looked towards the window.
"XIAO WU!"
Xiao Wu put down her bowl and stuck her head out.
Below, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were running down the street, calling for her.
Her expression brightened, and she waved.
"I'm up here!"
She leaned farther out, waving so enthusiastically that she nearly tipped over the sill. A hand caught the back of her collar and hauled her into the room.
"XIAO WU!"
Zhu Zhuqing immediately released her Martial Soul. Cat ears appeared on her head, and two yellow soul rings rose around her.
She leapt for the open window, caught the frame and pulled herself inside.
Then she froze.
Nihilister stood beside the window, holding Xiao Wu off the floor by the back of her collar.
Behind them, Su Yan and 2B remained seated at a table laden with food, two hotpots bubbling between them.
Still dangling from Nihilister's hand, Xiao Wu waved happily.
Zhuqing blinked and sighed.
"What is going on here?"
"We were eating?"
Zhuqing walked over to the table and picked up a cup of tea.
"Hey, that's mine!" Xiao Wu cried out.
Zhuqing drained it in one go.
"I needed it. And considering the five of us have been running all over the city looking for you…"
Her eyes narrowed.
"I deserve this."
"Why did you have to run across the city looking for me?" Xiao Wu asked, tilting her head.
"What was the last thing you shouted at us before you ran off?"
"I believe I said I saw someone I knew and would be right back."
"And…?"
"I don't think I said anything else."
A loud smack rang through the room as Zhuqing slapped a hand over her face. She held it there for a moment, then took a deep breath.
"You said you'd be right back. When you didn't return for ages, we started asking around outside the auction house. They told us you'd been—and I quote—'bodily slammed into the ground and taken away.'"
"Ohhh."
Xiao Wu's eyes widened in realisation. Her gaze slipped away from Zhuqing.
"Ehe."
"Don't you 'ehe' me, you little— Do you know how worried we were? We thought you'd been kidnapped!"
Footsteps thundered along the corridor, and the door slammed open.
Rongrong appeared in the doorway, her expression grim, a squad of guards behind her.
She stopped dead at the sight before her.
The guards behind her failed to stop in time, nearly knocking her off her feet as they crowded into the doorway.
It took several minutes for Xiao Wu to convince the guards that she hadn't been kidnapped. Once they finally left, the six of them settled around the table.
Zhuqing and Rongrong sat on one side, with Xiao Wu, Su Yan, 2B and Nihilister opposite them. The restaurant staff had cleared away the food and hotpots while the guards questioned Xiao Wu.
A tense silence settled over the table. Xiao Wu kept staring at the bare tabletop as though it were the most interesting thing in the world.
Su Yan broke the silence.
"I hate to interrupt, but weren't there five of you looking for Xiao Wu? Now that she's safe, shouldn't someone let the other three know?"
"And who are you?" Rongrong snapped.
"I'm Su Yan, a friend of Xiao Wu's."
Her irritation gave way to recognition.
"Wait, you're that Su Yan? The one Xiao Wu keeps going on about? The one who gave her those candies?"
"Yes?"
She held out a hand towards him.
Su Yan looked at it for a moment before awkwardly shaking it.
"What are you doing? I'm asking for compensation."
"For what?!"
"You called me an idiot," she said with absolute confidence.
"This is literally the first time we've met!"
"You should ask Xiao Wu."
Su Yan turned towards her.
"Xiao Wu, what did you do?"
"I only repeated something you said a while back," she said, her head lowered and her index fingers pressed together.
"And what did you repeat?"
"That idiots can't catch colds."
"Ah. I see."
Su Yan considered this for a moment. Then he smoothed nonexistent wrinkles from his clothes and turned back to Ning Rongrong.
"Miss Ning, I think you'll find that I never called you an idiot. Xiao Wu was merely repeating a general observation. Indeed, I would be delighted to learn that you can catch a cold."
Rongrong blinked at his sudden formality.
"Ohoho."
She steepled her fingers in front of her face.
"So now you're wishing illness upon me. That only strengthens my claim to compensation, doesn't it?"
"On the contrary, Miss Ning. You objected to being called an idiot. I am merely hoping you can catch a cold, thereby proving you are no such thing."
"Yes, but I think you'll find—"
The others watched as the debate continued.
Zhuqing slowly massaged her temples.
"Oh, god. There are two of them…"
The little game between the two continued for a short while.
Rongrong leaned back in her chair.
"I approve."
"Excuse me?"
"I approve of you. A bit plain-looking, perhaps, but I like you. You have my permission to court my good friend Xiao Wu."
"First, I'm not courting Xiao Wu. Second, why would I need your permission if I were?"
"She's one of my best friends. Of course you'd need our permission. Isn't that right, Zhuqing?"
Zhuqing rested her forehead against the table and waved her hand.
"Sure. Whatever. Approved. Just let this dog and pony show end. I'm hungry."
Su Yan raised an eyebrow.
"So, which of us is the dog, and which is the pony?"
Zhuqing lifted her head just enough to give him a flat look.
"Hate you."
Rongrong and Xiao Wu giggled.
"Anyway, to answer your original question, Su Yan, I've already sent people to find the other three. Unlike a certain person, I remember to inform my friends when plans change."
Xiao Wu lowered her head.
"I'm sorry."
"You'd better be. But since I wronged you first, I shall magnanimously forgive you this once."
Rongrong turned towards 2B and Nihilister.
"Now, we seem to have missed a few introductions. You two have been very patient with us."
She indicated Zhuqing beside her.
"I'm Ning Rongrong, and this is Zhu Zhuqing. How should we address you?"
"2B."
"You can call me Nihilister. I was wondering when you'd notice us."
"I apologise. We got sidetracked."
"Don't worry about it. Today's been rather entertaining."
Rongrong leaned closer to Su Yan and whispered.
"So, who are these two to you?"
Su Yan sighed.
"You really are nosy, aren't you?"
"Well, someone has to keep the conversation going."
"Fine. They're my companions, and they mean a lot to me."
Rongrong gestured for him to continue.
"That's it."
"I need more than that!"
She pouted.
"That's all you're getting. We might get along, but this is our first meeting. I have to preserve a little mystery."
Rongrong said nothing.
Su Yan let the silence linger for a moment.
"That was bad, wasn't it?"
"Yup. Better than what I usually hear, but still pretty corny. Such confidence, though. Bravo. I applaud the effort."
She gave him two little claps.
"But I suppose you're right. This is our first meeting, so I shall allow you your secrets."
Zhuqing returned to the room. At some point during their conversation, she had slipped out.
"Rongrong, I ordered some food for us. You're paying. I couldn't wait any longer."
"No problem. Did you order some for the boys as well?"
"Of course. I assumed you'd told them to come here."
Su Yan looked out of the window, judging the time.
"We should get going as well."
He stood, and 2B and Nihilister rose with him.
Xiao Wu sprang to her feet.
"So soon? But you haven't even met the others yet."
Her voice grew quieter.
"And I haven't talked with you enough."
"There'll be plenty of opportunities. We're living in the same city now, remember?"
Su Yan drew one of the spare house keys from his storage soul tool.
"Here. Catch."
He tossed it to Xiao Wu, who caught it.
"I bought a house. Come visit sometime."
"Where?"
He explained how to reach the estate, describing the red gates at its entrance.
Xiao Wu gripped the key firmly.
"I will."
Su Yan turned towards Rongrong and Zhuqing.
"It was nice meeting you both, even if the start was a little chaotic."
"It was nice meeting Xiao Wu's mysterious friend as well," Rongrong replied.
"You're not going to let that go for a while, are you?"
"Nope."
Su Yan sighed, gave Zhuqing a nod and left the room.
2B and Nihilister offered their own goodbyes before following.
Once they were out on the street, his good mood quickly faded.
Xiao Wu was here. Shrek was already here.
And Tang San had been missing for nearly a month.
His head ached. Tang San was already at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Su Yan had been too late before he'd even reached Heaven Dou.
His plans had been upended. The opportunity to secure a Titled Douluo's protection was gone, along with his intended access to the immortal herbs that could improve his cultivation.
His fists tightened, but before his thoughts could spiral further, an arm draped across his shoulders, and Nihilister's weight pressed against his side.
"What's the matter? What's with that expression? I thought you'd be happy after seeing that little girlfriend of yours."
"She's not my girlfriend. You've been with me long enough to know that."
"Fine, I know. Now tell me what's wrong. The moment she mentioned that Tang San boy getting special training, you went quiet."
Su Yan sighed.
"Our plans have changed. There's no longer a reason to seek Dugu Bo. We'll have to find another way. I'll explain when we get home."
"Hmm. Makes no difference to me. Does that mean we're done with the auction house?"
"Not necessarily. The whale glue alone made today worthwhile, though I'll need a more reliable supply."
"You bought it for what that auctioneer was advertising?"
"No. It has another effect—one people here don't seem to know about. I'll explain that too when we get home."
Su Yan glanced at the people passing around them.
"I'd rather not discuss the details in the middle of a crowded street."
Nihilister shrugged.
"Then let's get home already."
She withdrew her arm, and the three of them continued down the street.
Su Yan spent the walk considering his future plans.