Chapter 16: School Starts, Freshman Class Nine
Leaving the cafeteria, Lin Xuan and Dugu Qing walked side by side toward the dormitory.
The evening breeze was slightly cool, dispersing the noise and lingering food scents from the cafeteria.
Along the way, Dugu Qing seemed somewhat hesitant to speak. His gaze flickered toward the calm Lin Xuan beside him from time to time; his lips moved, but he swallowed his words back down.
"If you have something to say, just say it. No need to hold back."
Lin Xuan spoke flatly, eyes fixed forward, without pausing his steps.
"Oh, uh..." Dugu Qing was startled by his thoughts being seen through. He hesitated for a moment before asking tentatively,
"Those two girls just now... they both looked quite beautiful and had great temperaments. It felt like they both came from extraordinary backgrounds. Especially that Student Ning Tian—she seemed quite proactive toward you? Why did you have that kind of attitude?"
He paused, seemingly feeling his question was a bit presumptuous, but still added in a low voice,
"Do... Do you not like girls like them?"
"Why should I like them?" Lin Xuan turned his head, glanced at him, and countered with a calm tone,
"Up until just now, I've only met them twice in total. All the words we've spoken combined wouldn't even add up to ten sentences. We're just strangers passing by; we can't even be considered acquaintances. How can there be talk of liking or not liking?"
"But..."
Dugu Qing scratched his head, his eyes appearing clear yet foolish.
"They are so good-looking, and they seem to have great family backgrounds. They were even quite proactive toward you. Generally speaking, wouldn't guys... have some thoughts?"
"Thoughts?" A faint, enigmatic smile played on the corners of Lin Xuan's mouth as he asked again,
"Then what about you? Do you have thoughts about them?"
"Me?" Dugu Qing was taken aback by the question. He then thought about it seriously,
"I-I should have a little bit, right? After all, they really are very beautiful..."
"Still too young."
Lin Xuan shook his head with a light chuckle. It really was a case of someone else just using a basic attack while he was already burning his Flash and Ultimate.
Lin Xuan felt Dugu Qing's thoughts were quite normal. This was how young virgins were, still harboring beautiful fantasies about the opposite sex. If a girl looked at them one extra time, they'd think she liked them.
In reality? It was possible her eyes were just like that—she'd look at a dog with the same deep affection.
Dugu Qing was completely stunned. He hadn't expected his roommate of the same age to be so indifferent toward romantic feelings.
It felt like one wouldn't have this kind of attitude without having been in over a dozen relationships.
"Lin Xuan, have you... have you been in love many times?"
Hearing this, Lin Xuan inwardly shook his head and laughed.
If he were his self from two lives ago, he might have had the same thoughts as Dugu Qing.
But after experiencing his previous life as the strongest head of the Zenin Family in eight hundred years, wielding power over a third of the Jujutsu world and possessing massive wealth...
...and after seeing too many men and women who approached him for the sake of profit, power, or status...
...he had long since understood that in the adult World, especially one involving power and profit, pure feelings were an immense luxury.
Talking about money hurts feelings?
No, no, no. Talking about feelings hurts money too much.
Of course, he wouldn't say these things to Dugu Qing.
Lin Xuan just waved his hand casually and resumed his pace.
"I haven't. I've just seen a lot and thought a lot. Let's go, it's getting late."
Dugu Qing watched Lin Xuan's receding back and nodded as if he half-understood, then quickly caught up... The next morning, the dawn light was faint.
When the first rays of pale golden sunlight had just climbed over the high walls of Shrek Academy, not yet fully dispelling the night's chill, the freshman dormitory building became like a lake surface into which a giant boulder had been thrown—it suddenly "boiled" over!
"What are you all yelling about so early in the morning?! Are you going to let people sleep or not?!"
"Why are you all shouting so loud!"
"..."
Windows on the higher floors were slammed open, and the irritable roars of upperclassmen filled with sleepiness drifted down.
But the clamor below only paused for a moment before rebounding with even greater volume, filled with boundless enthusiasm for the first day of school.
Tsk...
Lin Xuan, who was sitting cross-legged on his bed meditating, was forcefully pulled back to reality by this incessant noise.
"Each and every one of them is certainly enthusiastic."
On the other side, Dugu Qing had already gotten up early and was washing up. Hearing the movement, he turned his head, his clear green eyes showing a clean smile.
"Good morning, Lin Xuan."
"Mhm, morning."
Lin Xuan nodded, took out that brand-new white freshman uniform from his spirit tool, and began to put it on.
After the two of them finished a simple cleanup, they pushed open the dormitory door and joined the surging crowd in the corridor outside.
The hallway at this moment could be described as spectacular.
Freshmen wearing the same white uniforms were like a school of fish released from a gate, rubbing shoulders as they conversed excitedly. Most of their faces were overflowing with excitement, anticipation, and a bit of nervousness, full of yearning for the academy life that was about to begin.
Lin Xuan and Dugu Qing moved slowly with the flow of people.
Not long after they stepped out, a nearby dormitory door happened to be pushed open, and a familiar figure walked out hurriedly, nearly colliding with Lin Xuan.
"Ah, sorry!"
That person quickly apologized and looked up; it was Huo Yuhao.
Seeing Lin Xuan, he froze for a moment before recognizing him, a somewhat cramped smile appearing on his face.
"It's... Student Lin Xuan?"
"Morning, Huo Yuhao," Lin Xuan responded with a smile and a peaceful attitude.
"Huo Yuhao, what are you doing blocking the door? Hurry up, we're going to be late!"
A crisp teenage boy's voice, tinged with a bit of impatience, came from the dormitory behind Huo Yuhao.
Immediately after, another figure flashed out from inside the door.
It was a slender, extremely beautiful youth, even a few degrees more exquisite than Dugu Qing.
He had rare blue-pink short hair, skin as fair as jade, and a pair of pink-blue eyes that were spirited and bright.
At this moment, he was slightly furrowing his brows, looking at Huo Yuhao who was blocking the doorway.
Tang Buddha's daughter, Wang Dong, huh... Lin Xuan's gaze swept over, instantly confirming the other party's identity.
With this signature hair color and appearance, along with that naturally born tsundere aura, it was hard to mistake her for anyone else.
"Going now," Huo Yuhao hurriedly replied, stepping aside.
Lin Xuan didn't linger. He nodded to the two of them, said "Goodbye," and continued walking outside with Dugu Qing following the crowd... Freshman Teaching Building, White Zone, class nine classroom.
The classroom was spacious and bright, with dozens of desks and chairs arranged neatly. Most of the students had already arrived, and the buzzing sound of conversation was incessant.
When Lin Xuan and Dugu Qing walked into the classroom one after another, the originally noisy sounds instantly dropped significantly, and countless gazes were projected toward them in unison.
The reason was simple: the combination of these two was just too eye-catching.
Lin Xuan had a tall and straight posture with handsome features; his calm temperament stood out exceptionally among the restless freshmen.
And Dugu Qing's exquisite face and unique dark green long hair drew even more curious, admiring, and even puzzled looks.
The eyes of many boys and girls lit up as they put their heads together and began to discuss in low voices.
Lin Xuan ignored the surrounding gazes. He quickly scanned the classroom and found two adjacent empty seats in the back row by the window, so he walked straight over and signaled Dugu Qing to sit down together.
Just as he sat down, before he could carefully observe the surroundings, Lin Xuan felt his left shoulder being lightly tapped from behind.
He turned his head to look.
What entered his vision was a beautiful face with a flower-like smile.
It was a girl who looked to be around their age. Her hair was a relatively rare light green, her features were exquisite, her skin was fair, and her face carried a lively and friendly smile, overflowing with a sunny aura.
Seeing Lin Xuan turn around, the girl generously extended her fair little hand, her voice crisp and pleasant.
"Hello, new classmate! My name is Nangong Yuner. We'll be in the same class from now on! What's your name?"
Lin Xuan's gaze lingered on her face for a split second, then he also extended his hand and shook hers lightly, letting go immediately.
"Lin Xuan. Hello, Student Yuner."
"Lin Xuan? That's a very nice name!"
Nangong Yuner smiled as she withdrew her hand and looked at Dugu Qing beside him, asking curiously,
"And this is?"
"Dugu Qing, my roommate," Lin Xuan introduced briefly.
"Hello!" Dugu Qing also hurriedly greeted her.
Just then, another slight commotion came from the classroom door.
Ning Tian and Wu Feng walked in one after the other.
Ning Tian was still dressed in an elegant yet noble manner, her platinum-blonde long hair particularly striking in the morning light.
Her gaze swept across the classroom and quickly locked onto Lin Xuan and the others in the back row by the window, a glint of light quietly flashing in her eyes.
Leading Wu Feng, whose expression was still not very good, she walked straight toward Lin Xuan's area and sat down in the adjacent empty seats separated from Lin Xuan by an aisle.
"Student Lin Xuan, Student Dugu Qing, good morning."
After sitting down, Ning Tian turned toward Lin Xuan and the others, a smile appearing on her face as she took the initiative to greet them. Her gaze also nodded to Nangong Yuner along the way.
"Morning, Student Ning Tian."
Lin Xuan responded indifferently, and Dugu Qing followed with a small greeting.
Wu Feng, however, crossed her arms and turned her face away, giving everyone only a cold profile, though the corner of her eye still couldn't help but glance toward Lin Xuan.
Nangong Yuner looked at the newly joined Ning Tian and Wu Feng—especially the outstandingly elegant Ning Tian—with a flash of curiosity in her eyes, but she tactfully did not interject immediately.
The group exchanged a few simple words. Although it was mainly Ning Tian leading the conversation and Lin Xuan responding flatly...
...this small area gathered Lin Xuan, Dugu Qing, Ning Tian, Wu Feng, and Nangong Yuner—several teenagers with exceptional looks and temperaments—and invisibly seemed to form a small "high-visual circle."
This caused other students in the classroom to look over frequently; that area even seemed to brighten up a bit because of their presence.