The soft and tender rabbit tongue had just touched the pink lollipop.
A slight sweetness of honey and the fresh scent of carrots instantly bloomed on her tongue.
The taste of the lollipop
made Xiao Wu's eyes squint in delight.
She slowly pressed the red candy against her pink lips and gently pushed it into her mouth.
Only then did she sit back lightly on the edge of the bed.
Soaked in the candy's sweetness, even the pain on her bottom seemed to lessen a bit.
Her waist and back straightened up as well.
Holding the lollipop, she mimicked Ye Qiu's motions, her small hands moving slowly.
Her tongue rotated, letting the sparkling candy roll slowly around in her mouth. She sucked on it delicately, letting the sweetness fill her mouth. Her big, round, rosy eyes squinted into crescent moons.
"Alright then. Since you've eaten my stuff, you've got to help me!"
Ye Qiu looked at the clearly enjoying Xiao Wu and didn't forget to remind her of the promise she'd made.
Xiao Wu, head lowered while enjoying her lollipop, glanced sideways at Ye Qiu,
noticing that he was staring at her intently.
Her cheeks immediately bloomed with a vivid blush.
She pulled the crystal-clear candy from her mouth, now coated with a shiny layer of saliva.
"Got it, Sister Xiao Wu understands!"
Xiao Wu nodded slightly in agreement.
Then she stuffed the lollipop back into her mouth and mumbled, "But... from now on, you— you still have to give me more… Ah, it's so tasty!"
"That won't do. Don't even think about freeloading!"
Ye Qiu shook his finger lightly. This was the fruit of his labor—he wasn't going to feed freeloaders.
Xiao Wu frowned and glared at him. Her licking slowed down a little. She took the candy out, stuck out her little tongue, and gently licked it, trying to make it last longer.
Ye Qiu stared at this adorable sight, deeply enjoying it. This little bunny was just too delicate and cute, stirring up a natural fondness in his heart.
Noticing Ye Qiu's gaze, Xiao Wu's face flushed even redder. She shyly retracted her tongue, pouted her red lips, and huffed angrily.
She turned around and continued licking, changing directions.
As she turned, she suddenly noticed Tang San and Wang Sheng also staring at her, which made her flush with both shame and frustration.
She shouted in a crisp, delicate voice, "What are you looking at?! Is there something so interesting to see? Believe it or not, I'll teach you a lesson!"
Even with her mouth full, both fists clenched tightly. Despite her dark eye circles making her look a bit silly, she still had a fierce "I'll beat you up" look.
Tang San secretly felt fortunate he hadn't tried to meddle earlier—he would've only embarrassed himself.
Wang Sheng, however, couldn't help but admire Ye Qiu.
The boss could look all he wanted. As for them little brothers—they were just there to guard the door and clear the way.
Tang San glanced at Ye Qiu, then looked away.
He grabbed his things and casually picked a bed. Only then did Tang San realize he hadn't brought any bedding.
He couldn't help but ask:
"Wang Sheng, don't we get bedding here?"
A student a few years older than Tang San replied, his eyes dimming slightly.
He said helplessly, "We're work-study students. We don't pay tuition, so of course, they won't give us bedding. We all brought our own from home."
Wang Sheng stepped forward and suggested,
"Brother San, how about this—you can use ours for now."
Hearing this,
Tang San glanced at their bedding. While not exactly filthy, it was clearly tattered and worn.
He shook his head and decisively declined, "Thanks for the kind offer, but I'll figure something out myself."
Just as Tang San finished speaking—
A teacher in his thirties entered from outside. After scanning the room, he asked:
"Which one of you is the new work-study student? Step forward."
Tang San, a bit confused, took two steps forward.
On the other side, Xiao Wu, now finished with her lollipop but still holding the stick in her mouth, also stood up gently. She subtly covered her sore bottom and gave Ye Qiu a resentful glance.
The teacher who came in looked ordinary, with light green hair, which made Ye Qiu mentally ridicule him a bit.
In his hands, he was carrying a set of bedding.
Ye Qiu knew—it must have been arranged by Yu Xiaogang to take care of Tang San.
So he stayed seated and didn't move.
"Which one is Tang San?"
The green-haired teacher asked again.
"Teacher, that's me!"
Tang San quickly raised his hand and stepped forward.
The teacher looked him over and handed him the bedding.
"I'm Mo Hen. You can call me Teacher Mo. Tang San, this is the bedding prepared for you by the Grandmaster."
"Mm."
Tang San calmly nodded.
He took the bedding—it wasn't luxurious, but clean and clearly brand-new.
Tang San hadn't expected his newly acknowledged teacher to be so thoughtful. At this moment, Yu Xiaogang's stiff expression softened a little in Tang San's heart.
Mo Hen looked at Xiao Wu and Tang San and instructed:
"You're both first-year work-study students. From now on, your job is to clean the garden on the south side of the training ground. Ten copper soul coins a day… If you slack off, the academy has the right to expel you. Understand? Also, the one who's not here—you two are responsible for letting him know."
Tang San and Xiao Wu nodded in unison to show they understood, then both glanced at Ye Qiu.
"Tomorrow is the opening ceremony—don't miss it. Wang Sheng, you're the oldest here. Explain the rules to them."
With that, the green-haired teacher turned and left.
Xiao Wu looked at the quilt in Tang San's arms, pouted helplessly, and turned her gaze toward Ye Qiu, who also had no bedding.
Their eyes met—Xiao Wu immediately glared at him, face flushing slightly.
A few quick-witted work-study students quickly stepped up.
"Boss, use my mattress first. I'll just fold up my blanket and use it as both mat and cover."
Another turned to Xiao Wu and said:
"Sister Xiao Wu, you can use my blanket. I'll make do with the mattress."
Xiao Wu looked at the old, ragged bedding they handed over with slight disdain and some embarrassment on her face. Instead, she looked toward Tang San.
Tang San, holding his blanket, didn't know what to do under her gaze.
He only had one set.
If he had extras, he wouldn't mind helping her out, but in this situation, she'd have to fend for herself.
Ye Qiu smiled and waved his hand.
"Thanks for your kindness, but I'll figure it out myself."
Looking at the little bunny who stood frozen in place, unsure of what to do and clearly at a loss—
Ye Qiu chuckled and walked over. Casually, he reached out and slung an arm over Xiao Wu's shoulders, all buddy-buddy.
"Ah! Wh-what are you doing?!"
Xiao Wu flinched and struggled a bit, frowning, her face red as she looked at Ye Qiu in confusion.
Ye Qiu stared into her big, rosy eyes.
He smiled and said, "Little bunny, how about I take you to buy a blanket?"