"Together???"
Seeing Cheng Xiao's shocked expression, Xiao Wu couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. But then she thought about having no blanket to sleep with at night. She snorted and said, "I'm not afraid, so what are you scared of? What? Are you such a scaredy-cat, being a boy?"
"You..." Cheng Xiao was speechless, choked by Xiao Wu. Wang Sheng and the others looked at them with envy in their eyes. After all, she was the only girl in the dorm!
"Alright, come and make the bed." Taking advantage of Cheng Xiao's hesitation, Xiao Wu quickly pushed the two beds together. Then, she patted her hands, satisfied with her work, and waved at Cheng Xiao with a smile.
After making the bed and looking at the connected beds, Cheng Xiao couldn't help but fall into thought. If Xiao Wu and he slept together, what about Tang San?
"Cheng Xiao, Tang San, and Sister Xiao Wu, it's lunchtime. Shall we go eat?"
Seeing the three of them tidy up the bed, Wang Sheng said to them.
Hearing about eating, Tang San shook his head and said, "I don't have any money... I'll just eat some dry rations in the dorm. You guys go ahead."
"Eh? Money, is that Soul Coins?" Xiao Wu asked curiously when she mentioned money.
Xiao Wu's stunned words immediately made Wang Sheng feel embarrassed. He understood now: Tang San and Xiao Wu were both broke. If he couldn't beat them, he would have already started cursing.
"Cheng Lao-da, you don't have any money either, right?" Wang Sheng leaned over to Cheng Xiao and asked in a low voice.
"A little, but not much," Cheng Xiao pondered.
When he came, his grandfather had given him some money, enough for meals.
"That's good, having some is better than none!" Wang Sheng said excitedly when he heard that Cheng Xiao had money.
They were all work-study students. Although he had some money, it was only enough to treat two people to a meal. But if he treated two, he couldn't just leave the other person out, right?
"You treat Tang San and Xiao Wu," Cheng Xiao shook his head. He had always disliked owing people favors.
"Alright, Sister Xiao Wu, Tang San, let's go eat," Wang Sheng said with a flourish.
Hearing this, Tang San hesitated slightly before nodding in agreement. The money in his family had all been taken by Tang Hao to buy alcohol, leaving him practically broke. However, he wouldn't refuse a free meal.
As for Xiao Wu, she blinked her big, watery eyes. Wang Sheng's generous attitude had made her like him a little more, but she was more interested in Cheng Xiao, who was paying for the meal. They were all new work-study students, but he seemed different.
A few minutes later, led by Wang Sheng, the group from the Seventh Dorm arrived at the cafeteria. The cafeteria was large enough to accommodate six classes plus the teachers, a total of three hundred people.
As Cheng Xiao and the others entered the cafeteria, they heard a discordant voice.
"Aren't these the poor work-study students? Wang Sheng, are you even worthy of eating in the cafeteria?"
The sudden mockery startled the group from the Seventh Dorm who had just entered the cafeteria. They followed the source of the voice and saw a group of senior students standing on the stairs between the first and second floors, looking down at them.
The person who spoke was named Xiao Chenyu, the school bully of Notting Academy. Of course, a large part of that was because he had a good father.
"Wang Sheng, you poor devils are only fit to eat on the first floor for the rest of your lives." As soon as Xiao Chenyu finished speaking, the lackeys surrounding him immediately burst into laughter.
Listening to the grating laughter, the work-study students all lowered their heads. They didn't have the same distinguished backgrounds as the others, and as Xiao Chenyu said, they couldn't afford the food on the second floor.
Seeing the upperclassmen's provocation, Xiao Wu was furious and retorted, "Who do you think you are? What's so great about the second floor?"
"Oh, what a pretty little loli, but it's a work-study student. Wang Sheng, I'm going to eat now. I'll let you poor work-study students off the hook this time." Xiao Chenyu laughed loudly.
After speaking, the lackeys surrounding Xiao Chenyu, with triumphant smiles, headed towards the cafeteria on the second floor, where they could order individual dishes.
Seeing them about to leave, Xiao Wu, who was quite angry, raised her foot to chase after them, but Tang San stopped her.
"Xiao Wu, forget it. We're here to eat."
"You're such a coward?" Xiao Wu glanced at Tang San unhappily, then turned to Cheng Xiao, who hadn't spoken. "He's bullying us like this, and I'm wrong to do anything?"
"You're right, but now isn't the time." Cheng Xiao glanced at Xiao Chenyu and his group, saying calmly, "There will always be a chance to beat them up, won't there?"
"Hmm..." Xiao Wu thought for a moment and said, "What you said makes a little sense."
Hearing this, Tang San also looked at Cheng Xiao with more respect. What he said wasn't wrong, but from his adult perspective, it was just a bunch of children playing around. Besides, he didn't want to explain much in the face of Xiao Wu's questioning.
Even though he thought this, Tang San still silently recited the Tang Sect's rules in his heart.
Just then, Tang San saw an acquaintance and quickly went up to him, "Teacher, you're here to eat too."
"Yes, Xiao San, since you're here too, come with me to eat on the second floor," Master said, patting Tang San's head.
"Second floor…" Tang San glanced at the direction of the second floor. Xiao Chenyu's mocking words echoed in his mind. He looked at Cheng Xiao and the others who were queuing for food, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Teacher, I'll eat with my roommates."
"Alright, then wait for me at the cafeteria entrance after you're done," Master said, then walked directly towards the second floor.
Seeing this, Wang Sheng patted Cheng Xiao, who was queuing in front of him, on the shoulder and asked in a low voice, "Boss Cheng, Tang San knows Master?"
Cheng Xiao nodded slightly, "Tang San has taken Master as his teacher."
"What? Tang San is apprenticed to Master!" Wang Sheng was a little shocked. Coincidentally, Tang San, who was also there to queue, heard his words.
"Wang Sheng, is there a problem with me apprenticing to Master?" Tang San frowned, asking.
"Well, Tang San…" Wang Sheng looked a little strange, stammering, "Master isn't very strong. It's said he only stayed at the academy because of his relationship with the headmaster. To put it bluntly, he's a freeloader. He hasn't broken through Level 29 at the age of fifty. I suggest you find another teacher."
Hearing this, Tang San's expression became serious. He looked at Wang Sheng and said, "If you don't want to be defeated by me again, please don't make baseless judgments about my teacher behind his back."
"This is the first and last time. I don't think I need you to treat me."
After saying that, Tang San turned and walked towards the second floor. He had originally been worried that going to the second floor to eat with Master would upset his roommates, but now, he didn't care anymore.
Wang Sheng didn't expect Tang San's reaction to be so strong. He was stunned for a moment. Xiao Wu and the other students in the queue also didn't understand why he would react like that.
Wang Sheng was clearly trying to help. After all, they had been at Notting Academy for several years, and they couldn't possibly deceive a work-study student who had just enrolled, could they?
"Cheng Xiao, is Tang San always like this?" Xiao Wu asked doubtfully.
"I don't know him well, I only met Tang San when we enrolled," Cheng Xiao said, shaking his head.
"Cheng, you said Tang San enrolled with you," Wang Sheng seemed to recall something. "He became Master's disciple. You didn't become Master's disciple too, did you?"
As soon as he said this, all the work-study students, including Xiao Wu, turned to look at Cheng Xiao.
"No." Cheng Xiao didn't mind and recounted how Master had wanted to take him as a disciple when they enrolled.
After Cheng Xiao finished speaking, the work-study students from the Seventh Dorm had also gotten their food and sat together, quietly discussing Master's actions.
"Damn, Cheng, it's a good thing you aren't interested in martial soul theory." Wang Sheng bit into a steamed bun, chewing as he spoke. "Master's so-called martial soul theory, our teachers teach it in class, just not as detailed as Master says."
"That's right, that martial soul theory stuff, the teachers teach it in class. Who would go to a master to learn theory when they don't understand it? What's the point of coming to school then?"
"Cheng, Xiao Wu, you're both geniuses with Innate Full Soul Power. Don't believe Master. We have a library at Notting Academy to study theory, and if you don't understand, you can ask the teachers in class. There's really no need to go to a master to learn theory."
The Seventh Dorm's work-study students chatted amongst themselves, each adding their own two cents. They ate their steamed buns and vegetable soup with great enthusiasm, their voices full of excitement.
Xiao Wu sat beside Cheng Xiao, listening to her dormmates' gossip. She glanced at Cheng Xiao, who was only eating and saying nothing. For some reason, she found herself increasingly curious about him.