They always say people get tired of eating meat and want to try a new flavor by having some vegetarian food for a change.
Back in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, every single one of her peers shared the exact same face.
That fawning, sycophantic look was something Ning Rongrong had stared at for twelve years, until it made her want to vomit.
Having happened to hear the name "Shrek Academy" and grown curious, she had run away from the school just to see what the outside world was like.
She never expected to run into a unique young man like Long Jian.
As for Dai Mubai, he was just a lecherous tiger.
She had already heard all about him from Xiao Wu.
Tang San looked far too ordinary, completely lacking any standout qualities.
Besides, Ning Rongrong could easily tell that the relationship between Tang San and Xiao Wu was very special.
The way Oscar looked at her in no way differed from those sycophants back at the school.
Utterly boring.
In the Star Luo Empire, all the people Zhu Zhuqing ever encountered were cold and aloof.
Although Long Jian also appeared very cold, through their interactions over the past few days, Zhu Zhuqing could tell that he was actually a good man who was cold on the outside but warm on the heart.
He conducted himself with strong principles.
Whenever he encountered injustices along the road, he would step in and help without the slightest hesitation.
He was upright and honest, and he never coveted female beauty or tried to take petty advantages.
Thinking back carefully on the matter of the room opening the other day, she had finally figured it out.
He was completely different from some scumbag who only knew how to play around with twins and abandon his fiancée.
"Zhuqing, Rongrong, we're planning to go out for a stroll in Soto City. Are you two coming along?"
Xiao Wu's voice drifted over from behind the three of them.
Lifting his gaze, Long Jian saw Xiao Wu, Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Oscar all gathered outside.
Seeing Long Jian, who apparently had already moved into the girls' dormitory, Oscar's eyes widened and his jaw dropped in a most comical fashion.
"Going shopping?"
Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up as she turned to look at Long Jian. "Long Jian, it looks like you don't have any daily necessities yet, do you? Let's all go take a look together."
Long Jian glanced at his empty, bare bed and let out a helpless, bitter smile.
"There's no need. I don't have any money!"
"No money?"
Aside from Zhu Zhuqing, the rest of them looked at Long Jian as if he were some kind of monster.
"Great Soul Masters can collect ten Gold Soul Coins every month from the Spirit Hall. Even for ordinary soul masters, normal expenses are more than enough," Oscar asked.
"Ah, well... I've never actually gone to collect any gold coins." Long Jian offered an awkward smile.
"You won't even go take money that's given to you for free." Oscar shook his head, finding it hard to comprehend. "Come to think of it, it's almost the beginning of the month, so you can make a deposit again."
"It's just money! I've got plenty of it! I'll buy them for you!" Ning Rongrong declared with heroic boldness.
"No need. I have the money to buy things for him," Zhu Zhuqing said flatly.
"Long Jian saved my life. This little thing is the least I can do."
"Long Jian?"
Zhu Zhuqing's expectant gaze fixed upon Long Jian, and that spark of yearning instantly reflected in his eyes.
"Thank you, Zhuqing!" Long Jian said with deep gratitude.
Watching the two of them exchanging gazes, Dai Mubai couldn't help clenching his fists tightly.
***
That night.
Outside Zhu Zhuqing's door.
Under the moonlight, Dai Mubai glanced at the room next to Zhu Zhuqing's, then swayed unsteadily as he walked toward Zhu Zhuqing's door.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
"Zhuqing, it's me!"
Dai Mubai's voice slowly drifted into the room.
Inside the room.
Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong sat facing each other, and upon hearing the voice outside, both of them frowned.
Creak!
The door swung open, and Zhu Zhuqing's delicate brows furrowed as she looked at the drunken Dai Mubai, who reeked of alcohol.
"What are you doing here?"
"You are not welcome here!"
With that, Zhu Zhuqing reached to close the door.
Dai Mubai took a step forward, wedging his foot firmly in the doorway to hold it.
"Not welcome?"
"So you welcome that pretty boy instead, is that it?"
"Zhu Zhuqing, you'd better get your identity straight! You are my, Dai Mubai's, fiancée!"
"You're mine in life, and you'll be my ghost in death!"
"You think you can pin a cuckold's horns on Dai Mubai? You're not worthy!"
Pointing right at Zhu Zhuqing's nose, Dai Mubai unleashed a harsh, foul-mouthed tirade with an incomparably gloomy expression.
Earlier that day, Zhu Zhuqing had walked so close to Long Jian right in front of him.
If not for the fact that he couldn't beat Long Jian, he would have stepped up and taught him a lesson long ago.
He was definitely not a man of good temper.
"Slap!"
The sound of a heavy slap rang out sharply in the quiet night.
"You—you dare hit me?" Clutching his left cheek, Dai Mubai stared at Zhu Zhuqing in utter disbelief.
"A good-for-nothing coward like you has the nerve to lecture me?" For the very first time, anger flared across Zhu Zhuqing's face.
With that, Zhu Zhuqing raised her long, slender leg encased in leather trousers, driving the heel of her high heel fiercely toward Dai Mubai's chest.
Dai Mubai was startled, a sliver of his drunkenness instantly evaporating.
He hurriedly raised his hands to block, seizing the opportunity to grab Zhu Zhuqing's lower leg.
"The Seven Treasures has a technique. First: Might! Second: Speed!"
Inside the room, Ning Rongrong held the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, two yellow Spirit Rings spinning beneath her feet as two streams of light flew out from the pagoda, fusing into Zhu Zhuqing's body.
Zhu Zhuqing instantly felt her strength surge through a massive amplification.
Putting strength back into her legs, she broke free from Dai Mubai's grip in a single motion.
At the same time, her Nether Civet Spirit possessed her, and two yellow Spirit Rings slowly rose into the air.
"First Soul Skill — Nether Thrust!"
"Second Soul Skill — Nether Hundred Claws!"
"Boom—"
Hearing the commotion outside, Long Jian shoved aside the black quilt Zhu Zhuqing had bought for him, got out of bed, and walked out.
At the same time, Xiao Wu roused from her sleep. Hearing the commotion outside, she groggily stepped out of her room and gazed at everything unfolding right outside Zhu Zhuqing's doorway.
The moonlight grew brighter.
Long Jian stared in momentary shock at Dai Mubai, whose face was covered in bloody scratches and whose expensive clothes had been torn into shreds of fabric.
He then turned his gaze toward Zhu Zhuqing, whose anger had yet to subside and whose three thousand strands of dark hair fluttered in the wind, and finally at Ning Rongrong, who was standing right behind Zhu Zhuqing holding the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Spirit with a beaming smile.
"What... what just happened?"
"This Dai Mubai got drunk and actually came to harass Zhuqing, so I gave Zhuqing an amplification and we beat him up good!" Ning Rongrong waved her small fist, looking utterly adorable.
At that moment, Xiao Wu walked over as well.
"Rongrong, why are you in Zhuqing's room?"
Ning Rongrong shared a room with her.
Earlier, she had assumed Ning Rongrong simply woke up earlier than her; she never imagined she had been in Zhuqing's room the whole time.
"I, um... I had something I wanted to talk to Zhuqing about!" Ning Rongrong offered an awkward smile.
"How did this lecherous tiger get beaten into such a state? This is too miserable! His face is completely ruined!" Xiao Wu gazed at the claw marks on Dai Mubai's face, the corners of her eyes twitching.
A short while later, Tang San and Oscar arrived as well.
The commotion here was indeed rather loud.
Especially since it was the middle of the night.
Moreover, the boys' and girls' dormitories were not far apart.
Looking at Dai Mubai, who had already passed out, Oscar's mouth twitched.
He hurriedly conjured up two sausages, intending to feed them to Dai Mubai.
However, since Dai Mubai was unconscious, he couldn't eat anything at all.
Seeing this, Tang San spoke up, "Oscar, leave this side to me. Why don't you go call a teacher to come take a look?"