Xiao Yan slowly walked towards the shade. Xiao Yu followed behind, gritting her teeth in anger, glaring at his back. She hadn't expected him to be so utterly disrespectful.
As they approached the large, verdant shade, they saw more than a dozen young men and women sitting comfortably in a circle, chatting. Judging by their relaxed expressions, they were likely students of the Jia Nan Academy, just like Xue Ni.
Outside the shade, more than twenty young men and women sat exposed to the scorching sun, enduring its intense rays. They sat on mats, their faces streaming with sweat from the high temperature, yet their expressions were filled with restraint. From their appearance, they had probably just passed the new student assessment outside.
Inside the shade, several female students were chatting when they suddenly looked up and saw Xiao Yu's group slowly approaching. Their faces lit up with surprise. A group of women giggled and stepped forward, immediately surrounding Xiao Yu, chattering and laughing incessantly.
Unexpectedly surrounded like this, Xiao Yan's group was momentarily stunned, unable to adapt. His gaze swept over the beautiful female students, and seeing their surprised expressions, Xiao Yan realized that Xiao Yu seemed to have quite good relationships with everyone at the academy.
"Oh, please, can you all calm down a bit?" Xiao Yu said helplessly, pushing away the girls who were playfully messing with her.
"Yu'er, we haven't seen each other in two months, you've really filled out a lot, haven't you? Be honest, is it... hmm?" A beautiful young woman secretly touched Xiao Yu's chest, then pressed her shoulder against Xiao Yu's, teasingly.
Standing beside them, Xiao Yan sighed helplessly, looking at Xiao Yu with a somewhat strange gaze. Why were all her friends such lecherous women?
"Get lost, you pervert! Stop it!" With a slightly flushed, smiling face, Xiao Yu pushed away the girl in her arms. Seeing her about to advance again, Xiao Yu quickly ducked behind Xiao Yan's group, pointed at them, and hastily introduced them. Only then did the women stop their teasing.
"Hehe, what beautiful little beauties!" Their eyes swept over Xun Er and Xiao Mi. Their outstanding looks naturally drew gasps of admiration from the women.
Their gazes slowly shifted to Xiao Yan, who stood beside them. As for Xiao Zhu, because he was Xiao Yu's younger brother, he was fortunately overlooked by the women.
Although Xiao Yan was three years younger than Xiao Yu, after a year of diligent cultivation, his stature was comparable to hers. His face, though somewhat delicate, upon closer inspection revealed a strange maturity that belied his age. This contradictory feeling made the women glance at him repeatedly.
"Hehe, so handsome and good-looking. Yu'er, is this your cousin? Not your actual younger brother, is he? Be honest, have you been hoarding him?"
Hearing the woman say this, and bring up such a topic, Xiao Yan's calm heart stirred, and the corner of his mouth twitched as he looked at Xiao Yu with a strange gaze.
Xiao Yu heard the women teasing her, and her smiling face suddenly showed an embarrassed and annoyed helplessness. Just as she was about to explain, the corner of her eye caught sight of a male figure hurrying towards them.
Xiao Yu’s smile faltered slightly, her willow-like brows furrowing as a blush of shyness crept onto her face. She snapped, “He and I are not related by blood. Don’t tease him, he’s been thin-skinned since he was little.”
“Ah…” Hearing this, the girls were stunned. Seeing Xiao Yu, who had never shown such shyness before, they exchanged glances. They had only been joking, yet Xiao Yu had seriously explained herself. Moreover, her tone… it was practically like she was explaining for a lover.
Xun’er and the others were similarly taken aback by Xiao Yu’s intimate tone. They exchanged glances, a fog of confusion in their minds, wondering when the relationship between Xiao Yan and Xiao Yu had become so good.
Standing beside them, Xiao Yan watched this woman’s performance with cold eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching. Just as he was about to expose her directly, Xiao Yu, quick-witted and nimble-handed, grabbed his wrist, her hand intimately brushing off the dust from his clothes.
“Ah…” Seeing Xiao Yu’s sudden action, those around them instantly gaped. When had they ever seen Xiao Yu treat a man like this?
“Xiao Yu, you… Long time no see!” Everyone was momentarily stunned, then a man’s voice suddenly rang out.
Hearing this voice, everyone turned their heads slightly. A young man dressed in white stood behind them, smiling. This young man was somewhat handsome, but the bright smile on his face made Xiao Yan and the others feel a hint of falseness.
Xiao Yu’s shy expression slowly receded. She turned slightly, her jade hand still holding Xiao Yan’s wrist. She glanced at the young man and said indifferently, “Luo Bu, long time no see.”
“Ah.” Nodding and smiling, the young man called Luo Bu seemed to casually glance at their clasped arms. His pupils, as he looked at Xiao Yan, subtly revealed a hint of coldness and anger.
“Ah, did you bring these people?” Luo Bu asked, smiling as he stepped forward.
“En,” Xiao Yu nodded casually, once again introducing Xiao Yan and the others. She smiled and said, “I brought them here for the test.”
“Oh, I see.” Luo Bu nodded with a smile. He pulled out a fist-sized red crystal ball from his bosom, held it up, and said with a smile, “Just in time. Instructor Ruo Lin just gave me a testing crystal. Let them try it. This testing crystal is exactly the same as the testing crystal in the passage. If they don’t want to use mine, they’ll have to wait a bit longer.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yu hesitated for a moment before nodding. She turned her head and gently explained to Xiao Yan and the others, “This testing crystal is very simple. As long as your strength reaches eight segments of Dou Qi, it will automatically glow, and you will pass the test.”
“Let go of my hand!” Xiao Yan glanced at her and said indifferently.
“Oh,” Xiao Yu smiled and nodded, very cleverly letting go of his hands. Meanwhile, on the side, seeing Xiao Yu’s docile appearance, the young man Luo Bu, holding the crystal in his fist, tightened his grip considerably.
“Xun’er, you all go first,” Xiao Yan said with a smile to Xun’er, rubbing his reddened wrist that Xiao Yu had held.
Smiling and nodding, Xun’er, Xiao Mi, and Xiao Zhu stepped forward. Their hands rested on the crystal ball for a moment. After the crystal ball lit up, they retreated.
Seeing the three succeed, Xiao Yan also casually stepped forward and touched it, achieving the same result.
"Don't worry, if they hadn't passed the test, I wouldn't have brought them here on my own initiative," Xiao Yu said calmly, seeing the four succeed.
"Ah, it's not that I don't trust you, it's just the rules." Luo Bu smiled apologetically at Xiao Yu, then put away the crystal ball. He pointed outside the shaded area, where several young men and women were basking in the sun, and smiled at Xiao Yan and the others, saying, "Congratulations on passing the test. Now, please wait here for half an hour."
"Luo Bu, what do you mean by that?" Hearing this, Xiao Yu's willow-like eyebrows shot up, and she asked with an icy expression.
"Xiao Yu, you're an old student yourself, you should know the rules after admission, ah-ah. Nowadays, new students are becoming more and more arrogant, so it's necessary to properly curb their sharp edges upon admission. This will only benefit their life in the academy later, not harm it," Luo Bu said with a smile.
"Hmph, Luo Bu, if you say these words to other new students, I won't interfere. But you shouldn't use this rule on the people I brought!" Xiao Yu said coldly.
"These are the rules."
Luo Bu's mouth curved upwards. Xiao Yu scolding him like this in front of everyone made anger and jealousy rise in his heart.
"Luo Bu, don't make things difficult anymore. You actually understand that this rule isn't mandatory, so why make such a fuss?" The women beside her also didn't sympathize with Luo Bu's actions, frowning as they spoke.
"Ah, my apologies. They unfortunately passed the test with me, and according to the regulations, I will temporarily oversee them during this period," Luo Bu said with a brilliant smile. Seeing Xiao Yu about to get angry again, he suddenly said, "Alright, for your sake, they don't all have to go out. Just one representative is enough? Uh... I think this brother should be the one to go out, ah-ah, after all, you're a big man, you're not afraid of the sun, right? Heh." Luo Bu's finger moved across Xiao Yan and the others, finally stopping in front of Xiao Yan with a smile.
Xiao Yan looked up, calmly meeting the smiling face of the young man in front of him.
"Get lost, Xiao Yan won't go out. I'll go talk to Instructor Ruo Lin myself, you don't need to lay a hand on anyone here!" Xiao Yu's sexy long legs took a step forward, shielding Xiao Yan, and she said in a cold voice.
"Oh, Big Brother Luo Bu, it seems you have a problem here?" Just as they were entangled in an endless dispute, several young men walked out of the shaded area, chuckling.
"Nothing, it's just that this new student doesn't want to go out and bask in the sun," Luo Bu said with a casual smile.
"Heh. It's been a long time since I've seen such an arrogant new student. Big Brother Luo Bu, do you want us to help?" Hearing this, a young man with a golden star pinned to his chest laughed at Luo Bu, his smile carrying a hint of flattery.
Luo Bu nodded with a smile, then looked at Xiao Yu's gloomy expression and pondered for a moment. Suddenly, he chuckled and said, "How about this, you won't have to go out anymore. However, there are many new students watching outside. If we let them not go out and bask in the sun, I'm afraid it will cause dissatisfaction among others."
As he spoke, Luo Bu patted the shoulder of the young man beside him and smiled at Xiao Yan, saying, "If you don't want to go out, then you'll have to spar with Gua La a bit. Of course, you don't need to defeat him, as long as you can last twenty rounds against him, that will be enough."
Hearing this, the women beside Xiao Yu immediately shouted angrily at Luo Bu. Seeing the current situation, they had already understood that this fellow was jealous of Xiao Yan, and was using public office for personal revenge.
Compared to the women who were angrily shouting, Xiao Yu was strangely silent. She turned her head, her eyes fixed on Xiao Yan. She understood that with Xiao Yan's current strength, he was definitely not weaker than her. Dealing with a one-star Dou Disciple would be no problem.
Ignoring Xiao Yu's intense gaze, Xiao Yan calmly stared at Luo Bu's brilliant smiling face, a cold glint in his eyes. He originally disliked trouble, but this fellow repeatedly used his connections to bully others.
"Heh heh, come on, kid. Let me teach you how to respect your seniors, otherwise, in the academy later, you'll blame us." The young man named Gua La took a step forward, smiling maliciously at Xiao Yan.
Slowly exhaling, under everyone's gaze, Xiao Yan helplessly shrugged, took two steps forward, stood shoulder to shoulder with Xiao Yu, then suddenly stretched out an arm, fiercely grabbed her soft, slender waist, and pulled her into his embrace.
Xiao Yu was first stunned by Xiao Yan's sudden sneak attack, then her face flushed. Looking at Luo Bu beside her, she had to suppress her struggle, gritting her teeth resentfully, cursing Xiao Yan endlessly in her heart for taking advantage of her in such a crowded place.
Xiao Yan's action made the women beside him gape in astonishment, and also made Luo Bu's expression even more gloomy. He turned his head and said to Gua La, "Hit him hard!"
Hearing this, Gua La gave a sinister smile and nodded.
The three people beside Xun Er, seeing the strange actions of the two, could only helplessly shake their heads.
"This is interest," Xiao Yan said with a cold laugh into Xiao Yu's ear, his hand lingering on her waist.
After speaking, Xiao Yan didn't look at Xiao Yu's flushed face. He voluntarily let go, a calm smile on the corner of his mouth, and slowly looked towards Gua La, who was looking at him sinisterly.