Xiao Wu sat at the desk with her arms crossed, her brows furrowed, and a serious expression on her face, as though she were pondering the mysteries of the cosmos.
In truth, she was deciding whether she should eat another piece of milk candy.
In front of her sat a small red silk pouch embroidered with delicate thread. Tang San had bought it for her while they were passing through Soto City. She had wanted to see more of the city, but after that brief stop, Grandmaster had all but frog-marched them straight toward Shrek Academy.
After more than a month at Shrek, Xiao Wu still was not entirely sure what to think of the place.
At first, she had been disappointed.
Shrek was a far cry from what she had imagined. When Grandmaster said it was a Spirit Master Academy that accepted only monsters, she had imagined towering gates, grand training fields, and teachers who looked as though they could split mountains with a wave of their hands.
Instead, she found a village.
A very ordinary village.
For a while, Xiao Wu had wondered whether "monster academy" meant the buildings were supposed to scare people away.
Still, the teachers did seem strong. The old man at the gate had not looked impressive at first, but his Soul Rings proved otherwise. Zhao Wuji was even more ridiculous, a Spirit Saint sitting in a shabby academy like it was the most normal thing in the world.
So Xiao Wu had started to feel a little better.
Then the headmaster announced that Grandmaster would be taking charge of their training.
That made Xiao Wu feel cheated all over again.
She still did not quite see why Brother San idolised him so much. After hearing about Shrek's powerful teachers, only to be handed back to the same stiff-faced teacher who had marched them there in the first place, she could not help feeling that someone had played a trick on her.
She sighed and lowered her head onto the desk, still staring at the pouch of milk candy.
It was not regret.
Brother San was here, and Xiao Wu did not regret following him.
But sometimes, in the little gaps between training and sleep, her thoughts drifted to Su Yan anyway. She wondered where he was now, what kind of strange things he was doing, and whether following him would have been more fun.
Her fingers twitched toward the pouch.
Just one more candy for tonight.
She was about to take a piece when the door opened.
Ning Rongrong entered first, short pink hair still damp from the bath, her clean robes neat enough to make Shrek's shabby dormitory look even worse by comparison.
Zhu Zhuqing followed behind her, taller and quieter, long dark hair falling over her shoulders.
The two had grown rather close since joining Shrek.
Xiao Wu had not seen their entrance test herself, but Rongrong had told the story more than once. During the test, Rongrong and Zhuqing had faced Teacher Zhao Wuji together, and although the difference in strength had been overwhelming, neither of them had backed down.
Rongrong insisted they had lasted because of her brilliant support.
Zhuqing said nothing, which Xiao Wu had slowly learned was not the same as agreeing.
Either way, even Zhao Wuji had seemed impressed.
Rongrong chattered endlessly, Zhuqing barely spoke, and the two looked like they should never have clicked.
Yet somehow, they did.
Zhuqing followed Rongrong like a quiet shadow more often than not, and when she did not, Rongrong would simply grab her sleeve and drag her along as though refusal had never been an option.
Even stranger, Zhuqing usually let her.
One was loud and bright, the other quiet as a mouse.
Xiao Wu giggled at the thought, especially since Zhuqing's Martial Soul was a cat.
"What are you giggling about, Xiao Wu?" Ning Rongrong asked as she stepped closer.
"Nothing much," Xiao Wu said quickly. "Just a funny thought."
Rongrong's eyes drifted down.
Then they stopped on the pouch.
"Oh?" Her expression brightened at once. "Sweets?"
Xiao Wu's hand moved on instinct, but Rongrong was already faster.
Before Xiao Wu could say a word, Rongrong reached into the pouch, plucked out one of the milk candies, and popped it into her mouth.
Xiao Wu watched in horror as Rongrong chewed.
Her expression slowly became crestfallen.
"Mm," Rongrong said, eyes brightening. "This tastes pretty good."
Then she reached for another.
Xiao Wu moved faster this time. She snatched the pouch away and hugged it tightly to her chest, glaring at Ning Rongrong as though she had just tried to steal her life savings.
Rongrong blinked.
"What's with that look?" she asked, puffing out her chest with complete confidence. "It's just sweets. I can buy you more the next time we go into town. You don't need to be so stingy."
"No, you can't buy these." Xiao Wu's fingers tightened around the pouch. "They're from a friend, and they're all I have left."
Rongrong's confidence faltered.
She glanced at Zhuqing.
Zhuqing looked back at her in silence.
For once, Rongrong seemed to understand that silence perfectly.
She turned back to Xiao Wu, her voice a little more careful than before.
"Um… where is that friend of yours now?"
Xiao Wu looked down at the pouch.
"I don't know."
Rongrong blinked. "You don't know?"
"He didn't come to Shrek." Xiao Wu's voice was quieter now. "He said he had his own road to walk."
Rongrong stared at her for a moment.
Then she straightened, as if arriving at the most obvious solution in the world.
"Then I'll hire people to find him."
Xiao Wu looked up. "What?"
"I'll drag him here if I have to," Rongrong said, puffing out her chest. "How dare he make our cute Xiao Wu sad?"
A hand settled lightly on top of Rongrong's head.
"Settle down," Zhu Zhuqing said, stepping closer. "I doubt Xiao Wu wants us to kidnap her friend."
She looked at Xiao Wu, her expression as calm as ever.
"Unless you do."
Xiao Wu blinked.
Zhuqing continued, "Rongrong seems serious."
Rongrong immediately nodded, as though Zhuqing had offered valuable support.
"That's right. Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone are both Titled Douluo. If I ask them, they'll find him in no time."
Xiao Wu shook her head quickly, causing her scorpion braid to whip from side to side.
"No, you don't have to do that. He said we would meet again someday, and I believe him."
Xiao Wu's fingers tightened around the pouch.
"Su Yan teases a lot, but… he hasn't lied to me before."
She said it with a small, somewhat sad smile.
The three of them fell into silence for a moment.
Then Ning Rongrong broke it.
"Does that mean I can have another candy?"
"NO!" Xiao Wu snapped, clutching the pouch tighter. "You already had one, and I don't have many left. I have to make them last until I see him again."
She moved from the desk toward her bed, but as she passed Ning Rongrong, she suddenly stopped.
A devious smile slowly grew on her face.
Then she turned toward Zhu Zhuqing, pulled out a candy, and placed it in her hand.
"Here, Zhuqing. You should try one. They're really good."
Rongrong's eyes widened.
"No fair! Why does she get one and I don't?!"
"You already took one," Xiao Wu said smugly. "It's only fair that Zhuqing gets one too."
Rongrong turned to Zhuqing with a serious expression.
"Zhuqing, you should give me the candy."
Zhuqing looked down at the candy in her palm, then back at her.
Rongrong held out her hand.
"It was really tasty, and I want another one. So give it to me."
Zhuqing stared at her, unimpressed.
"Hmm."
For a moment, Rongrong's eyes brightened.
Then Zhuqing said, "No."
Before Rongrong could react, Zhuqing popped the candy into her mouth.
Rongrong stared at her in disbelief.
Xiao Wu burst out laughing.
Rongrong slowly and dramatically sank to the floor.
"Betrayed by my closest friends," she lamented, lifting one sleeve to dab at tears that were not there. "How cruel you two are…"
She sniffled once.
Very loudly.
Xiao Wu laughed even harder.
A small smile touched Zhuqing's normally stoic face as she watched Rongrong's performance.
Rongrong continued pretending to cry for a short while before realising the two of them were simply standing there watching her.
She stopped.
Then she gave them both a pouty look.
"It's no fun when you don't come comfort my injured heart, you know. You're not sticking to the script!"
She pointed an accusing finger at Xiao Wu, then at Zhuqing.
Zhuqing swallowed the candy.
"There was a script?"
"Of course there was!" Rongrong said, scandalised. "I would pretend to cry, you and Xiao Wu would come comfort me, and then I would use the opportunity to ask for another candy."
She lifted her chin, looking entirely too pleased with herself.
"And Xiao Wu, as my good sister, would feel so guilty that she would have no choice but to give me one."
She winked at Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu stared at her.
"You were going to trick me and then told me the whole plan?"
Rongrong froze.
Zhuqing looked at her calmly.
"Bad script."
Rongrong clutched her chest again. "Even Zhuqing is bullying me now!"
She kicked her legs, fell backward, and closed her eyes.
"Just let me die. I have been abandoned by those closest to me. I'll just lie here until I expire."
"Get off the floor already, Rongrong," Zhuqing said, giving Rongrong's leg a gentle kick. "You're going to catch a cold if you keep lying there like that."
Xiao Wu suddenly perked up.
"It's okay. Su Yan once told me idiots can't catch colds."
The room went silent.
Rongrong opened one eye.
"…Who are you calling an idiot?"
"I didn't say it," Xiao Wu said innocently. "Su Yan did."
"That makes it worse! Now I have to find him and demand compensation!"
She threw one hand across her forehead.
"Here I am, sacrificing my dignity for my friends' enjoyment, and I get called an idiot. Oh, woe is me."
Rongrong sighed dramatically and closed her eyes again.
Zhuqing looked down at her.
"You still have dignity left?"
Rongrong's eyes snapped open.
"Zhuqing!"
Xiao Wu burst out laughing again.
This time, even Zhuqing let out a quiet laugh.
A moment later, even Rongrong gave up pretending to be offended and laughed too.
Eventually, the laughter died down, and the three of them fell into a comfortable silence.
"So, your friend is named Su Yan?" Rongrong asked, peering over the edge of Xiao Wu's bed.
"Yeah. Why do you ask?"
"Well, you can't just leave it there." Rongrong's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "We need more details. How did you meet? What is he like? Is he strong?"
She paused, then leaned a little closer, her smile turning mischievous.
"Oh, is he handsome? Or cute?"
Xiao Wu blinked.
"Handsome?"
Rongrong stared at her for a moment.
"Yes. Handsome."
Xiao Wu frowned, genuinely puzzled. "Why does that matter?"
Rongrong opened her mouth, then slowly turned to look at Zhuqing.
"She really doesn't understand, does she?"
Zhuqing sat calmly on her bed, watching with quiet amusement.
"Understand what?" Xiao Wu demanded.
"Nothing," Rongrong said quickly, turning back with a smile that was far too bright. "But let's slow down and focus. Tell us more about this friend of yours."
"What do you want to know?"
Rongrong tapped her chin with one finger, pondering where to start.
"Let's start with how you met."
Xiao Wu shifted and sat cross-legged on her bed as Rongrong and Zhuqing waited.
"Well, we met back at Nuoding Academy. We were in the same dormitory, along with Brother San."
Xiao Wu's expression brightened as she spoke.
"And he's really smart. He says a lot of things I don't quite understand."
She paused for a moment, considering her words.
"And he gave me lots and lots of delicious food."
As she said that, a hungry expression slowly crept onto her face, and her gaze inevitably drifted back toward the silk pouch.
She stared at it for a second.
Then she shook herself out of it.
Rongrong looked completely unimpressed.
"That's all? There has to be more. If you met him at Nuoding, then you knew him for six years. Surely there must be more than that?"
Xiao Wu thought for a bit longer.
"He played with me whenever Brother San was not around and I was bored?"
"Why did you answer me with a question?" Rongrong asked flatly.
"Well, I'm sorry I don't know what exactly you want from me," Xiao Wu said with a huff.
Rongrong pressed on.
"Did he ever bring you flowers? Write you poems? Serenade you under the moonlight?"
Xiao Wu opened her mouth.
Then she paused.
Rongrong's eyes widened.
Zhuqing looked over.
Xiao Wu frowned, thinking seriously. "What does serenade mean?"
"It means singing for you," Rongrong said quickly. "Usually under the moon. Very romantic."
"Oh." Xiao Wu relaxed. "Then no."
Rongrong deflated and slumped forward against the edge of Xiao Wu's bed.
"She is too innocent, Zhuqing. This girl cannot be taught," she lamented.
"Did he at least get you gifts or something?"
"He got me this bracelet."
Xiao Wu immediately held out her wrist, practically shoving the bracelet in front of Rongrong's face.
Rongrong's eyes brightened for a moment.
Then she saw it properly.
The bracelet was rather crude. The little white rabbit charm was cute, and the tiny carrots circling it were charming in their own way, but the craftsmanship was simple. It looked worn too, the edges scuffed from years of use. Even the cord did not quite match the charm, as though it had been replaced at some point.
It was cute, yes.
But it was jewellery for a child, not anything a sophisticated young lady should be wearing, and definitely not some grand token of love.
Rongrong stared at it.
Then she sighed.
"Don't you think it's cute?" Xiao Wu asked eagerly.
Rongrong looked at Xiao Wu's bright eyes, then back at the bracelet.
For some reason, she suddenly felt like she had lost.
"…It's cute," she admitted.
Xiao Wu immediately beamed. "Right?"
Rongrong pushed herself upright.
Then she dramatically fell backward onto the floor and stared at the ceiling.
"Zhuqing, I give up."
Zhuqing looked over. "Already?"
"She's hopeless," Rongrong said solemnly. "Either Su Yan is the most boring boy in the world, or Xiao Wu is impossible to tease."
Xiao Wu frowned. "Why would you tease me?"
Rongrong covered her face with both hands.
For a long moment, she said nothing.
She got up off the floor and made her way to her bed.
"That's it. I am going to sleep. We still have to deal with travelling with that perverted trio tomorrow. And Tang San."
She reached her bed and swept the blanket aside with a flourish.
"And I am not doing that without enough sleep."
Zhuqing nodded.
"Agreed."
Zhuqing moved to turn in, only to pause.
"Do you remember which city Grandmaster said we were travelling to tomorrow?"
Rongrong looked over at her.
"I tuned him out after he started explaining the importance of varied combat experience for the third time."
A smug smile slowly appeared on her face.
"And it seems like you did too."
Zhuqing's expression stiffened.
A faint trace of colour appeared at the tips of her ears.
"Pretend I didn't ask."
She pulled the blanket over her head.
"Good night, Rongrong. Good night, Xiao Wu."
Rongrong laughed softly and lay down as well.
"Night, you two."
"Good night," Xiao Wu replied.
The room slowly fell quiet.
Xiao Wu lay on her bed, staring at the moonlight spilling in through the window.
After a while, she raised her wrist and looked at the rabbit bracelet one more time. The little charm was old and worn, and the cord was newer than the rest, but she still thought it was cute.
A small smile tugged at her lips.
Carefully, she took it off and placed it on the small stand beside her bed.
There were fewer candies in the pouch now.
But for some reason, it did not feel quite as lonely.
Holding that thought close, Xiao Wu slowly drifted off to sleep.