Chapter 490: Coincidence

“Alright. Let’s end things here today. Practice some more when you get home and we’ll meet again at the same time tomorrow. I want to see your progress,” Liang Xiaoyu said as he patted Xie Xie on the shoulder. Then he disappeared in a flicker. 

Damn he’s fast! Xie Xie surveyed the area, trying to catch a glimpse of Liang Xiaoyu. There were many mysteries surrounding the man. Such as why Liang Xiaoyu would choose to impart his techniques onto him. They were practically strangers! Liao Xiaoyu didn’t seem to be a teacher either, yet he was allowed to freely come and go through school grounds. 

Xie Xie had voiced his questions before. All he received for his efforts was for Liang Xiaoyu to brush it off, telling him not to worry. Xie Xie didn’t push the issue afterward.

He dragged his exhausted body back to the dormitory. Letting out a sigh, he found himself fixated at Yuanen Yehui’s door. Then his gaze drifted to the window. Another pair of eyes met his. An instant later, the curtains jerked closed. 

Xie Xie recalled the scene he witnessed yesterday. His heart quivered. I have to cultivate harder! If I can at least match Yuanen’s strength, I might still stand a chance! The fatigue vanished from his body. Determination pumped through his veins as he ran to the sink and splashed water on his face. 

He heard a creak behind him and spun around just in time to see Yuanen Yehui open her door and walk out. She was back in men’s clothing, not sparing him a single glance as she walked away. 

Heart thumping hard, Xie Xie raced after her. “Yuanen, where are you going?” 

She remained silent, ignoring him. 

“Are you grabbing food? I’ll go with you. How about it? I’m hungry too.” Xie Xie remained at her tail like a puppy. 

Faster than lightning she stopped in place and turned to face him, an eerie calm in her expression. Xie Xie averted his gaze and looked to the sky, a whistle from his lips. 

“You bastard!” Yuanen Yehui spat out. She had no intention of letting him do what he wanted, and picked up her pace until it resembled a sprint. 

But Xie Xie did not drop his pursuit. This time he kept silent, maintaining a measured distance of half a pace behind her, matching her every step. 

Yuanen Yehui left campus, her steps quickening as she joined the people littering the streets. She ignored Xie Xie, trying to lose him in the crowd. But he stuck to her like gum, never leaving her side the entire time. 

She stopped, spinning on her heel to smack him with a sharp glare. “Are you done yet?”

After scanning the area, Xie Xie bowed his head slightly, his view in line with his feet. He snickered. “Your family doesn’t own this street, right? If you can walk down it, then so can I.” 

“Shameless!” Yuanen Yehui snarled, but she didn’t dare lay a hand on him on the busy street.

Xie Xie smiled. “How’d you know my nickname? Everyone called me that when I was a small kid.” 

“You!” Yuanen Yehui stared him down. Although she wanted to thrash him right then and there, Xie Xie preemptively took a step back from her. There was no way she could match the reaction time of an agility-type. Snorting, Yuanen Yehui decided to stick with the original plan: ignore him. He could follow her all he wanted, but as soon as she finished eating she was heading back to campus. 

Just like that, a delicate balance of mere paces from each other, the two turned into a small street filled with food stands. Besides them, there were few people present. Usually, students frequented this little street, but for now they were all gone for vacation. That didn’t stop hard-working vendors to set up shop anyway, and several food stands lined the sidewalk, each flaunting a diverse range of appetizing aromas. These smells drifted along the street, mixing together in harmony to entice customers. 

Xie Xie realized how hungry he was once he felt the heat of the grills, took in the sweet and savory smells. His stomach growled. 

Yuanen Yehui looked around a bit before approaching a shop that sold grilled meat skewers. “Can I get two skewers of squid, and two tofu skins?” 

“I’ll have the same thing,” Xie Xie said to the shop owner, stepping in front of her. “I’m paying for the both of us.” 

“I don’t need you to pay for me.” The look Yuanen Yehui gave him could freeze.

Xie Xie smiled wryly. “We’re classmates. You don’t have to be so serious.” 

“You’re in the first grade, and I’m in the second. We’re not classmates.”

“Well, we still attend the same academy! You’re the senior brother here, so are you saying it’s your treat? I won’t refuse if you do.” Xie Xie smirked playfully. 

Yuanen Yehui’s expression darkened, a fierce glint in her eyes. “What did you call me?” 

“Senior Brother!”  

Yuanen Yehui snorted, then turned away and ignored him once more. 

“It smells good! Big Brother, can we grab some grilled squid?” said someone with a sweet voice a short distance away.

“Boss, get us fifty squids skewers please.”

Xie Xie was all too familiar with that voice. He turned around, and sure enough he his eyes caught the sight of his captain, Tang Wulin. Then his gaze went further. Tang Wulin was holding the hand of a girl their age. The instant he laid eyes on her, he felt faint. What a beauty! A goddess-like beauty! 

Yuanen Yehui, Ye Xinglan, Xu Xiaoyan, and Gu Yue were all charming and pretty girls, but they couldn’t hold a candle to the girl accompanying Tang Wulin. Enchanting silver hair. A natural beauty that was neither lively nor cold. It was as if her beauty was decreed by the heavens. 

“Huh? Xie Xie, what are you doing here? And Yuanen, you’re here too?” 

Yuanen Yehui finally flipped around. The moment she she saw Na’er, her mind reeled in shock. Holy shit! He really is straight! But in that case, what about Gu Yue? Now that there’s proof he likes girls, doesn’t it seem like there was something going on between the two of them?

Na’er glanced at Tang Wulin, then back at Xie Xie and Yuanen Yehui. 

“We’re grabbing food. Who’s this with you?” Xie Xie eyed Tang Wulin suspiciously. 

“Oh. This is Na’er, my little sister. We lost touch for a few years, but we surprisingly ran into each other on Sea God’s Island. Na’er, this is Xie Xie and Yuanen. Xie Xie’s name means ‘thankful encounter’.”

“Hello,” Na’er said with a slight bow. 

Finally comprehending the situation, Xie Xie stared Tang Wulin straight in the eyes. “Is she your little sister by blood? Oh wait, is this the little sister that embroidered that blanket for you? The one you beat some guy up for when we first got to Eastsea Academy? Cause he stepped on it? This is her?” 

Tang Wulin smiled. “Yep!” 

Xie Xie studied Na’er, awed by her looks. He hastily stretched out his hand. “H-hi! I’m Wulin’s best friend, Xie Xie. I’m an agility-type Soul Elder.” 

Na’er giggled, then hid behind Tang Wulin, avoiding Xie Xie’s hand. Xie Xie looked away, cheeks flushed, but didn’t take any offense. He turned his head again to face Tang Wulin, a hint of something flickering in his eyes. 

Yuanen Yehui simply acknowledged Na’er with a nod. 

“Come take a seat. You kids ordered a lot, so it’s going to take a while,” said the owner of the food stand. 

There were some tables set up behind the stand, situated out in the open. A cool breeze blew through, carrying an odd mixture of scents, food and nature. Only one table remained available, and it was just large enough to seat the four of them. 

Tang Wulin and Na’er sat on one side. Xie Xie and Yuanen Yehui were forced to sit on the other. The shop was too small for anything else. 

Xie Xie broke the short silence. “Boss, how come you haven’t been around these past few days?”. 

Tang Wulin grinned. “I’ve been cultivating on Sea God’s Island, so I didn’t have a chance to go back. You guys were watching the dorm anyway.” He placed a hand to his mouth. “Right, Yuanen, I’ll forge your spirit alloy once I get back.” 

“Okay.”  

Their squid arrived just then. Fifty-four skewers of squid and four skewers of tofu skin served hot on a platter. 

To Tang Wulin, this was just a drop in the bucket. Even so, he set aside two squid skewers and handed them to Na’er before beginning to eat. 

As Na’er ate, she snuck gleeful glances at Tang Wulin. “Big Brother, you can eat so much!“

Tang Wulin chuckled. “My appetite couldn’t have changed in just a few short years. You should eat some more too. I haven’t forgotten how much you loved eating either!” 

“Okay!” Na’er finished her two skewers in a few quick bites, then grabbed another two. 

“Boss! Can we get another fifty squid, fifty chicken, fifty lamb, and fifty beef?” Tang Wulin called out. Eating together with Na’er after so long stoked his appetite. He was ready to indulge. 

Yuanen Yehui and Xie Xie had average appetites, so they quickly finished eating. With nothing else to do, they watched Tang Wulin and Na’er gorge themselves, their eyes growing wider and wider by the minute.