Chapter 41 – The Feeling of Being Beaten by Society

In the evening, Su Ming emerged from his room to find the restaurant filled with the aroma of hotpot base, a scent that made one feel ravenously hungry.

Everyone was actually having hotpot.

The suggestion had come from An Zijin, but the hotpot base and utensils were all brought by Ye Bai, who had volunteered to fetch them from the Dormitory Cafeteria.

Clearly, Ye Bai was the most responsive to An Zijin’s desire for hotpot, which left Yao Beibei and Jiang Wanyu looking somewhat unwilling.

Su Ming wanted to say that while Ye Bai’s behavior was expected, weren’t these two girls acting a bit strange?

But where exactly the strangeness lay, Su Ming didn’t want to say, nor did he dare ask. He could only join the rough-and-tumble Lei Hao and quietly be a foodie.

Lei Hao had already started eating before Su Ming came out, his hunger seemingly even more intense than Su Ming’s, making Su Ming swallow his saliva just watching him.

But as soon as Su Ming sat down, before he could even start, An Zijin—who had been at odds with him earlier—put aside her pride and prepared his bowl and chopsticks for him. She began cooking beef and cabbage for him, then piled his bowl high with food, one chopstick-ful at a time. Afterward, she kept asking how it tasted, if it was good, if it was too hot…

Lei Hao, unable to bear the sight, instantly felt the meat in his mouth had lost its flavor.

Ye Bai had just been about to fuss over An Zijin, asking what she wanted to eat and promising to prepare everything perfectly for her, but before he could speak, he was met with this devastating blow, leaving him utterly deflated.

Yao Beibei and Jiang Wanyu also cast somewhat resentful glances at Su Ming.

These two girls had been diligently serving An Zijin, but all the food they gave her had ended up in Su Ming’s bowl.

Poor Su Ming, once again innocently drawing a wave of animosity, so much so that after the hotpot was finished and everyone started playing games to pass the time and bond, Lei Hao, Ye Bai, Yao Beibei, and Jiang Wanyu all teamed up against him.

If not for An Zijin fiercely drawing fire to help him, Su Ming would have felt like the whole world was targeting him.

Of course, in the end, even his goddess (An Zijin) couldn’t save Su Ming from the onslaught of attacks from all sides, and he very honorably became the biggest loser in the game.

Su Ming suddenly had the feeling of being beaten down by society.

The six of them played like this until late at night, then returned to their respective rooms to prepare for the next day’s journey.

They had already agreed to start their mission tomorrow.

Tonight might be the last moment of peace.

…

That night.

In the dormitory building, the lights in many rooms had already dimmed.

Jiang Wanyu, having bathed and changed into a light set of pajamas, lay on her bed, idly kicking her long, restless legs in the air while writing in her diary.

“Spirit Demon Calendar, November 21, 2021. Sunny.”

“Today, we set out for Huaming District, Longyao City, and officially joined the Anti-Phantom Demon Campaign in Huaming District.””The scenery along the way was beautiful, the treatment on the train was excellent, and Huaming District is quite lively. Although the atmosphere is somewhat tense, our accommodation is truly fantastic—featuring panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows and an enormous open-air balcony with an ocean view. It feels like we’re vacationing in a bustling Base City elsewhere.”

“We had hot pot and played numerous games—it was genuinely enjoyable. The seniors, though a bit eccentric, are very kind and take good care of us. Lei Hao, in particular, handled almost all the physical labor, while Ye Bai was constantly running around attending to things. The only downside is his questionable motives—he’s always trying to win over our Zijing. That definitely merits a deduction in points.”

“As for Su Ming, whom I’ve been keeping an eye on, he’s exactly as I expected—not a good person at all. He actually lets our Zijing run errands for him constantly.”

“Still, our Zijing remains as adorable as ever.”

“She’s cute when she’s happy, cute when she’s angry, and even cute when she’s defending Su Ming—though she gets a bit intimidating when facing off against Senior Xu Qianqian from the Hunter Department… but still adorable! Everything she does is adorable!”

“Ahh, I just want to take Zijing home, buy a cage, and lock her up so she can’t run off to that scoundrel Su Ming.”

“If only that were possible—then all those clothes in my closet would finally be put to use. I really want to dress Zijing in the outfits I bought last time; she’d look absolutely precious.”

Jiang Wanyu continued writing her diary, growing increasingly excited. Glimpses of other pages revealed they were similarly filled with entries, though the content was somewhat… questionable.

Just as Jiang Wanyu was fully immersed in her writing, a knock came at her door.

“Wanyu, are you asleep?” A soft, gentle voice called from outside.

“Is that Beibei?” Jiang Wanyu snapped out of her exhilarated state, reluctantly closing her diary before responding, “Come in.”

The door opened to reveal Yao Beibei wearing a conservative long dress, her hair cascading over her shoulders and her glasses absent, as if she’d just finished bathing.

“Oh my,” Jiang Wanyu immediately teased with a mischievous grin, “Why such modest clothing? What happened to that lace transparent nightgown we bought last time? Didn’t you say you’d wear it for Zijing once we got here?”

These bold words made Yao Beibei blush instantly upon entering.

“This… this isn’t just you and little Zijing here,” Yao Beibei stammered shyly. “The seniors are still around—how could I possibly wear that?”

“True enough,” Jiang Wanyu nodded seriously, but then suddenly embraced Yao Beibei, her hands skillfully wandering to Beibei’s most alluring areas as she continued with a sly laugh, “If you went out in something like that, your… remarkable features would be impossible to hide. The seniors would certainly appreciate the view.”

“Eek!” Yao Beibei let out a small shriek, blushing crimson as she playfully swatted at Jiang Wanyu. “Taking advantage of me again! You wicked Wanyu!”

“Hehe, I’m sorry,” Jiang Wanyu giggled in mock surrender, though she was ultimately playfully tackled by the embarrassed Yao Beibei.The two of them began roughhousing on the bed—one fierce, the other lanky, both freshly bathed—creating a scene almost too beautiful to behold.

Unfortunately, no one was around to witness this spectacle.

By the time their playfighting subsided, their clothes were disheveled, and they were both panting heavily, making the sight even more captivating.

It was only then that Jiang Wanyu finally asked Yao Beibei, “Why aren’t you resting properly to prepare for tomorrow’s mission? Instead, you came running over here.” Jiang Wanyu hugged Yao Beibei and said, “Couldn’t sleep?”

“Mhm, a little,” Yao Beibei replied, her cheeks still flushed though her breathing had steadied, allowing her to speak calmly. “We just enrolled and already encountered something like this—it’s really hard to feel at ease.”

“Yeah,” Jiang Wanyu sighed in agreement. “We’ve only just started, attended barely any classes, and haven’t trained long at the Academy. Who knows what we’re even capable of?”

“At least we’re somewhat better off—our families are both Hunters, so we’ve had some training,” Yao Beibei said worriedly. “But Zijing hasn’t received any training at all. Her Spirit Constitution was only detected recently. Even though she’s highly talented and has already learned several Spirit Arts, whether she can actually fight is another matter entirely.”

“That is really concerning,” Jiang Wanyu nodded deeply. “We’ve at least had some training; even if we haven’t fought Phantom Demons yet, we can still exert some strength. Zijing is completely different—a total novice. There’s no way she could handle a Phantom Demon unless… that thing inside her…”

At these words, Yao Beibei’s expression changed abruptly, and she swiftly covered Jiang Wanyu’s mouth.

“Wanyu!” Yao Beibei said with some anger. “Madam specifically warned us not to carelessly discuss this matter outside!”

“Mmmpfh!” Jiang Wanyu struggled, breaking free from Yao Beibei’s grip before complaining, “I know, I know! No need to be so tense!”

“It’s not me being tense—it’s you being too careless,” Yao Beibei retorted, unusually irritated. “Madam said until Zijing can stand on her own, it’s best not to let anyone know about this, including Zijing herself.”

“So that’s why Madam sent us to watch over Zijing, isn’t it?” Jiang Wanyu said impatiently. “I know all that; no need to remind me.”

“You…” Yao Beibei sighed in resignation. “Are you still dissatisfied with Madam’s arrangements?”

“Isn’t that obvious?” Jiang Wanyu pursed her lips. “Your family was saved by Madam, so she’s your benefactor—it’s natural you obey her. But my family was threatened into following her orders. How could I not be resentful?”

After saying this, Jiang Wanyu suddenly shifted her tone.

“Of course, I have no objections at all about protecting Zijing. How could anyone resist that adorable child?”

Yao Beibei nodded repeatedly at Jiang Wanyu’s words.

“Right, Zijing is just too adorable. Thank goodness we came, or we’d have missed out on this.”

Yao Beibei looked like an obsessed fan.

Jiang Wanyu wasn’t much better herself.

Thus, although their circumstances differed, their purpose remained the same.”In short, we must protect Zi Jin properly.” Jiang Wanyu stated: “Isn’t one reason we followed Zi Jin to join Senior Su Ming’s team the consideration that we’re less likely to encounter overly difficult missions or face significant dangers in this team?”

“Mhm.” Yao Beibei nodded, finally showing some relaxation in her expression.

However, Yao Beibei hesitated for a moment before suddenly asking Jiang Wanyu a question.

“Speaking of Senior Su Ming, what do you think of him?”

Yao Beibei’s words made Jiang Wanyu slightly taken aback.

“Senior Su Ming…”

Jiang Wanyu furrowed her brows, her expression becoming somewhat hesitant.

(End of Chapter)