Master of Nine Stars

After following her back, Rong Taotao replied to her comment: "Hello."

A few seconds later, he received a private message from her.

LongAwaitedRain: "I’ve been to the Martial Arts Arena so many times, and I always see Coach Si training you. You’re so focused, you never even notice us."

’No kidding!’

’Could I afford not to be?’

Si Huan Nian’s teaching cane wasn’t just a cane; it was a world of pain and suffering incarnate...

She hit for real, no joking around.

Even with a beginner like Rong Taotao, it was as if Si Huan Nian refused to allow him a gradual learning curve. She wanted every single one of his movements to look as if it had been honed to perfection.

Rong Taotao appreciated her intentions. He’d even tried to talk to her about it once while delivering her meal.

But Si Huan Nian just gave him another flick on the forehead.

The meaning was clear: ’Appreciate the sentiment, but you still have to accept the gift!’

Rong Taotao was thick-skinned, though. After so many years of martial arts, getting hit was just part of the routine, and he was used to it.

This was martial arts, after all, not like studying academics.

If you couldn’t handle the physical pain, you might as well go back to regular school and endure the mental torment instead...

Besides, Si Huan Nian was only correcting and polishing his movements. The cane always landed on the precise spot where he’d made a mistake.

The upperclassmen in the class, however, were delighted. After all, the teaching cane landed on Rong Taotao, but the cautionary lesson was shared by all.

Rong Taotao even felt like a whipping boy for royalty. He was surrounded by "princes" and "princesses" far too precious to be struck, leaving him as the only one who could take the blows.

’Well... to be fair, there’s a big difference between first-hand experience and watching from the sidelines. I’m definitely the one benefiting most here,’ Rong Taotao thought to himself.

At this thought, Rong Taotao couldn’t help but get excited. Si Huan Nian had said she was going to teach him a New Soul Skill tomorrow.

Another message appeared on his phone screen: "Where’d you go?"

Rong Taotao quickly snapped out of it. With his head full of Si Huan Nian, he’d completely forgotten about the girl he was chatting with.

He hurriedly typed a reply: "Coach Si is a renowned teacher, so I don’t dare slack off. Do you use a saber? You could come and audit the class. A lot of upperclassmen show up. Opportunities like this are rare."

LongAwaitedRain: "I use a sword and spear. Da Wei, on the other hand, uses a Heaven-piercing Halberd and a saber. She came back one time and was praising you, saying your skill with the Heaven-piercing Halberd was exquisite."

’Oh!?’

Rong Taotao’s interest was piqued. He carefully chose his words and replied, "I’ve watched a lot of her matches, she’s amazing with the Heaven-piercing Halberd. Would it be possible to set up a time for me to ask her for some pointers?"

LongAwaitedRain: "I can’t promise anything. I don’t have much pull with her. But I could get her to go out for lunch. You could ask her yourself then, right?"

Nourishing People: "Deal!"

LongAwaitedRain: "Let’s add each other on WeChat first... Okay then, tomorrow at 11:30 AM, the usual spot~ Oh, right, bring the puppy."

Rong Taotao: "..."

’What a user!’

’And here I thought you wanted to be my first fan! You’re just getting close to me so you can pet my dog!?’

’Er...’

Rong Taotao scratched his head. ’Come to think of it, that makes me a user, too.’

’Wasn’t he just using this girl to get to Gao Lingwei?’

’Perfect! A mutually beneficial exchange! We each get what we want!’

’The deal is on!’

"THUD!"

A heavy thud echoed.

A hand slammed down on the small window of the mailroom.

Rong Taotao jumped in fright. Outside the window, under the glow of a White Lantern Paper Cage, Si Huan Nian’s already fair face was tinged with a terrifying, deathly pallor.

Rong Taotao was getting genuinely annoyed. He shot up in his seat. "I’m not even daring to breathe too loud, and my phone’s been on silent the whole time. Was the sound of my fingers tapping the screen really loud enough to bother you?"

CLICK...

Si Huan Nian opened the mailroom door and walked in wearing a white nightgown. As she flipped on the light, the shimmering specks of fluorescence above her head slowly faded away.

Si Huan Nian tilted her head, glanced under the desk, and then pulled open a drawer with one hand, apparently searching for something.

Rong Taotao asked, puzzled, "What’s up?"

Without looking up, Si Huan Nian kept rummaging. "I’m hungry."

Rong Taotao: ???

After searching for a bit, Si Huan Nian frowned slightly and looked over at Rong Taotao, who was sitting on the bed. "At your age, you don’t keep a secret stash of snacks?"

Rong Taotao said, "I just bought you a whole bag of Sugar this afternoon. You finished it already?"

Si Huan Nian: "It wasn’t enough."

’This woman eats Sugar for dinner? I guess she really lives up to her martial world nickname.’

Si Huan Nian sighed softly. "Forget it. I’m going out for a late-night snack. You in?"

Rong Taotao was taken aback. "You’re really that hungry? But it’s freezing out..."

Si Huan Nian waved her hand impatiently and turned to leave.

"Hey, wait for me! I’m coming!" Rong Taotao scrambled to his feet, muttering, "Can hypoglycemia cause sudden hunger pangs?"

"One minute. Wait for me at the door." Her voice drifted back as her figure receded into the distance.

Rong Taotao hurriedly threw on his clothes, took out his Cloud Dog, and then recalled it into his body.

Wrapped in a thick down jacket, he stepped out of the mailroom and saw Si Huan Nian walking down, having changed her clothes.

She had merely swapped her nightgown for her training uniform...

One after the other, they pushed the door open and went outside. The two of them walking together looked as if they were experiencing two different seasons—one in summer, the other in winter.

Walking beside her, Rong Taotao asked, "Teacher Si, what are we going to eat?"

Si Huan Nian replied, "Let’s not bother the cafeteria chefs. You’ve been at Pine Soul Soul Martial all this time and you’ve never left campus? You haven’t even been to any of the restaurants just off campus, have you?"

"Ah, the campus has been on lockdown." Rong Taotao nodded eagerly. ’What a perfect season for a stroll!’