Douluo: I Can Raise Soul Beasts—and Make Them Super Evolve! Chapter 97 - 97 – Birthday, Night Raid

"Uh, well…" Wang Dong stamred, but Su Wen suddenly felt a foot step on his own, followed by his companion winking at him in secret.

"I'll be discussing cultivation with Su Wen later, so I might not have the ti," Wang Dong apologized.

"Oh… okay." Xiao Xiao glanced at Su Wen. When he nodded, she left reluctantly.

Wang Dong imdiately let out a breath of relief.

"What? If you wanted to go, you should've gone," Su Wen said, amused.

"Go my ass!" Wang Dong rolled his eyes. "Xiao Xiao's feelings for —you can't pretend you don't see it. But I'm a wom—cough, cough—you know, and you're still asking that?!"

"Just thinking about Xiao Xiao liking makes my skin crawl. I'm female, I like n, and I'm not planning to… go down that road."

He shrank his neck.

"Then just tell her straight up."

"I'm afraid I'll break her heart. What if we can't even stay friends after that?" Wang Dong fretted.

"…"

Su Wen shrugged.

…

Office of the Martial Soul Departnt Dean.

Yan Shaozhe adjusted his glasses, surprised to see Su Wen sitting nearby. "What brings you here today?"

"Our Martial Soul Departnt… we're poor?" Su Wen asked bluntly. He filled his teacup, took a sip, and sighed dramatically.

"Not really. Why are you asking this?" Yan Shaozhe didn't mind his casual attitude but remained cautious.

"One floor, one bathroom. The student cafeteria doesn't even have stools—only the faculty cafeteria does. Anyone who didn't know better would think all the money went into your pockets, Dean Yan," Su Wen mocked.

"Bullshit!" Yan Shaozhe slapped the desk.

"You think I'm that kind of person? The academy's just trying to train students to endure hardship…"

"But still," Su Wen interrupted with a grin, "thinking about you in your younger days, squeezing into a crowded toilet with everyone else, really makes laugh."

"…" Yan Shaozhe's face darkened.

"You can't just suffer hardship for the sake of it. Why not turn this whole building into a public restroom? You and Director Du could relive those youthful days of fighting for the toilet. What do you think?"

Yan Shaozhe's head throbbed.

Every year, so students complained about these conditions. But most just muttered in private—none dared co to his office.

But Su Wen… with the way he said it, he just might actually call the construction crew and start converting the place into toilets. Imagining Du Weilan greeting him at the urinal—"Dean, you here too?"—made it impossible for him to keep a straight face.

"Uh…"

"Dean, Xiao Wen, you're both here?"

Du Weilan entered cautiously, sensing the odd atmosphere.

"Director Du."

Yan Shaozhe waved him over.

"Tomorrow—no, today! Right now. Add stools to the student cafeteria. Then build private bathrooms in every student dormitory. I want it done before nightfall."

"Yes!" Du Weilan, utterly baffled, hurried out anyway.

"Happy now?" Yan Shaozhe muttered, watching Su Wen grimace at the bitter tea yet stubbornly keep drinking.

"Long overdue," Su Wen replied, blowing on his teacup.

"Oh, that's right—tomorrow's the weekend!" he suddenly rembered.

…

"Nannan, will we ever et again?"

"Be happy when I'm gone!"

"You must smile, you must laugh…"

"Nannan! How am I supposed to live without you?!"

Xu Sanshi's heart-wrenching wails and dramatic slide to the ground drew countless stares.

"The hell's wrong with you? She's just going ho for the weekend, no need to lose your mind!" Bei Bei dragged Tang Ya farther away, both of them covering their faces in embarrassnt, refusing to be associated.

"You don't understand…" Xu Sanshi sobbed uncontrollably.

"It hurts—hurts too much!"

He kept sniffling, watching the carriage disappear.

…

Inside that carriage, Jiang Nannan sat opposite Su Wen.

Su Wen kept lifting the curtain, glancing back at Xu Sanshi.

"Stop looking!" Jiang Nannan's pretty face flushed red, a mix of anger and embarrassnt.

"Who knows how he even found out I was going ho today. He pestered nonstop to co along."

Su Wen shook his head and let it go.

Today was his birthday (by the date he had crossed into this world). Jiang's mother had prepared a ho-cooked al to celebrate.

The carriage soon arrived at a small courtyard in the south of Shrek City.

Green vegetable fields surrounded the house. Jiang's mother was bent over picking greens, but when she saw Su Wen, she smiled warmly and ushered him inside.

The mont he entered, Su Wen froze.

The modest living room was packed with people.

"Sister Xiao Tao, Sister Luochen, Ning Tian, Wu Feng… and Wang Dong?!"

"What are you all doing here?"

"Happy birthday~!"

Before he knew it, a birthday hat was plopped on his head and a piece of cake with a candle was shoved into his hand. Ma Xiaotao lit it with a snap of her fingers, made him blow it out, then snatched away both the hat and the cake so fast it was like nothing had ever happened—leaving Su Wen bewildered, standing alone in the storm.

…

Evening.

After dinner.

Though Jiang's courtyard wasn't huge, it was a tidy little two-story villa—Yan Shaozhe's efficiency was evident.

There were plenty of rooms. After fighting over who got to wash dishes, the girls each returned to their rooms.

Su Wen lay in bed, recalling everyone gathered together earlier. His lips curled unconsciously.

He had always felt like a stranger in a foreign land.

But as his circle of friends grew, that loneliness slowly faded.

Just as he was about to sit cross-legged to cultivate—

Click.

A faint sound ca from the door.

A tall, graceful figure slipped inside.

"Sister Xiao Tao? What are you doing here?" Su Wen was startled.

"I can't sleep without you." Ma Xiaotao pounced onto the bed, pressing him down. "Heartless brat! I'm stuck in the inner court and you never visit . Leaving to sleep alone every night—co keep warm tonight…"

Her hands road boldly.

Su Wen sighed helplessly.

But only a few minutes later—

The door creaked again.

Ma Xiaotao quickly hid under the blanket, peeking out nervously.

"Who is it this ti?"

"What do you an this…"

A cold, elegant body pressed against Su Wen, pale blue eyes glowing in the dark like they had found a priceless treasure.

"Sister Luochen, no, don't…" Su Wen wanted to die of embarrassnt.

Especially since Ma Xiaotao was still hiding under the covers.

Through the blanket, her crimson eyes glared furiously at the scene.

"Su Wen, I've been hungry for you for so long." Ling Luochen let out a wolfish laugh, her usual icy deanor completely gone. "Hurry, pass your ultimate ice!"

Su Wen: "…"

Bang, bang, bang!

"Su Wen, are you asleep?"

"Nannan?!" Su Wen's face lit up. A savior!

"Ahem, not asleep. Co in…" He coughed awkwardly.

Ling Luochen quickly dove under the blanket too, only to yelp in surprise when Ma Xiaotao clamped a hand over her mouth. In the darkness, the two won locked eyes—Ma Xiaotao's furious glare pressing Luochen into guilty silence.