The bustling sounds of hawking rose and fell. Wang Lin and Xiao Hongchen, who had just returned to Mingdu from the Jing Yang Mountain Range, were not in a hurry to return to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
The two strolled unhurriedly on the street. Going out to test Soul Tools was a rare opportunity to slack off openly and justifiably.
Naturally, they would not waste it. They bought a snack similar to Oden from a roadside stall.
Led by Wang Lin, they ate while heading toward the slaughterhouse where Wang Lin collected bones.
"If only Little Meng were here..."
Stuffing a well-cooked radish into his mouth, seeing that Wang Lin did not reply, Xiao Hongchen shook his head and said.
"You really are disappointing. It's been a year, and Little Meng doesn't object, yet someone hasn't made any progress at all. Hmph..."
Saying this, Xiao Hongchen fiercely chewed the radish in his mouth.
"What is the rush? I am only fourteen."
Wang Lin replied silently. A year had passed, and he was a year older. His relationship with Meng Hongchen was still progressing slowly.
It was just that neither of them had made it explicit. Little Meng had a reserved personality, and since Wang Lin deliberately didn't bring it up, naturally, there wasn't significant progress.
"Can't you settle it before I leave?" Xiao Hongchen said, as if wishing iron could turn into steel.
"No rush. Little Meng is only fifteen too. Besides, I haven't found a solution to Little Meng's Martial Soul problem yet."
Wang Lin said, then stared at Xiao Hongchen. "On the contrary, Eldest Young Master Hongchen, when are you going to find one?"
"I haven't seen anyone I like."
Xiao Hongchen answered truthfully. He had high standards. Indeed, there were no girls in the academy who matched him in terms of status and talent.
"You have to look at Shrek Academy. If you can abduct one back, your grandfather would die of happiness."
"That's not impossible!"
Hearing this, Xiao Hongchen became spirited. Wang Lin instructed: "That's good. There are quite a few female disciples in the Inner Court. However, don't even think about the official and preparatory members of the Shrek Seven Devils. Even if you like them, they can't come back with you."
"I know what I'm doing." Xiao Hongchen waved his hand. He was going there to study, not to find a wife; he was just joking around.
Wang Lin didn't say much more. In the original work, aside from clashing with Huo Yuhao, Xiao Hongchen was a rare normal character who didn't suddenly develop a brainless romantic obsession.
As for Meng Hongchen, after Shrek Academy's cheating was exposed, her impression of Shrek Academy wasn't very good. Naturally, she didn't fall for Wang Dong like in the original work.
Even without that incident, under Wang Lin's influence, Meng Hongchen wouldn't have brainlessly fallen for Wang Dong like in the original story.
After filling a storage space with beef and sheep bones at the slaughterhouse, Wang Lin and Xiao Hongchen wandered around the city for quite a while.
Only then did they leisurely head back to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. After delivering the mortar Soul Guide Cannon and the lab data to the laboratory.
Xuan Ziwen immediately gave Wang Lin and Xiao Hongchen some time off.
Standing at the entrance of the laboratory,
Xiao Hongchen stretched his waist. "By the way, now that we have nothing to do, what are you planning?"
"Going back, of course."
Wang Lin said. Light lit up in Xiao Hongchen's eyes. "By the way, I seem to have never been to your home. Can I go?"
"You can go, it's just..."
"Then let's go see it."
Before Wang Lin could finish, Xiao Hongchen interrupted him, pulling Wang Lin to go downstairs.
"Alright then!"
After thinking about it, Wang Lin didn't refuse. Over the year, no new members had been added to the small courtyard. It was still Long Xiaoyao, Zhang Peng, him, Zhang Jian, and Wu Yun and Wu Yu.
Midway through the year, Ye Xishui wanted to arrange for Tang Ya or Ma Xiaotao to come over, but Long Xiaoyao forcefully refused.
So he wasn't worried that something would happen if Xiao Hongchen went. The only two Evil Soul Masters in the yard were Wu Yun and Wu Yu.
Aside from going out to find a few criminals or perverts to kill when they had nothing to do, this pair of twin sisters was very normal at other times.
Just as the two went downstairs, they ran head-on into Meng Hongchen, who had come to see if they had returned.
"A Lin, Brother, where are you going?"
"Teacher Xuan just gave us time off. Little Xiao is planning to visit my house," Wang Lin answered truthfully.
"Visit your house?"
Meng Hongchen was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then reacted, "I don't have anything to do right now either!"
"Uh..." Hearing this, Wang Lin couldn't help but look at Xiao Hongchen beside him. Xiao Hongchen turned his head away, indicating that he wouldn't get involved.
"Then let's go together!"
Wang Lin said helplessly, praying in his heart that no accidents would occur.
With Meng Hongchen joining, their speed didn't increase; instead, it slowed down significantly. The main subjects of the conversation became Wang Lin and Meng Hongchen.
Standing to the side, Xiao Hongchen looked somewhat out of place. He wore a look of helplessness on his face but could do nothing about it.
Just like that, they left the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and walked all the way to the small courtyard where Wang Lin lived.
From a distance, they saw Wang Songguo, who had grown a bit taller and much chubbier, standing at the gate of his own courtyard.
Wang Songguo, who still kept his shaved head, immediately ran toward Wang Lin when he saw him appear.
Compared to a year ago, the current Wang Songguo very consciously summoned pine nuts and handed them to Wang Lin, and also offered some to Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen standing beside Wang Lin.
"Teacher, why are you back so early?"
Although Wang Songguo was speaking to Wang Lin, he glanced at Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen beside him from time to time. There was no helping it; the looks of these siblings were too striking.
"I finished early, so I came back. Classes are proceeding as normal."
Saying this, Wang Lin patted Wang Songguo's head and introduced him to Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen.
"This is the enlightenment student I took in, named Wang Songguo. His talent is quite good. Come, Songguo, call them Big Brother and Big Sister."
A six-or-seven-year-old child was still very obedient. After dutifully calling out Big Brother and Big Sister.
Xiao Hongchen nodded with a calm expression. On the contrary, Meng Hongchen smiled and said, "Thank you for your pine nuts, Little Brother."
"No need..." This immediately made Wang Songguo blush.
After explaining to Wang Songguo that this brother and sister were his classmates, Wang Lin sent Wang Songguo back. Only then did Wang Lin push open the door of the small courtyard.
"Master, are you there? I brought two classmates back."
Scanning the small courtyard simply with spiritual power, Wang Lin could confirm that Zhang Peng, Zhang Jian, and Wu Yun and Wu Yu were not there. He only couldn't perceive the specific situation in Long Xiaoyao's room.
"Classmates?"
An aged voice sounded from Long Xiaoyao's room. Long Xiaoyao, with his silver hair combed meticulously, walked out of the room.
His brows, which were originally furrowed, completely relaxed the instant he saw Meng Hongchen standing beside Wang Lin.
Xiao Hongchen, however, was directly ignored by the old Black Dragon.
"This is rare, Little Linzi. Come and introduce them to this old man. Whose family's young lady is this?"
"Uh, this is Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen..." Before Wang Lin could finish introducing the Hongchen siblings, let alone introducing Long Xiaoyao.
The old Black Dragon took a step forward and said very amiably: "So it is Hall Master Hongchen's granddaughter and grandson. This old man is the Black Dragon Douluo. You can just call me Senior."
"Senior!" Meng Hongchen was clearly a bit reserved, but she still called out.
"Good, good, good." Long Xiaoyao immediately nodded with satisfaction.
Xiao Hongchen, sensing the unfathomable aura on Long Xiaoyao, greeted him respectfully, but the old Black Dragon just waved his hand, indicating he acknowledged it.