Hearing the teasing words, Jiang Nannan froze for a moment, then turned her head to see two girls—one with a helpless expression staring at her, and the other wearing a slightly jealous look.
The one giving her the jealous glare was a petite silver-haired girl—Xu Yanxue, Xu Xingyu's nominal little sister who had entered Shrek Academy earlier, and also the Snow Emperor, ruler of the Northernmost region.
The helpless-faced purple-haired girl was her close friend, Dugu Yanran. Yanran's hand pointed around, and following her gesture, Jiang Nannan realized that countless people were watching them—new students just arrived at Shrek Academy, as well as outer court students.
Everyone wore looks of envy, jealousy, or hatred as they gazed at the two. Or more accurately, the glances were laden with jealousy and hostility directed at Xu Xingyu, like members of the FFF group sworn to protect world peace—the burning flames of resentment ignited in nearly every onlooker's eyes.
Only then did Jiang Nannan realize how inappropriate her posture was. Quickly, she released Xu Xingyu's body and acted as if nothing had happened.
But that was only self-deception. Her bold move and flushed face had already exposed that her relationship with Xu Xingyu was far from just ordinary friendship.
Xu Xingyu silently sighed: after all these years, this girl had become so alluring. Luckily, since childhood, he'd always been accompanied by beauties of Gu Yue Na's caliber, or else he wouldn't have the confidence to control himself.
What surprised Xu Xingyu was how seriously he had underestimated Jiang Nannan's charm. In the original story, Jiang Nannan was known as the top beauty of the outer court, but her depiction was limited.
Now, feeling the sea of hostile gazes, Xu Xingyu felt helpless—after all, to him, they were just close friends. When had they ever acted this intimate?
And why were there new students among those hostile looks? They had just arrived and didn't even know Jiang Nannan! Was it really necessary to glare at her like they wanted to burn the beauty alive just because of a crush?
What Xu Xingyu didn't realize was that while Jiang Nannan's own beauty played a big part, he himself had caused some of this trouble.
Some were angry because the campus belle they had been pursuing now had someone she liked. But others had been drawn in by an enchantment.
Ever since Jiang Nannan absorbed the Immortal Moon Hare Spirit provided by Xu Xingyu, evolving her Soft Bone Rabbit soul into the Taiyin Jade Rabbit soul, her Taiyin Jade Body had started unconsciously releasing a faint fragrance.
This scent posed no harm—in fact, it had some detoxifying effect.
The problem was that the aroma also carried a slight charm aura.
Anyone who inhaled it easily slipped into a mild state of enchantment; lingering longer would deepen that into a severe charm state.
Those deeply charmed became indistinguishable from someone hopelessly infatuated.
Fortunately, everyone at Shrek Academy—new or old—had some level of soul power, so unless they truly fell for her, they wouldn't succumb deeply.
Most students only experienced mild enchantment.
Combined with Jiang Nannan's reputation in the outer court, her looks, and allure, it was no wonder Xu Xingyu was the target of such hatred.
Hence, some of the hostile gazes were from girls.
Thinking this through, Xu Xingyu felt the campus life ahead might be troublesome.
But trouble was trouble. Water could be dammed, soldiers could be blocked—he wouldn't provoke nor fear any conflict.
If anyone had time to make trouble over this so-called femme fatale, Xu Xingyu guaranteed he would give them a lesson they wouldn't forget.
Just as Xu Xingyu pondered, the purple-haired girl who had spoken earlier addressed the crowd still lingering: "Alright, what are you all waiting for? Go on and scram!"
As she spoke, three purple soul rings lit up, and a small emerald green snake appeared on her shoulder.
Simultaneously, a swirl of emerald smoke mixed with azure lightning enveloped the purple-haired girl's body.
Feeling her unfriendly aura, the onlookers shuddered, snapped out of their charm states, and began to disperse, returning to their own affairs.
As Xu Xingyu found the purple-haired girl vaguely familiar, Xu Sanshi suddenly lunged at her from beside him, shouting, "Little Yanyan! My wife, I'm here!"
The girl called "Little Yanyan" showed no surprise, merely sighing and then kicking Xu Sanshi away.
"Sanshi, how many times have I told you? Don't call me that in the academy!"
Recovered, Xu Sanshi pulled a pitiful "abandoned puppy" face, teary-eyed.
"How can I not? Yanyan is mine! If I back down here, my wife will run off—what would I do?"
"Honestly, I don't know why I picked you," the purple-haired girl said with a headache, rubbing her head. "You're always so undisciplined. Aren't you tired? Or worried about your dignity?"
Xu Sanshi snorted. "As long as it's for my wife Yanran, what are tired and dignity to me!"
Meanwhile, Xu Xingyu couldn't help but feel curious about this purple-haired girl.
In the original story, there was no mention of her.
Was she just a background character?
But why was she so close to Xu Sanshi?
Had they found someone to replace Jiang Nannan in the so-called second soul awakening ceremony?
Judging by their harmony, probably not. If that were the case, these two wouldn't get along so well.
But Xu Xingyu had no time to think further as a cold voice whispered in his ear:
"Feeling comfortable just now? After so many years, you've really grown."
"Yeah… Wait, Yanxue, listen to me!"
Xu Yanxue smiled brightly at Xu Xingyu—the smile was as radiant as the first dawn light of day, yet Xu Xingyu felt only the biting chill of the extreme north.
Jiang Nannan couldn't stand watching this and hooked her arm around Xu Xingyu.
"What's wrong? It's been so long since Xingyu and I met, can't I be a little close? My little sister Yanxue."
Seeing Jiang Nannan so affectionate, Xu Yanxue cursed inwardly: at the Contract Spirit Tower, she had been a shy little rabbit, afraid to get too close to Xu Xingyu. How did she get so bold just by coming to school?
With that thought, Xu Yanxue grabbed Xu Xingyu's other free arm and pinched his waist in a playful pout, causing Xu Xingyu slight pain.
"Of course, Nannan sister. But I think Brother Xingyu's tired. You should let him rest—he has me, his little sister, to take good care of him."
"Heh, I hugging your brother is a burden? Isn't it a burden when you hug him?"
"Xingyu little brother!" "Xingyu big brother!"
"Who do you choose?!"
Reading their eyes, Xu Xingyu, seasoned by countless such scenes, knew without a doubt he'd stumbled into another shura field.
So this time, what price would he have to pay to escape this new crisis?
***
In the end, to escape the awkward situation, Xu Xingyu could only grit his teeth through the pain and carefully coax the two girls along the way to the dormitory before they finally let him go.
Taking advantage of the moment, Xu Xingyu shifted the topic to the purple-haired girl who had been chatting so closely with Xu Sanshi, asking who she was and why she was so intimate with Xu Sanshi.
Jiang Nannan honestly shared the information she knew. She could tell that Xu Xingyu had no romantic interest in the girl—his curiosity stemmed purely from why Xu Sanshi seemed like a different person after meeting her.
That purple-haired girl was Dugu Yanran, descendant of the poisonous Douluo Dugu Bo from ten thousand years ago. Her spirit beast was the Jade Scale Thunder Snake, and she was Xu Sanshi's current girlfriend and fiancée.
A few years back, the Dugu family was among the few clans who pledged allegiance to the Contract Spirit Tower. Their reasons were twofold: to gain benefits while the tower was still expanding, and because the tower possessed medical technology far surpassing that of the Dugu family, providing a chance to finally rid themselves of their hereditary toxin's backlash.
Because of this alliance, the Dugu family inevitably came into contact with the Xuanyuan Sect. After multiple exchanges, the two clans formed a strong friendship, during which Xu Sanshi and Dugu Yanran met.
At that time, Xu Sanshi was still drowning in guilt over his own family's despicable acts against an innocent girl. It was Dugu Yanran who noticed the lonely Xu Sanshi and on a whim greeted him.
At first, Xu Sanshi wanted to ignore her, but eventually, unable to hold it in, he poured out his troubles—perhaps because all he really needed was someone who would listen.
Dugu Yanran became that listener, offering timely advice: instead of sighing here, it would be better to think about how to make amends.
Inspired, Xu Sanshi began actively seeking ways to compensate Jiang Nannan for her pain, with Dugu Yanran as his strategist.
Thus, the two became close friends. With continued contact, Dugu Yanran developed feelings for Xu Sanshi—she saw his sincerity and sense of responsibility clearly.
Unfortunately, those feelings were not reciprocated.
So she kept her emotions hidden until the day Xu Sanshi confessed to her.
Dugu Yanran was stunned, having always assumed Xu Sanshi liked Jiang Nannan, whom he was trying to compensate. After all, she knew she didn't compare to Jiang Nannan in looks or talent.
In fact, Xu Sanshi had once been attracted to Jiang Nannan, but over time he realized their relationship was just ordinary friends—and that Jiang Nannan had her own beloved, someone beyond Xu Sanshi's reach forever.
Knowing this, Xu Sanshi for once backed down and chose to let go of his unrealistic feelings. Without Xu Xingyu, he might have unconsciously ruined Jiang Nannan's life.
Thus, Xu Sanshi was deeply grateful to Xu Xingyu—for if that had happened, he wouldn't even deserve to be Jiang Nannan's friend.
After giving up on Jiang Nannan, Xu Sanshi gradually realized that Dugu Yanran also had feelings for him. He recalled how she had cared for him over the years.
It was impossible not to notice her affection, but at the time, he was too captivated by Jiang Nannan to acknowledge it.
Looking back, Xu Sanshi admitted he had been a jerk—promising to compensate one girl while exploiting another's feelings to serve his own goals.
Realizing this, Xu Sanshi felt no different from the long-dead clan elder who once sacrificed innocent lives for the family's sake—a thought that angered him deeply.
Determined to sever ties with that past, Xu Sanshi confessed to Dugu Yanran, swearing to devote his life to caring for her.
Dugu Yanran didn't immediately accept the confession. Though she didn't understand why he had let go of Jiang Nannan, she sensed his feelings were not genuine love.
So she painfully rejected him.
Xu Sanshi expected this outcome and wasn't overly disappointed.
Instead, after the rejection, he vowed to prove himself worthy of her love, launching a year-long pursuit.
Eventually, Dugu Yanran could no longer resist and accepted Xu Sanshi's feelings a year ago, officially becoming his girlfriend.
Their families heartily approved and promptly arranged their engagement—making them a formal betrothed couple.
Regarding the Xuanyuan Sect's so-called second soul awakening ceremony, Xu Sanshi refused to undergo it at his coming-of-age ceremony due to his own rejection and having awakened the Xuanwu bloodline from absorbing the Dark Snake spirit.
He planned to hold the ceremony on their wedding night instead.
After all, he didn't want to strip his beloved of what mattered most just for the sake of purifying his bloodline. He wanted the ceremony to be a genuine expression of their love.
In short, soul beast evolution and bloodline purification were secondary—their true love was what really mattered.
Having heard this tale of the turtle and snake, Xu Xingyu looked at the playful Xu Sanshi and Dugu Yanran and couldn't help but sigh over Xu Sanshi's complicated romantic history.
To be fair, knowing the original story, Xu Xingyu had mixed feelings about Xu Sanshi's emotions.
On one hand, he despised Xu Sanshi for causing Jiang Nannan an unforgettable psychological shadow due to his mistake.
On the other hand, he admired Xu Sanshi's persistent desire to make amends.
At least it showed he had realized the ugliness of his past actions and was trying to change.
That said, it didn't excuse the severity of his deeds.
Plus, Xu Sanshi's habit of spouting flirtatious remarks didn't help his reputation—making it easy for people to dislike him in the original story.
However, Xu Xingyu thought of his own tangled relationships and felt he wasn't much better.
After all, no matter how bad Xu Sanshi's character was, he remained faithful to one woman.
Meanwhile, Xu Xingyu theoretically had at least four... no, now five women on his plate.
The only relief was that his main wife didn't mind—though he'd better be careful or one day he might get split into pieces.
Thinking of this, Xu Xingyu trudged forward, supported by two breathtaking beauties, silently praying not to accidentally add more color to his main wife's hair dye.
After all, Gu Yuena had sacrificed so much for him—it wouldn't do to be out gallivanting all over the place.
He could only hope his life at Shrek Academy would be relatively peaceful.
But Xu Xingyu had forgotten one thing: there was no such thing as peace at Shrek Academy.
His future was bound to be filled with countless uncontrollable events.