The sleep-drugged Dai Mubai’s drowsiness vanished the moment he bumped into someone.
The little sister he collided with appeared frail, her face pale and gaunt. She was so small that when she hit him, Dai Mubai suspected her delicate skin might have been scraped raw and bleeding on the rough ground if he hadn't quickly extended his hand.
Meeting Tang Sui’s refined, delicate face and hearing her take the blame first, Dai Mubai felt a gentle arrow pierce his heart. His usual roguish pride softened considerably. He smiled, “It’s alright. I just woke up too, and didn’t see you standing there. Since you apologized, we’re even. It’s getting late, and it’s not safe for a young girl like you to be out alone. Hurry home to your parents.”
Tang Sui straightened her body.
The orange-red afterglow of the setting sun spread across the sky like a brilliant curtain. People’s shadows stretched long in the fading light, merging into the darkness cast by other buildings.
She blinked and softly thanked Dai Mubai.
Receiving a thank you from the adorable little girl, Dai Mubai’s irritable mood lifted. He curved his lips, released Tang Sui, and continued walking forward, raising a hand to wave over his shoulder. He called out in a drawn-out voice, “Remember to go home early!”
Tang Sui stood against the scattered light of the sunset, her shadow cast long and slanted, as if she were standing at the edge of light and darkness. She stared without blinking at Dai Mubai’s receding back as he disappeared down the street, only slowly withdrawing her gaze when he was completely out of sight.
It really was Dai Mubai.
Even if she tried to avoid it, some encounters were bound to happen.
Would her fate… remain unchanged in the end?
The next morning, the three of them swiftly checked out and headed towards the south gate of Soto City.
The Master had told them that Shrek Academy was just a short distance past the south gate of Soto City.
However, after walking for over an hour, the three of them, under a sun even more scorching than the day before, trudged along a muddy, potholed path.
Even with umbrellas, they couldn’t ward off the stifling heat in the air.
When they finally saw a wooden plaque covered in vines, bearing the bold characters “Shrek,” their eyes lit up like lost travelers in a desert finally spotting an oasis.
“We’re finally here!” Xiao Wu exclaimed first, then immediately lowered her head to accept a cold, wet handkerchief from Tang San, wiping the sweat from her brow.
Nestled on Tang San’s back, being carried by him to their destination, Tang Sui jolted and also perked up.
At the entrance of the village, an archway made of wood held a dilapidated plaque inscribed with five simple characters: Shrek Academy.
In front of these five characters was a green head, appearing to be the head of a humanoid monster. It was verdant and somewhat cute.
She stared at the dilapidated academy sign, where the last two characters, “Academy,” were almost obscured by overgrown ivy, and fell silent.
If she hadn’t known the story, anyone seeing this academy sign for the first time would have been deterred.
As the three approached, they noticed a crowd gathered at the village entrance.
Most of them were youths around their age, many accompanied by their parents. In front of a long line, a table was set up. The outer board of the table read “Shrek,” and at the very front was a drawing of a small green monster head, just like the one on the village entrance plaque.
Behind the table sat a white-haired old man in his sixties, his expression calm. He was methodically conducting the enrollment review, ignoring any remarks that questioned whether their academy was a pyramid scheme.
Among the three waiting in line, Tang San and Xiao Wu were getting restless, though Tang Sui remained relatively composed.
“Xiao San, do you think the Master is messing with us?” This hardly looks like an academy!