Chapter 3: Flirting with Jiang Nannan, Xu Sanshi's Rage
After leaving the training room with Ma Xiaotao, Ye Chen decided to take a walk while she was still in a good mood.
Ma Xiaotao didn't object, though she reminded him to come to her place to sleep that night—she had already prepared a room for him.
Ye Chen had no choice but to agree.
After finishing his spar with Ma Xiaotao, it was already afternoon dismissal time.
Ye Chen picked a direction and headed toward the academy's east gate.
There were plenty of small vendors there, but the busiest one was, unsurprisingly, the grilled fish stall.
A black-haired boy was seriously tending the grill, face focused and expressionless.
Beside him stood a girl with a high ponytail, helping sell the fish while sneakily snacking on pieces whenever the boy looked away.
Ye Chen immediately recognized them — Huo Yuhao and Tang Ya.
He only glanced at them for a moment before looking away.
Although Huo Yuhao was the "child of destiny," the protagonist blessed by luck, Ye Chen didn't need to curry favor with him.
He had already chosen Class Nine, which meant he had no connection to Huo Yuhao anyway.
At that moment, Ye Chen suddenly remembered his daily sign-in.
"System, sign in," he said in his mind.
[Sign-in successful. Reward: Mental Power +50.]
As the words appeared, Ye Chen felt a wave of clarity in his head — his spiritual power had clearly strengthened.
He realized that the sign-in rewards were not random; they were connected to where he was at the time.
Yesterday, his first reward had been "One Hundred Solutions to Acupuncture," since he'd signed in at his family's apothecary.
This time, likely because of Huo Yuhao's mental-type spirit, his reward boosted spiritual power.
Without paying further attention to Huo Yuhao, Ye Chen walked past him and went toward a nearby noodle stand.
Several small tables were set up around the stall. At one corner table sat a girl.
She looked about fourteen or fifteen, tall and slender, her long golden wavy hair cascading down her back like sunlight. Her skin was fair as jade, her eyes clear and luminous like autumn water.
Yet in front of her was only a plain bowl of noodles — clear broth, no garnish, just a faint layer of oil on top. It looked pitifully simple.
The girl, however, didn't seem to mind. She ate slowly, savoring each bite.
Ye Chen guessed that the girl must be Jiang Nannan.
Jiang Nannan was one of Shrek Academy's few commoner students. Though she received a small stipend, her family was poor, and she lived very frugally — even more so than Ye Chen had expected.
Eating like this every day... wouldn't that stunt her growth?
With an arched brow, Ye Chen sat down right across from her.
"Hm?"
Jiang Nannan frowned slightly when she saw a boy take a seat before her. She was displeased, thinking it was another student trying to flirt.
She was about to scold him, but when she looked up and saw Ye Chen's bright, sunshine-like smile, she froze.
"Junior, do you need something?" A faint blush rose on Jiang Nannan's cheeks as she softly asked, her tone unexpectedly gentle.
She had countless admirers—many of them talented and handsome—but it was the first time she'd seen someone so strikingly good-looking. Just one look at Ye Chen was enough to please the eye.
She noticed his student badge and realized he was a newly admitted freshman.
For new students, she was always kind—especially such a handsome one.
"Senior Sister, why are you eating so little?" Ye Chen asked with curious innocence.
"Oh… it's nothing, I'm just trying to lose weight," Jiang Nannan lied quickly, lowering her eyes and covering her bowl with her hand.
Everyone knew she lived frugally, and she had long grown used to others' gossip. But for some reason, in front of Ye Chen, she felt a pang of self-consciousness and a strange sense of inferiority—she didn't want him to pity her.
"Senior Sister, thrift is a virtue, but you should still take care of your body," Ye Chen said with mild reproach.
As a core disciple, Jiang Nannan did get allowances from the academy, but she sent most of her money home to her mother and only kept a little for herself. Her main source of nutrition was the core disciples' meal plan—but that was only one meal per day, far from enough.
As someone trained in medicine, Ye Chen could tell her vitality was slightly weak—clear signs of malnutrition. It wasn't serious yet, but if left unchecked, it would slow her cultivation progress and growth.
In the original story, Jiang Nannan improved a lot thanks to her connection with Huo Yuhao, absorbing some of his protagonist's luck. But right now, she was still struggling.
"I… it's just…" Jiang Nannan lowered her head, clearly embarrassed.
"Sir, your noodles."
Just then, the stall owner arrived, setting down two steaming bowls of noodles.
The rich aroma of broth and meat filled the air. Each bowl was topped with minced meat and two meaty ribs—a sharp contrast to Jiang Nannan's plain noodles.
"Senior Sister, let's eat together. My treat," Ye Chen said, pushing one bowl toward her with a smile.
"No… thank you, I'm full," Jiang Nannan replied timidly, shaking her head.
She never accepted favors from anyone. Even Xu Sanshi often tried giving her money, but she refused every time.
"Alright, I'll be honest with you."
Ye Chen sighed, then said sincerely, "My name is Ye Chen. I'd like to hire you as my private instructor—to guide me in training!"
He knew her personality well. Jiang Nannan wasn't the type to accept gifts, so he needed a reason that sounded fair.
"Ah… why me?" Jiang Nannan blinked in confusion, her amber eyes clear and innocent, making her look even more adorable.
"No reason, really. Guess it's just fate," Ye Chen replied, smiling softly.
"Junior, that's… I don't think I—"
Before she could finish, Ye Chen said, "I'll pay you 200 gold soul coins per month as compensation. Here's half the deposit."
He pushed a small pouch toward her, filled with 100 gold coins.
"200 gold soul coins…" Jiang Nannan whispered, eyes widening.
Normally, she did small tasks or missions between classes, earning maybe five or six gold soul coins a month.
Two hundred was an insane amount—just to tutor him? It was practically free money!
And this junior looked so kind and soft-spoken, clearly not someone with ulterior motives.
After hesitating a moment, Jiang Nannan finally nodded. "Alright, in that case… I accept."
(END CHAPTER)
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