"Hmph! Damn it! It's all that bastard Xiao's fault! Of all things to do, he just had to drag Huo Yuhao into the lab, saying he wanted to teach him about soul tools early so he could get a head start!"
"If it weren't for Xiao's interference, I was totally ready to take Huo Yuhao on a proper tour around Mingdu. That way, getting him to write my name ten times in his diary would've been a piece of cake! Ugh, so frustrating!"
Frustrated, Dream Hongchen returned to her room and vented her anger by pummeling her pillow with a flurry of dainty punches.
She had spent ages dressing herself up perfectly, determined to win over Huo Yuhao with her looks. But just as she found him, her brother Xiao Hongchen was already dragging him into the lab, wildly gesturing as he enthusiastically explained the power of soul tools. Before Dream Hongchen could even invite Huo Yuhao to explore Mingdu with her, Xiao Hongchen shut the lab door in her face.
He even said, "Don't bother us today. Once we start crafting soul tools, we might be in there all day. I'll personally take Huo Yuhao to Class One tomorrow for his enrollment. He won't miss it."
The worst part? The reason Xiao Hongchen had dragged Huo Yuhao out so early was because Dream Hongchen had screamed in excitement after getting her reward, waking him from his sweet dreams!
"A tech nerd and a career-obsessed workaholic. Ugh! Am I not better-looking than some dumb soul tool? Why won't he look at me instead?"
She stared at herself in the mirror. Though still a teen, her figure was already developing, her white hair draped gracefully over her shoulders, and her face was flawless.
Yet Huo Yuhao didn't spare her a glance, totally absorbed in learning about soul tools. Let alone mention her name in his diary!
From the moment Huo Yuhao and Xiao Hongchen entered the lab, he had been scribbling strange things in his diary nonstop.
Soul grenades, soul tanks, soul rifles, battle armor, mass-produced soul tools—his notebook was full of futuristic concepts.
Judging by what he wrote, all of these inventions would be incredibly destructive—any soul engineer who saw them would be hooked.
Still, none of that mattered to Dream Hongchen. What she really wanted… was to see her name written in his diary!
If she had known things would turn out like this, she wouldn't have wasted so much time dressing up. She would've gotten to Huo Yuhao before her brother!
"Calm down, calm down. I refuse to believe I can't win over Huo Yuhao! Just wait! One day, I'll fill every page of your diary with my name!"
"Tomorrow's the official start of school. I have to get to him before Xiao does! I can't afford to miss this chance!"
Standing in front of the mirror, Dream Hongchen clenched her small fists and gave herself a pep talk. She had the home turf advantage—missing out on one day of rewards wasn't the end of the world.
But as fate would have it, the time women spend on makeup is an eternal black hole. And that included teenage girls.
Determined not to miss Huo Yuhao's enrollment, Dream Hongchen started getting ready super early, staking out the lab entrance well before dawn. Her efforts paid off—she beat Xiao Hongchen to the punch and snatched the escort duty for enrollment day.
After sending her brother away, Dream Hongchen beamed at Huo Yuhao and asked:
"So, Yuhao? Wasn't building soul tools boring?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head excitedly. "Not at all. I actually really enjoyed it."
He had tons of ideas for soul tools, just waiting for his skills to catch up so he could start creating them. Because of that, he didn't even feel tired after pulling an all-nighter.
Dream Hongchen felt a bit defeated, but quickly bounced back and invited Huo Yuhao to breakfast. Naturally, he didn't refuse. Faced with a table full of delicious food, Huo Yuhao dug in while also jotting down notes in his diary.
[A beautiful day begins with Miss Dream treating me to breakfast. [Picture] [Picture] [Picture]]
Seeing her name finally appear in the diary, Dream Hongchen smiled in satisfaction.
'Perfect! That's the spirit! I'm claiming all of today's rewards!'
That solid start lifted her mood immensely. She even skipped down the hallway, her silky white hair bouncing, making her look especially adorable.
Huo Yuhao, without thinking, complimented her in his diary, padding out his daily 1,000 words while wondering if his ideas from his past life could actually be crafted with soul tools.
Once they reached Class One for new students, Dream Hongchen smiled and said goodbye.
"Yuhao, don't forget we're having lunch together! And don't you dare spend the whole day cooped up with Xiao in the lab again. I'll show you around Mingdu!"
Huo Yuhao thought for a moment and nodded. He was curious about the city's atmosphere. Learning more about soul tools could wait a bit.
Seeing him agree, Dream Hongchen was sure she had the win today. She was already fantasizing about how great tomorrow's reward would be.
But the moment Huo Yuhao stepped into Class One, he froze. The girls in the front row were stunning. Every single one was drop-dead gorgeous.
As he observed them, the girls also turned their attention to Huo Yuhao, their eyes flashing, each thinking their own thoughts.
[Whoa! Are Sun Moon Empire girls all this pretty?! They're all as beautiful as Dream Hongchen! No, wait, there's even a white-haired girl here who's prettier than Dream Hongchen! I'm in love! Hold on… something feels off. Is Dream Hongchen now my unit of measurement for beauty?]
[No! Focus! Damn it, someone's always trying to mess with my resolve! Say it again—I must not be corrupted by love! Focus on my career! Everything else can wait!]
After mentally writing those lines in his diary, Huo Yuhao straightened his expression and strode toward an empty seat near the window in the back row.
The girls in front saw what he had just written and exchanged subtle, complicated glances.
'Says he wants to focus on his career and not fall for anyone, but the moment he sees me, his heart wavers. Hmph! Let's see how long that resolve lasts!'
'Still, he has a point… The girls in Class One are way too high-tier. Is this even normal?'
Similar thoughts surfaced in each of the girls' minds.
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(End of Chapter)