Everyone's human—so why is it that some people are born already winning the race?
Originally, some of the students had been thinking about getting closer to Ao Tian because of his strength.
But now, upon learning that Ao Tian was also a rich young master, they immediately gave up the idea.
It wasn't that they hadn't dealt with rich kids before—there were plenty of powerful and wealthy students at Nuoding Academy.
And they'd suffered plenty under those entitled brats.
Tang San stared blankly at Xiao Wu bouncing on the mattress and at Ao Tian smiling by the bed. A flicker of resentment crept into his heart.
He thought of his own bitter life—wearing rags, drinking thin porridge every day, barely seeing meat all year round—and couldn't help but feel a wave of sorrow.
"Why?" he asked himself.
Right now, Ao Tian seemed to outshine him in every way. For the first time, Tang San felt defeated in front of another child.
Suddenly, he clenched his fists, his eyes firming up with determination.
"No, I still have my hidden weapons. In a real fight, Ao Tian wouldn't be my match. Wealth and looks are illusions—true strength is what really matters!"
Comforting himself, the imbalance in his heart slowly faded, and his eyes regained their calm.
He turned away and resumed organizing his belongings.
"Had enough bouncing? Get down." said Ao Tian.
"It's too comfy, I don't wanna get off," Xiao Wu replied lazily, sprawling on the bed.
Ao Tian didn't indulge her. He smacked her perky little butt.
Smack! Xiao Wu shrieked and bounced straight back to her own bed, her big eyes brimming with grievance as she looked at Ao Tian.
Ao Tian ignored the little brat and pulled out a brand-new bedding set from his storage space, swiftly laying it out.
This was something Bibi Dong had prepared for him back in Spirit City, worried he wouldn't be used to the dorm here.
Although Ao Tian didn't particularly need sleep, he certainly knew how to enjoy life.
"Little Dong'er really is a virtuous wife—she's thought of everything for me," Ao Tian thought, quite satisfied.
Seeing Ao Tian's soft, luxurious bed, the grievance in Xiao Wu's eyes instantly vanished and was replaced with a sparkly gaze.
She bounced hard and jumped back onto the bed, hugging the comforter tightly with a look of bliss.
"So soft, smells so nice, sooo comfy!"
"That's top-grade silk quilt. Of course it's comfy," said Ao Tian.
Xiao Wu glanced at her own bare-bones bed. Her eyes darted as she pitifully looked at Ao Tian.
"Ao Tian, can I discuss something with you?"
"You want my blanket?" Ao Tian saw right through her little scheme.
Xiao Wu's cheeks turned red.
"We can push our beds together. Your quilt's so big, one person can't even use it all. Aren't we friends? Director Su even said we should help each other."
As soon as Xiao Wu finished speaking, the entire dorm erupted in whispers.
All the boys stared at Ao Tian with envy, wishing they could switch places with him.
Though Xiao Wu was still young, she was already a budding beauty. Students in Douluo Continent matured early, both physically and mentally.
Even though Xiao Wu was still a kid, a few years of growth and she'd be a true stunner.
Many harbored such thoughts. Despite the fear her strength had inspired earlier, they still held on to a shred of fantasy.
Now, that fantasy was shattered.
The girl they dreamed about was going to sleep in the same bed as another guy. Even if the beds were just pushed together, in their eyes, it was still the same thing.
They realized they were no match for someone with good looks, wealth, and power. Their hearts filled with discouragement.
Even Tang San, who had never interacted with girls before, felt a twinge of disappointment upon hearing that Xiao Wu wanted to push beds together with Ao Tian.
"What am I thinking? She's just a little girl," he muttered, slapping his own head.
Xiao Wu, sitting in a duck-like pose, scooted toward the edge of the bed and looked at Ao Tian with puppy-dog eyes.
"Ao Tian, pleaaase?"
Ao Tian rubbed his chin, eyeing her from head to toe, then glanced over at Tang San before finally saying:
"Having a warm little bedmate doesn't sound too bad."
For someone like Ao Tian, who knew the entire plot and every character, watching events unfold from a godlike perspective—and occasionally meddling—was incredibly entertaining.
Being invincible was lonely. With not much left to pursue, he just wanted to have fun in the Douluo Continent.
"Oh yeah~ Ao Tian, I declare from now on, you're Xiao Wu's best friend!" Xiao Wu happily rolled around on the bed.
She had lived so many years and had never once slept on a bed this soft and cozy.
It felt just like being in her mother's arms.
After celebrating for a while, Xiao Wu got off the bed and tried to push hers over.
Unfortunately, that wooden bed was way too heavy for her.
Ao Tian gave his bed a light push, moving it over. Now their beds were a bit distanced from the others and tucked in the corner.
Wang Sheng and the others saw this and felt a bit sour.
With the beds pushed together, the width increased dramatically. Ao Tian went ahead and turned the mattress and blanket sideways—given their height, the sideways layout was more than enough.
Xiao Wu placed her bundle in the middle and said:
"This will be the boundary. No crossing over while we sleep, okay?"
Then, a bit sheepishly, she added:
"Since it's your blanket, I'll do more of the work-study jobs to make up for it."
"Hmm, not bad. Deal," nodded Ao Tian.
Looks like helping this little girl came with perks. She'd make a decent errand-runner.
Once they were finished, Wang Sheng cleared his throat.
"Sister Xiao Wu, it's almost noon. Let's head to the cafeteria for lunch together."
At the mention of food, Xiao Wu's eyes lit up as she bounced up from the bed.
"What's for lunch?" She quickly put on her shoes.
Wang Sheng gave a wry smile.
"We're all kids from poor families. Can't afford anything fancy—just the cheapest dishes at the cafeteria."
"Wait… you have to pay to eat? You mean with that soul coin thing?" Xiao Wu asked nervously.
Everyone, including Tang San, stared at her in shock.
Wang Sheng patiently explained:
"Of course eating costs money. Don't worry—once you start working in a few days, you'll earn wages."
"But... but I don't have any money right now..." Xiao Wu was torn. Her stomach was already growling.
Wang Sheng originally wanted to treat her, but when he saw Ao Tian standing behind her, he stopped himself.
With a rich young master like that around, it wasn't his place to treat. He could save that coin instead.
He lifted his chin, motioning for Xiao Wu to look behind her.
Xiao Wu paused, turned around, and caught on.
"Ao Tian, can you lend me some money? I'll pay you back once I start earning."
"Sure." Ao Tian nodded, flipped his palm, and handed her a gold soul coin.
(End of Chapter)