Douluo Continent: The Ice Dragon King Martial Soul, Ma Xiaotao is Addicted

Keke's eyes widened instantly, her mouth slightly agape. She had never seen such a handsome boy before, and for a moment she even forgot about her earlier argument with Wang Shaojie, only pure amazement remained.

A clear look of surprise flashed across Zi Mu's eyes. He didn't know when a guy even more handsome than him had come to the lab, and he felt a little pressured...

Wang Shaojie's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

His gaze lingered on Ye Chen's overly perfect face for a few seconds before quickly sweeping over Ju Zi, who was standing next to Ye Chen.

When Wang Shaojie saw the bright, sparkling eyes and slightly flushed cheeks of Ju Zi as she looked at Ye Chen, a hidden shadow of gloom and displeasure flashed deep in his eyes.

As a nobleman, he was naturally well-off and a prominent figure in the academy, so he naturally harbored a slight affection for Ju Zi.

Although he knew that Ju Zi didn't like his type, seeing Ju Zi's attitude towards a strange boy, he couldn't help but feel a sense of rejection and jealousy towards Ye Chen.

However, at this moment, Xuan Ziwen was here, and he did not show much difference on his face, but his eyes still carried a strong hostility.

"Teacher, we are back."

Zi Mu was the quickest to recover. He stepped forward and greeted Xuan Ziwen respectfully.

"Ah."

Xuan Ziwen looked at his three students and nodded.

His face still held the joy from before, and his voice was gentler than usual: "Perfect timing, let me introduce you."

Xuan Ziwen turned to Ye Chen and said, "This is Ye Chen, from Mingde Hall. From today onwards, he will be conducting independent research in our laboratory. You two should get along well in the future."

"What! From Mingde Hall?!"

"How old is he?"

"My God!"

Xuan Ziwen's words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating huge ripples.

Keke, Zimu, and Wang Shaojie all wore expressions of disbelief and shock.

Mingde Hall is a sacred place in the hearts of all soul masters in the Sun Moon Empire, representing the highest hall of soul tool research!
Those who can enter Mingde Hall are all top elites or experienced masters.

The boy in front of them looked to be at most the same age as them, or even younger, and he actually came from Mingdetang.
This simply subverted their cognition!
After all, they were all risking their lives to get into Mingde Hall.

And now, a top student from Mingde Hall has appeared right in front of them...

How could this not shock them?

Keke opened her mouth, her big, round eyes scanning Ye Chen's face with curiosity and admiration.

Upon hearing this, Wang Shaojie's jealousy intensified, but he completely concealed it, suppressing all his ulterior motives.

Because he knew that the other party's status and position had surpassed his own, he not only couldn't target Ye Chen, but also needed to be on good terms with him.

Upon hearing this, Zi Mu glanced at Ye Chen a few more times and began to consider befriending him.

Although they didn't know why Ye Chen came to their lab, if they could get along with him, they might be able to get some inside information, which would make it easier to apply to Mingde Hall in the future.

After seeing that the students had finished their initial introductions, Xuan Ziwen said, "Alright, everyone stop crowding around and go about your business."

Although the three of them were curious, they obediently dispersed and returned to their respective labs to organize data and information.

"Let's go, Ye Chen, I'll take you to your experimental area."

Orange then pulled Ye Chen to a nearby open space.

This is actually a workstation, but it's currently occupied by some miscellaneous items.

"Ahem, large-space storage soul tools are a bit expensive, so these things will be stored here for now..." Orange coughed and said somewhat awkwardly.

"It's alright, I can fix it up quickly." Ye Chen smiled and didn't seem to mind.

He doesn't need a great environment; he's only staying here temporarily and will leave soon anyway.

As Ye Chen spoke, he began to tidy up.

Orange helped by clearing out unused items and storing useful ones in storage soul tools and warehouses.

……

Unbeknownst to them, the hands of the soul-guided clock on the wall pointed to noon.

"Gurgle..." A soft rumbling sound came out of place in the quiet laboratory.

Orange was bending down to help Ye Chen clean up the last bit of clutter around the lab bench when the soft sound made her freeze instantly.

Her fair cheeks flushed bright red, the blush spreading all the way to her delicate ears.

She quickly straightened up, and somewhat flusteredly pressed her hand against her slightly chubby belly, as if that would suppress the inappropriate sound.

Then, she subconsciously looked at Ye Chen.

Hearing the sound, Ye Chen paused, turning his head to meet Ju Zi's gaze. Seeing Ju Zi's embarrassed expression, Ye Chen couldn't help but chuckle.

Although he had a smile on his lips, he didn't mean to mock; he just found it amusing.

Orange breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Ye Chen didn't laugh at her.

But my cheeks were still warm, as if they had been roasted by fire.

She stomped her foot in annoyance, feigning anger, and said, "It's all because I stayed up all night to finish the project and didn't even have time for breakfast..."

"Senior Orange, it's getting late, let's go grab lunch together. It's on me, you pick the place!"

Ye Chen offered his suggestion.

"Huh? You're treating me to dinner?" Orange was stunned for a moment, then her big eyes lit up immediately, her previous embarrassment replaced by surprise.

"Hmm."

Ye Chen nodded and smiled, "Senior sister helped me tidy up this place for so long, of course I have to reward her properly~"

"Really? Then... then I want to eat barbecue!"

She blurted it out almost without thinking, with a childlike excitement.

Ye Chen was amused by her sudden change in mood.

He nodded and said, "I'll do whatever you say, senior. Please lead the way, I'm not very familiar with Mingdu yet."

"Let's hurry up and go, or we won't be able to get any!"

After Ju Zi finished speaking, she grabbed Ye Chen's wrist and walked outside.

Ye Chen felt a slight sense of emotion as he felt the warm, soft touch on his wrist and Ju Zi's undisguised enthusiasm.

The girls in the Sun Moon Empire are very enthusiastic and open-minded.

Ye Chen did not break free, letting Ju Zi pull him away from the experimental area that had just been shaped.

……

The back street of the college is a bustling food street, lined with various stalls and shops, full of lively atmosphere.

Orange skillfully led Ye Chen through the crowd and stopped in front of a small shop with a sign that read "Old Zhang's Barbecue".

The shop is small, but very clean. Several grills are set up at the entrance, with charcoal fires burning brightly, and meat skewers sizzling and emitting a mouthwatering aroma.

Oil dripped onto the charcoal fire, sending up a wisp of smoke and an even richer aroma.

"Uncle Zhang! Same as always, two servings, plus two servings of the secret sauce!" Orange called out as soon as she entered the door, her voice clear and crisp.

After saying that, she pulled Ye Chen to a corner seat at the back.

There are still about half an hour before school ends, so there are very few people in the store.

A middle-aged man with a kind smile poked his head out at the sound: "Hey, Orange's here! Bringing a friend today?"

The middle-aged man's gaze lingered on Ye Chen's face for a moment, his eyes filled with surprise. It was clear that this was the first time he had seen a boy with Ye Chen's kind of temperament.

"Yes! My junior, Ye Chen!"

Orange introduced herself generously, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible pride.

"Uncle Zhang's meat is all fresh that day, marinated to perfection, and the sauce is a secret recipe that will leave you wanting more!" Orange said, licking her lips, clearly looking quite hungry.

Ye Chen looked around. Although the environment was simple and plain, it was clean.

The aroma of roasted meat filled the air, truly whetting the appetite.

Ye Chen picked up the teapot on the table and poured a cup of warm barley tea for Ju Zi and himself.

Soon, a heavy wooden tray was brought over.

Various skewered ingredients are neatly arranged on top.

The dish features marbled pork belly, tender and plump beef ribs, large chunks of chicken wings, several strings of bright green peppers, and round shiitake mushrooms.

There were two small dishes of dark brown, thick sauce on the side.

Then a small charcoal stove was brought to the table, filled with glowing red charcoal blocks, with a wire mesh on top.

"You two, please use it slowly."

The waiter smiled slightly and then respectfully withdrew.

(End of this chapter)