Unlike herself, Meng couldn't seem to find a close friend.
"Doesn't Sister Meng have a brother who cares about her?"
"Although Brother Xiao's personality is somewhat unusual, it's clear he loves you a lot," Su Yu said with a light chuckle.
Meng Hongchen thought about it and smiled slightly. Yes, she did have a brother who loved her. Though his personality was a bit eccentric, he was still a very good brother.
"And if Sister Meng wants to make friends, we're all here for you," Su Yu added.
"Aren't we?"
Su Yu released Wang Dong, smiled at Meng Hongchen, and said, "We're your friends too."
His cold expression softened into a smile, like a glacier thawing, and for a moment, Meng Hongchen was stunned.
"So handsome," she muttered to herself.
"What?"
Su Yu raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing," Meng Hongchen quickly shook her head, her face flushing red.
"She said you're handsome," Wang Dong jumped off the bed, messing up Su Yu's hair with both hands. After venting his frustration, he pouted, "Sister Meng, you have no taste! I'm also very handsome, you know."
"Why are you only looking at Su Yu? This guy's so clueless."
Meng Hongchen lowered her head and whispered, "Su Yu is very nice." She sneaked a glance at Su Yu to gauge his reaction. When he looked her way, she quickly lowered her head again.
"Yeah, Su Yu is nice," Wang Dong muttered, a hint of inexplicable frustration in his voice. He gazed at Su Yu, his eyes slowly turning sorrowful.
Su Yu: "..."
The atmosphere felt awkward for Su Yu. Especially with Wang Dong—what was with that sorrowful gaze?
Your outward identity is supposed to be male right now! Su Yu thought to himself, quickly deciding to change the subject.
"Sister Meng, it's getting late, and it's almost time for dinner," Su Yu said. "Today's a happy day. I've advanced to a Level 4 Soul Engineer and been named an Illustrious Virtue Hall seed. Let's go out to celebrate!"
"Sure!"
Meng Hongchen replied eagerly.
"I know a place in Radiant City with great barbecue. Let's go there."
"Alright!"
Su Yu agreed, relieved as the strange atmosphere dissipated.
As they left the dorm, Su Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
"Su Yu, do you mind if I invite my brother?"
Meng Hongchen asked tentatively. She didn't want Xiao Hongchen to ruin the mood, but she also didn't want to leave him out if Su Yu didn't mind.
"Of course, I don't mind," Su Yu said with a smile.
"It would be better to have Brother Xiao join us."
Meng Hongchen felt relieved and quickly contacted Xiao Hongchen. He soon arrived, head held high, exuding his usual arrogance.
Wang Dong turned away, visibly annoyed by Xiao Hongchen's high-and-mighty attitude. He never liked that about him.
"Brother!"
Meng Hongchen waved.
Xiao Hongchen swaggered over, acting as if he were second only to the heavens.
"Brother Xiao, we meet again," Su Yu greeted him with a polite smile.
"Hmph, I've heard about you. You live up to being my rival—you've got some skills," Xiao Hongchen said, staring directly at Su Yu. He had identified Su Yu as his greatest threat ever since they first met.
"Brother, today is for celebrating Su Yu's advancement. Don't cause any trouble," Meng Hongchen warned, glaring at him.
"Meng, don't worry. This guy will be my brother-in-law soon. Even for your sake, I won't cause any trouble," Xiao Hongchen declared nonchalantly.
Su Yu and Wang Dong were both stunned.
"What?"
Su Yu blinked.
"Brother-in-law?"
Wang Dong echoed in disbelief.
"Of course, it's Su Yu. Who else could it be?"
Xiao Hongchen replied, rolling his eyes.
Wang Dong: "..."
Su Yu: "..."
Meng Hongchen slapped her forehead. I should never have let him come.
"Brother!!!"
Meng Hongchen yelled, glaring at Xiao Hongchen.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
Xiao Hongchen shrugged, unbothered.
"How is it nonsense? Even Grandpa has agreed."
Su Yu: "?????"
Wang Dong: "??????"
Wang Dong looked at Su Yu, his voice trembling.
"You and Sister Meng are already at that stage? Why didn't I know anything about this?"
For some reason, Wang Dong felt an overwhelming sense of betrayal. Su Yu and Meng Hongchen had progressed to the point of family approval, and he hadn't known a thing.
Su Yu's mouth twitched.
"What? Meng and I are completely innocent."
"He said even the Hall Master agreed, and you're still lying to me?"
Wang Dong's voice was laced with frustration and hurt.
"Hey, hey, hey, why are you getting involved?"
Xiao Hongchen interjected.
"Why are you being so dramatic?"
Before Su Yu could respond, Xiao Hongchen continued, "I was talking about Su Yu and my sister. What's your deal? Do you have feelings for my sister?"
That won't do. You're not qualified. Xiao Hongchen sneered inwardly, but outwardly, he focused on Wang Dong.
"What's it to you?"
Wang Dong shot back.
"I'll be dramatic if I want. So what?"
Xiao Hongchen's eyes narrowed.
"You dare insult me?"
He was ready to teach Wang Dong a lesson. No one talks to me like that.
"Do you have the guts?"
Wang Dong retorted defiantly.
Xiao Hongchen: "..."
Wang Dong's defiance only fueled Xiao Hongchen's anger. He was about to take action when Meng Hongchen intervened.
"Enough!"
Meng Hongchen exploded, her anger cutting through the tension. "Brother, if you don't want to be here, then leave! And Wang Dong, if you want to fight, fight me instead."
Her fierce outburst stunned both of them into silence. Neither had ever seen Meng Hongchen so angry.
With Meng Hongchen's intervention, the tense atmosphere finally dissipated.
Afterward, Meng Hongchen explained the situation, and only then did Wang Dong and Su Yu realize it had all been a misunderstanding. Xiao Hongchen had simply been overthinking things.
"I knew it couldn't be that ridiculous. Turns out it was just someone letting their imagination run wild," Wang Dong said with a sigh of relief. He had thought Su Yu had gotten involved with Meng Hongchen, but it was all just a misunderstanding.
And of course, Su Yu's daily training schedule was packed—where would he even find time for romance? Su Yu's achievements in soul tools weren't just a result of talent; he worked incredibly hard. Wang Dong had seen Su Yu studying core formations late into the night more than once.
For a moment, Wang Dong felt a bit ashamed. He shouldn't have doubted Su Yu.
"What do you mean, over-imagining things? With Grandfather treating him like this, it's clear he sees Su Yu as his future grandson-in-law," Xiao Hongchen said with a smug expression.
"You just don't get it. This young master can't be bothered to argue with you."
Wang Dong rolled his eyes. Now he could see it clearly—Xiao Hongchen was just a lunatic. As a normal person, Wang Dong decided he wouldn't argue with a lunatic.
The barbecue restaurant Meng Hongchen had mentioned was outside the academy, so the group headed out together.
As they exited the academy, they were greeted by the sights of Radiant City. The vast and bustling city dazzled even Wang Dong.
"To be honest, Radiant City is truly impressive. I've been to the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, and it doesn't even compare to this place," Wang Dong marveled.
It wasn't his first time seeing Radiant City, but his last visit had been brief. This time, he had a chance to take in the sights. The city's prosperity left him in awe. Unlike the ancient architecture typical of other empires, Radiant City had a unique metallic and modern flavor.
"Of course! The Sun Moon Empire's Radiant City is the most prosperous city on the continent. Even if you combined the capitals of the other three empires, they wouldn't compare," Xiao Hongchen said proudly, lifting his chin.
Radiant City was a source of pride for every citizen of the Sun Moon Empire.
Wang Dong didn't argue with Xiao Hongchen; he just rolled his eyes again.
The group continued walking, admiring the city's sights. Eventually, they entered a narrower street filled with various food stalls. It looked like a food street.
"Wow!"
Wang Dong exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and the mouthwatering aroma of grilled food.
"Who would've thought there was such a great spot so close to the academy?"
Wang Dong said, feeling like he had missed out during the past few months.
"There's a place here called Wu's Barbecue. Their grilled meat is amazing, especially the whole roasted lamb—it's tender and flavorful. My brother and I come here often," Meng Hongchen explained as she led the group toward the end of the street.
Wu's Barbecue didn't look particularly impressive from the outside, but the faint scent of grilling meat wafting from the inside was irresistible.
"We're here!"
Meng Hongchen announced.
Inside, the shop was already packed with people. Meng Hongchen called out, "Master Wu!"
An old man, busy grilling meat, looked up and grinned when he saw Meng Hongchen. "Oh, it's you, girl! Come on in, take a seat."
"Xiao Feng! Xiao Feng, come greet the guests!" the old man called out.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!"
A young man, around twenty years old, came running out with a notepad in hand.
"Oh, it's Little Meng! And Brother Xiao, you're here too! These two look new. Is this their first time?"
Xiao Feng's enthusiasm showed he was quite familiar with Meng and Xiao Hongchen.
"Yeah, they're new students at the academy. My brother and I brought them here to try the best barbecue in Radiant City," Meng Hongchen replied with a smile.
"Hahaha, you're too kind! Come on in," Xiao Feng said, inviting them inside.
He pointed to the menu displayed on a large metal screen on the wall. It listed dishes like grilled fish, grilled chicken, and lamb skewers, each with a tantalizing image.
Su Yu immediately noticed that the screen was a soul tool. It seemed that even an ordinary barbecue shop in Radiant City used soul tools.
"Let's get twenty beef skewers, two grilled fish, some grilled vegetables, and a whole roasted lamb," Meng Hongchen expertly ordered.
She then turned to Su Yu.
"Is there anything else you'd like to add?"
"That's plenty. If we order too much, we won't finish it all," Su Yu replied with a smile.
Meng Hongchen nodded and turned back to Xiao Feng.
"That's all for now. And bring us a large bottle of fruit juice."
"Got it! Please head upstairs to the second floor and take a seat. Your food will be ready soon," Xiao Feng said warmly.
The group followed Meng Hongchen upstairs to a private room by the window, where they could see the food street outside.
"Meng, aren't you going to ask me what I want to eat?"
Xiao Hongchen asked with a pout, looking aggrieved.
Meng Hongchen looked at him, confused.
"Brother, don't you love roasted lamb?"
"You still should've asked. It wouldn't have taken much time," Xiao Hongchen muttered, clearly feeling a bit jealous. Did his sister care more about Su Yu now?
Meng Hongchen ignored him and turned her attention back to Su Yu. "Don't let the shop's humble appearance fool you. It's been here for over a hundred years. You won't be disappointed."
"Really? I'm looking forward to it," Su Yu said with a smile.
Before long, the whole roasted lamb arrived, golden and dripping with oil. It looked delicious.
Meng Hongchen personally tore off a leg of lamb and served it to Su Yu. "Try it and see how it tastes," she said, resting her chin on her hand and watching Su Yu intently.
Su Yu took a bite. It was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and incredibly juicy, with no trace of gaminess. It was roasted to perfection.
"It's delicious—definitely worth trying," Su Yu remarked. Even though it was just ordinary lamb, not from a soul beast, the quality of the cooking was exceptional.
"I'm glad you like it," Meng Hongchen said, smiling happily.
"I'll eat too!"
Xiao Hongchen exclaimed, tearing off a large leg and biting into it aggressively. As he ate, he shot Su Yu a glare, as if Su Yu had stolen something precious from him.
Su Yu ignored him and tore off another leg to serve Meng Hongchen and Wang Dong.