Douluo: Dragon King's Star Devouring Wings

Chapter 708 Meeting the Most Beautiful Senior at the Most Depressing Age
Donghai City, Donghai Academy.

Donghai Academy has already officially started its holiday today, and the once bustling academy is now only filled with a few scattered people.

Tang Wulin decided to stay at the school to learn forging from Qian Gu Qingfeng. After a long day of hard work in the forging workshop, he returned home.

I took a shower in my dorm first, and then planned to go to the food street to have a meal and rest.

Six months ago, this was a leisure activity he wouldn't have dared to even think about, simply because it was far too expensive.

Now, he not only receives a soul beast subsidy from the Spirit Pagoda, but as a disciple of the Ancient Phoenix Feather, although the Ancient Phoenix Feather has not yet publicly revealed his identity, he is treated with the utmost respect.

As a disciple favored by the Spirit Pagoda, he receives a special monthly allowance. In addition, forging now brings him a substantial income.

Although Qian Gu Qingfeng knew that Tang Wulin was very busy and didn't want him to take on outside jobs, he still bought back all the finished products that Tang Wulin forged at a price 10% higher than the market price.

This was a considerable income for Tang Wulin, which even allowed him to send money back home to supplement his family's income.

Since Tang Wulin became Qian Gu Huang Yu's disciple, he no longer has to worry about his soul spirit, and he also receives all sorts of subsidies.

His life had truly changed. Thinking of this, a faint smile appeared on Tang Wulin's face.

Tang Wulin draped his school uniform jacket over his shoulders, his fingertips still warm from forging iron in the blacksmith's workshop.

The evening breeze, carrying the scent of the grass on the playground, brushed against his face, dispelling the weariness and restlessness after a long day of blacksmithing. The orange-red sunset stretched his shadow long, all the way to the sycamore tree at the school gate.

He paused when he looked up.

The girl stood by the bus stop not far away, her light white dress fluttering slightly in the wind, and the ends of her hair glistening with the slivers of sunlight.

She held half an ice pop in her hand, her eyelashes casting a faint shadow under her eyes as she looked down. Occasionally, she would raise her hand to brush away the stray hairs that had been blown to her cheek by the wind, her movements as light as if she were kneading a cloud.

The setting sun cast their shadows close together on the ground, and a faint sweetness filled the air. He suddenly felt that his stomach, which had been growling with hunger, was no longer so hungry.

"Senior Sister Zixin!" Tang Wulin's voice became noticeably excited.

"Wu Lin, what are you doing here?" Ouyang Zixun asked with some surprise, attracted by Tang Wu Lin's voice.

Tang Wulin scratched his head awkwardly and said, "I'm going to stay at school to learn forging from the teacher. What about you, senior?"

“Forging…” Ouyang Zixun was clearly a little surprised. As a senior student of the advanced academy, she naturally knew what forging was, but she did not expect Tang Wulin to be so hardworking.

“I live nearby. I was just out for a stroll today and happened to run into you,” Ouyang Zixun said with a smile.

"Cuckoo-"

Just then, Tang Wulin's stomach rumbled. After a day of training, he was very hungry.

The sudden growl from his stomach made Tang Wulin blush deeply, and he was too embarrassed to speak, stammering, "I...I..."

"Haha!" Ouyang Zixun let out a melodious laugh, covering her mouth and chuckling softly, which made Tang Wulin blush even more.

"I'm hungry too, Wu Lin, wanna go eat together?" Ouyang Zixun asked Tang Wu Lin with a smile, inviting him to join her team.

"Okay, Senior Sister Zixin!" Tang Wulin nodded excitedly.

"Wu Lin, just call me Zi Xin." Ouyang Zi Xun lowered her head, a blush creeping onto her fair face, and said softly.

Even though Ouyang Zixun's voice was very soft, Tang Wulin still noticed it. He nodded vigorously and then forced out what he thought was a very handsome smile. "Zixin, let's go."

Looking at Tang Wulin's forced mature face, Ouyang Zixun couldn't help but laugh and pinch his cheek. "Really, you're so young and you're not learning anything good. Why are you pretending to be a seasoned lover?"

Tang Wulin was instantly undone by Ouyang Zixun's antics, unable to maintain his pretense of maturity and composure, and a shy blush appeared on his face.

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore, let's go!" Ouyang Zixun was clearly satisfied with Tang Wulin's reaction, and nodded with a smile before turning and walking towards the snack street.

Seeing this, Tang Wulin didn't bother to straighten his clothes and hurriedly followed behind Ouyang Zixun.

The setting sun dyed the path honey-colored, and the dappled sunlight filtering through the sycamore leaves fell on Ouyang Zixun's off-white skirt, making it dazzlingly bright.

Tang Wulin followed half a step behind Ouyang Zixun. Suddenly, a faint fragrance drifted in the wind, like a white sheet dried in the spring sun, mixed with a few unknown grass and wood scents, quietly lingering around the tip of his nose.

Tang Wulin's steps slowed down involuntarily. The aroma evoked many memories—the sound of his mother frying eggs in the kitchen in the morning, the teacher's repeated instructions and corrections during cultivation, and the dreams and aspirations shared with his classmates at gatherings.

Those subtle warmths, now blended into the evening breeze, and carried by that fragrance, gently touched the tip of my heart.

Ouyang Zixun seemed to notice that Tang Wulin had slowed down. She turned around and smiled, the shards of sunset light clinging to her hair falling into her eyes.

Tang Wulin hurriedly looked away, but his ears were burning hot. He could only stare at the tips of his canvas shoes, watching the two shadows slowly lengthen and then slowly approach each other on the path.

The evening breeze of the sweltering summer gently brushed against Tang Wulin's cheek, and the fragrance of Ouyang Zixun inadvertently drifted into Tang Wulin's nostrils.

Tang Wulin suddenly realized that happiness is nothing more than such a simple thing, nothing more than a breeze, a wisp of fragrance, a smile as someone turns around, all of which wrap up the warmth of family, the affection of teachers, the sweetness of friends, and the youthful thoughts hidden in his heart at this moment.

Tang Wulin followed behind Ouyang Zixun, and in that moment, he felt as if he possessed the whole world…

At the entrance of Donghai Academy, a man and a woman stood silently watching Tang Wulin and Ouyang Zixun walk away into the distance.

It was Qian Gu Qingfeng and his wife Xia Zheng Leng.

Originally, Qian Gu Qingfeng planned to invite Tang Wulin to his place for a meal. Tang Wulin had been expending a lot of energy on forging recently, and Qian Gu Qingfeng wanted to use some good things to help him recover.

But seeing that Tang Wulin left with Ouyang Zixun, they didn't disturb them.

"Can't we call that little girl over too?" Xia Zheng glanced at her husband with a puzzled look, thinking that whether she invited one person to dinner or two people, it was still the same, so what was the big deal?

Qian Gu Qing Feng shook his head slightly. "Wouldn't that be like meeting the parents? It would scare the little girl away."

"Is that so?" Xia Zheng nodded gently, indicating that she understood her husband's opinion.

A smile appeared on Qian Gu Qing Feng's lips. "Meeting a beautiful senior at the most repressed age, this kid is quite lucky with women."

...

Since that chance encounter with Ouyang Zixun, Tang Wulin was surprised to find that he was running into her more and more often.

Whether she's going out to exercise, shopping, or reading at the library, Ouyang Zixun always manages to bump into Tang Wulin after he finishes his training.

Qian Gu Qingfeng was also surprised to find that Tang Wulin seemed to be working even harder while forging, although he was sometimes absent-minded and his eyes were always wandering. This made Qian Gu Qingfeng feel helpless but also relieved.

The calendar was torn to the end of July, and the edges of the pages still had tiny bits of rare metal shavings from when they were forged in the blacksmith's workshop. But with a flick of the finger, they would fall all over the table.

Tang Wulin and Ouyang Zixun sat on the bench, the iced cola in their hands long since gone, water droplets trickling down the can, leaving small stains on their pants, just like the unspoken words they had kept hidden in these tiny marks over the past two weeks.

They took out a pre-cut watermelon they had just bought from the fruit stand. The first bite was still full of the sweetness of summer. But when they looked up, the sunset was much paler than the night they had met. Even the cicadas' chirping was less restless, as if they were secretly counting down the few days left.

"Zixin, I'm going back tomorrow." Tang Wulin suddenly spoke. The two-week special training was over, and he was about to embark on his journey home.

Although he was enjoying his time with Ouyang Zixun, he hadn't seen his parents for more than half a year and was eager to go home.

Ouyang Zixun paused noticeably while eating watermelon, a fleeting hint of melancholy flashing in her beautiful eyes.

"After you get back... remember to eat on time." Ouyang Zixun suddenly spoke, her voice so soft that it was almost carried away by the wind.

Tang Wulin hummed in agreement, his Adam's apple bobbing, and whispered, "I'm sorry..."

Tang Wulin had considered telling Ouyang Zixun about this beforehand, but he didn't know in what capacity he should bring it up.

"I'm going back now. Want to come out and celebrate with me?" Tang Wulin simply couldn't bring himself to say such a thing.

Just as Tang Wulin was struggling with his thoughts and didn't know what to say next, Ouyang Zixun suddenly picked up a fork and handed it to him.

Tang Wulin looked at the transparent plastic fork in front of him and blinked in confusion.

"feed me."

"Ouyang Zixun said softly."

A handsome light flashed in Tang Wulin's blue eyes, and a smile appeared on his lips. He gently took the small plastic fork that Ouyang Zixun handed him, picked out the largest piece of watermelon from the fruit box, and fiercely forked it.

Then he handed it to Ouyang Zixun.

"Ah!" Tang Wulin opened his mouth and whispered.

Ouyang Zixun opened her cherry-like mouth and took a bite of the watermelon from the fork. Red watermelon juice flowed from her delicate lips, adding a touch of allure that left Tang Wulin somewhat stunned.

"Hmph! You brat, all you do is tease me!" Ouyang Zixun snorted and rolled her eyes.

Without waiting for Tang Wulin's explanation, she opened her little mouth again, signaling Tang Wulin to continue feeding her.

Ouyang Zixun quickly devoured a box of watermelon. The two walked together on the path for the last time this summer vacation, their eyes filled with an indescribable emotion.

The streetlights in the distance came on, their warm yellow light stretching Tang Wulin and Ouyang Zixun's shadows long, until they slowly overlapped.

Tang Wulin followed closely behind Ouyang Zixun, just like when the girl first proposed a race when they first met.

After passing through the park and an intersection, I arrived at an ordinary residential area.

Ouyang Zixun's home is here.

When it was time to part, Tang Wulin clenched his fist and finally only said, "Take care on the road."

Tang Wulin regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. Ouyang Zixun was already at the entrance of the residential area. How could he be careful? Was he supposed to escort her to her room?

Ouyang Zixun turned her head and gave Tang Wulin a gentle smile. "Wulin, see you next semester!"

As Tang Wulin watched Ouyang Zixun's figure slowly disappear into the night, he realized that the cola can in his hand had been crushed and deformed. The icy touch went through his fingertips and chilled him to his heart.

Those nights spent strolling through the night market together, watching the stars together on the rooftop, and the unspoken feelings—all of these will be packed into suitcases along with the end of campus life and sent to different cities.

The wind blew again, carrying the scent of sycamore leaves. Tang Wulin suddenly remembered the first time he had a chance encounter with Ouyang Zixun during the summer vacation. It was also an evening like this. But the cicadas were chirping so loudly back then. How come he didn't feel that time was passing so quickly?

For the first time, Tang Wulin realized that the end of his school life was so bitter.

...

Tang Wulin didn't know how he got back to the academy. He only knew that when he watched Ouyang Zixun's figure disappear into the night, his heart seemed to be deeply touched.

Every boy has an unforgettable senior in his heart.

For some reason, Tang Wulin suddenly remembered what Xie Xie had said back then.

Is she the senior I admire?

But...do I really want Zixin to be my senior?

[...Only as a senior student?]

Before Tang Wulin could come up with an answer, he was forced to stop thinking. For no other reason than a man with long blue hair and wearing a white trench coat appeared in front of Tang Wulin.

It is like dancing in the sky.

Wu Changkong was adopted by Zhuoshi when he was a child. Before that, Shrek Academy was his home.

However, ever since he broke up with Zhuoshi for Long Bing's sake, he left Shrek Academy. After the Dark Hummingbird died, Long Bing lost her family, and the two of them had nowhere else to go.

Therefore, even during summer vacation, Wu Changkong and Long Bing stayed at Donghai Academy. Moreover, as teachers staying at the school, they received a special allowance.

Their opinions are that they are considered high-level Soul Masters. Although their salaries are high, they also have many expenses, so it's always good to save as much money as possible.

Sometimes when Tang Wulin encountered something he didn't understand while cultivating, he would come to Wu Changkong for advice.

Even during holidays, Wu Changkong was always responsive to Tang Wulin's requests and always offered his unique insights into his questions.

"Wu Lin, would you like to go somewhere with me tomorrow? It might take up two or three days of your time," Wu Changkong said bluntly.

"Where is Teacher Wu going?" Tang Wulin asked.

"Shrek Academy."

ps
Tang Wulin definitely won't go to Shrek Academy, everyone can rest assured about that. He just wants to torture Lao Ming (laughs).

(End of this chapter)