By the time Shen An and his group arrived at Heaven Dou City, the sky was already beginning to lighten.
Knowing full well that he had stood up Xue Qinghe, Shen An quickly freshened up before bidding farewell to the two girls.
"I made a promise with Xue Qinghe. I need to go see him now. You two rest here for a while."
Jerry, who had slept soundly and was now refreshed, crawled out of his hole, stretching lazily with a yawn.
Upon hearing Xue Qinghe's name, Jerry immediately perked up—wasn't that the person who had seemed extremely fake the other day?
Jerry dashed over to Shen An and pointed insistently at himself.
"You want to come too?"
Jerry nodded vigorously, then scurried over to Tom, who had just returned home and collapsed into sleep, and pointed at him as well.
Shen An's lips twitched. This little mouse wanted to drag Tom along too. What a pair of rivals—never letting the poor cat rest.
Looking at Tom, who was dead asleep with bubbles floating from his nose, Shen An couldn't bear to disturb him.
"How about we leave Tom behind? He hasn't slept all night—let him rest."
Jerry, however, had other plans. He grabbed two toothpicks and propped open Tom's eyelids, revealing the cat's bloodshot eyes.
Alas, it was no use. Tom's heavy eyelids bent the toothpicks until they snapped with a ping.
Jerry rubbed his chin thoughtfully before suddenly brightening—a golden lightbulb practically appearing above his head.
From behind his back, he pulled out a bottle labeled Concentrated Coffee Extract, easily ten times his size, and prepared to pour it straight down Tom's throat.
Shen An's scalp prickled in horror. "No, no, no! Fine, we'll take Tom! Just let him sleep—I'll carry him."
Satisfied, Jerry gave a firm nod before hopping onto Shen An's shoulder.
Outside the majestic imperial palace, the guards respectfully accepted the golden token Shen An presented.
"Please wait a moment, sir. I will inform His Highness the Crown Prince."
Shen An nodded. Waiting was no big deal—he had, after all, stood Xue Qinghe up.
Tom remained fast asleep in his arms, even rolling over to find a more comfortable position.
Soon, the guard returned. "Sir, His Highness has instructed that you wait here. He will arrive in twenty minutes."
Shen An sighed. This was undoubtedly Xue Qinghe's petty revenge for yesterday's no-show.
But before even ten minutes had passed, Xue Qinghe arrived in his blue robes.
"Why are you still blocking him? Let Brother Shen in at once," Xue Qinghe chided the guards before turning to Shen An with exaggerated concern.
"Ah, Shen An, I hope you haven't been waiting long. I'm a man of my word and very punctual, you see."
Jerry stifled a giggle, poking Shen An's shoulder with a tiny finger—literally pointing out Xue Qinghe's passive-aggressive jab.
Shen An scratched his head sheepishly. "My apologies, Brother Xue. Something came up yesterday—I hope you can forgive the oversight."
Seeing Shen An's sincerity, Xue Qinghe gave a light humph. "Fine, let's go. Had you come yesterday, many would have remembered you. But it's not too late now."
"Where are we headed?"
"Just follow me." Xue Qinghe waved off his guards. "No need to accompany us. This is Heaven Dou City—nothing will happen."
The guards hesitated but ultimately relented.
Xue Qinghe smiled. No one liked being constantly shadowed.
With Tom in his arms and Jerry on his shoulder, Shen An walked side by side with the crown prince.
"This is the Top Academy Exchange Tournament—only the empire's most elite institutions may participate."
"Currently, the five elemental academies are competing."
Shen An frowned. "What are the five elemental academies? And why isn't Heaven Dou Royal Academy among them?"
"The five elemental academies are the strongest specialized institutions in the empire: Divine Wind, Thunderclap, Skywater, Blazing Fire, and Elephant Armor."
Xue Qinghe sighed. "Though Heaven Dou Royal Academy bears the title of 'Empire's Premier Academy,' its actual strength... leaves much to be desired. A gilded haven for underachieving nobles, as the others say."
Shen An rubbed his nose. "I don't belong to any academy yet. Is it appropriate for me to go?"
Xue Qinghe smirked. "Why not? Since you'll be joining Heaven Dou Royal Academy soon, today we'll humble their pride."
"Are you confident, Shen An? Their geniuses include Soul Ancestors."
True to his role, Xue Qinghe had spent over a decade flawlessly embodying the crown prince—always acting in Heaven Dou's best interests.
Hearing the challenge in Xue Qinghe's tone, Shen An grinned. "As you wish."
The tournament was held in a suburban arena jointly funded by the five academies. Heaven Dou Royal Academy had offered to fully sponsor it in exchange for inclusion—only to be rejected.
Along the way, Shen An and Xue Qinghe chatted animatedly. The crown prince's erudition impressed Shen An, while his own modern Earth quips delighted Xue Qinghe. They might as well have been lifelong friends.
Tom, of course, remained dead to the world, while Jerry nestled in his fur, listening to their conversation.
Shen An could clearly sense Xue Qinghe's idealism—some views were naive, yet brimming with ambition.
Compared to the likes of Shrek Academy, he was in a league of his own.
Strolling leisurely, Shen An suddenly slung an arm over Xue Qinghe's shoulders—a casual gesture he'd often made in his past life.
Since transmigrating, his only close friends had been Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong, and such familiarity would have been inappropriate with them.
But with Xue Qinghe, who matched him so well in conversation, Shen An acted without hesitation.
Xue Qinghe, however, stiffened imperceptibly.
Though appearing male, as the crown prince, no one dared be so informal. Yet here was Shen An, treating him like an old buddy.
"Huh? Brother Xue, your frame is surprisingly slight." Shen An remarked, even giving his shoulder a squeeze—finding it oddly smooth.
"Mmm~"
The touch drew an involuntary sound from Xue Qinghe, whose eyes suddenly glistened.
"Shen An, stop—I'm not used to this." A faint blush colored Xue Qinghe's cheeks as he flusteredly inhaled Shen An's clean masculine scent.
Shen An blinked. Is he sick?
He grabbed Xue Qinghe's hand, frowning. "Your hands are so small—and freezing. Have you been overworking yourself?"
Xue Qinghe's panic escalated. Snatching his hand back, he quickly changed the subject. "You're imagining things. The arena's just ahead—let's hurry."
Shen An shrugged but teased, "Alright, let's see what this tournament's about. But honestly, Brother Xue, you're kinda... delicate for a crown prince. Shouldn't you be more... manly?"
With that, he playfully swatted Xue Qinghe's waist—
"Eeek~!"