Chapter 80: Cleaning the Dormitory
Standing at the entrance of the dormitory building, Furina paused and turned to face Huo Yuhao. "Alright. We'll part here. Remember—no matter what happens, stay calm."
She adjusted her collar lightly, her gaze carrying a note of care and concern. "I hope you and your roommate will get along well—if he's arrived, that is."
Huo Yuhao nodded solemnly, his eyes steady with resolve. "Rest assured, Sister Furina. So long as he's not the sort who's utterly unreasonable, I'll do my best to build a good relationship with him."
"Good." Furina smiled faintly and raised a hand to gently pat Huo Yuhao's shoulder. "Remember the guiding principle of our Church of the Water God: overcome hardness with softness, win hearts through virtue. Although..." She winked mischievously. "If the other party truly goes too far, there's no need to endure it endlessly."
"I understand," Huo Yuhao replied with a knowing smile.
Watching Huo Yuhao's departing silhouette, Furina's thoughts couldn't help drifting toward the plot of the original story. According to the original development, Huo Yuhao's roommate should have been Wang Dong—or rather, Wang Dong'er, the girl forced by her father Tang San to disguise herself as a boy.
At this thought, Furina's brow furrowed slightly. That initially arrogant and willful "youth" had indeed needed a firm lesson or two. But this time, the outcome should be somewhat different. The Huo Yuhao of now was already a three-ringed Soul Elder, and had even obtained a top-tier martial soul like the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion. His attainments in spiritual power far outstripped those of his peers.
Furina carefully weighed the balance of power between the two sides. She truly couldn't see how Wang Dong had any chance of victory. After all, even in the original story, when Huo Yuhao only had a single ring, he'd still defeated the overconfident Wang Dong through intelligence and courage. This time, the gap in strength was even more lopsided—Wang Dong had absolutely no hope of winning.
What stirred an even deeper, more bittersweet emotion in Furina was the truth of Wang Dong's identity. That seemingly defiant and untamed "youth" was, in reality, a young girl unaware that she was being controlled by her father Tang San's spiritual seal. This tragedy—having one's fate manipulated by one's own closest kin—stirred a ripple of genuine pity in Furina's heart.
She shook her head lightly to dispel these thoughts and turned to ascend the staircase. What she was more curious about now was: who would be her roommate?
If it turned out to be a character from the original story, that would naturally be ideal. Those characters all possessed exceptional talent and backgrounds—precisely the kind of recruitment targets she envisioned for her plans. Even the supporting characters with less screen time had talent and family connections far surpassing ordinary students. They, too, were worthy of attention. Ultimately, every student at Shrek Academy was a potential recruitment target—except for Dai Huabin.
At the thought of that debauched scion who had tormented Huo Yuhao and his mother, Furina's eyes turned cold. Although, thanks to her intervention, Dai Huabin and his mother hadn't caused Huo Yun'er's death, the years of abuse and humiliation they had heaped upon Huo Yuhao and his mother were more than enough to land Dai Huabin firmly on Furina's blacklist. Moreover, Dai Huabin's talent and background would offer little benefit to the Church of the Water God's development. On the contrary, the old grudge with Huo Yuhao could easily invite unnecessary trouble.
"Perhaps his elder brother, Dai Yueheng, might be a decent choice..." Furina mused as she climbed the stairs. "But all of this depends on the actual situation. After all—plans can never keep pace with change."
Arriving at her dormitory door, Furina retrieved her key and inserted it into the lock. With a soft click, the door swung open—and a cloud of dust billowed out to greet her.
"Cough, cough, cough..." Furina hastily retreated several steps, waving a hand frantically in front of her face. "This dormitory hasn't been cleaned in at least a month or two!"
She couldn't help complaining, her voice tinged with exasperation. "It's even worse than my college dormitory. At least back then, opening the door didn't mean eating a mouthful of dust."
Despite her grumbling, Furina knew she'd have to tidy the place up herself. As a young woman who valued quality of life—even if her figure was still somewhat on the modest side—she absolutely could not tolerate living in such a filthy environment.
"It looks like I'll have to do this myself." Furina let out a soft sigh, then snapped her fingers with a crisp sound. Three gentle rays of light shimmered into existence at her side, coalescing into the familiar forms of the Salon Solitaire's three members: the spherical octopus-shaped Lord Usher, his tendrils waving with an elegant flourish; the bubble-seahorse-shaped Madame Hevmayer, drifting gracefully through the air; and the heavily armored crab-shaped Mademoiselle Chevaleyda, landing with steady, solid weight upon the floor.
"Everyone—it seems we'll need to do a thorough deep-clean." Furina produced an assortment of cleaning tools from her soul tool. She had specifically prepared two sets of tools—one for herself, the other for her three companions. "Though I could simply leave it entirely to you, I think it's more meaningful if we work on it together. After all, you are my most important partners."
Lord Usher deftly coiled a cloth around his tendrils with surprising dexterity. Madame Hevmayer blew out a stream of delicate, glistening cleaning bubbles. Mademoiselle Chevaleyda used her sturdy, unyielding shell to help scrape away stubborn, caked-on grime. Furina herself tied a kerchief around her head, picked up a broom, and began sweeping.
The four worked together with seamless, practiced coordination, like a well-trained cleaning squad. As she worked, Furina occasionally hummed a light, cheerful tune. Sunlight streamed through the freshly polished windows, forming bright, luminous columns through the dancing dust motes. Lord Usher would sometimes playfully tap her cheek with the tip of a tendril, drawing peals of bright, crystalline laughter from her. In these moments, the tedious, back-breaking chore of deep-cleaning seemed to transform into a merry and pleasant game.
After roughly a shichen, the dormitory was at last transformed. The floor gleamed so brightly it reflected like a mirror. The windows were crystal-clear and spotless. The beds were neat and tidy. Even the cobwebs in the corners had vanished without a trace. Furina surveyed this small, newly conquered space with satisfaction, lifting a hand to wipe the fine beads of sweat from her brow.
"Finally—it's done!" She let out a long breath and turned to her three companions. "Thank you all for your hard work. I couldn't have done it without your help today."
The three water-element beings swirled around her with cheerful, buoyant energy. Though they could not speak, their light, lively movements and shimmering radiance spoke volumes of their inner delight. Lord Usher even performed an elegant curtain-call bow with his tendrils, making Furina laugh despite herself.
Just at this warm, tranquil moment, the sound of a key turning in the lock suddenly came from beyond the dormitory door.
Furina's eyes lit up. It must be my future roommate arriving.
But on second thought—it could also be a teacher from the academy. After all, the "gift" she had given Mu En earlier was indeed rather astonishingly precious. It wouldn't be surprising if it had drawn some attention.
She straightened her slightly disheveled collar, and a smile of anticipation bloomed on her face. Whoever it might be, she was ready. She would greet this important figure about to step into her life at Shrek Academy in her very best state.
The door slowly swung open. Furina held her breath with quiet curiosity, wondering what kind of encounter awaited her beyond it.