At Kassel College, it was rare to see a man and a woman enter a study room together, only for the woman to leave first. In the college, small study rooms were one of the prime dating spots, especially since the male lead entering this particular study room was an S-rank!
Simply put, all the students were expecting the S-rank to confirm a romantic relationship, but reality poured a bucket of cold water on them.
Colder than the girl who walked out.
At least they couldn't see any sadness or sorrow on that girl's face.
Time rewound to a few minutes ago.
"You have to do this yourself." Zero looked into Lu Mingfei's eyes, guessing his thoughts.
"Yes." Lu Mingfei nodded. The girl in front of him was too clever; none of his thoughts could be hidden from her.
"Sorry to disturb your reading experience." Zero apologized again, her tone as calm as a breeze rustling bangs, "I was presumptuous."
"No, it's not that. If you've read my post, I actually understand you quite well. Before, I really did need someone to pull me up." Lu Mingfei turned his head back to clearly see that unchanging face.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have underestimated your initiative." Zero didn't look up, silently taking back her phone.
"Ah, I..." Lu Mingfei was a little flustered. He had never received such a profound apology in his life. "I really didn't mean that. In any case, I'm very grateful for your intention to help, but I've already decided to complete this matter independently myself."
He stared at Zero's face, trying to discern something from it.
But Zero's expression remained unchanged, exactly as it was the first time he saw her.
"I understand." Zero slowly lifted her head, her eyes changing for the first time, "You are indeed a qualified S-rank."
Lu Mingfei thought to himself, so you were actually sent by the big boss to test me? If I had accepted your help, would you have thrown another 'this year's S-rank is not up to the task' at me? Damn, you guys use this to test S-ranks?
Fortunately, I, Lu Mingfei, have a firm Dao heart and am not disturbed by external things.
"Want to exchange contact information?" Lu Mingfei suddenly asked.
"...Alright."
Having obtained the beautiful girl's contact information, Lu Mingfei contentedly watched Zero leave, not forgetting to express his gratitude for her help before she departed.
Lu Mingfei stretched, having read until lunchtime in one sitting. He closed the student handbook, which he had flipped to the last page, and walked out of the study room.
The last time he had studied like this was when he got hooked on StarCraft.
After reading the entire student handbook, Lu Mingfei already had a plan in mind, but he felt his conscience might not be up to the task.
Ye Sheng could be considered his life mentor, so it felt uneasy to trick him like this.
He should first see if the gift boxes in the dorm could be used to accuse the Student Union of bribery.
The curiosity for gossip far outweighed the hunger from not eating for half a day, especially for a group of hybrids. These people wouldn't have any major issues even if they didn't eat for two days and two nights in the wilderness.
As soon as he stepped out of the study room, Lu Mingfei felt gazes like wolves and tigers. He was sure it wasn't due to his bloodline awakening enhancing his perception, but rather simply too many similar gazes.
"Hello, Senior Brothers and Sisters." Lu Mingfei said stiffly, his steps continuous as he hurried towards the student handbook's storage location.
Silence was the prevailing tone of the library, so an interrogation of Lu Mingfei naturally couldn't happen, but the mental pressure from the stares was not to be underestimated.
Having frantically fled from the devouring gazes of the Senior Brothers and Sisters, Lu Mingfei rushed non-stop to his dorm. At this time, going to the cafeteria for a meal would be lucky if he wasn't cornered at the table by the Student Union, let alone the possibility of those rich people giving him extra food.
In fact, after the morning's meeting between Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang had fermented, Caesar was already blocking Lu Mingfei's dorm door at this time, accompanied by his super lackey, Fingel.
"It seems my S-rank classmate, who blew me up, doesn't seem to want to see me right now."
Caesar looked up and saw Lu Mingfei standing at the door, sweating profusely. He had already received the video of Lu Mingfei's free day from Nono.
Lu Mingfei's face flushed, and he slowly closed the door, looking at Fingel, who was serving tea and water to Caesar.
Fingel's eyes darted towards the gift boxes, then he pursed his lips towards Caesar, softly uttering three words.
"Chu Zihang."
The retribution came a little too quickly!
An invisible pressure enveloped the entire room. Cold sweat ran down Lu Mingfei's back. He hadn't expected Caesar to specifically come to his dorm to find him after learning about his meeting with Chu Zihang.
The conflict between the two presidents was more tense than he had imagined.
"When I first saw that resume, I thought the school had made a mistake. How could an S-rank have such a life?" Caesar said indifferently, "There's a good saying in China: 'A true master hides in plain sight.' Lu Mingfei, you've perfectly achieved that."
Lu Mingfei remembered his ordinary life and, looking at Caesar's admiring expression, could only bite the bullet and agree.
Movies always say a man's growth happens in an instant. Lu Mingfei thought this might be his instant now. He had returned not only with the intention of reporting the Student Union for bribery, but also with the intention of joining the Disciplinary Committee.
These two intentions were absolutely not what Caesar expected.
"I'm only here to get an answer. Will you join the Student Union, or have you already joined the Lionheart Society?"
"I..."
Lu Mingfei's breath hitched.
"It seems Chu Zihang understands how to treat worthy individuals better than I do." Caesar looked at Lu Mingfei's reaction, knowing that Lu Mingfei joining the Student Union was out of the question. So, he left his gift and walked out of the room.
"I'm glad to have another formidable rival."
Lu Mingfei knew what he should do, whether it was stopping Caesar, explaining himself, or speaking his mind. Now was absolutely not the time to create misunderstandings with people.
His choice was the Disciplinary Committee.
With Caesar's influence, this misunderstanding would only lead him further away from his expectations.
He had finally made his own choice.
Those stomach-churning plots in anime often happen to cowardly protagonists.
Lu Mingfei deeply understood this, but the pressure Caesar exerted on him was too great. That aura of a superior, having lived in a large family for many years, suffocated Lu Mingfei's throat completely.
He couldn't even vomit.
Dense cold sweat beaded on Lu Mingfei's forehead.
Many words echoed in Lu Mingfei's ears.
Dragon-slaying mission, the weight and responsibility of an S-rank, the next president, a qualified S-rank, formidable rival!
Formidable rival!
I am a formidable rival!
Everyone's formidable rival!
Each of them has placed me on an equal or even higher standing than themselves. I shouldn't see myself as small as an ant anymore.
Lu Mingfei knew he had to reject Caesar's analysis of him. He wasn't some tactical master, nor was he a perfect hybrid hiding in plain sight, and he certainly hadn't joined the Lionheart Society.
The reason his past 18 years were ordinary was because he was Lu Mingfei, not an S-rank, not a hybrid, not a rich second-generation. He was just Lu Mingfei, Lu Mingfei living under someone else's roof.
He was just Lu Mingfei, who, whenever something happened, had no one to back him up.
So he had no choice but to disguise himself, to lower his status below the average line, so that when he was hurt, he would give up the thought of fighting back.
And now, everything had changed.
The legend of Shilan Middle School saw him as an heir, as an opponent; the emperor of the Gatuoso family, the ultimate noble young master, saw him as a formidable rival; and many, many others saw him as an extraordinary S-rank.
Yes, my status is equal to theirs.
I have the right to say no to everyone here.
Gazing into the deep pool of his heart, the black dragon raised its head, and the most extreme gold surfaced.
A thought quickly took root, sprouted, and grew in Lu Mingfei's heart.
—Lu Mingfei! Face yourself!