Autumn had arrived within the blink of an eye. The streets full of drifting fallen leaves and catkins in Hangzhou had combined into a poetic scene.
During autumn, Hangzhou was not as scorching as the cities in the south, with temperatures similar to summer. It was also not as chilly as the places in the north. It had the perfect temperature, with a gentle breeze. It was more like the gentle, elegant final washes of ink or color to a drawing, instead of an omen of the upcoming winter season…
Zhejiang Institute had the same dull-gray color. More fallen leaves were waiting to be cleaned up every day. They were like the clothes that women dumped as the seasons changed, not worth being sentimentally attached to.
The female students still retained the usual trend of wearing short skirts and black stockings. The outfit was deemed the all-around outfit among the girls, regardless of the season, and it would never be described as out-of-fashion, either. It was like Nippon Lily, retaining the radiance of spring at all times… {TL Note: Fun fact, the radiance of spring is sometimes referring to a slight glimpse of something sexy or erotic *wink*}
In comparison, the most popular outfit among the men was the combination of sandals and jerseys. In the south, this outfit was good enough to last three and a half seasons. Those who were not bothered about trifles would wear it during all seasons, not because they would simply wear an outer layer of down-coat in the cold seasons, but because they did not need to rely on extra warmth from clothing due to their Fire or Ice Elements.
——
Speaking of the perks of having those Elements…
Zhejiang Institute had a small lake to its west, and at its center stood a pavilion.
The pavilion was left unattended for quite some time. Even the wooden bridge connecting the pavilion had collapsed to the bottom of the lake, as if it serving as a sign telling the students not to hang around the lake.
Unfortunately, everyone there was a Magician, thus the bridge would not make a difference at all.
A handsome man with perfectly set hair stood by the lake and said with a smile. “I’ll push you there, it’s nothing worth mentioning.”
The calm surface of the clean lake reflected his rather tall figure. The gentle, yet masculine movement and tone implied that he had come from a fairly educated background.
He reached out his hand and swept it across the lake.
The weeds at the shore were gradually covered by a layer of ice. The ice rapidly spread to the water, making a crackling noise.
The surface of the lake froze. The thin layer of ice gradually thickened, as the icy energy continued to spread across it. It looked like an ice bridge was slowly extending across the surface of the lake, resulting in a magical view.
“It’s the Prince of Ice, Liu Yilin. Not only is he handsome, his control of the Ice Element is very impressive too. As expected of someone ranked on our school’s leaderboard!” Some girls nearby screamed at the top of their lungs.
The Prince of Ice was a complimentary title that Zhejiang Institute had given to Liu Yilin. He had conquered the entire school with his Ice Element not long after coming here. Together with his outstanding appearance and cool demeanor, he quickly captured many girls’ hearts.
Wasn’t a man like him the reason why they had worked so hard trying to secure a spot in the powerhouse institutes?
“Sigh, he’s with that girl again. I don’t understand, what good does a girl who can’t even walk properly have?” a female student with a perfect mid-split hairstyle blurted out in envy.
In terms of appearance, many girls could easily outmatch her.
“I bet he’s just pitying her. I hate people who act like they are pitiful the most. Grumbling when someone has merely stepped on an ant. Ah, I can’t walk, please push me around. Ah, I’m having a slight headache, I think I’ve caught a cold. Everyone knows how to pretend to be weak. Humph!” Chen Yunqi snapped.
Her mimic was on point, which prompted her friends nearby to bust out laughing. The laughter echoed in the path lined up with trees…
The Prince of Ice, Liu Yilin, glanced back at the girls who he used to hang out with. He smiled gently and slightly lowered his head, “Don’t mind them, they are only jealous because I’m spending my time with you. Come, let’s go to the pavilion.”
“I want to have some time alone, sorry.” Xinxia raised her head. There was no other emotion in her clear eyes apart from the calm.
She rolled her wheelchair with her skinny arms. She did not take the frozen path, but approached the lakeside instead.
Liu Yilin tapped his nose as he uttered a self-mocking laugh.
Meanwhile, Chen Yuqi’s rather annoying voice appeared, “Yo, acting like a noble, pretending to keep a distance in order to grasp him better, how impressive…”
“Well, Yunqi, you can’t say that, maybe someone is really not interested in the Prince of Ice. Maybe someone has already occupied her heart,” said the girl with the mid-split.
“Then maybe her sweetheart prefers to go out with someone whom he can hold hands with while browsing the streets, someone like us who will not require him to push a wheelchair.”
“I bet you’ve been reading too many of those romance novels. Hehe~”
Liu Yilin frowned. In his opinion, Chen Yunqi and her friends had gone too far. How could they keep on talking about someone’s physical defects? It would just highlight how uneducated they were.
The girls continued to exchange disdainful remarks on their own. Liu Yilin finally ran out of patience and blurted out, “Aren’t you going a bit too far with that?”
“Too far? I don’t think so, we’re just saying what we want to say, and doing what we want to do. We don’t like girls who like to put up an act. Frankly speaking, she’s still acting as if she were a saintess after being mocked by us, pretending that she isn’t angry at us. I bet she’s cursing us in her heart,” said Chen Yunqi in a mocking tone.
“That’s right, we make it clear who we don’t like. We dare to spit it out when we dislike the white lotus.”
“Those who put up an act are the most disgusting.”
The girls left Liu Yilin speechless with their reasoning.
Liu Yilin was clueless about what to do. He glanced at the lonely back of the person sitting on a wheelchair. He had no idea how he could comfort her.
While he was feeling lost, a man wearing a black short-sleeve shirt walked past him. Judging from his outfit, he had most likely come from the south. No one would wear clothes like him due to the cold temperature.
The man had a fierce presence. His body was wrapped inside a unique shadow, which resulted in huge contrast with his bright, eye-grabbing aura. He even looked like a hooligan with how his chest was exposed from the three loosened buttons.
“Bitches like you should just stay in the water,” the man said to Chen Yunqi and the girls who were still talking non-stop.
The man definitely lacked a tender heart toward females. His kicks landed accurately on three different body parts of the girls.
Chen Yunqi, the girl with the mid-split, and the other one wearing glasses were taken by surprise, and were knocked right into the icy lake. The splashes were exceedingly obvious along the path. It quickly attracted the attention of the crowd nearby.
None of the girls possessed the Water Element. Their bodies were soaked, and the water was cold, too. Their clothing, hair, makeup were utterly messed up by the water!
Liu Yilin was stunned. He stared at the man in disbelief.
Why would a man be acting so rough against women? Even though he had pictured himself kicking the girls into the lake a few times, his inner conscience from living a noble life would never allow him to perform such a disgraceful act!