"Perfect!"
Dugu Yan naturally looped her arm through hers and led her over to Jiang Zhen and the others, introducing her enthusiastically. "Jiang Zhen, little sister Lan Xi, and you two sisters, let me introduce you. This is my best friend, Ye Lingling!"
"Lingling, these are my grandfather's honored guests: Brother Jiang Zhen, little sister Lan Xi, this is Ice Empress, and this is Lan Fozi."
Ye Lingling was clearly somewhat shy around strangers. Especially when facing Jiang Zhen, whose aura was unfathomable, and the unfamiliar Ice Empress, whose cold beauty felt intimidating, she instinctively shrank a little behind Dugu Yan. Her cheeks beneath the black veil seemed faintly flushed.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the books in her arms, but she still gathered her courage and gave Jiang Zhen and the others a slight bow. Her voice remained quiet. "H-Hello... I'm Ye Lingling..."
Her gaze lingered for a moment longer on the gently smiling Lan Xi and Lan Fozi, who was looking her over curiously. She seemed to feel less pressure around those two.
Seeing this, Dugu Yan smiled and patted the back of her hand, explaining to Jiang Zhen and the others, "Lingling is rather introverted and doesn't talk much, but she's an incredibly nice person! She's our academy's... no, the greatest Healing System Soul Master in the world!"
Her tone was filled with pride and protectiveness for her best friend.
Jiang Zhen naturally knew who she was—the current inheritor of the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul, a top-tier Healing System Soul Master almost destined for loneliness.
He smiled and nodded, his tone gentle. "Miss Ye, a pleasure to meet you."
Ice Empress merely gave her a faint glance and nodded slightly in greeting.
Lan Xi and Lan Fozi both returned warm smiles.
Dugu Yan's eyes turned as