Bronya Falls

"No need. I said I'd treat you. Next time, you can treat me."

After saying that, he suddenly turned to the whole class, his voice ringing out:

"Everyone, I bought more than two tickets."

"Tonight, I rented out the entire opera house!"

"If you're willing to honor me with your presence, why not come enjoy it together?"

"Wow—!!!"

The classroom instantly erupted!

"What?! Jiang Mo rented out the whole opera house?!"

"Didn't he come from the Lower District? Where did he get so many Winter City Coins?"

One student revealed, "I heard he was adopted by a very wealthy noble family! Otherwise, how could he have gotten into our academy?"

"So that's how it is. Jiang Mo is actually a pretty nice guy!"

"I thought they were going on a date alone!"

Quite a few girls relaxed.

Then, a girl who was on fairly good terms with Jiang Mo was the first to respond:

"Yes, yes! I want to go! Thank you, Jiang Mo!"

Seeing this, the other girls suddenly began competing to join.

Once the girls got excited, the boys said they wanted to go too.

Before long, nearly everyone in the class had joined the theater outing organized by Jiang Mo.

Jiang Mo turned to Bronya and asked:

"Do you mind going with them?"

"If you think it'll be too noisy, we can go another day, just the two of us."

Bronya looked at Jiang Mo, then at the excited students around her.

A rare, relaxed smile appeared on her face.

"No."

"Doing things with classmates once in a while is nice too."

"Then let's go!"

Jiang Mo smiled.

Then he suddenly reached out and naturally took hold of Bronya's wrist.

Bronya's heart lurched, and her cheeks instantly flushed crimson.

She was just about to pull away.

But Jiang Mo merely used the motion to pull her up from her seat, then immediately released her hand.

Instead, that left Bronya with a faint sense of disappointment.

Jiang Mo swept an arm toward the whole class and said grandly:

"Everyone, let's go!"

"Before the opera starts, I'll treat you all to dinner at a restaurant!"

"Awesome—!!!"

Deafening cheers erupted.

The students surrounded Jiang Mo and Bronya as they marched out of the school gates in a grand procession.

Jiang Mo walked at the front.

He glanced at Bronya and the excited students behind him, coldness rising in his heart.

Bronya was not his only target.

The students of this academy, of this class, would all enter Belobog's various branches of power in the future.

They would become administrators, Silvermane Guards, intelligence officers, and more.

They and the families behind them held Belobog's future in their hands.

Jiang Mo needed to win these people over first, so that he and Bronya could walk a smoother road in the future.

Bronya Falls

That opera house trip led by Jiang Mo shattered the impression that Bronya was difficult to approach.

In the days that followed, the atmosphere in the class changed slightly.

Jiang Mo gradually won the favor of most of his classmates.

He did not deliberately curry favor with anyone. He was simply always gentle and courteous, and whenever something came up, he could offer just the right advice.

He helped his classmates solve difficult academic problems and joined in relaxed conversations during breaks.

Over time, he became the center of attention in the class.

And under Jiang Mo's deliberate guidance, Bronya also began trying to befriend her classmates.

Everyone gradually realized that once the future Supreme Guardian shed that icy protective shell, she was actually an approachable young girl.

Jiang Mo also became the bridge connecting Bronya with her classmates.

He often steered interesting topics toward Bronya and encouraged her to share her thoughts.

During group activities, he would also naturally draw Bronya into the discussion.

Jiang Mo could always find the right opening, ensuring that Bronya would not feel uncomfortable.

Gradually, the space around Bronya was no longer a vacuum. She began to have several female friends she could talk to.

They would arrange to visit the library together or share their lunches during the midday break.

This was a kind of friendship with classmates Bronya had never experienced before.

But everyone could see that Bronya was most relaxed when she was with Jiang Mo.

She would often stare at Jiang Mo, and she would softly laugh at the occasional joke he told.

Some people had even seen it several times: Jiang Mo would catch Bronya secretly looking at him during class.

Then she would hurriedly lower her head to her book, her face red as she pretended nothing had happened.

Some sharp-eyed girls also noticed that the title page of Bronya's thick book had gained a few doodles—

The blurred side profile of a boy with short black hair and deep eyes.

He looked remarkably like Jiang Mo.

During one physical education class, heavy snow suddenly began to fall from the sky.

Caught off guard by the sudden wind and snow, the students hurried awkwardly toward the indoor gymnasium.

Bronya wore only a thin athletic uniform. When the biting cold wind blew against her, she could not help shivering.

Just then, a figure rapidly approached.

Jiang Mo reacted quickly, taking off his academy uniform jacket and draping it over Bronya in one swift motion.

He grabbed her hand and ran through the wind and snow.

Snowflakes whirled through the air, striking their faces and bodies.

Bronya's long silver-gray hair accidentally brushed against Jiang Mo's neck.

Her heart pounded as if it were about to burst out of her chest.

That night, Bronya tossed and turned for a long time, unable to fall asleep.

She held the jacket, already washed clean and carrying a faint scent of soapberry, tightly in her arms.

She buried her face in the soft fabric, breathing in the lingering scent that belonged to Jiang Mo.

She suddenly remembered how Jiang Mo had held her hand and run through the snow with her that evening.

Those broad shoulders, and the sense of safety from being protected behind him.

She felt an incomparable warmth and peace of mind.

After that, Bronya and Jiang Mo became close friends who could talk about anything.

Moreover, their relationship rapidly warmed through their day-after-day interactions.

Jiang Mo keenly sensed Bronya's change.

He understood that although Bronya might still not have fully remembered the past, she had already developed enough trust and dependence on him.

It was time to make that request.

After school that day, the two of them were, as usual, packing their bags together and preparing to leave the classroom.

Jiang Mo suddenly called out to Bronya:

"Bronya, I've been in the Upper District for a while now, and I'm curious about everything here."

"I heard Clipper Fort is magnificent and beautiful... Could I... visit your home?"

Bronya's movements instantly stopped.

Visit her home?

Visit Clipper Fort?

That was the center of Belobog's power, where her mother lived and worked.

Security there was extremely tight. Ordinary classmates could never enter and leave as they pleased.

Her first instinct was to refuse.

But when she looked into Jiang Mo's expectant, curious eyes, she could not bring herself to do it.

Over the past few days, Jiang Mo had brought her many novel experiences and much happiness.

She also hoped she could do something for him.

Bronya hesitantly said, "Clipper Fort... is strictly managed."

"I... I need to ask Mother first."

"Alright. I'll wait for your answer."

Jiang Mo nodded with a smile.

That night, Bronya returned to Clipper Fort with an uneasy heart.

She walked to the door of Cocolia's office, took a deep breath, and knocked.

"Come in."

Cocolia's slightly weary voice came from inside.

Bronya pushed the door open and entered.

Cocolia sat behind a massive desk, one hand supporting her forehead, her eyes tightly closed.

Her face bore unmistakable exhaustion, and there was a deep furrow between her brows.

"Mother, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Bronya immediately stepped forward in concern.

Cocolia opened her eyes. Seeing that it was her daughter, she forced a smile.

"It's nothing, Bronya. Official duties have just been busy lately. I'm only a little tired."

Bronya looked at her mother's pale complexion and felt uneasy, but she did not dare ask further.

After hesitating for a moment, she still spoke softly: