Next time, next time for sure!

The air in the private room seemed to freeze.

But almost immediately, similar thoughts surfaced in most people's minds:

Though Su Li was also a commoner, she was the principal's last disciple and held an important position at the martial arts school, with considerable authority in her hands. Even an ordinary rich kid like Zhang Yang would never dare provoke her.

She had definitely come to see Lu Jue over official business.

What other connection could the two possibly have?

One was a lofty, aloof School Belle with a certain degree of authority at the martial arts school, while the other was a plainly dressed commoner student. No one would think of them in any other way.

Yet even so, the icy aura Su Li carried instantly cowed everyone.

Whether boys or girls, the moment she stepped inside, they unconsciously reined in their expressions. The mocking or spectacle-watching looks that had been on their faces became somewhat unnatural.

Against that simple, spotless white set of Training Clothes, the carefully dressed Zeng Qian somehow seemed tacky instead.

Zhang Yang's outstretched hand and the smile piled onto his face froze completely. The unprecedented awkwardness made his cheek muscles twitch faintly beyond his control.

This self-important "protagonist" had been so thoroughly ignored by Su Li. It was even more humiliating than being slapped across the face.

He could only forcibly comfort himself: the school must have had something urgent to discuss with Lu Jue, so she had not had time to greet him.

And Lu Jue, who had been directly named, was genuinely stunned.

His mind rapidly ran through everything, and the only thing he could think of was that brief clash of gazes with Su Li in the cafeteria a few days ago.

She had come looking for him over that?

How petty did this woman have to be?

Had she already stationed seventy or eighty simps outside, just waiting for him to leave so they could beat him up?

Alarm bells blared in Lu Jue's heart.

Inside the private room, with everyone watching, she had to follow some rules.

But if he went out with her and they reached some deserted corner, he would be unable to clear his name even if he had a case. He would be at someone else's mercy.

Thus, under everyone's gaze, Lu Jue looked into Su Li's clear eyes, which revealed no emotion whatsoever, and answered without a second thought, utterly straightforwardly:

"How about we talk here?"

Su Li clearly had not expected such an answer.

A flicker of subtle surprise flashed across that always calm, unruffled face. She seemed to think for a second, then actually nodded.

"Student Lu Jue, are you free tonight? I'd like to treat you to a simple meal!"

"!?"

Su Li's words were like a thunderbolt, striking everyone until they were charred inside and out.

Treat him to dinner!?

Su Li was actually taking the initiative to treat a boy to dinner!?

And she had made the invitation so bluntly, in a setting like this!?

Everyone was dumbfounded. Their brains completely crashed.

The forced smile on Zhang Yang's face shattered entirely, leaving only an incredulous distortion.

The women who had mocked Lu Jue earlier covered their mouths, their eyes wide and round as they looked from Su Li to Lu Jue, as if trying to find any trace of a joke on their faces.

Yet Su Li still wore that formulaic expression, as though she had merely issued an ordinary meeting notice rather than dropped a piece of news capable of blowing up the entire martial arts school.

Lu Jue stood there stunned for a long while.

Treat me to dinner? She wasn't here to pick a fight?

That was a rather abrupt turn!

He was not naïve enough to think Su Li had taken a fancy to him.

If there were nothing urgent, he might have considered going for a good meal.

But tonight, he had to hurry home and master Sound Location. Let alone a commoner School Belle, even if a female Martial Saint came in person, it would not work!

Thus, Lu Jue shook his head decisively:

"I'm not free tonight!"

Four words, clear and simple, without the slightest softening.

Everyone: "!!!"

He rejected her?! He actually rejected her!?

He rejected Su Li's dinner invitation!?

But that was not the end.

As if he felt his reason was not convincing enough, Lu Jue added with complete sincerity:

"I've already eaten my fill. Next time, next time for sure!"

Silence.

A deathly silence.

If everyone had merely been shocked just now, their expressions had now completely turned to horror.

Already eaten his fill?

He had used such reasons, which even sounded somewhat shabby, to refuse Su Li's invitation to dine together?!

This was no longer merely failing to appreciate kindness. It was simply outrageous! Utterly unreasonable!

Having been brushed off so perfunctorily, Su Li showed not the slightest embarrassment. Instead, a dazed look wholly unlike her usual image appeared on her face.

Ever since their chance encounter in the cafeteria that day, her good friend Tang Ning had inexplicably taken a liking to this boy named Lu Jue.

With the Martial Arts Examination approaching, Tang Ning had spent every day unable to eat or sleep, as though possessed.

As her good friend, Su Li naturally had to help Tang Ning overcome this knot in her heart.

But ever since she was eight, the principal auntie had taken a liking to her and accepted her as her last disciple.

For ten years, she had either trained in martial arts or managed the martial arts school's affairs. When it came to feelings between men and women, she was a blank sheet of paper.

So, she had deliberately kept the Feixin of that blind date, Liu Jue, and asked him how she should go about it.

The result was that he gave her an idea.

Flirting!

That word reminded her of those young masters inviting her to dinner.

Though she had not accepted a single invitation, she could clearly sense that those people had impure motives.

This should be flirting, then, right?

She had sent people to watch Lu Jue for two days. He was always sneaking mysteriously into the little woods.

Until just now, she had finally found an opportunity and impatiently set aside what she was doing before barging straight in.

But why had it not worked?

Could the procedure be wrong?

She tilted her head slightly, her clear eyes filled with confusion, as though she had encountered a problem even harder to understand than a high-level martial technique.

But she soon recalled the entire process those young masters used when inviting her to dinner.

Thus, beneath everyone's stunned gazes, this commoner School Belle renowned for being calm and capable made a move that sent the atmosphere in the entire private room plunging into absurdity—

She actually pulled a notepad and pen from her pocket.

Then, standing right where she was, brows slightly furrowed, she completely ignored everyone as she muttered under her breath and earnestly scribbled on the note:

"Sorry, Student Lu Jue, I was too abrupt! We'll talk next time when you're free!"

Su Li quickly finished writing her notes, then raised her head to look at Lu Jue again and spoke calmly in an extremely formulaic tone.

After saying that, she turned around crisply.

But just as her hand touched the doorknob, she seemed to notice something she had missed. She abruptly stopped and turned back.

Her gaze fell on Lu Jue once more:

"Oh, right, Student Lu Jue, I forgot to say something just now."

"You look quite handsome today!"

After saying those few words that could trigger nuclear-explosion-level effects throughout the martial arts school, Su Li felt she had perfectly made up for the missing "compliment" step in the "procedure" and nodded at Lu Jue again.

Only then did she truly open the door, her figure swiftly vanishing down the end of the corridor, leaving behind a private room full of people whose entire worldview had shattered, every last one of them in complete disarray.