Meeting, Training Ground

The next day.

Even though it had rained heavily all night, the sky was still hazy as usual.

The existence of the mist destined this world to be perpetually shrouded in a gloomy backdrop.

Only in some more prosperous urban areas, after nightfall, could the illusory liveliness be created under the colorful lights of neon signs.

Jiang Mian, following the contact information on the business card, sent Ye Chenyang a short message.

The gist was to request a meeting under the guise of seeking advice.

He replied almost instantly, agreeing readily and suggesting a drink shop in South City.

When Jiang Mian found the place according to the address, she felt a sense of déjà vu, as if she had returned to her previous life.

The shop's interior was simple and brightly lit, playing some unfamiliar music. However, upon seeing the prices on the menu, Jiang Mian fell silent.

These prices were double that of the last place she had delivered food to.

To put it simply, a regular milk tea here cost as much as three days' worth of her food expenses.

Although resources were indeed scarce in this world, weren't these prices inflated?

Yet, the shop was still quite crowded...

'Is this the life of the rich...'

She couldn't help but complain inwardly.

Ye Chenyang had already arrived and was sitting by the window. Seeing Jiang Mian, he waved at her.

Perhaps because he wasn't working today, he seemed much brighter, with a bit more casualness in his eyes and brows.

"Classmate Jiang, over here."

Jiang Mian walked over and sat opposite him, her movements a little stiff.

Ye Chenyang took in her subtle actions and picked up the menu, asking:

"See what you'd like to drink? My treat."

Jiang Mian glanced at the menu and instinctively refused:

"Ah? No, you don't have to."

She seemed shocked by the prices, her speech stuttering slightly.

As soon as she finished speaking, she seemed to feel it was inappropriate and added:

"Um... I asked you out, so should I pay?"

"It's fine."

A flicker of surprise flashed in Ye Chenyang's eyes. He hadn't expected Jiang Mian to still offer to pay even after being clearly intimidated by the price.

He unconsciously softened his voice and said, "Just call me by my name, Ye Chenyang. We're about the same age, let's just... be friends."

Counting this, it was only his fourth time seeing Jiang Mian.

The first time was at the Special Affairs Bureau. Jiang Mian, quietly working among the calamity remains, had left a very deep first impression on him.

The second and third times were both when she was in an extremely vulnerable state.

And now, sitting opposite him, she looked so well-behaved and sensible that it involuntarily eased some of the tension in his heart.

From this information, Ye Chenyang had a general idea of her personality.

But... her future... why did he have no impression of it?

In his previous life, he didn't know Jiang Mian. Perhaps something unexpected happened before she could fully develop?

Maybe he could pay more attention to her.

"It's not expensive. Consider it a celebration for your successful discharge from the hospital, and... your official awakening."

Ye Chenyang smiled, his tone quite relaxed. This small amount of money was nothing to him.

"...Thank you. Then... this one?"

If you can't find the book by its title, you can try searching for the author. Maybe they just changed the name!

Jiang Mian seemed to feel it was rude to refuse, so she ordered the restaurant's signature dish, which was also the cheapest, but still looked a bit embarrassed.

"Okay."

Ye Chenyang nodded, indicating no problem, and placed the order.

"After awakening, how does it feel? Are there any noticeable changes in your perception of your surroundings?"

He asked casually, as if making small talk.

"Hmm... I feel lighter, and I can 'see' the flow of the wind. But... like last time, my control is unstable, it always goes wild."

Jiang Mian extended her left hand and made a loose fist. The airflow around them subtly increased in speed but quickly became chaotic.

"The abilities of a High-tier Sequence are inherently difficult to tame. Moreover, the [Elemental] Path requires the environment and manipulating elements, demanding even higher precision. Your current situation is normal."

Ye Chenyang's voice softened as he comforted her:

"Besides... a Natural Awakening caused by intense stimulation will inherently make the Awakened's abilities unstable in the early stages."

"It's already very impressive that you could recover in such a short time and start trying to sense and control it."

Huh? There's such a thing?

Jiang Mian hadn't heard of this "Natural Awakening" side effect when she was researching.

Judging by Ye Chenyang's tone... he seemed very certain, as if he had seen it with his own eyes.

Strange...

Jiang Mian showed a hint of confusion and said softly:

"So there's such a saying? I've never heard of it before..."

"Mm... this is a summary of experience from our predecessors. Very few documents mention it, so it's normal if you haven't heard of it."

Ye Chenyang casually glossed over this detail and then steered the conversation back.

"In terms of controlling your abilities, you can think of 'wind' as countless threads. Try to pull one strand, and then use it to guide other winds according to your will."

"Like this..."

Jiang Mian nodded thoughtfully.

In fact, she had been doing just that. Just a slight tug on the 'Element' could cause an exaggerated effect.

However, precise control required suppressing its wild nature, which was mentally taxing. This was likely one of the reasons her Inhibitor was being consumed so quickly.

Just then, their drinks arrived, temporarily interrupting their conversation.

Jiang Mian took small sips, the cool sweetness seeming to alleviate some of the fatigue caused by mental erosion.

She hadn't taken the Inhibitor she bought yesterday yet.

Her plan was to take it towards the end of the Second Stage to maximize its duration.

After all, she didn't know how many days this Inhibitor could support her.

Every extra day now was a gain, as long as nothing strange grew on her body.

The atmosphere turned a bit quiet for a moment. Ye Chenyang pondered for a bit before speaking:

"Just explaining things has its limits. I know a Training Ground nearby that's exclusively open to Awakened. If you don't mind, I can take you there later."

Jiang Mian was worrying about how to let him witness her "rapid progress," but unexpectedly, he brought it up himself, so she naturally nodded in agreement.

The training ground was not far from the commercial street where the drink shop was located.

While called a training ground, it occupied almost an entire street, with both open-air and indoor sections, and the equipment was quite comprehensive.

The identity check at the entrance was quite strict. Ye Chenyang, with Jiang Mian, quickly went through the process and entered a spacious indoor training area.

Their appearance immediately attracted many gazes, both overt and covert.

"Yo, Brother Chen, what brings you here today?"

A young man wearing a black training vest walked over from the strength training area nearby, greeting him familiarly.

Then, his gaze fell on Jiang Mian behind Ye Chenyang, a knowing smile appearing on his face. He patted Ye Chenyang's shoulder and said meaningfully:

"First time I've seen you bring a girl here. Why come here? Aren't you going to stroll down the commercial street or watch a movie? Running to a place full of rough guys like us to show off your affection?"