Mu Xi: It Seems I've Come at the Wrong Time? [Two-in-One]

Long Hengxu's declaration of "Grade One Class Five wins!" was like a spark thrown into a barrel of oil.

The entire arena instantly exploded.

"Holy crap!!"

"Ten seconds! It really was ten seconds?"

"Three elements! Wind, ice, rock! Her Soul Rings didn't even light up!"

"Is Class Five going to defy the heavens? One Yao Chuan wasn't enough, and now Gu Yue?"

"Class Four got it too rough... Gallon is still sliding on the ice, Lin Zunyuan can't find his bearings, and that mousse... uh, it's stuck between rocks like a hot dog..."

The tsunami of exclamations and discussions almost lifted the roof of the arena. Everyone was rubbing their eyes, wondering if they had just had a ridiculous dream.

The scene on the stage could only be described as a major disaster site.

Lin Zunyuan's hair was a mess from the wind, his eyes unfocused, clutching a broken staff and trembling like a lost fool.

Gallon finally steadied himself on the slippery ice, and just as he was about to get up, his foot slipped, and he fell hard again with a "splat," grimacing in pain.

The most pathetic was Mousse. Two hard, cold rocks clamped her firmly in mid-air, like a specimen. Not only could she not resist, but even breathing felt difficult. She looked at the frenzied crowd below, wanting nothing more than to shout: Let me down! I just wanted to see my idol, ahhh!!

In the audience, Kong Hanwen's face, which had been beaming with confidence, was now completely shattered like a QR code.

His glasses were askew on his nose, his mouth agape wide enough to swallow a whole soul beast egg.

He mechanically turned his stiff neck, looking at his three disciples on stage in a sorry state, then at Gu Yue in the center of the opposite stage, who looked calm, as if she had just casually brushed off some dust.

A sense of absurdity and extreme humiliation surged straight to the crown of his head.

He abruptly turned his head, his dead fish eyes fixed on Long Hengxu beside him, who also had a complex expression. His voice cracked as he asked, "Director Long! Are... are you sure this is Class Five? Not some secret weapon class? Not the so-called strongest... Class One?!"

Long Hengxu's mood at this moment was more bitter than eating ten pounds of yellow gentian.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to sew Kong Hanwen's mouth shut, and rolled his eyes impatiently, "Teacher Kong, accept reality! This is the genuine Class Five! Freshly baked Class Five!"

He waved his hand forcefully, as if shooing away flies, "Hurry up and take your team to the infirmary! Don't stand here embarrassing yourself!"

This phrase "embarrassing yourself" was like a resounding slap across Kong Hanwen's face. His earlier smug provocations and harsh words before the match instantly became the most ironic background noise.

Kong Hanwen's face turned from green to white to purple. He visibly deflated like a pricked balloon, dejectedly going to call for help from the student union to carry the injured.

Class Five's contestant seating area.

Wu Changkong maintained his eternally icy demeanor.

A stern face, an upright posture.

As if the crushing, ten-second victory that would go down in the history of Eastsea Academy's Class Promotion Tournament was as ordinary as drinking a mouthful of water before a meal to him.

His icy blue eyes swept lightly over the three people walking off the stage one by one.

His gaze lingered briefly on Gu Yue.

The corners of his ice-like lips moved sparingly.

He uttered two words without any ripple.

"Passable."

This light evaluation had vastly different effects on different ears.

Xie Xie was the first to break.

He practically bounced back to the contestant seats, a brilliant smile plastered on his face that he couldn't suppress, humming a little tune.

"A win by lying down! Definitely a win by lying down!"

He exaggeratedly patted his chest and winked at Yao Chuan.

"Brother Chuan, you have no idea, Big Boss Gu Yue was so cool just now! Wind blades swish-swish-swish, ice surfaces crack-crack-crack, rocks boom-boom-boom! Before Old Tang and I even finished our warm-up, the opponents were all down for the count! This feeling..."

Xie Xie took a deep, intoxicated breath, spreading his hands.

"One word, awesome! Two words, too awesome! It's simply the peak of life--as long as you lie flat enough, victory will come knocking on its own! Jealous? Not a chance! This is a huge profit!"

He was as happy as a bear that had stolen honey, completely unconcerned that he had done almost nothing on stage except strike a pose.

However, Tang Wulin beside him was now like a cabbage that had been hit by frost.

Dejected.

His hands hanging by his sides were clenched into fists, his knuckles slightly white from the force.

He walked back step by step, his footsteps heavy.

His face was written with a big "depressed."

His lips were tightly pressed, his eyes cast down, staring at his toes.

The drive he had built up before the match, the urge to prove himself and test the surging power after the Golden Dragon King's seal was broken, now leaked out like a pricked balloon, puff-puff-puff.

He felt like an extra who had dressed up meticulously and was eagerly waiting to perform on stage, only to find that the curtain had opened, and just as he struck his first pose, the protagonist had already taken his bow...

The stage? The stage had already been dismantled by the big shots!

This drop in expectation made his chest feel a little heavy.

He stole a glance, aiming his eyes toward Gu Yue.

Gu Yue was walking back with a cold, pretty face, her entire being radiating a low-pressure aura that screamed, "Keep away or die."

That chill was even more bone-piercing than the ice that had frozen Jialong on the arena stage just moments ago.

Tang Wulin opened his mouth.

The words, "Gu Yue... could you let me go first next time?" rolled around in his throat several times, but were ultimately frozen solid by that icy glare.

He chickened out.

Subconsciously, he shrank his neck.

Can't afford to provoke her, definitely can't.

The great master was in a bad mood, so he'd better keep his own little grievances bottled up for now.

But... it was really so frustrating!

The little person inside Tang Wulin's heart was frantically clawing at the walls.

His eyes shifted, and he spotted Yao Chuan nearby, who was lounging in a relaxed posture and watching the show with great interest.

It was like a drowning man grabbing a life-saving straw.

Tang Wulin's eyes lit up, and he scurried over to Yao Chuan's side.

His face wore an expression that was seventy percent aggrieved and thirty percent cautiously ingratiating.

He lowered his voice and tugged at Yao Chuan's sleeve.

"Brother Chuan... help me!"

Yao Chuan raised an eyebrow, withdrawing his gaze from the arena and letting it fall upon Tang Wulin's face, which was plastered with "the baby is suffering inside."

"Hm?"

"Look at Gu Yue... she's angry again!" Tang Wulin pulled a bitter face, using his eyes to frantically gesture toward Gu Yue's direction.

"I feel like... her temper is especially huge this time! Even bigger than when those girls from Class Four were chasing you for autographs last time!"

Yao Chuan followed his gaze.

Gu Yue stood to the side with her arms crossed, the lines of her profile pulled tight, her perfect jawline exuding a cold, rigid aura.

Indeed, the air pressure was extremely low.

"And?" Yao Chuan was confused.

Tang Wulin leaned in closer, his voice dropped to a mere whisper, looking as if he were sharing a world-shattering secret.

"Brother Chuan, I think... her anger is eighty percent directed at you!"

Yao Chuan: "???" (Black man questioning face.jpg)

Who did he provoke? He had been watching the show as a bystander the whole time and hadn't said a single word.

Seeing his blank expression, Tang Wulin grew even more anxious.

"It's true, Brother Chuan! Look, that Mosi from earlier, wasn't she aiming for you? She only entered the match to see you! And what happened? Big Boss Gu Yue sandwiched her directly! The way she attacked... tsk tsk, that definitely carried some personal vendetta!"

"I think Big Boss Gu Yue is definitely... sour! She's jealous of that Mosi!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Xie Xie had wandered over at some point and was nodding frantically, transforming into a relationship analyst. "Brother Chuan, Old Tang's analysis is spot on this time! Big Boss Gu Yue is usually cold, but her eyes today could definitely kill! Especially when she saw that Mosi saying she wanted to see you..."

Xie Xie made a throat-slitting gesture.

"Killing intent! Materialized killing intent! It's great that we won without lifting a finger, but if the Big Boss isn't happy, the consequences are dire! Look at Old Tang, he didn't even get a sip of soup, he's so aggrieved he's about to cry."

Tang Wulin nodded vigorously at his side, his eyes filled with sorrow and a deep longing for "the next opportunity."

Listening to the analysis of these two clowns, the corner of Yao Chuan's mouth couldn't help but twitch.

Jealous?

The Silver Dragon King Gu Yue... jealous of a little human girl?

And because of him?

Yao Chuan's first reaction was that it was absurd.

Extremely absurd.

Where was the logic?

But... looking at Gu Yue's cold, biting aura, which was clearly different from her usual self and carried a hint of being offended...

And thinking back to the "extra special care" she took when dealing with Mosi earlier (wind blades to roll the staff, ice surfaces to trip the assault-type, rock formations to trap Mosi)...

Plus the Mosi that Tang Wulin mentioned was "aiming for Yao Chuan"...

Yao Chuan fell silent.

It seemed... perhaps... possibly... maybe...

There was a tiny bit of logic to it?

Even if the chain of logic was so bizarre it made him want to rub his forehead.

However, it was a fact that Gu Yue was in a bad mood, and it was eighty percent likely related to him.

As someone who (in his own opinion) was mature, steady, and needed to maintain good teammate relations...

Yao Chuan sighed.

Forget it.

Coaxing a child... bah, soothing a teammate's emotions was more important.

He cleared his throat and walked straight up to Gu Yue.

Gu Yue shot him a cold glance without saying a word, but that look clearly asked: What is it?

Yao Chuan put on a smile that could be described as "gentle and harmless" (at least, that's what he thought).

"Gu Yue?"

"Hmm?" Her nasal tone still carried a hint of ice shards.

"You worked hard just now. That was a beautiful fight, textbook-level elemental control." Yao Chuan started with a sincere (?) compliment to pave the way.

Gu Yue's expression seemed to soften a tiny bit, but she still didn't make a sound.

"To celebrate our victory and to reward our great hero," Yao Chuan finally revealed his true intent, "I'm treating tonight. You pick the place?"

The words had barely left his lips.

The effect was outstanding!

Gu Yue's ice-cold, pretty face began to thaw at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The corners of her tightly pressed lips curled upward, forming an extremely subtle arc, enough to melt an iceberg.

The chill deep in her eyes melted away as quickly as snow in spring, replaced by a trace of imperceptible brightness.

It was as if the dark clouds had parted, revealing a sliver of brilliant sunlight.

"Really?" Her voice became a few degrees lighter.

"Of course." Yao Chuan nodded, feeling that this was in the bag.

"Fine." Gu Yue agreed crisply, and the low pressure surrounding her vanished instantly, as if it had never existed.

Tang Wulin and Xie Xie, standing nearby, watched in stunned silence.

Xie Xie silently gave a thumbs up: Brother Chuan, awesome! Settled it with one sentence!

Tang Wulin let out a long sigh of relief: The big boss is in a good mood, there's hope for a chance to act next time!

However, Gu Yue's good mood lasted less than three seconds.

Because Yao Chuan added the following:

"Place is set. That braised beef pot place on the snack street."

As soon as Yao Chuan finished speaking, he saw the light that had just ignited in Gu Yue's eyes go "plop" and dim by half.

The smile that had just risen at the corner of her mouth also froze.

Braised beef pot? It was alright.

But...

"Just the two of us?" Gu Yue asked tentatively, holding onto a final shred of hope, her eyes filled with expectation.

Yao Chuan hadn't even opened his mouth yet.

Xie Xie, standing nearby with his sharp ears, immediately jumped out:

"Brother Chuan is treating?! Braised beef pot?! From Uncle Li's place?! You have to take me! I haven't had it in ages!"

When Tang Wulin heard "braised beef pot," his eyes lit up instantly too!

Whatever grievances or gloom he felt were thrown to the back of his mind!

Uncle Li's braised beef pot!

That was truly a top-tier delicacy that haunted his dreams!

He immediately raised his hand, afraid of being left out: "Brother Chuan! Me too! I'm going! I can eat... uh, I don't eat that much!"

Gu Yue's face collapsed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

It went from sunny to cloudy, cloudy to light rain, and light rain to hail.

She pouted.

The look she gave Tang Wulin and Xie Xie instantly upgraded from annoyance to "super-sized lightbulb" levels of disgust.

That look seemed to say: Are you two okay? If you have nothing to do, can't you go find a job? Do you have to join in the fun?

The air instantly grew stagnant.

Xie Xie was such a sharp person!

He felt the rays of resentment radiating from Gu Yue, which were almost becoming tangible, and his scalp went numb.

Even if he were slow-witted, he realized that he had... interrupted something?

His reaction was fast as lightning!

He grabbed the arm of Tang Wulin, who was still excitedly calculating how many bowls of beef he could eat.

"Old Tang! Hurry up! Let's grab a spot! If we're late, there won't be any good seats left!"

He practically dragged the bewildered Tang Wulin along, greasing the soles of his feet and zipping over to an empty long table nearby to sit down.

His movements were swift as the wind, deeply versed in the essence of "see no evil, hear no evil, stay low to save your life."

"Eh? Xie Xie, what are you doing?" Tang Wulin was pressed into the chair, looking blank and aggrieved. "Aren't we going to Uncle Li's? Why sit here? Besides, I can eat quite a lot..."

"Eat, eat, eat, all you know is eating!" Xie Xie lowered his voice in frustration, frantically signaling him to look toward the entrance with his eyes. "Look up! See who that is?!"

Tang Wulin was taken aback by his serious tone and gaze, subconsciously following his line of sight to turn and look at the entrance of the arena's contestant tunnel.

A pretty figure was standing right there.

A tall frame, silky wine-red hair, and a beautiful face.

It was none other than Mu Xi.

But at this moment, the daughter of the Blacksmith's Association president and a goddess-level senior at Eastsea Academy had not a hint of a smile on her face.

She was biting her lower lip slightly, her large, beautiful eyes staring straight at... the direction of Yao Chuan and Gu Yue.

That gaze held three parts resentment, three parts grievance, three parts unwillingness, and one part stubbornness that said, "I want to see exactly what you two are doing."

Her entire person radiated an aura of "I'm jealous" that was too thick to disperse.

She looked like a delicate flower forgotten in a corner, unappreciated by anyone.

Or like a large dog feeling aggrieved after being ignored by its master.

"It seems... I've come at a bad time?"