"Of course, Young Master Lin. Just let us know if you need anything."
Long Hengxu nodded and turned to leave.
You could offend anyone but the God of Wealth.
Besides, this lord wasn't refusing to pay.
A hundred thousand Federal Credits, split among every teacher present, was worth more than half a month's salary.
"That's enough, everyone. You can go."
"Student Lin, get some rest."
The crowd receded like the tide, and the corridor fell quiet again.
The stone that had been hanging over Gu Yue's heart all morning finally dropped.
She pressed herself close to Lin An, her fingers clutching his sleeve.
Then—
Lin An pushed her away.
It wasn't a forceful movement, but it was decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
Gu Yue froze.
"I don't know what you mean by a past life."
Lin An's voice was calm.
He still wore a smile, but there was no smile in his eyes.
Only coldness.
"I'm myself. I'm not someone else's replacement."
"And I don't know you."
Every word was an icicle, stabbing into Gu Yue's heart.
"And one more thing—"
Lin An looked into her eyes, his tone so indifferent that he might have been discussing something trivial.
"Please don't make me hate you."
Gu Yue was struck by lightning. Her mind went blank.
She stood rigidly in place, even forgetting to breathe.
Hate.
He said he hated her.
Gu Yue opened her mouth, but something seemed to plug her throat, and not a sound came out.
Watching Lin An turn and walk away, she gave a bitter laugh.
It was over.
She'd been too impulsive just now.
She'd provoked intense disgust right off the bat.
Thinking about it carefully, if the Dragon Queen truly didn't know her, how was what she'd just done any different from those crazed fangirls?
They'd only known each other for a day.
Just one day.
And what had she done?
Blocked his door, announced in front of the entire faculty that she was taking him back to the Star Dou Forest, and nearly attacked Tang Wulin.
Gu Yue shook her head.
Sigh, she really had been too impatient.
Blinded by lust.
But she couldn't help glancing at Lin An's profile again.
That exquisite, almost unreal face looked nearly translucent in the morning light.
...The king couldn't be blamed for everything.
The Dragon Queen was just too alluring.
"Lin An, let's go get breakfast. We still have class later."
Tang Wulin forced a smile from the side, breaking the frozen silence.
But his gaze toward Gu Yue held a little more caution now.
He'd felt that murderous intent just now, clear as day.
"Sure."
Lin An nodded with a smile.
He looked at Tang Wulin, let his gaze linger for a moment, then suddenly asked, "What's your Soul Power level now?"
Tang Wulin froze, then lowered his head, his voice muffled.
"E-eleven."
Compared to Xie Xie and Gu Yue, he really was the weakest.
So weak that he could barely bring himself to say it.
Lin An pondered for a moment.
Eleven.
With his help, pushing him to level twenty within half a year should be possible.
With a few pills, it could be even faster.
Those medicines had some side effects, but with the Golden Dragon King's constitution as his Origin, Tang Wulin could take as many as he liked.
"I know a way to help you rapidly increase your Soul Power,"
Lin An said casually, as if they were chatting about breakfast.
"Come find me after class."
Tang Wulin jerked his head up, his eyes wide.
"R-really?"
His voice trembled.
Rapidly increasing Soul Power.
Those words struck his ears like a Soul Cannon shell exploding beside his head.
He'd cultivated for so many years, suffered so much, and sweated so much, just to barely reach level eleven.
And now someone was telling him he could improve rapidly?
"Mm."
Lin An nodded, completely certain.
Gu Yue had still been wilted, like a flower drooping after a frost.
But when she heard the words "increase Soul Power," she straightened up at once.
Increase Soul Power?
She whipped around and glared fiercely at Tang Wulin.
According to legend, the Rainbow Dragon really did have a way to help people rapidly improve their cultivation.
But that method—
Gu Yue's face suddenly burned.
"Could it be dual cultivation?"
She murmured to herself, so softly that only she could hear.
The next instant, her face turned from red to white, then from white to green.
"No!"
Gu Yue shrieked.
Her voice was so piercing that even the voice-activated lights snapped on.
She lunged forward and clutched Lin An's hand tightly.
"I won't allow it!"
"Absolutely not!"
Her eyes reddened, murderous intent and grievance roiling in her violet gaze.
Tang Wulin was so startled that he took half a step back.
Lin An turned around.
His gaze was calm and cold.
Like a basin of ice water poured over Gu Yue's head.
Gu Yue stiffened, and her grip on Lin An's hand loosened despite herself.
Under that icy gaze, the mad jealousy and possessiveness in her heart deflated like a punctured balloon.
The fierceness drained from her face, leaving only hurt.
Her eyes reddened, and the tip of her nose began to sting.
"An'an, help me first."
Her voice was thick with a nasal whine as she gazed pitifully at Lin An.
"I want to improve too. I really want to improve."
She remembered that the method the Rainbow Dragon used to help dragons improve their cultivation seemed to involve mating, allowing both sides' Soul Power to mingle.
At the thought of Lin An and Tang Wulin...
Gu Yue's face flushed again.
This time, it was with anger.
She glared stubbornly at Tang Wulin, her teeth clenched.
She absolutely couldn't let this guy who had stolen the Golden Dragon King's power get his way!
Tang Wulin was baffled by her glare.
He didn't understand why Gu Yue had suddenly become so hostile toward him.
But seeing her look as if she were about to cry, he scratched his head and smiled honestly. "Then help Gu Yue first. I can wait."
Xie Xie stood to the side, his gaze shifting between the three of them.
He felt like a light bulb.
And not just any light bulb—an unnecessary one, shining brightly.
"All right, that's enough. Let's go get breakfast first."
Lin An discreetly pulled his hand free of Gu Yue's grasp, then turned and headed toward the cafeteria.
Gu Yue stared at her empty palm, bit her lip, and silently followed.
Tang Wulin and Xie Xie exchanged glances, then hurried after them.
The Eastsea Academy cafeteria was a three-story building, plain on the outside but spacious within.
The three serving windows were marked Grade A, Grade B, and Grade C.
Grade C meals were free and unlimited.
Grade B meals cost extra for some items.
Grade A meals were entirely paid, with the finest ingredients.
Soul Beast meat brimming with vitality, porridge made with premium spirit herbs, and medicinal soups brewed with herbs of sufficient age.
They were outrageously expensive, too.
As they walked through, they saw many students queued up in the cafeteria, but almost everyone silently collected their food, waited in line, and stood in a corner to eat.
Some students chewed their food while silently cultivating.
They didn't dare waste a single minute or second.
This was daily life at Eastsea Academy.
Tense, oppressive, racing against the clock.
From the moment she entered the cafeteria, Gu Yue seemed to revert to her usual cool and aloof self.
Only a dark cloud hung over her exquisite face.
"An'an, what would you like? It's my treat today."
Gu Yue walked over to Lin An, her tone ingratiating.
"Order whatever you like."
As she spoke, she shot a cold glance at Tang Wulin and Xie Xie, a mocking curve tugging at her lips.
"Heh. Buns? I can't believe you'd serve those. They're filthy—fit for dogs."
As soon as the words fell, it was as if the air had been sucked out of the cafeteria.
Every student waiting at the serving windows stopped moving for a moment.
At least seventy percent of them had the Grade C buns Gu Yue had just called "fit for dogs" on their trays.
Angry gazes landed on Gu Yue, one after another.
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