The cafeteria fell silent for three whole seconds.
Everyone stared blankly at the scene.
Gu Yue shook her hand.
A few drops of blood slid from her fingertips. She moved as casually as if shaking off water.
"Picking a fight with an auxiliary soul master."
A mocking curve tugged at the corner of her mouth.
"I can't believe you'd say something like that."
She lowered her eyes to Wei Xiaofeng, unconscious on the floor.
She looked at him as if he were a pile of trash.
If she hadn't been afraid of exposing her identity—
she really would have killed this damned human on the spot.
"W-what... what just happened?"
The two people behind Wei Xiaofeng—
Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi—only just came to their senses.
The color had drained completely from their faces.
Zhang Yangzi instinctively tried to step forward.
He had barely taken half a step when Gu Yue's look pinned him in place.
The moment those violet eyes swept over him, a chill ran down his spine.
The foot he'd lifted quietly went back down.
Wang Jinxi didn't dare move at all.
A sheen of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
So fast.
Too fast.
This was nothing like the speed of a useless student from Class Five.
Who... was this girl, anyway?
He swallowed, but his voice caught in his throat. He couldn't get a single word out.
The two of them just stood there,
watching their companion lie in a pool of blood, without even the courage to strike back.
The punishment for fighting in private wasn't light.
Besides... they couldn't win.
"Make way! Move!"
Hurried footsteps sounded from beyond the crowd.
Long Hengxu strode over, followed by two teachers on duty.
He glanced at Wei Xiaofeng, whose head was split open and bleeding on the floor,
then looked up at Gu Yue.
Finally, his gaze fell on Lin An in the middle of the crowd.
Their eyes met for an instant.
Long Hengxu nodded almost imperceptibly.
Then his expression darkened abruptly.
He turned to Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi.
"You two—"
He pointed at them, his voice cold as ice.
"Come with me to the disciplinary office. And him, too."
He pointed at Wei Xiaofeng, unconscious on the floor.
Zhang Yangzi's face went pale. He hurried to explain, "Director, it had nothing to do with us! It was that girl—"
"Shut up!"
Long Hengxu cut him off sharply, giving him no chance to speak.
"Ganging up to provoke others, bullying a new student, throwing soup around and making a scene—"
He paused, the corner of his mouth twisting into a cold smile.
"You've got some nerve. Move."
The two teachers on duty went forward and lifted Wei Xiaofeng.
They took Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi by the arms and followed Long Hengxu out of the cafeteria.
No questions asked.
It was obvious he was taking sides.
The students in the cafeteria exchanged glances.
The same thought came to all of them—
This new student was someone you really didn't want to mess with.
The noisy chatter gradually died down.
The watching students turned away and lowered their heads, going back to their meals.
Lin An hadn't moved once.
He sat in his seat, holding his chopsticks.
He looked down at the Black Phoenix Wing in his bowl.
The broth had gone cold, and a thin film of oil had congealed on top.
He nudged the wing aside, then nudged it back.
Then he set down his chopsticks.
He'd lost his appetite.
When Gu Yue returned from the restroom, she'd washed the blood from her hands.
She didn't even look at the people being dragged away. She went straight to the seat beside Lin An.
She picked up her serving of Ba Serpent Bone Soup and gulped it down.
After a few mouthfuls, she noticed what was happening beside her and turned around.
Lin An had eaten only a few bites. The dishes on the table were practically untouched.
Her movements paused.
She put down her soup bowl, picked up a crystal shrimp dumpling, and carefully placed it in Lin An's bowl.
"An'an, it's okay."
Her voice was soft.
She leaned in close, her silver hair almost brushing Lin An's shoulder.
"So what if you're an auxiliary soul master? I'll protect you from now on."
She said it with such certainty that it sounded like a simple statement of fact.
Lin An looked at the shrimp dumpling in his bowl and fell silent for a while.
Then he spoke, his voice calm.
"He was right."
"Auxiliary soul masters really are useless."
"They can only rely on others. No matter how much they cultivate, they can't control their own fate."
Gu Yue's chopsticks stopped in midair.
It felt as if something had caught in her throat.
She wanted to say something, but couldn't get a single word out.
Tang Wulin had been hunched over his food, eating like a storm.
When he heard this, he slowed his chewing.
He chewed the piece of steak in his mouth for ages but couldn't swallow it.
Xie Xie set down his chicken leg and turned away.
His lips pressed into a thin line.
The only sound at the table was chewing,
heavy and oppressive, weighing on everyone's heart.
Lin An didn't look at any of them.
He turned his head, his gaze settling above Gu Yue's head.
A line of text hovered there, visible only to him.
[Dragon God Bloodline: Silver Lv1]
Behind it was a task description, as clear as if it had been carved into his mind—
He needed to collect complete data on Gu Yue and work with her to craft a set of Battle Armor best suited to her. The armor had to surpass one-word Battle Armor and earn her approval.
Lin An's breathing hitched slightly.
Almost the instant he read the requirements, countless formulas, designs, and forging plans surged through his mind.
The balance between the seven elements, the engraving paths of the Core Array, the modular structure reserved for future upgrades.
Every link connected to the next, automatically assembling itself in his mind.
But it wasn't enough.
Theory alone wasn't enough to craft Battle Armor best suited to Gu Yue.
The main materials—Magic Silver, Star Crystal, Void Jade, Seven Element Crystals...
He might even have to pull scales off this silly dragon.
Lin An's gaze lingered on Gu Yue for a moment, thoughtful.
Under his stare, Gu Yue felt distinctly uncomfortable.
What was An'an looking at?
So seriously... so intently...
She lowered her head and glanced at the greasy corners of her mouth, then discreetly wiped them.
But her face turned red despite herself.
Could it be... could my Bloodline finally be awakening?
Or had I finally won my wife's heart by rescuing her just now?
The way he was staring at her...
Gu Yue's ears burned.
She stirred the food in her bowl with her chopsticks, fidgeting so much that she couldn't sit still.
Her heart was racing.
Could it be that my wife finally remembered?
Remembered all those loving days we shared in our previous life?
She secretly glanced up at Lin An, then quickly lowered her lashes.
The blush on her face spread like rouge, burning brighter and brighter.
A scene had already begun to take shape in her mind, beyond her control...
Little dragons running all over the place, the Dragon Queen holding her and calling her husband, the whole family reunited in perfect bliss...
"Hehehe..."
Gu Yue let out a silly laugh without realizing it.
Tang Wulin lifted his head from his bowl, half a piece of meat stuffed in his mouth. He asked indistinctly, "What are you laughing at?"
Gu Yue's smile vanished at once.
She shot him a cold look.
"Eat your food."
Tang Wulin choked, then silently lowered his head and went back to stuffing his face.
He was stress-eating in revenge.
His belly was almost ready to burst, but his chopsticks kept reaching for more.
Any one dish on this table cost as much as a whole year of his living expenses.
Every bite was a bargain. Even if he burst, he had to keep eating.
Through gritted teeth, he crammed a piece of Crimson Flame Python Steak into his mouth.
His cheeks bulged as he chewed, and a solemn, tragic resolve burned in his eyes.
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