Dai Mubai stiffened, his previously aggressive gaze turning flustered.
"L-Lin Yan!"
Dai Mubai looked at Lin Yan, his face filled with guilt.
After all, at yesterday's dinner, Lin Yan had personally admitted that the two of them had known each other for a long time. If he got involved in what was happening today...
"What's wrong? Why are you crying all of a sudden?"
Lin Yan's calm voice rang in Dai Mubai's ears like a death knell.
This time, he was truly afraid!
As it happened, Ning Rongrong was at the peak of her emotional outburst. When she saw that Lin Yan was really willing to stand up for her, she immediately threw herself into his arms.
"He bullied me! Waaaah~"
It wasn't that Ning Rongrong was being coy or had feelings for Lin Yan.
She had simply grown used to relying on others whenever she was wronged.
Lin Yan spread his hands and looked helplessly at Wen Ruan, who rolled her eyes at him in exasperation.
"What exactly happened? How did things get this serious?"
Ning Rongrong tearfully recounted what had happened.
At the end, she lifted her snow-white neck and looked at Lin Yan, her face streaked with tears.
"Anyway, help me kill him!"
"From now on, you'll be an honored guest of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
Lin Yan was speechless. Seeing that she had more or less calmed down, he gently pushed her away.
"Enough. He's the Star Luo Empire's Third Prince, and I'm the Heaven Dou Crown Prince's personal guard. If we come to blows, it could easily turn into a political issue."
"If you really want him dead, aren't there high-ranking Soul Masters secretly protecting you?"
At the mention of her hidden guards, Dai Mubai's already tense expression grew even more panicked.
That was right!
As the young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Rongrong surely had guards protecting her in secret.
Meanwhile, he was merely the Third Prince of the Star Luo Empire who had run away. Aside from Flender and the others, he had no one to rely on.
In his moment of impulse, he hadn't considered that. He'd thought he could stand on equal footing with Ning Rongrong—or even overpower her—thanks to his status.
Now that he'd calmed down...
"This..."
Dai Mubai silently took half a step back, looking at Lin Yan in alarm.
Seeing this, Lin Yan suddenly chuckled.
"Haha~"
"I was just teasing you. You're all classmates. A little scuffle will be forgotten by tomorrow."
Then Lin Yan turned to Zhu Zhuqing, his tone casual and matter-of-fact.
"Go back to the dorm and comfort your fiancé's Ning Rongrong properly. Let's call it a day."
This was the first time Lin Yan had spoken to Zhu Zhuqing of his own accord.
The girl looked stunned at first. It wasn't until Lin Yan personally guided Ning Rongrong to her side that she came back to her senses.
Lin Yan showed a maturity beyond his years.
His expression was gentle, and he spoke unhurriedly. Facing Dai Mubai and Ning Rongrong, he seemed just like an elder settling a quarrel between youngsters.
He hadn't demanded that Ning Rongrong forgive Dai Mubai, nor had he insisted that Dai Mubai apologize to Ning Rongrong.
And yet... after just a few words, along with his instructions to Zhu Zhuqing, everyone felt that "it wasn't a big deal, and Lin Yan had already taken care of it."
The area fell briefly silent.
Zhu Zhuqing supported Ning Rongrong, Tang San and the others gathered around Dai Mubai, and Lin Yan stood between the two groups with an arm around Wen Ruan.
"Go back to the dorms. What are you all standing around for?"
Lin Yan looked at everyone, and they exchanged glances.
Then, with Zhu Zhuqing leading the way and pulling Ning Rongrong toward the girls' dormitory, the others dispersed as well.
But just as Dai Mubai took a step, Lin Yan suddenly spoke.
"Dai Mubai."
"Show a little restraint from now on."
His voice was neither loud nor soft. Dai Mubai heard him, the others heard him, and so did Ning Rongrong, who was still outside the girls' dormitory nearby.
In the open space, Dai Mubai opened his mouth.
"I-I understand."
Lin Yan nodded, then left with Wen Ruan.
Before long, in Lin Yan's room.
Wen Ruan sat on Lin Yan with an irritated look, stripped off the pajamas that had already picked up Ning Rongrong's scent, and tossed them into the trash can.
"Why didn't you move away just now? Do you have a thing for her?"
The girl looked furious. She was obviously jealous.
Lin Yan gently wrapped an arm around Wen Ruan's slender waist and said,
"Mainly, she was already crying so hard. It would've been awful if I pulled away."
"Besides, we've met a few times before. I couldn't be too heartless."
"Hmph!"
Wen Ruan gave a little huff.
"Those are all excuses. Didn't you say she had high-ranking Soul Masters guarding her? So why was you the first person she asked for help?"
"Haha~ She didn't know about them at first. Ning Fengzhi, that old fox, arranged it in secret..."
"Wait! Ning Fengzhi?"
Lin Yan's eyes suddenly sharpened.
His playful expression instantly turned grave, startling Wen Ruan, who had been pouting in anger.
"Ning Fengzhi! The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"
Lin Yan murmured under his breath, his thoughts racing.
In the original timeline, Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong had all been staying in Suotuo City for the past two days, keeping a close watch on Ning Rongrong and Flender.
That meant he'd been in their sights for a long time.
"Hiss~"
Lin Yan sucked in a breath.
He'd thought the greatest threat he'd face by returning to Shrek Academy was Tang Hao. Now it seemed he had to count Ning Fengzhi, that old fox, too.
And the Gale Demon Wolf Spirit Saint from yesterday had most likely been sent by him...
"No! Ning Fengzhi wasn't trying to test me. He wanted to kill Wen Ruan, then get Ning Rongrong and me together!"
Meanwhile.
In an inconspicuous hotel in Suotuo City.
"Fengzhi, that kid managed to repel a Spirit Saint who'd activated his Martial Soul Avatar. If we don't deal with him soon, it may be too late."
"Are we recruiting him or eliminating him? Just give me an answer."
In the room,
a white-clad middle-aged man with sharp brows and bright eyes possessed an otherworldly air. Just one glance was enough to leave the impression of a cool, wandering swordsman.
Yet for some reason, his expression was anxious, completely at odds with his appearance and bearing.
This was none other than Sword Douluo Chen Xin, a level-96 Soul Master.
Seated opposite him was Ning Fengzhi, the current sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Fengzhi furrowed his brows slightly.
"Tsk~"
"Uncle Jian, I want Rongrong to try recruiting him into the sect first."
"If that doesn't work, we can take action."
The two were discussing what to do about Lin Yan.
Chen Xin paced over to Ning Fengzhi.
"Are you so sure Rongrong will like that brat?"
"It doesn't matter whether Rongrong likes him or not." Ning Fengzhi's lips curled into a confident smile.
"After all these years, Rongrong may be willful and spoiled, but she's not completely unreasonable."
"As long as I write to her and assign her this task, she'll naturally do it for the sake of the sect."
Ning Fengzhi's voice was full of confidence, as though he were a player manipulating the pieces on a chessboard.