Club (Seeking Recommendations, Collections, and Updates) - Testing the Waters

Morning. The first class had ended.

The dismissal bell had only just rung when a rustle of chatter spread out, the sounds of desks and chairs shifting mingling with birdsong outside the window.

"So noisy!"

Fang Yuan lay sprawled over his desk, his face buried in the crook of his arms, his voice muffled.

"Mom, why don't we live on campus? It's only the second day, and we almost arrived late."

He was genuinely sleepy.

His eyelids were so heavy he could barely lift them. Even forcing them open a crack made his vision blur.

He had not slept well at all last night. His mom's sleeping posture was as restless as ever, tossing and turning nonstop, and in the latter half of the night, she had simply pressed her whole body right on top of him.

That full, hefty 36D weight had pressed down heavily on his body, on his face, nearly leaving him unable to catch his breath for a moment, and almost killing him on the spot!

That was exactly why he was so severely sleep-deprived.

In the morning, his mom had called him several times, but he had not been able to open his eyes.

If Zi Ji had not carried him all the way over, he really might have been late today.

Gu Yuena sat beside him, twirling a strand of silver hair between her fingers. Hearing that, she did not even turn her head and simply shook it.

"No. Living on campus is too dangerous. What if those students see how outstanding you are and bully you?"

Her tone was firm and decisive, leaving not the slightest room for discussion.

Fang Yuan lifted his head, his eyelids drooping, faint red veins still in his eyes.

"Mom, weren't you the one who taught me yesterday that I had to learn to say no?"

"That's different."

Gu Yuena turned her face to look at his listless, sleepy appearance, then suddenly pressed the corners of her mouth downward, her eyes reddening faintly as her voice turned soft and a little choked.

"I never said you had to learn it right away.

"Mom is doing all this for your own good.

"If you don't appreciate it, Mom will be heartbroken."

As she spoke, she lowered her lashes, her long eyelashes trembling lightly, looking as if she had suffered some enormous grievance.

Fang Yuan's head instantly ached.

"Mom, I was wrong!"

"You weren't wrong. It was Mom's fault. I shouldn't have ignored your feelings..."

"Stop, stop."

Fang Yuan hurriedly raised his hands in surrender, wanting to cry but having no tears. "I won't live on campus, all right?"

At worst, if he could not sleep at night, he would sit in meditation and treat it as cultivating soul power.

That was still better than watching her act out a tragic drama here, especially when she never knew when to stop once she got started.

As they were speaking, a figure slowly shuffled over to their desk.

"Um... Student Gu Yue."

Xie Xie stood beside the desk, clutching the corner of his school uniform, his head lowered slightly, not even daring to let his gaze drift toward Gu Yuena's face.

The shadow of being kicked flying yesterday was still there. Now, just standing beside this person made his back tighten a little.

Gu Yuena's gaze was still on Fang Yuan's face. Her fingertips tidied the messy strands of hair on his forehead, and she did not even look properly at him.

"If you have something to say, say it."

"It's just... about what happened in the cafeteria before. I'm sorry.

"I shouldn't have targeted you and Student Fang Yuan."

Xie Xie kept his voice very low, his attitude completely humble.

After that fight yesterday, he was thoroughly convinced.

In family background and talent, he had been crushed in every way. If he kept going against them, the only one who would suffer was himself.

"I'm magnanimous enough not to fuss over a nobody. I never took that little matter of yours to heart. No need to apologize."

Gu Yuena's tone was indifferent, carrying a casual arrogance.

It was as if his petty tricks did not even qualify to be remembered by her.

"Gu Yue, don't be so cold."

Fang Yuan lay sprawled on the desk, tugged at her sleeve, and smiled.

Xie Xie let out a breath of relief when he heard that and quickly pressed his advantage.

"Whether you accept the apology or not, I still wanted to ask... do you and little brother Fang Yuan want to take part in the Class Promotion Tournament together?"

"Didn't you hear my little brother say he'd think about it? Go back and wait for word."

Gu Yuena lifted her eyes and swept him a glance, her gaze chilly.

Xie Xie's back stiffened, and his feet unconsciously retreated half a step. He nearly turned and left on the spot.

He gritted his teeth, shifted his gaze to Fang Yuan lying on the desk, and softened his tone a little, with a hint of pleading.

"Little brother Fang Yuan, the Class Promotion Tournament is really important to Tang Wulin. It concerns his future prospects.

His martial soul is Blue Silver Grass, so cultivation is hard for him to begin with..."

"All right, all right. I'll join."

Fang Yuan waved his hand impatiently.

He hated this kind of emotional appeal the most.

But there was nothing he could do. He couldn't let this young master come bother him every day over such a small matter.

Given Xie Xie's personality, there was an eighty percent chance he would pester him relentlessly until he agreed.

He might as well agree outright and spare his ears the torment.

"Really? Thank you, little brother Fang Yuan!"

Xie Xie's eyes lit up at once, and he almost jumped.

Sure enough, the breakthrough point was this little guy.

Great. With the two of them joining, they were guaranteed to win the Class Promotion Tournament.

When the bet was evened out then, he wouldn't have to bleed money anymore.

He was delighted inside, his little abacus clacking away so loudly that he could barely hide the smile on his face.

"Hold on."

Fang Yuan spoke unhurriedly and glanced up at him.

"From now on, you'll pack lunch for me and my sister and deliver it to the classroom. We'll eat in the classroom."

"Huh? Bring you food..."

The smile on Xie Xie's face froze, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

He froze for two seconds, then quickly nodded. "Sure, sure, sure, no problem! Leave it to me!"

It was just bringing meals. That was still better than losing the bet and paying away all his living expenses.

"All right, hurry up and go. I'm going to nap for a bit."

Fang Yuan waved his hand and buried his face back into the crook of his arm.

"I'm going, I'm going right now!"

As if granted amnesty, Xie Xie turned and darted back to his own seat, afraid Fang Yuan would change his mind if he was a step too slow.

It had not even been half a minute of peace before several more people gathered around the desk.

"Little brother Fang Yuan, have you joined any clubs?"

The girl in the lead spoke with a smile, her eyes full of enthusiasm.

After yesterday's battle on the field, this six-year-old genius boy had long since become known throughout the entire grade.

Every club had its eyes on this prize recruit, just waiting for class to end so they could come over and recruit him.

Fang Yuan lifted his eyelids and lazily swept them a glance.

The ones who had gathered around were both boys and girls. They were all wearing East Sea Academy uniforms, with club badges of different styles pinned to their chests.

"Go away. Don't disturb my little brother's sleep."

Gu Yuena frowned, and the aura around her turned a few degrees colder.

"It's fine."

Fang Yuan sat up a little and rubbed his aching temples. "Let them talk. You listen too?"

At the word "clubs," his interest was piqued a little.

When he had been in school in his previous life, he had not joined a single club.

Throughout all of high school, he had kept to himself, going home alone as soon as classes ended.

Now that he had a second chance at life, he could give something new a try.

Seeing him relent, the group immediately perked up.

"Little brother Fang Yuan, our school has tons of clubs! The Martial Arts Club, the Forging Club, the Mecha Design Club, the Mecha Manufacturing Club..."

"I'm from the Forging Club! Little brother Fang Yuan, do you want to join our Forging Club? Once you get good, you can make your own soul devices. It's super practical!"

A girl with a high ponytail leaned in, her tone brimming with enthusiasm.

"Don't listen to her. Forging burns through money, and it's tiring and dirty!

"Come to our Martial Arts Club! Tons of chances for real combat, and tons of upperclasswomen too!"

A tall boy beside them immediately jumped in, thumping his chest as he made his pitch.

"Junior, don't believe him. The Martial Arts Club is full of musclebound brutes. Join that club and you'll turn gay.

"You might as well come to our Kendo Club. The upperclassmen and upperclasswomen are all refined and elegant, and practicing swordsmanship can improve your bearing too."

A boy holding a wooden sword pushed up his glasses and refuted him unhurriedly.

The group talked over one another, making his ears buzz.

As they talked, they started tearing one another down, and it looked like they were about to start arguing right beside the desk.

"You're so noisy."

Gu Yuena spoke coldly, her gaze sweeping around them.

That icy, oppressive look swept over them, and the surroundings instantly fell silent.

"Let my little brother choose for himself. Stop shouting nonsense here."

Everyone's eyes fell on Fang Yuan, full of expectation.

He tapped his fingertips against the desktop and looked at the boy holding the wooden sword.

"The Kendo Club, huh. Let me ask—do any of your upperclassmen in the club have the realm of oneness between man and sword?"

The boy froze for a moment, then an awkward smile appeared on his face.

"Little Brother Fang Yuan, oneness between man and sword isn't that easy to achieve.

"Most soul masters who can reach that realm are already at the Soul Emperor level.

"Not everyone in our school can be a genius like you.

"And... your martial soul doesn't seem to be sword-type either, right?"

Fang Yuan clicked his tongue inwardly.

Boring.

He had thought he might be able to learn some proper swordsmanship.

The Dark Dragon God's first soul skill was sword-type, and the Dragon God Sword came with its own sword intent, but he couldn't just rely on soul skills to look cool.

If he couldn't wield a sword properly, half the style was gone.

"That's kind of a shame. I was actually pretty interested in swordsmanship."

He shrugged, his tone carrying a trace of obvious disappointment.

Fang Yuan then turned his head and looked at Gu Yuena beside him.

"Mother, what about you? What club do you want to join?"

He wasn't interested in things like mecha design.

Compared with drawing back and forth over blueprints, he preferred operating things with his own hands.

As for becoming a battle armor master, that would have to wait until his cultivation was high enough. There was no point thinking about it now.

"What's there to agonize over?"

Gu Yuena casually flicked a lock of hair, her tone indifferent.

"Join if you want, leave if you want.

"Visit each one once, and you'll know which one you like."

"True."

Fang Yuan nodded, feeling that this was a pretty good idea.

He remembered that Gu Yuena had come to the human world in the first place to learn mecha design and battle armor design.

He would go check out the Kendo Club first, and while he was at it, accompany her around some of the other clubs too.

"Fine, then I'll go take a look at the Kendo Club first."

He said this to the boy holding the wooden sword.

"Great! Little Brother Fang Yuan, our Kendo Club definitely won't disappoint you! Just come straight to the club activity room after school!"

The boy's eyes lit up, overjoyed, and he quickly told him where the activity room was.

"After school, right? Then I'm going too."

Gu Yuena suddenly spoke.

"Huh?"

Fang Yuan turned his head, looking stunned.

No way.

She even had to follow him while he was just checking out clubs?

Wasn't that desire to control him a little too strong?

"What are you looking at me for?"

Gu Yuena rolled her eyes at him, her tone perfectly natural. "I'll go take a look with you and pick a club to join while I'm at it. Is that not allowed?"

As if she had seen right through his thoughts, she added another line, the end of her sentence lifting slightly.

"...Fine."

Fang Yuan curled his lip and said nothing more.

If she wanted to go, then she could go.

With her there, at least it would save him from having random people crowding around and making a racket.

As long as they didn't run into any blind fools who came looking to provoke him.

The class bell happened to ring at that moment.

The students gathered around his desk hurriedly scattered and returned to their seats.

Fang Yuan lay back down on the desk and buried his face in the crook of his arm.

He could still doze for another two minutes before class started.

"I'm so sleepy. I just hope I don't fall asleep in class."

"Should I ask for leave and go sleep?"