Xue Beng: With a friend like you, my life is ruined!

At the teahouse.

Qin Qi looked around and immediately spotted Ye Lingling and the others in a corner.

He walked over and sat down.

"Old Yu isn't here?"

Qin Qi looked at the people present. Ye Lingling and Xue Beng were there, and Yu Tianheng had originally been invited too.

But it seemed that kid had not arrived yet.

"That guy's a battle maniac. I ran into him by the arena when I came over."

"He's still training now."

Xue Beng waved a hand, and someone immediately brought over a brand-new teacup and poured Qin Qi some tea.

"Looking at it this way, the three of us seem like three useless slackers with no ambition."

Qin Qi took a sip from his teacup and said with a smile.

"That's not wrong. I'm a spoiled young master, and Lingling is from the support system."

"And you're an even bigger glutton. The three of us sitting together make the unofficial business trio."

Xue Beng started laughing as he spoke. To be honest, compared to being around those people who constantly flattered him, he preferred hanging out with Qin Qi and the others. They might all be slacking off, but it was far more interesting this way.

Ye Lingling sat closest to the wall, sipping tea and eating pastries in small bites.

She quietly listened to Qin Qi and Xue Beng talk. It was not that she had no chance to speak; she simply liked it this way.

While the three were drinking tea, a girl walked in. After sweeping her gaze around the room, she found a seat and sat down.

Not long after she sat down, a young noble went up to strike up a conversation.

"Miss, I'm from a viscount's family—"

"Get lost."

The young noble had barely said a few words when the girl spoke with undisguised disgust.

"My father is a viscount—"

The young noble felt humiliated and spoke angrily.

"I don't care who your father is. You look incredibly annoying, so get the hell away from me."

"Don't ever appear before me again, either. Otherwise, you won't like what happens."

As she spoke, the girl directly splashed the tea in her hand onto the man. She hated his lecherous gaze and frivolous tone.

"You!"

The young noble immediately flew into a rage. He instantly summoned his Martial Soul, preparing to teach the girl a proper lesson.

But in the next second, his entire body went numb, and his limbs no longer obeyed him.

"Hmph, a useless piece of trash that only looks impressive. You can't even withstand this little bit of poison. How pathetic."

The girl withdrew her Martial Soul, ordered another cup of tea, and continued drinking alone.

This time, the young nobles around her did not dare approach and speak to her again. They all moved away from the girl.

Qin Qi saw all of it.

"Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul, green hair and green eyes... that arrogant girl is Dugu Yan."

Qin Qi recognized Dugu Yan at a glance. That green hair and those green eyes were one of a kind even on the Douluo Continent.

Combined with the Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul, it would have been stranger if he failed to recognize her.

"Qin Qi, don't provoke her. Her grandfather is a Title Douluo—the terrifying Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo."

As Xue Beng spoke, he stood up with his legs trembling slightly. He swallowed, then walked toward Dugu Yan.

But Qin Qi grabbed him halfway there.

"Brother, you saw what happened to that guy just now. You could die."

Qin Qi said.

"I know, but I have to go. My imperial uncle has an unusual relationship with her grandfather. I have to go greet her!"

Xue Beng knew that things would not end well for him if he went over, but he had to take this beating.

"Man, you've got guts!"

Qin Qi patted Xue Beng on the shoulder and gave him a thumbs-up. This was a real man.

"I'm going!"

Xue Beng put on an expression as though he were marching toward certain death, then strode over to Dugu Yan.

After only two or three sentences, Dugu Yan knocked Xue Beng to the ground with a vicious kick to the groin.

"Brother, I'm coming to save you!"

Qin Qi rose to his feet and walked over to Dugu Yan.

"What are you doing? Are you going to avenge him?"

Dugu Yan looked at the menacing Qin Qi and spoke.

"No. He's probably an eyesore to you standing here, right? I'll help you drag him away."

As he spoke, Qin Qi grabbed Xue Beng by the leg and dragged him back, with absolutely no intention of helping him up along the way.

"This guy... he's really strange."

Dugu Yan looked at Qin Qi, utterly baffled. Were these two on good terms, or were they enemies?

Back at the seats in the corner.

"Cough, cough. Knowing a friend like you means my life is basically over."

Xue Beng curled up on the floor, clutching his vital parts with both hands. Gritting his teeth, he looked up at Qin Qi with a gaze that seemed ready to bite him to death on the spot.

"Don't worry. Good brothers—I'll still screw you over in the next life."

Qin Qi patted Xue Beng on the shoulder again and said with a smile.

"It hurts! Don't touch me! Get the hell away from me!"

The moment Qin Qi patted his shoulder, Xue Beng's whole body jolted. The movement tugged at the pain in his vital parts, and he immediately cursed.

"Lingling, Lingling, save me!"

Xue Beng looked toward Ye Lingling, his eyes full of pleading.

"..."

Ye Lingling looked at Xue Beng and fell silent for a moment. Then she picked up the cake in front of her and quietly turned around.

She did not really want to heal Xue Beng, but it would not be right not to heal him either, so she might as well pretend she had not seen anything.

"Knowing you people is the worst luck I've had in eight lifetimes!"

Xue Beng truly could not hold it together anymore. Why were all the people he knew like this?!

In the blink of an eye, several days passed. Because of Dugu Yan's personality, everyone around her was afraid of her.

No one played with her at all. When Dugu Bo learned of this, Prince Xue Xing naturally learned of it as well.

"Xue Beng, Mister Dugu is my good friend and an important ally of ours. His granddaughter coming to study at Heaven Dou Royal Academy is a good opportunity for us to strengthen our ties."

"But the current situation is not good, so you need to find a way to let Miss Dugu Yan experience the fun of school."

"Help her find a few genuine friends."

Prince Xue Xing pressed a hand on Xue Beng's shoulder and spoke earnestly.

"Hahaha, alright, Uncle."

Xue Beng forced out a miserable smile. Where was he supposed to find friends for that fiery-tempered woman?

Uncle, you might as well have my big brother kill me outright.

While having tea that day, Xue Beng could not help complaining to Qin Qi about it. He felt it was simply impossible.

"Mm, it's pretty simple. Three days. I'll get it done for you in three days."

Qin Qi smiled as he spoke.

"Three days? Really?!"

Xue Beng's eyes widened as he tightly grabbed Qin Qi's hand. "Brother, if you succeed, you'll be saving my life."

"When I make it big someday, whatever you want, I'll give it to you!"

"No need to wait until someday. If I succeed, how about you take me into the Royal Library for a look?"

Qin Qi draped an arm around Xue Beng's shoulders, leaned close to his ear, and spoke in a low voice.

"What's so interesting about the Royal Library? But since you brought it up, fine. As long as you get this done for me, I'll take you there."

Xue Beng was somewhat puzzled. Only members of the royal family could enter the Royal Library, but there were no secrets inside.

It was all books on cultural knowledge, martial soul theory, and history.

Who would write real secrets down in books? Anything written down was unimportant.

"Don't worry. If I said three days, then three days it is. Lingling, I'm counting on you this time."

Qin Qi looked at Ye Lingling. This time, making friends with Dugu Yan depended entirely on Ye Lingling.

"Mm?"

Ye Lingling tilted her head, and for the first time, an emotion called confusion appeared in her eyes!