Ye Lingling Speaks, Qian Renxue Arrives on Time to Pick Him Up

Zhi Lin coughed twice, signaling everyone to quiet down.

"Quiet down. Today, I'm introducing a new classmate to you. No commotion."

Zhi Lin gestured for Jiang Nanchen to step forward and introduce himself.

"My name is Jiang Nanchen. My martial soul is the Sacred Angel, and my soul power is level thirteen."

Jiang Nanchen finished his introduction.

Zhi Lin added, "Jiang Nanchen comes from the Crown Prince's Residence and was personally recommended for admission by His Highness the Crown Prince. Please take good care of him."

Quite a few people in the classroom looked surprised.

An angel martial soul.

That was the martial soul exclusive to Spirit Hall's Qian Family.

Though they were puzzled, no one asked further.

Jiang Nanchen swept his gaze around. Aside from a scattered dozen or so students, the rest were members of the team.

Other than Dugu Yan, there were Yu Tianheng, Ye Lingling, the Shi Mo brothers, Yu Feng, and Ao Silo.

After stepping down from the podium, Jiang Nanchen looked for a seat. Dugu Yan waved at him, wanting him to sit beside her.

Jiang Nanchen ignored her and temporarily took a familiar seat.

What a joke. Sitting alone was obviously more comfortable. If he got sleepy, he could even catch up on some sleep.

As for Zhi Lin's lessons, they were far too profound for him. Besides, Qian Renxue had told him on the way here that the academy's knowledge was nothing special. If he really wanted to learn something useful, Porcupinefish Douluo could give him private lessons.

Thus, the morning classes passed by quickly.

After getting through the morning's theory classes, Jiang Nanchen went to the academy cafeteria. After ordering several homestyle dishes, he began eating in huge mouthfuls.

Dugu Yan pulled her good sister Ye Lingling over to sit across from him.

"Little Nanchen, you didn't seem that tired all morning. Why do you look like you just moved several tons of cargo?"

Dugu Yan was truly astonished, especially by the amount Jiang Nanchen had served himself. It was more than hers and Ye Lingling's combined.

"I'm hungry. I've always eaten a lot since I was little."

Jiang Nanchen gave a muffled explanation.

He then looked at the girl seated beside Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling. She was slender and graceful, with waterfall-like blue hair hanging down her back and clear, cold dark-blue eyes.

She wore black clothes and a black veil over her face, revealing only her beautiful eyes. Her entire body exuded an air of loneliness and indifference.

Was she really that withdrawn?

Always dressed in black and wearing a veil.

Maybe she was cultivating immortality. Perhaps she was even the saintess of some sect. That was entirely possible.

"I have to say, you really are quite unusual."

Dugu Yan sighed, then introduced her. "This is my good sister, Ye Lingling. Her martial soul is the Nine-Heart Begonia, and she's an auxiliary-type soul master. She wears a veil for various reasons, so it isn't meant as any disrespect."

"You don't need to explain it to me. It has nothing to do with me. We're meeting for the first time, so there's no need."

Jiang Nanchen spoke briefly and did not take it to heart.

Dugu Yan froze for a moment. She had thought Jiang Nanchen would be easy to talk to; they had chatted quite well that morning.

Ye Lingling lowered her head without saying a word, no one knowing what she was thinking.

Jiang Nanchen did not bother with her. He went to get another serving of food, then found that Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling still had not eaten. He found it somewhat strange.

"What are you two doing?" Jiang Nanchen asked.

"Nothing. It's just that Lingling might..."

Dugu Yan hesitated.

Jiang Nanchen instantly understood and smiled. "It was only a few words. Besides, your friend isn't that fragile, is she? She's from the Nine-Heart Begonia family, after all!"

"She isn't fragile."

Dugu Yan answered vaguely.

In truth, she had wanted Ye Lingling and Jiang Nanchen to become friends. She had assumed a six-year-old child would be easy to talk to, and she had nearly worn herself out persuading Ye Lingling. But now, it seemed entirely unnecessary.

It had only created more trouble.

"It's fine, Yanyan." Ye Lingling spoke up, indicating that she had not taken it to heart.

Jiang Nanchen spread his hands. "See? Ye Lingling is the heir of the Nine-Heart Begonia, after all. Besides, I was eating at the time. I couldn't be bothered to talk to people."

Dugu Yan could only let the matter drop.

Ye Lingling's Nine-Heart Begonia may be a fine martial soul, but my attention isn't on you team members right now.

We can talk after I join the team someday.

"Then... can we talk in the future?"

Ye Lingling spoke stiffly, as though she had held the words in for a long time before finally forcing them out.

Dugu Yan's arm suddenly froze. She stared at Ye Lingling beside her in shock, her eyes full of disbelief.

Ye Lingling rarely even spoke on ordinary days. Yet today, she had actually taken the initiative to ask someone whether they could talk. It was like the sun rising in the west.

"Of course." Jiang Nanchen swallowed the food in his mouth and glanced up at her. "We'll most likely be on the same team in the future. Talking is perfectly normal. It's not some harsh condition."

Jiang Nanchen spoke in a calm tone. After saying that, he lowered his head again and continued shoveling food into his mouth, as though he had merely answered casually.

Ye Lingling gave a soft "Mm" and said nothing more.

Dugu Yan looked at one, then the other, and could not help feeling both amused and exasperated.

They were both so quiet. Ye Lingling had finally taken the initiative for once, yet Jiang Nanchen still acted as though he could not care less.

Dugu Yan had wanted to tease them a little more, but seeing how seriously Jiang Nanchen was eating, she did not have the heart to interrupt him. She could only pull Ye Lingling along and slowly begin eating.

People came and went through the cafeteria, and from time to time, someone would sneak a glance in their direction.

A six-year-old genius with golden hair and golden eyes, together with Ye Lingling, the academy's famous icy beauty—it was impossible for them not to draw attention.

Before long, Jiang Nanchen put down his bowl and chopsticks and wiped his mouth.

"I'm done eating. I'm heading back to the classroom first."

He stood, gave them a brief farewell, then turned and left without the slightest hesitation in his steps.

Dugu Yan waved at him. Only after watching his figure disappear through the cafeteria entrance did she turn to Ye Lingling with a smile. "You were strange today. You actually took the initiative to talk to him."

Ye Lingling tilted her head slightly. "Didn't you say I should make friends with him?"

There was no curious probing, no deliberate flattery. He treated her as calmly as he would any ordinary classmate, and that instead made her feel at ease.

"Anyway, the result is good." Dugu Yan smiled.

Her painstaking advice had not gone to waste.

After finishing their meal, the two also returned to the classroom.

The afternoon passed in a busy blur. Just as Jiang Nanchen reached the academy gates, he saw Xue Qinghe standing not far away.

Jiang Nanchen walked over. "You came pretty early. Afraid I wouldn't go back or something?"

"You brat, what kind of thing is that to say?"

"Shouldn't you be happy that I came to pick you up?"

Qian Renxue glared at Jiang Nanchen.

"No." Jiang Nanchen shook his head.

Qian Renxue looked at how resolute Jiang Nanchen was, then at his expression, and felt as though she were forcing him.

Forget it. She should let the boy off.

"How did it feel spending the day at the academy?"

Qian Renxue asked Jiang Nanchen how he felt.

She was afraid he would have trouble adapting.

"It was pretty good. I met Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling."

Jiang Nanchen briefly recounted what had roughly happened that day.

"Do you know who those two are?" Qian Renxue put on a mysterious air. "If you want to know, your Crown Prince brother can tell you—as long as you beg me~"