Zhi Lin coughed twice, signaling everyone to quiet down.
"Quiet down. Today, I'm introducing a new classmate. No commotion."
Zhi Lin motioned 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 by His Highness the Crown Prince. Please look after him."
Quite a few students in the classroom looked surprised.
An Angel Martial Soul.
That was the Martial Soul unique to Spirit Hall's Qian Family.
Though they were puzzled, no one asked any questions.
Jiang Nanchen swept his gaze around. Aside from a scattered dozen or so students, the rest were members of the team.
Besides Dugu Yan, there were Yu Tianheng, Ye Lingling, the Shi Mo brothers, Yu Feng, and Osler.
As Jiang Nanchen stepped down from the podium and looked for a seat, Dugu Yan waved, wanting him to sit beside her.
Jiang Nanchen ignored her and temporarily chose a familiar seat.
What a joke. Sitting alone was definitely more comfortable, and 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 teachings were merely average. If he really wanted to learn useful things, Porcupinefish Douluo could give him private lessons.
Thus, the morning classes passed by quickly.
After finishing the morning's theory classes, Jiang Nanchen went to the academy cafeteria. After ordering several home-style dishes, he began eating in huge mouthfuls.
Dugu Yan pulled her good friend Ye Lingling over and sat across from him.
"Little Nanchen, you didn't look all that tired this morning. Why do you look like you just finished moving several tons of cargo?"
Dugu Yan was truly surprised, especially since Jiang Nanchen had piled up more food than she and Ye Lingling 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 sitting beside Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling. She was slender and graceful, with waterfall-like blue hair cascading down her back and clear, cool dark-blue eyes.
She wore black from head to toe, with a layer of black gauze covering her face and revealing only her beautiful eyes. An air of loneliness and indifference surrounded her.
Was she really that withdrawn?
Always dressed in black, always wearing a veil.
Maybe she was cultivating immortality. Maybe she was even the holy maiden of some sect. Both were possible.
"I have to say, you really are strange."
Dugu Yan sighed, then introduced her. "This is my good friend, 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. This is our first time meeting, 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 and said nothing, no one knowing what she was thinking.
Jiang Nanchen did not bother with it. He went to get another serving of food, then found that Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling still had not started eating. He found it somewhat strange.
"What are you two doing?" Jiang Nanchen asked.
"Nothing. It's just that maybe Lingling..."
Dugu Yan trailed off.
Jiang Nanchen immediately understood. Smiling, he said, "It was only a few words, and your friend isn't that fragile, right? She's from the Nine-Heart Begonia Clan, after all!"
"She isn't fragile."
Dugu Yan answered vaguely.
Actually, she had wanted Ye Lingling and Jiang Nanchen to become friends. She had assumed a six-year-old would surely be easy to talk to, and she had practically worn herself out persuading Ye Lingling. But now, it seemed unnecessary.
It had only brought more trouble.
"It's fine, Yanyan." Ye Lingling spoke, indicating that she had not minded.
Jiang Nanchen spread his hands. "See? Ye Lingling is the inheritor 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 it go.
Ye Lingling's Nine-Heart Begonia might be a good Martial Soul, but my attention isn't on team members like you right now.
We'll talk when I join the team someday.
"Then... can we talk in the future?"
Ye Lingling spoke stiffly, as though she had held those words in for a long time before managing to say them.
Dugu Yan's arm suddenly stopped. She stared at Ye Lingling beside her in astonishment, her eyes full of disbelief.
Ye Lingling rarely even spoke in everyday life, yet today she had actually taken the initiative to ask someone whether they could talk. It was practically as impossible as the sun rising in the west.
"Of course." Jiang Nanchen swallowed the food in his mouth and looked up at her. "We'll most likely be on the same team in the future. Talking is normal to begin with. It's not some harsh condition."
Jiang Nanchen's tone was calm. After speaking, he lowered his head again and continued shoveling food into his mouth, as though he had merely answered her casually.
Ye Lingling gave a soft "Mm" and said nothing more.
Dugu Yan looked from one to the other, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Both of them were so quiet. Ye Lingling had finally taken the initiative for once, yet Jiang Nanchen still looked completely unconcerned.
She had wanted to tease them a little more, but seeing how seriously Jiang Nanchen was eating, she did not have the heart to disturb 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 secretly glanced in their direction.
A six-year-old genius with golden hair and golden eyes, along with Ye Lingling, the academy's famously cold beauty—it was hard not to draw attention.
Before long, Jiang Nanchen put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth.
"I'm done eating. I'll head back to the classroom first."
He stood, said goodbye, and turned to leave without the slightest pause in his steps.
Dugu Yan waved at him. Only after watching his back disappear through the cafeteria entrance did she turn to Ye Lingling with a smile. "You were strange today. You actually started a conversation with someone."
Ye Lingling tilted her head slightly. "Didn't you say I should make friends with him?"
There had been no curious probing, no deliberate ingratiation. He had treated her as plainly as an ordinary classmate, and that instead made her feel at ease.
"In any case, the result is good." Dugu Yan smiled.
Her patient efforts at persuading Ye Lingling had not gone to waste.
After the two finished eating, they also returned to the classroom.
The afternoon passed in a busy blur. Just as Jiang Nanchen arrived at 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 little brat, what kind of thing is that to say?"
"Shouldn't you be happy that I came for you?"
Qian Renxue glared at Jiang Nanchen.
"No." Jiang Nanchen shook his head.
Qian Renxue looked at how firm Jiang Nanchen was, then at his expression, and felt as though she were forcing him.
Forget it, forget it. Better let this brat off the hook.
"How did it feel spending a whole day at the academy today?"
Qian Renxue asked Jiang Nanchen how he felt.
She was afraid he would not adapt well.
"It was pretty good. I met Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling."
Jiang Nanchen briefly described what had happened over the day.
"Do you know who those two are?" Qian Renxue pretended to be mysterious. "If you want to know, your Crown Prince big brother can tell you, as long as you beg me~"
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