Dinner

When Xia Mi appeared at the dinner venue with her arm linked through Li Lin's, the entire hall seemed to instinctively lower its volume by a notch.

Amber Hall was brightly lit, crystal chandeliers cascading layers of soft light, while the champagne tower in the distance reflected specks of gold.

Those Student Union elites who usually boasted of having seen plenty of beautiful girls were chatting with wineglasses in hand. The swaying bow ties and skirts blended into the music, mixed with the faint clink of silverware. Yet when Xia Mi walked in, all of it seemed to lose its luster.

Though she was a girl so beautiful that people could hardly find words for it, everyone in the hall was focused on the boy she clung to.

Li Lin walked into the hall expressionlessly. He had no idea what Xia Mi was trying to pull.

The girl claimed to have studied ballet and knew a little ballroom dancing, so she had asked Li Lin to cooperate with her throughout the evening.

At first, Xia Mi had merely linked arms with Li Lin as they walked the red carpet outside Amber Hall. But after Fingel inexplicably let out a howl, followed by a pack of paparazzi from the News Department rushing up to Li Lin with cameras in hand, bowing deeply and shouting, "Welcome back, S-Rank," Xia Mi noticed the gazes converging on them from every direction. Her reaction immediately became rather intense.

She hugged Li Lin's arm tightly and pressed herself against him in a dainty, dependent pose, just short of writing on his face, "He's mine. None of you are allowed to steal him."

Xia Mi had harbored that sort of feeling toward Li Lin for a long time. She hoped he could become her follower, running errands for her at her every word.

That was why she was always trying to compete with Li Lin, whether in martial arts or academics, hoping he would recognize her excellence and obediently kneel beneath her skirt.

She looked exactly like a fallen princess trying to restore her kingdom but suffering from a lack of capable subordinates.

Unfortunately, Li Lin was a cheater. No matter how hard Xia Mi worked to "improve," Li Lin could always catch up in no time.

That left Xia Mi both delighted and troubled.

Especially during today's 3E Exam, she had noticed Li Lin's suddenly awakened bloodline, as well as the familiar feeling that made her tremble in disbelief when he entered Spirit Vision...

Xia Mi could not possibly mistake the principles behind Shiva's Dance.

Influencing the activity of earth elements through bodily movement alone... that was a technique most second-generation dragons could not achieve. It was an ultimate art exclusive to monarchs, yet Li Lin had mastered it the moment his bloodline awakened, through Rock Flow, an ability considered entry-level among bloodline gifts.

That truly left Xia Mi troubled yet delighted, with even the slightest trace of jealousy and unwillingness to accept it.

At that moment, Xia Mi realized just how eager the Student Union was to recruit Li Lin. She was getting genuinely anxious.

She wanted to make her move before the Secret Party completely instilled that Dragon Race Mortal Enmity Theory into Li Lin, win his loyalty, and make him her most reliable subordinate.

If the Student Union's extravagant, indulgent lifestyle really lured Li Lin onto their chariot...

It would be no different from Caesar waving a stack of cash and abducting the future guardian of Nibelungen whom Xia Mi had watched grow up since childhood.

Xia Mi could not stand that grievance.

But she had no money.

So the only thing Xia Mi could do was put on an evening gown and attend the dinner with Li Lin. When the time came, she would deal with whatever came her way. If the Student Union wanted to use a honey trap, it would naturally fail without a fight. If they wanted to tempt him with money, Xia Mi could still secretly sell Li Lin a grand dream.

Never mind whether she would be able to make a fortune in the future. In any case, she definitely would not mistreat a genius found once in several thousand years.

Xia Mi felt that Li Lin might have been born into the wrong life. How could someone with such talent be reincarnated as a hybrid? If only Li Lin were of her kind—preferably a second-generation dragon her brother had somehow produced outside countless years ago. Then they could work together to slay Norton, destroy Odin, sweep aside the Four Monarchs, and unify the world for all eternity.

Sometimes, she even wondered whether, if Li Lin were given the bloodline of a first-generation dragon, he might become a monarch even more deserving of the title King of Earth and Mountains than she was.

Fantasy was always beautiful, but reality was always cruel. Xia Mi had never imagined that one day, money would become the greatest obstacle on her path back to the throne.

When Caesar entered the banquet hall, he opened a hundred-thousand-dollar bottle of red wine and called out to the entire room, "Congratulations to my roommate, my good friend, Toppasa L. Lee, on becoming an S-Rank!" The whole hall erupted.

Xia Mi, who had just been able to dominate the entire room with her beauty, was instantly drowned out by the roaring cheers of the Student Union members.

Li Lin noticed that Xia Mi had unconsciously released his arm, but instead of taking the chance to break free from her hold, he grabbed her wrist and strode toward Caesar, who stood in the center of the banquet hall.

"President Caesar, Xia Mi and I are both interested in joining the Student Union."

"Don't make decisions for me!"

Xia Mi gritted her teeth in fury.

She had just been about to give Caesar a cold look when his next sentence threw her off balance.

"Miss Xia Mi, pick any club in the Student Union that you like. You can be its president, and I'll have Li Lin serve as your vice president. For two new members as renowned on campus as you, the Student Union is prepared to make an exception. We cannot let such rare and valuable talents be snatched away by the Lionheart Society."

"Considering that this is the special recruitment period for clubs, as long as you are willing to join the Student Union, I am willing to personally invest one million in your club this semester. You may use those funds however you wish."

Caesar had clearly done his homework. He had even made rare use of the Gattuso family's influence to investigate the preparatory class's records. Now, he was staking the dignity of a wealthy young heir, determined to use this opportunity to once again blunt the momentum of the Lionheart Society next door.

No one in the Student Union voiced any objection to Caesar's arrangement. Setting aside Caesar's personal charisma and outstanding family background, Li Lin and Xia Mi were already major stars who had sparked a campus-wide martial arts craze through combat recordings last year.

Caesar was actually willing to spend so much money to recruit talent for the Student Union's development. The members from top to bottom were nearly moved to tears of joy, while the more quick-witted freshmen were considering how they could join a club that would have a million-dollar budget to spend this semester.

Xia Mi conceded defeat.

Rich people really were incredible.

Yet she stepped past Li Lin and confronted Caesar head-on.

"Then there's one more thing. If Li Lin and I join the Student Union as club members, how should he address you from now on?"

"Of course, just like all the other brothers and sisters." Caesar shrugged, then cupped a hand to his ear and looked around.

Cries immediately rose one after another from all around them. "Boss Caesar! We love you!"

Xia Mi looked at Caesar with a smile that did not reach her eyes, then clenched her fists.