Romance Gossip

"I realized something, Xia Mi. You actually have the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception—you can see the lines of death in all things."

"Get lost. If I had that ability, would I still be squatting here watching anime? I'd have gone out and conquered the world long ago."

Xia Mi kicked Li Lin, then grabbed a handful of popcorn and stuffed it into her mouth.

Her gleaming bare foot was utterly alluring—small, slender, and fair, flawless in its delicacy. Faint blue veins could be seen beneath skin like frost and snow, while a row of rounded pink-white nails adorned her pearl-like toes. Following the exquisite arch upward, her evenly proportioned calves formed perfect crescent curves. Just looking at them gave one an irresistible urge to reach out and touch them.

Li Lin was not a foot fetishist, but even he could not help stealing a few extra glances at such a scene, practically a work of art.

Then he said rather puzzledly, "But you can break a carbon-fiber blade with your bare hands."

"Come on, I already told you, that's technique. It's the same principle as an acupoint master shattering a rock with a poke of his index finger."

Xia Mi put on an expression that said, "It's nothing special."

Li Lin had nothing to say to that. He watched Shiki Ryougi on the screen wield her long blade and carve through enemies like vegetables, then turned to ask Xia Mi.

"The Executive Department called me in to test my Word Spirit. You probably got the notice too. Want to go together tomorrow?"

"Sure, sure."

Xia Mi readily agreed, then heard her phone buzz in her pocket. She picked it up and saw that it was indeed a message from Su Qian.

[Genetics Class Is Too Hard: So you finally made things official with your little boyfriend?]

[Haruhi Suzumiya: ?]

[Genetics Class Is Too Hard: The whole school is saying that the S-Rank freshman and his childhood sweetheart crossed the ocean to Cassel College and finally got together.]

[Haruhi Suzumiya: ??]

[Genetics Class Is Too Hard: Do you know that the photo of you linking arms with Li Lin on the red carpet is now more popular on the Night Watchers Forum than the Student Union recruitment post?]

[Genetics Class Is Too Hard: Even the Lionheart Society upperclassmen were just talking about you two! Fingel even started a discussion thread titled "Student Union: Congratulations to the Newlyweds."]

[Haruhi Suzumiya: Oh, I thought it was something serious. So it's just a rumor. Li Lin and I heard that kind of thing from elementary school all the way through high school. We stopped caring ages ago.]

[Genetics Class Is Too Hard: That calm tone like an old married couple... Are you really not dating?]

[Haruhi Suzumiya: We're not dating. Let people say whatever they want.]

[Genetics Class Is Too Hard: Got it.]

[...]

Xia Mi realized that Su Qian remained convinced that they were definitely dating. She could only sigh inwardly at how foolish humans were, then turned and slapped Li Lin on the shoulder.

"Hey, rumor boyfriend, things have gone back to how they used to be."

"And?"

"You might not be able to get a girlfriend now. There probably aren't many girls who would dare stuff love letters into your hands right in front of me."

"But this is Cassel College. Beautiful girls are everywhere. What if some gorgeous French girl suddenly comes to confess to me—loaded, fair-skinned, beautiful, with a baby face, huge breasts, and passion like fire?"

Xia Mi gave Li Lin a thumbs-up. "Looks like your Spirit Vision hasn't ended yet. What excellent bloodline, Topasa L. L."

"Sigh, every time you say 'L. L.,' I think you're calling me 'Lelouch Lamperouge.'"

By then, the final episode of The Garden of Sinners had finished playing on the screen. It was already eleven at night.

Bored out of her mind, Xia Mi stood up and called for Li Lin to accompany her downstairs to buy some late-night snacks.

Although Li Lin had now accepted the position of vice minister, that was entirely for the sake of one million dollars.

Xia Mi knew perfectly well that there was still a long way to go before Li Lin truly acknowledged her leadership.

"I heard Day of Freedom is happening this week too. Caesar spent so much money—he must be hoping to raise his odds of winning, right?"

Xia Mi turned back and asked Li Lin.

Caesar was Li Lin's roommate. If she wanted to know what that young nobleman was thinking, all she had to do was ask Li Lin.

"That's part of it. But the biggest reason is probably that he felt only dropping one million dollars in one go could satisfy his pride. The arrival of an S-Rank and an A-Rank meant that the Student Union had beaten the Lionheart Society in the freshman competition. He needed the outcome to look like 'Caesar Gattuso's victory,' rather than us helping out of personal feelings."

"Wow. Throwing money around, huh."

Xia Mi pushed open the door to the club activity room, only to be blinded by headlights sweeping over from near Amber Hall.

Luxury sports cars were parked one after another outside the entrance. There really were fair-skinned, beautiful foreign girls sitting in the driver's seats, blowing kisses at Li Lin. It turned out that the Student Union had attracted not only followers who admired Caesar's charisma, but also a whole crowd of young masters and young ladies from Mixed-Blood families.

Caesar was seeing off his subordinates on the steps of Amber Hall. Noticing the sudden shift in the girls' gazes, he immediately spotted Li Lin. He went up to greet him enthusiastically and brazenly snatched him away from Xia Mi.

This worldly young nobleman leaned close to Li Lin's ear with a wicked grin. "You weren't in the meeting room tonight, so you probably have no idea how many girls quietly came to me asking for your contact information after the Day of Freedom strategy meeting ended."

"What's going on?"

Li Lin was genuinely baffled. The dark concrete road before him had been lit up by the girls' snow-white headlights. They seemed to be making sure Li Lin had left before driving away.

"Kid, you're an S-Rank. Don't you know that Mixed-Blood families worship the idea of bloodline supremacy? Once you graduate, you'll find those old men living off IV drips and urine bags fighting to wave money around, trying to send the prettiest and most pure-blooded young ladies in their families into your bed."

"Oh. Badass."

"Badass, right? My old man is a stud because his bloodline is so badass. Every day, he rolls around in bed with royal princesses and earls' daughters in every country, living like a complete scumbag. But you built yourself up from nothing, so this would count as accumulating startup capital. If you plan to stay away from the front lines in the future, you could try sacrificing your looks a little and establish a family of your own, like the Mafia."

"I'll pass. I'm not very interested in being an aristocrat."

Li Lin had already enjoyed a life of fine clothes, rich food, glory, and wealth in his previous life. He only wanted to find a rich woman to support him. He had no interest in the family obligations that came with wealth.

Caesar shrugged. He was actually a little envious of Li Lin's easygoing clarity.

"In that case, maybe you'll live a very happy life in the future. After all, getting involved in those things might feel good for a while, but sooner or later, they'll bring you countless troubles..."

Mid-sentence, Caesar suddenly shut his mouth.

Xia Mi had planted her hands on her hips and was glaring darkly at this playboy who was feeding Li Lin improper ideas.