Love Rumors

"I've discovered that Xia Mi actually has 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 ages ago."

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

Her pale little foot was remarkably alluring—small, slender, and flawless. Faint blue veins showed vaguely 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 shaped calves formed perfect crescent curves. Just looking at them gave him an irresistible urge to touch them.

Although Li Lin was not a foot fetishist, he could not help stealing a few extra glances at something that could practically be called a work of art.

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

"Come on, I told you, that's technique. It's the same principle as a master of pressure points using one finger to poke through rock."

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

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

"The Executive Department asked me 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 took it out and saw that it was indeed a message from Su Qian.

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

[The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: ?]

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

[The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: ??]

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

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

[The Melancholy of 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 through high school. We stopped caring long ago.]

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

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

[Genetics Is Too Hard: Got it.]

[...]

Xia Mi found that Su Qian remained convinced that they were definitely dating. She could only sigh inwardly that humans truly were stupid, then turned and patted Li Lin on the shoulder.

"Hey, rumor boyfriend. Things are back to the way they used to be."

"And then?"

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

"But this is Cassell College. Beautiful girls are everywhere. What if some French beauty suddenly comes to confess to me—wealthy, fair-skinned, gorgeous, with a baby face, huge breasts, and a fiery romantic nature?"

Xia Mi gave Li Lin a thumbs-up. "Looks like your Dragon Sight hasn't ended yet. Your bloodline is truly exceptional, Topasa L. L."

"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 ended, and it was already eleven at night.

Bored out of her mind, Xia Mi got to her feet and called for Li Lin to accompany her downstairs to buy a late-night snack.

Although Li Lin had now accepted the position of vice minister, that was entirely for the sake of the 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 there's also a Day of Freedom this week. Caesar spent so much money because he wants to improve his odds of winning, right?"

Xia Mi turned back to ask Li Lin.

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

"That's part of it. But the main reason is probably that he feels only throwing down one million dollars in a single stroke can satisfy his pride. The addition of an S-Rank and an A-Rank means the Student Union beat the Lionheart Society in the freshman competition. He needs the outcome to look like 'Caesar Gattuso's victory,' not help we gave out of personal consideration."

"Wow. Throwing money around, huh."

Xia Mi pushed open the door to the club activity room. The moment she stepped outside, the headlights sweeping over from near the Amber Manor nearly blinded her.

Luxury sports cars were parked one after another at 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 those joining the Student Union were not just followers who admired Caesar's charisma—there were also plenty of young masters and young ladies from Mixed-Blood families.

Caesar was seeing off his subordinates on the steps of the Amber Manor. When the girls' gazes abruptly shifted, he immediately spotted Li Lin. He warmly went over to greet him and brazenly snatched him away from Xia Mi.

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

"What's going on?"

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

"Kid, you're S-Rank. Don't you know that Mixed-Blood families worship the supremacy of bloodlines? Once you graduate, you'll find that those old men living off IV drips and urine bags will compete to wave stacks of cash around and send the daughters with the finest bloodlines and prettiest faces in their families to your bed."

"Oh. Awesome."

"Awesome, huh? My stud of a father has an awesome bloodline too, so he rolls around in bed every day with royal princesses and earls' daughters in different countries. He's completely turned himself into a scumbag. But you built yourself up from nothing, so this is just 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 your own family like the Mafia."

"I'll pass. I'm not that 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. Instead, he was somewhat envious of Li Lin's easygoing clarity.

"In that case, maybe you'll live happily in the future. After all, getting involved in too much of that may feel enjoyable for a while, but sooner or later it brings countless troubles..."

Mid-sentence, Caesar suddenly shut his mouth.

Because Xia Mi stood with her hands on her hips, glaring darkly at the playboy who was feeding Li Lin such improper ideas.