Breakfast

A night passed, and daylight streamed through the window into the room.

Chen Jie slowly woke and opened his eyes. Turning his head, he saw that Jiang Nannan was already awake, lying on her stomach on the bedding and enjoying breakfast. Her long golden hair lay scattered across the pillow, and a pair of creamy-white... hung down in front of her.

She held a fried dough stick in her hand, taking small bites.

Lying in bed, Chen Jie gazed tenderly at her and said softly, "Nannan, let me get you a cup of hot soy milk. Fried dough sticks go nicely with soy milk."

With that, he turned onto his side and reached for the cup of soy milk beside him, then passed it to Jiang Nannan along with the remaining fried dough sticks.

But his fingertips slipped slightly, his wrist wobbled, and the warm milk in the cup poured out in an instant.

The white soy milk spilled out completely, splashing over Jiang Nannan and spreading a large, warm wet patch across her skin.

Class Seven.

Most of the students were already in the classroom, and nearly every seat was occupied. Quiet conversations filled the room. Just seconds before the bell rang, Chen Jie pushed open the door and entered.

At the lectern, Teacher Mu Jin gave him a cool, brief glance. "Come in. Arrive earlier next time."

Chen Jie answered and quickly scanned the class.

He thought to himself, Wine and women really do get in the way of things. It's all Nannan's fault that I nearly arrived late. I'll definitely teach her a thorough lesson next time.

Only one seat remained empty, beside a blonde girl.

As his gaze settled on her, Chen Jie instantly recognized her from his memories of the original novel.

At eighteen, her body had fully matured, shedding every trace of youthful awkwardness and exuding a mature woman's alluring charm.

The blonde girl before him had to be Ning Tian of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. Her short, pale-blonde hair was neat and crisp, her features finely sculpted, her expression cool and aristocratic. Her figure was slender and well-proportioned, with elegant, exquisite curves and just the right fullness. She perfectly embodied the cool beauty of a sect's noble daughter, dignified yet radiant.

The woman with short reddish-brown hair behind her was equally striking, her features spirited and valiant, her presence carrying a guard's forceful air. At eighteen, she had an especially full, voluptuous figure, with ample flesh and dramatic, graceful curves. Her tall, abundantly endowed frame commanded attention, and her mature fullness, without a hint of excess, paired with her crisp school uniform to give her an imposing presence.

Watching Chen Jie approach the empty seat beside her young mistress step by step, Wu Feng instantly knitted her brows, and anger flared in her heart.

An impulse she could barely suppress radiated from her. As Ning Tian's closest personal guard, she would never allow an unfamiliar man to approach her young mistress so casually. Right now, she wanted to haul Chen Jie up and beat him.

Chen Jie smiled faintly. What he liked most was precisely this feeling: someone finding him an eyesore yet being unable to do anything about him.

Calm and composed, Chen Jie walked over to the empty seat beside Ning Tian and asked politely:

"Excuse me, may I sit here?"

Ning Tian glanced at him and nodded lightly, her voice soft and pleasant. "Yes."

That single word of permission instantly sent Wu Feng's composure behind her shattering to pieces.

She stared fiercely at Chen Jie's back, frustration churning in her chest as she inwardly raged, My young mistress belongs to me alone! What right does this outsider have to sit beside her?

Chen Jie sat down without hesitation, and the clear bell rang throughout the classroom.

Teacher Mu Jin stood at the lectern, his short, deep-purple hair neatly styled and his features coldly beautiful. His white-and-purple, gold-trimmed fitted outfit outlined his full figure, with a purple cloak draped over it. Black stockings set off his long legs, black high-heeled leather boots covered his feet, and thin black gloves covered his hands. His bearing was cool and dignified; anyone who looked at him would have to marvel at his overwhelming presence. His gaze swept lightly across the room.

"Next, stand up and introduce yourselves, one at a time, from left to right. Today, we'll let everyone get acquainted first."

At his words, the students rose in turn to introduce themselves.

Their soul power generally ranged from level fifteen to level thirty.

Soon, it was Ning Tian's turn in the front row.

The blonde girl slowly rose, standing straight and poised, her bearing cool yet gentle.

Her voice was light and clear, carrying distinctly throughout the classroom:

"Ning Tian. Martial soul: Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Level thirty-two support-type Soul Elder."

As she finished, a low wave of astonished murmurs immediately swept through the room.

Everyone turned to look, surprise on their faces.

Breaking through level thirty and becoming a Soul Elder at eighteen was already an excellent achievement among the incoming students.

Next, Wu Feng stood in the row behind her, her expression brisk and capable:

Then it was Chen Jie's turn.

He rose calmly, his expression natural and composed:

"Chen Jie. Martial soul: Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron. Level thirty-three control-type Soul Elder."

As those words fell, murmurs rose through the classroom again, the surprise even greater this time.

No one had expected two eighteen-year-old Soul Elders to appear in their class one after another.

At the lectern, Teacher Mu Jin nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on Chen Jie for a moment.

Teacher Mu Jin's voice was steady. "Chen Jie has the highest soul power in the class. From now on, you'll serve as Class Seven's class monitor."

His announcement caused another small stir in the classroom.

Many students looked toward Chen Jie, with little objection. After all, his status as a level thirty-three Soul Elder spoke for itself, and everyone could accept him taking the position.

Beside him, Ning Tian tilted her head slightly to glance at the newly appointed class monitor, a faint flicker of curiosity crossing her eyes.

Hearing the result, Wu Feng showed a trace of disdain, feeling particularly unhappy about it.

Chen Jie smiled faintly. "Yes, Teacher. I'll do my best."

"Today was mainly for everyone to get acquainted. Things won't be this easy in the future," Teacher Mu Jin said evenly. "All right, that concludes today's lesson. Class dismissed."

With that, he turned and left the classroom.

The classroom immediately grew noisy. Students stood in twos and threes, chatting, laughing, and fooling around. Quite a few were preparing to approach their new class monitor.

Just then, Tang Ya stood at the doorway, her cheeks slightly flushed and her expression a little bashful. She called softly, "Chen Jie... could you come out for a moment?"

Her voice was not particularly loud amid the classroom's bustle.

Hearing her, Chen Jie immediately stood, made his way through the crowd to the doorway, and left the teaching building with Tang Ya.

The moment the two left, the classroom erupted. Many students craned their necks toward the doorway and began gossiping in low voices.

"Wow, isn't she an upperclasswoman? She came specifically to see our class monitor."

"Look how shy she was! Our class monitor's luck with women is unbelievable!"

"Could they already know each other? Maybe there's something going on between them?"

Everyone chimed in, eager to enjoy the spectacle.

At that moment, Wu Feng strode to Ning Tian's side and looked at her respectfully as she said:

"Young mistress, he may look steady and respectable, but he's really an expert at flitting from flower to flower. It's only his first day, and an upperclasswoman has already come looking for him. He's frivolous and improper. You must keep your distance from him."

Ning Tian glanced toward the classroom doorway, her expression still cool and calm, and shook her head lightly.

"They're probably just having an ordinary conversation," she said evenly. "His soul power is outstanding, and he seems quite talented. As for what kind of person he is, we'll need to observe him a little longer."