Haizhou Academy, during break time.
Lu Chen gazed out the window. The early spring breeze swept through drifting clouds, and seagulls soared over the students training on the athletic field. He could hear the shouts of the sports club as they worked up a sweat.
Beside him, Zhou Yang chattered endlessly. Lu Chen put down his Politics Volume 3 textbook and used a Hanamizaka-style wrestling move to pry Zhou Yang's hand off his shoulder.
Today, there was a noticeable tension in the air, and the way everyone exchanged glances only made Zhou Yang gossip harder.
Lu Chen occasionally glanced at Zhang Zikai. But every time he did, Zhang would look away like he'd seen a ghost, too scared to meet his eyes.
Strangely, Zhao Xiaohan, who sat in front, would occasionally glance back at him too.
Sometimes, she would even sit next to him to ask questions.
Even at the risk of getting his wrist twisted again, Zhou Yang was determined to get all the gossip!
"The class beauty keeps coming to you with liberal arts questions! What's going on between you two? And what about you and Zhang Zikai? Why does he look like he's terrified of you?"
Zhou Yang tried to sling an arm over Lu Chen again but was instantly stopped with a warning glare.
Lu Chen also noticed his gossip-loving female deskmate had subconsciously leaned in to listen.
...
"Students who are good at studying tend to help each other," Lu Chen said calmly, giving them a glance. "Losers like you wouldn't get it."
Thanks to his current Intelligence stat of 8, Lu Chen basically had a photographic memory and an incredibly high learning efficiency.
Classroom questions no longer fazed him, and his progress was obvious to everyone.
Some students might be hoping to see him embarrass himself during exams, but Lu Chen had already set his sights on ranking at the top of his grade.
"Oh, so now that you've figured out how to study, you're here to mock me? How dare you!" Zhou Yang clenched his fists dramatically.
"I'm motivating you. This is the mercy of the strong toward the weak—proof of my broad and generous heart."
"You just wait!"
As the two continued to bicker, Zhang Zikai, seated at the far right, shot a glance in their direction.
Lu Chen sensed his gaze and returned it with the most sincere smile he could muster—just in time to catch a sneaky, calculating look on Zhang's face.
Zhang Zikai quickly looked away, clearly flustered.
"Lu Chen..."
Zhou Yang had seen it all. He leaned in and whispered, "Zhang Zikai's got connections. Bad temper. Loves bullying people. Don't mess with him."
"I know."
"Are you even listening?" Zhou Yang spoke faster now. "There was a junior who crossed him once—got beat up, and then vanished from school!"
As if Zhang Zikai were some kind of monster. Lu Chen patted Zhou Yang's shoulder.
"I think Zhang's alright. Don't worry so much."
"Ugh, you're seriously making me..."
...
At noon, Lu Chen took another afternoon off.
Given how often he requested leave, his homeroom teacher finally expressed some professional concern.
Since there was no way to contact a guardian, the teacher couldn't tell if he was genuinely sick or just faking it—and judging by Lu Chen's energetic appearance, it definitely didn't look like he was sick.
After repeatedly reassuring the teacher about his grades—and putting on an Oscar-worthy act of looking pitiful—Lu Chen finally escaped the office.
Zhou Yang walked him to the school gate, still worried.
Lu Chen thought to himself, maybe "Lu Chen" hadn't totally failed in life—at least he had a friend like this.
"I told you, don't worry. I could take on ten Zhang Zikais and still come out on top."
"Yeah right, you're not even stronger than me."
"I gave him a bloody nose yesterday."
"For real?"
"For real."
"Damn, bro! I've always wanted someone to beat him up!"
"..."
They chatted casually as they turned into a wooded path by the school's side gate.
Someone called out to Lu Chen.
If he heard correctly—it was Ei?
It wasn't even dismissal time yet, and the path was quiet. Lu Chen looked toward the voice.
Bright midday sunlight streamed through the trees, forming shafts of light. The largest beam fell on a girl sitting on a bench.
When she saw Lu Chen, Ei—dressed in a flowing white dress—stood up gracefully. Bathed in light, her skin looked almost translucent, each strand of hair glimmering in the sun.
In that moment, she looked as pure as light itself.
Zhou Yang was completely stunned.
Even Lu Chen, who saw her every day, was briefly dazed.
"Chen?"
Raiden Ei walked up, her clear, amethyst eyes full of confusion.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Lu Chen blinked. "What are you doing here?"
"Just getting familiar with the route to school so I don't get lost later—and I came to pick you up."
Lu Chen grinned and gently took her slender wrist, giving her outfit a quick once-over.
A modest white dress that only showed her ankles, cinched slightly at the waist—clean, elegant, and made her figure look even taller. He had to admit, Ei had good taste.
Wait, no—it was his taste.
She looked just like a beautiful senior returning to pick up her admission letter. They met by chance in the woods and shared a smile.
"Who's this...?"
Raiden Ei had finally noticed Zhou Yang, who was now playing the role of the awkward third wheel.
"Oh, right!"
Lu Chen had completely forgotten about his buddy.
He patted Zhou Yang's shoulder, snapping him out of it.
Zhou Yang pointed at Lu Chen, his eyes bouncing between him and Ei like a pinball. His face went from stunned to beyond comprehension.
"You—you two..."
"Let me introduce you." Lu Chen glanced at Ei helplessly. "This is my older cousin from my neighbor's place in the countryside."
"O-older cousin?!"
"Yep."
Zhou Yang looked at their joined hands and felt like something was definitely off.
"Alright, go on back. No need to walk me out anymore," Lu Chen turned him around. "I can take on ten Zhang Zikais—she could probably take on ten thousand. Don't worry."
"Okay... wait, huh?"
By the time Zhou Yang came to his senses, he was already being pushed back toward the school.
The two of them were gone.
"..."
He glanced back, suspicious, and saw the two of them walking together, perfectly in sync—like they'd been side by side for years. The whole scene looked like a painting.
"Older cousin from the neighbor's place in the countryside?"
"So... is she the neighbor's older cousin?"
"Or does the older cousin live next door?"
"..."
...
Meanwhile, Lu Chen and Raiden Ei arrived at the parking shed outside the school.
They were chatting and laughing about the morning's events—but of course, someone had to ruin the mood.
The parking shed was dark, untouched by midday sun. From the shadows, a group of a dozen or so thugs stepped forward, surrounding them with hostile faces.
When Ei saw a few of them gripping blunt weapons, her elegant brows furrowed.
Those clear amethyst eyes were now sharp with killing intent.
Lu Chen immediately felt the pressure rising beside him and grabbed her wrist. This wasn't a place where they could afford to leave behind a corpse.
The thugs, blissfully unaware of who they were dealing with, laughed smugly.
One of them—a tattooed guy with a double chin—pointed at Lu Chen and barked,
"You're Lu Chen, aren't you?"
"..."