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Night fell, and the grass by Sea God Lake shimmered silver under the moonlight. Stars dotted the sky, a gentle breeze carried the lake's coolness, and the air hummed with quiet serenity.
On the lakeside lawn, an array of dishes sprawled across makeshift tables—grilled fish, roasted meats, their rich aromas drifting through the air, drawing swarms of fireflies that danced like living sparks, adding warmth and life to the joyful gathering. Twelve people sat in a loose circle: Chen Junting, Ning Tian, and their seven classmates, joined by the invited seniors—Bei Bei, Tang Ya, and Xu Sanshi—enjoying a rare moment of peace.
"Congratulations—you've all made it to the semifinals," Bei Bei said, raising his cup with a broad smile. But then his tone turned teasing: "Though from here on out, it's all internal competition."
"Whoa—Class Nine's really something this year," Xu Sanshi exclaimed, eyes wide with surprise. "Three out of the final four teams are from your class! With a little luck, you might even sweep the top three!"
"It's not that simple," Bei Bei cut in, glancing sideways at Xu Sanshi with a look that said, 'You really don't know anything.'
"I heard the last team is led by a descendant from the White Tiger Duke Manor—and paired with a Soul Grandmaster from the Zhu Family of Star Luo."
"Holy—! A fusion skill!" Xu Sanshi, worldly as he was, instantly grasped the implication. He clapped Chen Junting on the shoulder, concern creeping into his voice. "Kid, are you sure you can win the championship?"
"What do you think, Senior Xu?" Chen Junting replied with a light chuckle—utterly unruffled.
"Hah! So you already knew," Xu Sanshi said, shooting Bei Bei a knowing wink. "Your intel's outdated."
"Doesn't matter," Bei Bei shrugged, turning his attention to Tang Ya with a fond smile. But seeing her deep in cheerful conversation with her newest junior disciple, he chose not to interrupt. Instead, he grabbed Xu Sanshi's arm. "Come on—let's drink!"
Meanwhile, over by Tang Ya…
"Xiao Dong, are you really confident?" she asked.
"Don't worry, Sister Xiao Ya," Wang Dong replied, chewing a bite of fish. He nudged Huo Yuhao, who was busy grilling more. "Yuhao and I have a trump card—even Senior Junting and Ning Tian don't know about it."
Then, as if remembering something, he turned to the quiet Dugu Xin beside him and warned sternly, "Xin, don't go blabbing our secret just because Junting's your roommate! The three of us are taking the championship!"
Dugu Xin's eye twitched slightly. He lifted his juice cup, took a sip, and muttered, "Relax."
Clearly unwilling to risk an accidental leak, Wang Dong quickly changed the subject, scanning the group. "Hey—why isn't Senior Jiang Nannan here?"
As Nannan's roommate, Tang Ya knew best. Cheeks puffed, she tore off a piece of fish and mumbled through a full mouth, "Nannan's working tonight. Can't make it."
Despite the muffled words, her volume carried—and the group turned, intrigued. Ning Tian and the others exchanged puzzled glances. Wu Feng frowned. "But didn't Senior Nannan just get paid a thousand gold soul coins? Why's she still taking odd jobs? Shouldn't she be focusing on training?"
Just then, Xu Sanshi—already tipsy from Bei Bei's relentless toasts—staggered to his feet. Under Chen Junting's questioning gaze, he stumbled over, clapped him gratefully on the shoulder, and slurred, "It's because Nannan's got her mother to care for. If it weren't for you, Junior Chen, she and Auntie would still be scraping by."
"Auntie?"
The word slipped out in unison from half the group—ears perked, eyes gleaming with sudden curiosity.
That tone… it sounded far too familiar.
Xu Sanshi froze, realization dawning.
Oops—said too much.
He laughed awkwardly, waving his hands. "Ah, nothing, nothing! Just talking nonsense!"
But Bei Bei—the ultimate frenemy—wasn't about to let this slide. With a devilish grin, he drawled, "Ah, so our ever-devoted Senior Xu Sanshi, having failed to win Jiang Nannan's heart directly, has switched tactics—wooing her mother instead!"
Tang Ya's eyes lit up like lanterns. She rounded on Xu Sanshi. "Xu Sanshi! What are you up to? You didn't do something shady behind Nannan's back, did you? If you did, I'm telling her the second I get back!"
"What nonsense are you spouting!?" Xu Sanshi panicked, waving his arms. Cornered, he finally relented and spilled part of the truth.
The group listened as he explained:
Jiang Nannan's mother was in poor health. Xu Sanshi had arranged for his family to help care for her. Since Nannan rarely went home, he visited during holidays to check in.
Over time, he'd grown close to "Auntie."
"Nannan doesn't know any of this?" someone asked.
"Of course not," Xu Sanshi muttered.
Chen Junting, idly turning a bamboo skewer in his fingers, spoke up.
"Senior Xu… why not let her know you're helping? Even subtly—it'd be better than this distance between you."
The others nodded vigorously in agreement.
Xu Sanshi hesitated—almost swayed—then sighed, gazing up at the stars with a look that said, 'You wouldn't understand.'
"You don't get it."
Those four words left the entire group speechless.
Fine. We don't get it!
The feast continued—but not for long.
Soon, Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi hit their limit. Both collapsed onto the grass, dead asleep.
Chen Junting and Dugu Xin were left to haul them back to the dorms, bringing the evening's celebration to a quiet close.
…
The next morning.
As dawn painted the eastern sky in rosy hues and a gauzy mist clung to the air, Chen Junting and Dugu Xin had already finished their meditation. They washed up as usual and headed toward the cafeteria.
But just before stepping inside, they spotted Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong standing by the entrance—Wang Dong appeared to be consoling Huo Yuhao.
Exchanging a glance, Chen Junting and Dugu Xin approached.
"What happened?"
The moment the question left his lips, Chen Junting saw Huo Yuhao's face—pale as paper, eyes burning with a hatred so deep it couldn't be concealed. It was a fury like infernal fire from the abyss, threatening to consume his very reason.
Chen Junting understood instantly.
There was only one person who could provoke such loathing in Huo Yuhao.
While Dugu Xin asked Wang Dong for details, Chen Junting followed Huo Yuhao's line of sight across the cafeteria.
His eyes locked onto a blond-haired youth—and the black-haired girl at his side.
"Just as I thought… Dai Huabin."
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