Driver: ???
The boy moved too fast.
So fast he didn't even have time to react before the kid had already jumped into the sewer!
"What just happened?"
"A boy jumped in! I saw it!"
"Is he crazy? There are monsters down there!"
People murmured among themselves, pulling out their phones to film the sewer. Only the mother who had lost her daughter wailed beside the scene.
.....
The moment Chen Nian entered the dark, damp sewer, he heard a girl's scream echoing from the depths.
The monster moved swiftly, seemingly intent on dragging the girl deeper to devour her. There was no time to waste.
"Spell of Words, Ethereal Snake of Flight."
Obscure syllables erupted from Chen Nian's mouth.
Stepping onto the invisible serpent, Chen Nian used its speed to chase after the creature. After plunging about two hundred meters, he finally caught sight of the monster!
A massive, pitch-black octopus!
"Go."
The Ethereal Serpent shot through the air, striking twice to sever the octopus's tentacles!
The entangled girl fell to the ground.
The octopus, in pain, tried to flee, but Chen Nian wouldn't let it escape. He commanded the Ethereal Snake to strike again.
Before long, dozens of bloody holes appeared on the giant octopus's body, killing it instantly.
It was done.
Only then did Chen Nian hurry to the girl's side.
"Waaah, waaah, waaah~~~~"
The girl wailed uncontrollably.
She was not only deeply traumatized but also hurt from the fall. Her pretty little dress was soaked in filthy water, and her delicate, pale face was smeared with foul grime.
What child could endure such a ordeal?
"It's okay, it's okay. Good girl. Big brother will take you back to find your mommy."
"Waaah waaah waaah~~~~"
Chen Nian knew absolutely nothing about comforting little girls.
So he simply held her close, offering soothing words as he slowly guided her back.
"Listen to big brother. It's all over now. We'll be out in no time."
Chen Nian glanced at the time. He feared he wouldn't make it in time to pick up Qin Yu. He felt a bit guilty about that.
But he couldn't risk the girl getting more frightened. With his careful reassurances along the way, she finally stopped crying.
"Thank you, big brother..."
She sniffled, looking utterly wronged.
"Such a good girl."
Soon, they approached the sewer entrance.
Chen Nian knew without thinking that the area above was already swarming with people.
Not just ordinary citizens, but likely law enforcement officers and a crowd of reporters too. The moment he showed his face, it would be reported.
Absolutely not!
Appearing on TV would inevitably increase the risk of exposure...
Once Chen Nian's identity was revealed, he would become the focus of the entire world. Not only would countless girls come to pursue him madly, but to nations everywhere, he would pose a greater threat than nuclear weapons.
"Big brother will only take you this far. Go on, run wherever you need to."
"Mm..."
The girl dashed toward the exit.
Chen Nian, however, planned to slip out the other way—as long as he didn't draw attention.....
"Move aside! Everyone back up!"
Uniformed officers arrived on the scene, setting up a cordon to keep the crowd at bay.
Journalists, drawn by the commotion, had already gathered around.
"According to witnesses, a young girl was recently dragged into the sewer by a monster. A teenager suspected of being a superhuman went down to rescue her, but the outcome remains unknown."
"Our reporter will continue to follow this story. Stay tuned for updates!"
Suddenly, an officer shouted loudly.
"Look! The kid's back!"
"What?!"
"Quick, pull her up!"
Soon, the little girl was rescued to safety by the officers.
Though covered in dirt, she appeared unharmed.
"Xiao Ke, Xiao Ke!"
"Mommy!"
Mother and daughter embraced, both crying, and many onlookers felt a lump in their throats.
Reporters captured the scene with their cameras.
"It's now 9:20 a.m. The little girl has been safely rescued and is unharmed. But where did that kind-hearted person go?"
The surrounding crowd was also puzzled.
"Yeah, where's that young man? Why can't we see him?"
"It's been so long, why hasn't he come out yet? He did a good deed and deserves praise!"
"If it weren't for him, this mother and daughter might never have seen each other again..."
Faced with everyone's inquiries, the little girl revealed the truth: the young man had already left.
"Sweetie, why don't you go with the doctor to the hospital for a checkup first?"
"No, I want to thank the young man too. Mom said we must always have a grateful heart!" the little girl insisted stubbornly.
This left everyone at a loss—they couldn't find the young man anywhere to express their gratitude.
Just then, the driver rushed out.
"I know! I know!"
"That young man was riding in my car earlier. He was heading to Linhai City University to enroll!"
Hearing this, the reporters' eyes lit up.
If they could go straight to Linhai City University and find that teenager, reporting the exclusive story would definitely make tomorrow's trending topics—a smash hit!
"Ma'am, may we accompany you to Linhai University? You can thank him, and we'd like to interview him too."
"Yes, yes..."
Surrounded by reporters, the mother and son were ushered into a car and sped toward Linhai University.
...
Qin Yu didn't manage to wait for Chen Nian.
At first, she stood alone by the side of the Linhai University entrance, lugging a heavy suitcase, drawing little attention.
After all, she too wore a mask.
But her bearing and figure were simply too striking!
A jasmine-white spaghetti-strap maxi dress accentuated her slender figure and delicate calves. Her snow-white skin was flawlessly fair, and her beautiful wavy long hair cascaded freely down her back.
How could such a beauty walking down the street not attract attention?
Qin Yu had specifically asked Chen Nian to pick her up precisely to avoid being approached and causing unnecessary trouble.
Unexpectedly, Chen Nian hadn't arrived on time.
"Hey, beautiful, are you here to register too? Let me help you with your suitcase?"
"No thanks."
Qin Yu had to fend off wave after wave of advances until she was finally recognized.
"It's... it's Qin Yu!"
"That newly debuted female singer Qin Yu? Holy crap.... No wonder she has such an aura!"
"Who knew she'd come to our university? Hahaha!"
"Quick, quick, take a picture! Take one!"
"Wow, wow, wow. That beauty—even with a mask on, she could knock out a whole crowd!"
The crowd grew denser and denser. Qin Yu felt like a monkey under the spotlight, forced to stand there while people snapped photos.
She pulled out her phone, found Chen Nian's number, and dialed it angrily.
"The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later..."
Hmph, that good-for-nothing jerk!
Ever since receiving Chen Nian's epic gear last time, Qin Yu had felt a bit guilty. That's why she'd brought a special gift when coming to see him this time!
The gift was an expensive watch—her own signature custom edition, the kind fans could never get their hands on.
It was tucked away in her suitcase.
But Chen Nian hadn't even bothered to show up!
"Fine. Just as I thought—we're only a couple in name..."
In the end, campus security dispersed the crowd and escorted Qin Yu inside.