Chapter 1
The winter morning was filled with chilly air, making every breath taken feel freezing, the cold air performing Let It Go in the nasal cavity as it constructed a grayish-green palace .
In the snow-white residence on the mountainside located in the city suburbs, all was normal . At around 6:50, the residents came down to the dining hall one after another, enjoying the breakfast Dongya had prepared . Although it was prepared by Dongya, it would be more accurate to say that he was just arranging the plates .
“Hey . ” Conglong walked over angrily to Feng Ping Lan, who was eating his toast, with a potted plant in his arms, and put it down heavily before him .
“Ah? What is it?”
Feng Ping Lan stared blankly, then glanced at the potted plant in front of him . In the pot was the vanilla plant he had given Conglong during Christmas . The vanilla plant, which used to be green and full of vitality, was now wilted and drooping, having a sickly yellowish-brown tinge to it . “Eh? How did it become like this?”
“That was what I was about to ask you . ” Conglong furrowed his eyebrows, condemning him, “Only my plant turned out like this, are you deliberately using this method to express your resentment towards me?”
“You’re reading too much into it!”
“Is it due to the chilly weather? Herbaceous plants can’t tolerate much coldness . ” Dongya guessed .
“But Seno-laoshi told me he put his own brand of fertilizer into it, so the vitality and flowering season of these plants are much stronger than an ordinary plant . He even said there wouldn’t be any problems if you placed it outside without watering it . ” Feng Ping Lan scratched his head, put down his toast, then took a much closer observation of the plant .
Suddenly, he noticed a strange sour smell wafting from the pot, “Hm? What’s that strange smell…” Lowering his head, he saw that part of the leaves were still damp, but the droplets on the leaves were white .
“Huh?” Feng Ping Lan touched the leaves . “What’s this?”
“Milk . ” Conglong replied matter-of-factly, “I fed it milk . Not only did it not grow taller, only ants came . ”
“Why did you pour milk into it?!” Feng Ping Lan lowered his head, realizing that the toast on his plate was being attacked by ants . “Ah! My toast!”
He hurriedly pushed the toast to the side, but there were already countless ants on the plate . The ants quickly scattered across the table, spreading to Morris’ whole wheat biscuits as well as Byriel’s syrup and sugar cubes .
“What are you doing!”
Morris rebuked as he flicked the ants on his biscuits away . However, a flick of his sturdy fingers caused the biscuits to instantly crumble to pieces . “Damn it!”
Byriel raised his eyebrows, pushed his seat slightly backwards and smilingly looked on without lifting a finger, letting the ants occupy his food . After all, there were plenty of people scrambling to feed him, he wasn’t short of food .
Simo decisively picked up her mug and drank it all in one gulp, but as she drank it too quickly, she choked and started coughing incessantly .
A strong wind swept through the ants on the table, blowing them towards the gigantic pitcher plant in the kitchen .
The ants in the plant continued to climb out, but halted just as they climbed to the edge of the pot, unable to leave .
At a closer look, there was a light blue wind barrier shrouding the potted plant .
Dongya pushed the plate of toast back in front of Feng Ping Lan, “It’s fine now . Enjoy your meal . ”
“Oh, thanks! Dongya . ”
Feng Ping Lan looked at his toast . Although the ants were blown away, there were still a few broken legs left behind by the ants, looking incredibly conspicuous, “Haha, I feel like I’m eating a mass grave, can I have another piece of toast?”
“Conglong… cough cough…” Simo mumbled as she coughed, “This was the red wine from the 2009 Bordeaux chateau… I was planning on slowly drinking it…”
“My biscuits are also gone!” Morris blamed angrily .
“You broke them yourself… you can suck the pieces through your nose, I heard that some humans do that to take in powdery material . ” Conglong pursed his lips, “It’s just a few tiny insects, why are you making such a big fuss…”
“Just a few tiny insects?” Dongya asked softly . Then, he slowly approached Conglong, both hands placed over Conglong’s shoulder . “Conglong . ”
“What?”
Conglong couldn’t see Dongya, who stood behind him, but he could see Morris and Simo’s expression suddenly turn panicky, as if they had seen a ghost .
Byriel shook his head, mouthing at him word by word: You . are . so . dead .
A gentle voice rang out behind Conglong’s back, “It’s very hard to eradicate an ant colony from a house, didn’t you know that?”
“Uh!”
Conglong could feel a chill creeping down his spine, the temperature falling several degrees around him, and a chilly wind blew past his feet, scraping against his skin .
“I thought the reason why your milk finished so quickly was because you were hungry . ” He continued in a tender voice, “I didn’t think that you had shared them with the flowers, how generous of you . So, the reason why Conglong refused to buy the cheaply-priced two-for-one milk for the much more expensive imported goods wasn’t for himself, but for a little flower?”
“S-sorry, Dongya, I—”
“I’m not finished speaking . ”
Conglong instantly fell silent .
“Things that stink like garbage cannot be placed onto the dining table, didn’t you know that?”
Conglong hung his head .
Feng Ping Lan looked at Dongya . Dongya’s expression was as gentle and amiable as ever, but the aura he exuded felt like an execution ground, harsh and stifling .
This was his second time seeing Dongya this angry . Although there was no storm at the moment, not as turbulent as before, but it was still alarming to see . As the one sitting next to Conglong, it felt as if his butt was sitting right on top of sandpaper, uncomfortable but not daring to move .
“This was Ping Lan’s gift, so I cannot deal with it like I do with garbage . ” Dongya sighed softly, then smiled, “But I can deal with you, Conglong . ”
“I’m sorry! Forgive me! I-I’ll dispose of it!” Conglong hurriedly pleaded for his life, he wanted to stand up and bow to Dongya, no, he could even kneel for him! But Dongya’s hands were still placed over his shoulders, firmly pressing him down, fixing him into place .
“You want to throw it away?” He raised his voice, carrying a trace of disbelief, “You wish to simply dump the gift someone took a lot of trouble to prepare just because you were screwing around?”
“Dongya, um—” Feng Ping Lan wanted to speak up to smooth things over, but he was cut off by Morris .
“Shh!” Morris glared furiously at him, gesturing for him to stay silent, in case of any side issues arising .
Feng Ping Lan retracted his words, turning his head to glance at Conglong . The other’s face had already turned ashen .
Ah ah… Student Conglong, you’re on your own…
Footsteps came from the staircase, then Tan Hua emerged along with Kaido, who had a dirty look on his face .
“Good morning, everyone . ” Tan Hua greeted gracefully .
“Good morning . ” Dongya responded politely, “The two of you are quite early today . ”
Kaido would normally lie in bed until it was almost time for everyone to leave before getting up, eating his breakfast at school . If the weather was cold, he would even oversleep, only arriving at school when the morning self-study session was over .
“Young Master slept at eight o’clock last night . ” Tan Hua smilingly pulled out the chair for Kaido, “Actually, he woke up half an hour ago, and has been lying in bed ever since . ”
“Tan Hua, shut up!”
The harsh atmosphere alleviated slightly with the entrance of these two .
Kaido sat beside Feng Ping Lan, frowning the moment he sat down .
“What’s that smell, it stinks!” Kaido looked disgustedly at the source of the bad smell, then widened his eyes, standing up in shock, “Is this your breakfast?”
“No way!” Feng Ping Lan smiled as he explained, “That’s Conglong’s plant . ”
Kaido breathed out a sigh of relief, then glanced at Dongya, “I thought that was the food he made…”
Looks like the dark hot pot from the school festival had been quite a traumatic experience for Kaido .
“It doesn’t seem very energetic…” Tan Hua reached out a hand, stopping over the withered plant, a faint red glow flowing out to circle around its wilted leaves . The weary and shrunken leaves instantly regained some vitality, standing upright .
“Woah!”
“I gave it some of my energy . I am unfamiliar with the human world’s plants, so if you want to treat it permanently, you’ll have to bring it to a professional gardener . ”
Conglong said hurriedly, “I’ll ask Seno for help!” Then he glanced carefully at Dongya .
Dongya looked at the flower that had recovered some of its vitality, then looked at Conglong . After a moment’s silence, he smiled, “That’s good then . ”
Although his smile was still the same as before, that tight and suppressive atmosphere instantly vanished .
The crisis was averted .
Morris, Simo and Feng Ping Lan released a sigh of relief, and only Byriel smiled a little regretfully, seemingly wishing for it to continue .
“Don’t meddle in things you don’t understand, or you’ll expose your shortcomings, even dragging others down with you . ” Morris took the opportunity to scold Conglong, “Just look at Simo, she’s usually studying those flowers and plants, that’s why she can use that information to tend to her plant . ”
Everyone was confused . “Simo is studying horticulture? Why do you say so?”
Even Simo herself was completely bewildered .
“Because she’s always reading those books about ‘fiddling with the petals’, ‘sticking it into the stamen’ and ‘sucking the honeydew’, stuff like that . Right, come to think of it,” Morris said as he drew out a book from his bag, “Gemi told me to return this to you . When did you get so close to her?”
Feng Ping Lan’s eye was captured by the R18 label on the book . Next to him, Kaido violently spat out the hot tea he had been drinking . Tan Hua immediately wiped his mouth using a paper napkin .
“T-That isn’t…”
“I took a quick look inside it . While I don’t quite understand, it’s pretty interesting . ” Morris said, flipping through the pages, “I just don’t get it, is the protagonist a human or a cat? Why would that man slap her butt and call her a ‘naughty kitty’? If he’s hitting a kitten, then he’s a damned bastard!”
Simo frantically got up and snatched the book in Morris’ hands, then hurriedly left the scene .
And that was the end of it .
Before they left the house, Feng Ping Lan returned to his room to get a towel . When he passed by Quetzal’s room, he halted his footsteps .
He hesitated for a moment, then pushed the door open, poking his head inside .
As expected, the room was completely empty .
Had Quetzal received his present?
Would he like it…
With the end of the school festival, what came after was the end-of-term exams .
On the first day of school, the discrepancies between the day and night school students could be clearly observed .
The day school had taken ten days off, so everyone looked full of vigor; the students of Shadow Academy had just experienced the ravaging school festival, and so had no time to breath, their weariness yet to vanish .
“Good morning, Li Rui!”
“Oh, morning!” Bai Li Rui, who was rushing to complete his homework, lifted his head . At the sight of Feng Ping Lan’s group, he scrutinized them as if in deep thought, not saying a word .
“What’s wrong, Li Rui?”
“Nothing, I suddenly felt a little curious about you . ”
He recalled the things Jiu Shao had told him . He knew that Quetzal and the others were demons, and Feng Ping Lan was a Summoner who had a pact with them .
If Jiu Shao’s words were really true, that Feng Ping Lan could master such powerful demons and make them abandon the Twelfth Prince, switching their loyalty and devotion to him, then Feng Ping Lan must be an incredibly awesome and venerable powerhouse .
“How hateful, Li Rui!” Feng Ping Lan placed both hands on his cheeks, letting out a coquettish cry, “Making such a love declaration, when it’s only been a few days since we last met! Why, I wouldn’t dare imagine what you would do to me after the summer holidays! Hahahahaha!”
Bai Li Rui rolled his eyes, “You’re overthinking things . ”
Now matter how much he looked at it, Feng Ping Lan did not seem like that powerful Summoner Jiu Shao had described to him . He suppressed the misgivings in his heart and regained his usual attitude, glancing at Simo with a smile .
“Long time no see, Simo-meimei looks even more beautiful and lovely than ever!” He approached her, taking a deep sniff, “Ah, what a fragrance that caresses one’s heart, as if springtime in Prague has arrived before my eyes . ”
“That’s just the smell of fabric softener . I have it too, but I don’t want to be smelled by you . Go away, you’re blocking my seat . ” Conglong rebuked .
“Do you have to be so annoying?!” Bai Li Rui turned his head to see Conglong carrying a potted plant, and frowned, “Why did you bring a plant to class? Ah, are you trying to create the image of a cool, gorgeous and dependable warm guy who likes gardening? Attaboy, you’re actually trying to challenge such a route with your moe features, a truly respectable opponent!”
“You’re so noisy, I don’t understand a single thing you’re talking about . ”
Bai Li Rui glanced at the potted plant, “That’s vanilla, right?” He pinched his nose, “Your flower kind of smells, did you put your personal organic fertilizer into it?”
“Is that any of your business? You’re the organic fertilizer!”
“Does Li Rui like flowers too?” Feng Ping Lan was surprised, then took a seat, “You know a lot! Amazing!” He took out his books and stationery from under his desk, but just when his hand entered the drawer, it bumped into something unfamiliar .
Hm? What was that?
He curiously drew out his hand .
It was a letter . The envelope was shaded with a blue gradient, looking like raindrops falling onto a lake surface, considerably elegant and classic . At the center was written ‘To Feng Ping Lan’ in rounded and cutesy characters, and a heart-shaped sticker was used to seal it .
Who had written him a letter?
He tore the envelope open and took out the letter inside, a faint white musk fragrance wafting into his nose .
“I dabble in everything a girl likes, and I try to understand and like them,” Bai Li Rui coughed with some self-satisfaction, “This way I’ll become a qualified and considerate boyfriend . ”
“Is that so? But all the girls like Byriel . ”
Hearing this, Byriel glanced at Bai Li Rui with a smile, “Does that mean that you like me?”
“Absolutely not!” Bai Li Rui refuted solemnly, “In any case, I know all the names, seasons and language of flowers! I am a man who loves and treasures flowers, this means I am also able to cherish women the way I pamper the flowers . ”
“Which means you also like penetrating the deep and narrow rachis, licking the mellifluous honeydew?” Morris cut in . “Do you also tame naughty little kitties? Just so you know, your answer will decide whether you will spend the rest of the day in the classroom or the sick bay . ”
“What the hell are you talking about!”
“Hey, Ping Lan, let me consult your homework for a moment . ”
Ivan smilingly walked over, pushing Bai Li Rui to the side .
“Stop right there, I was here first . ” Bai Li Rui moved forwards, squeezing back into his original seat .
Ivan cast Bai Li Rui a side glance, “You had ten days to complete your homework, were you goofing off?”
“You didn’t finish your homework either!”
“I had important stuff to do . ” Ivan crossed his arms, shaking his head disapprovingly, “Unlike you, who probably spent the last ten days fantasizing in bed . Go go go, wash your hands and come back . ”
“You should go wash your mouth out! Rude bastard!” Bai Li Rui retorted angrily, “Besides, in terms of our friendship, I’m clearly more familiar with Feng Ping Lan, we used to share a dorm for a couple of days! If anyone has to borrow his homework, I’d obviously be the first! Right, Ping Lan?”
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Bai Li Rui seemed pleased with himself as he looked at Ivan, waiting for Feng Ping Lan to spit out an answer favorable to himself . But a few seconds had passed, and there was no reply .
“What a steady friendship you have . ” Ivan ridiculed, “Thanks, Ping Lan! Tell this Classmate Bai about our revolutionary connection, much deeper than the superficial relationship of having roomed together for two or three days . ”
Similarly, there was no response to his words .
“Feng Ping Lan?”
Everyone turned their heads to see Feng Ping Lan with his eyes wide, his entire face red, as if it had been slapped a dozen times .
Detecting something off about this, everyone hurriedly gathered over .
“Are you alright?”
“What’s wrong?”
Feng Ping Lan rigidly turned his head to face his friends . “Some… someone…” He stuttered .
“What is it? Is someone plotting against you?”
Feng Ping Lan shook his head, trembling as he lifted the letter in his hand, “T-t-this…”
“What’s that?”
“A threatening letter?”
“An invoice?”
Feng Ping Lan shook his head again .
“T-t-this is…” He whispered the answer, as if he was being choked, “A… love… letter…”
To you, who is as brilliant and warm as the midday sun:
Hello . It must be very odd to suddenly receive a letter, right? XD
I hesitated a long time before summoning the courage to write this letter to you . I hope it didn’t cause you any trouble!
Actually, I’ve been silently observing you for a very long time! (Please don’t think of me as a pervert ╥﹏╥~) Your every action fascinates me, you are the most brilliant star in the sea of faces! If I could nestle in your chest and fall asleep to the sound of your heartbeat, that would be the most wonderful thing! (I’d even be willing to sleep for eternity! >////< How embarrassing!)
You are a Spec Ad student, as well as top of your year, but you never show an ounce of arrogance . You are kind and gentle, moistening my heart like a spring breeze! You are full of energy during PE lessons, each movement filled with strength and beauty, making my heart beat as if I’ve just finished a hundred-meter race . You have both intelligence and physical strength, endowed with civil and martial virtues, I am completely enamored with you!
My world has turned for the better because of your existence, I am unable to imagine just how dull my life would be if I had not encountered you .
As time passes, I find myself unable to suppress my desire for you, so I have summoned my courage to express my feelings . Regardless of what your answer is, I will accept it with a heart of gratitude! Because I’ll die of happiness to be able to receive your reply! (blissfully ascends to heaven~)
Yours truly,
The naughty, gawky, foolish Sandra
Su Li Wan articulately read the contents of the letter in a beautiful, mellow voice, lowering her head a little embarrassedly . Feng Ping Lan was going to read it aloud himself, but he had been too excited, squealing with delight or smiling foolishly for every two words he read, so Su Li Wan could only take over .
Feng Ping Lan’s group had gathered in a secluded corner to avoid being noticed as they read the letter . In a narrow staircase, after Su Li Wan was done reciting the letter, everyone fell silent .
Only Feng Ping Lan was in the state of elatedness and excitement .
“Hehehehehe! How’s that how’s that! I got praised!” Feng Ping Lan stared at the letter, chuckling, “How hateful, Miss Sandra, you can be happy but you can’t die, I’ll feel sad… Hahahahaha! I’m not that handsome! You flatter me!”
Apart from Bai Li Rui, who had a face full of envy, the others looked disdainfully at Feng Ping Lan, who was talking to the letter .
“So, what exactly is this unintelligible letter talking about?” Morris spoke .
“What do you mean by unintelligible? This is the best letter I’ve ever read!” Before Feng Ping Lan could answer, Bai Li Rui refuted, “Such a candid and lively letter filled with wit! Each word tugs at the heartstrings, each phrase touches you deeply in the heart!”
“That’s right that’s right!” Feng Ping Lan tacked on excitedly, “Just look, she says I’m like the midday sun! Hahahahaha!”
“If you’re like the midday sun, you’ll expose her to UV radiation . From a literal point of view, you’ll make her turn darker, and increase the chances of getting cancer . ” Conglong analyzed calmly .
“Ah? Is that so?” Feng Ping Lan was surprised, a little swayed .
“No, while the UV rays of the midday sun are strong, it can disinfect . ” Bai Li Rui immediately defended, “Her skin turning darker means that she wants you to leave your mark on her, getting cancer represents her wish for you to be with her at all times like a tumor in her body! Just think of how deep and passionate this love is!”
“I see!” Hearing this, Feng Ping Lan’s exhilaration was greater than before, “Li Rui is so smart!”
“Putting aside the contents of that letter, doesn’t that signature sound a little sketchy to you?!” Ivan furrowed his eyebrows, “What does she mean by ‘the naughty, gawky, foolish Sandra’? It sounds really stupid . ”
Igor pulled on Ivan’s sleeve, giving him a disapproving look . “Ivan, that’s impolite…”
“Oh, alright . ” Ivan pouted, “But it’s really strange . Why would a person address themselves like that?”
“Sigh, that’s why I say a layman like you will never understand . ” Bai Li Rui revealed an expression of contempt which said ‘never attempt to teach a pig to sing’[1], then said smoothly, “‘The naughty, gawky, foolish Sandra’ alludes to the term of endearment Napoleon gave Josephine in his love letters to her . To this adorable maiden, you’re her emperor, and she wants to be your empress!”
“I see! I’m an emperor! That’s great! Quick, let me ascend to the throne!”
Bai Li Rui continued his praises, “Just think of how cute a girl she would be to use such a roundabout method to express her love . You’re a really lucky fellow!”
“Yaaaaay!” Feng Ping Lan raised his arms and cheered .
Everyone’s expressions stiffened slightly .
Feng Ping Lan looked down at the letter, smiling foolishly, “This is the first time someone has ever written a love letter to me… the first time someone has liked me…”
“Could this be a prank?” Liu Yi Chen bluntly spoke out her guess .
Feng Ping Lan’s smile instantly turned rigid, dimming a little .
“Xiao Liu!” Su Li Wan shook her head at Liu Yi Chen .
Liu Yi Chen hurriedly corrected herself to salvage the mood, “But we’re in senior high school, so there probably isn’t anyone childish enough to do something like this . ”
Liu Yi Chen’s words caused Feng Ping Lan’s eyes to sparkle again .
“The sender’s identity isn’t written down, and we don’t know which class she’s from . Do you have any clues on that?” Su Li Wan asked .
Feng Ping Lan scratched his head, “I don’t know, I’ve never noticed anyone looking at me . ”
His attention was always focused on Quetzal’s group or his friends in the club . While he also interacted with the other students, they were just casual acquaintances, not very familiar with each other .
He lowered his head again to look at the letter . His fingers brushed across the rounded and cutesy characters, then subconsciously cracked his lips into a smile, letting out a snigger .
Someone liked him…
He wondered, what sort of person would it be?
The brief morning interlude ended right before classes started . After teasing Feng Ping Lan a little, no one pressed any further . After all, to them, receiving a love letter wasn’t anything special, and they had no interest in meddling in others’ personal matters .
Yet, the letter’s recipient was unable to remain calm, feeling restless all over . Feng Ping Lan repeatedly took out the letter to read it, chuckling foolishly all the while, and he got reprimanded by the teacher each time . There were even teachers who suspected Feng Ping Lan of taking drugs, and kept on asking the class representative Liu Yi Chen to notify the student affairs division .
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It was until their fourth period history class that the bright and shady laughter stopped, as there were exams taking place .
“Feng Ping Lan, lend me your question sheet to check the answers . ” When the period was over, Liu Yi Chen walked over to Feng Ping Lan to borrow his question sheet for reference .
“Oh, I didn’t write it . ”
“Didn’t you write your answers on the question sheet?”
“Oh, I meant that I didn’t answer the questions, I handed in a blank sheet . ” Feng Ping Lan laughed a little embarrassedly, “I was going to guess the answers before the exam ended, but the bell rang before I could . How time flies! Hahahahaha!”
Liu Yi Chen widened her eyes . “But I saw you seriously writing something down earlier, what did you write?”
“I was thinking about which class she’s from, what she looks like . ”
“Ah?” Liu Yi Chen stilled for two seconds, then realized that Feng Ping Lan was talking about the person who had written him the love letter . “You were thinking about that?”
“That’s right . This is my first time receiving a love letter!” Feng Ping Lan carefully took out the letter from his pocket, smelling it under his nose, “So fragrant! A girl that smells this good actually likes me! I originally thought of laminating it, but I won’t be able to smell the fragrance anymore, what a dilemma…”
Liu Yi Chen frowned, “Your words and actions are no different to Bai Li Rui’s . ”
“That’s good! Li Rui understands girls . If I was a little more like him, I’d be able to respond effortlessly to this situation!” Feng Ping Lan put the letter back in his pocket, “I’m going to the sick bay, you guys can eat lunch without me!”
With that, he excitedly skipped out of the classroom .
Liu Yi Chen and the others looked at Feng Ping Lan’s silhouette .
“It’s just a love letter, he’s being too extreme . ” Ivan gave a light laugh, “But, to be able to write such a ridiculous love letter, that person must be on the same frequency as Feng Ping Lan . ” Recalling the contents of the letter, Ivan couldn’t help but shake his head .
“It’s as if Feng Ping Lan wrote it himself…” Zong Yu spoke out his thoughts .
“You’re right . ” Everyone agreed . Such an exaggerated and preposterous tone was practically well-matched with Feng Ping Lan .
However, a female version of Feng Ping Lan? What would she look like?
But one thing was for sure, she would be incredibly noisy .
Sick bay, the second-floor office at the end of the corridor .
The office had the mane tones of grey, white and black, making it dark and icy . But there was a potted plant next to the ajar window, dark red cherries hanging from the branches which added a smear of brightness to the gloomy room .
Quetzal sat behind the office table, looking coldly at the visitor in front of him, silently waiting for Yin Su Shuang to state his purpose in coming here .
“There will be another mission appointed to you, it’s an S-ranked mission this time around . I’ll be bringing you guys to the mortuary the day after to formally take over the mission . ” Yin Su Shuang placed the documents onto Quetzal’s desk, “The mission’s difficulty and risk level is much higher than the usual mission, so we’ll lower the restrictions of your bangle during your mission, releasing 80% of your power . It’ll return to the original restrictions once the mission is completed . ”
Quetzal did not even look at the documents on the desk, merely staring coldly at Yin Su Shuang . After a moment, he questioned in a deep voice .
“Our current situation causes us to be indebted to you, and I must agree to your demands . ” The shadows under the documents swayed, and in the next second, transformed into a dozen black awls, shredding the thin papers to pieces, “You can use me, but you cannot make a fool out of me . You say this is a cooperation of mutual benefit, but you are the only ones benefiting from this . ”
The shadows on the floor started moving restlessly, slowly curling around Yin Su Shuang’s ankle .
“You’d better not move recklessly . ” Yin Su Shuang warned coldly, “You’re still wearing the cursed bangle, within the bounds of Zephaniah’s territory . Your actions are being controlled at all times . ”
“Are you sure?” His strength had indeed weakened quite a lot when the seal had first broken, but after lying low for some time, his internal and external injuries had gradually recovered to its usual state .
Yin Su Shuang could feel the shadows around his ankle slowly tighten, slowly climbing up like thistles and thorns, coiling around every position of his arteries .
“The ones who have something to hide do not seem to be us, your master is also secretly conducting some activities that cannot be publicized . ” Quetzal spoke softly, “I am tired of being constantly constrained, I can lay my cards on the table and leave regardless of the consequences . When the time comes, you will be the ones who have to clear up the mess . ”
Yin Su Shuang humphed coldly, barely reacting to Quetzal’s threat, “You’re correct . ”
Quetzal raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by Yin Su Shuang’s calmness .
“Right now, it looks like we have to ask you for help . ” Yin Su Shuang sighed, “But this isn’t completely for the sake of ourselves . ”
Quetzal waited for Yin Su Shuang to continue . Yin Su Shuang glanced at the shadows on his body .
After a second’s pause, Quetzal removed the shadows .
“Lately, the number of Usurpers have been on a sharp decline . ”
Quetzal’s expression changed subtly .
Recently, he had been frequently hunting down the demons who had fled to the human world, interrogating them on the whereabouts of Prince Shuekan and that Demon Slayer .
“It isn’t just because of your little nightly ‘activities’, similar phenomena have been appearing in various parts of the world . ” Yin Su Shuang chuckled, “The Association’s protection team continuously found the Usurpers vanishing before they could arrive . Some have gone missing, others were eliminated . And yet, those demons did not die by a Demon Slayer’s hand . ”
Quetzal raised his eyebrows .
“The demons died from another demon’s curse, but the Contract who cast the spell was not registered in the Association’s records . In addition, many Summoners have been attacked lately, and their Contracts have disappeared . The Director has reason to suspect that someone is surreptitiously gathering the demons . ”
Quetzal was expressionless, clearly losing his interest . He didn’t understand what this had to do with him .
“The Association’s higher-ups are in unanimous agreement that this is done by an Opposer, viewing this as an irregular insurrection and demonstration by terrorists . ” Yin Su Shuang revealed a disgusted expression, “But not all Opposers have a Contract of their own . They have captured and plundered so many demons, and cannot possibly bind contracts with all of them . No human can hold contracts with so many demons at once . ”
Quetzal instantly understood, “Apart from the Royal Clan…”
Only the Royal Clan could hold an unlimited number of contracts with demons without losing their power .
Yin Su Shuang nodded . “If everything goes with what you say, when the war of inheritance is over, the Third Prince ascends the throne . However, Prince Shuekan’s whereabouts are unknown, so he sent his people to the human world to find this lost prince . Then, why would he himself remain in this world for so long?”
“Prince Shuekan is a powerful competitor, and as long as the possibility of Prince Shuekan being alive exists, the Third Prince’s position as king will never be stable . ” At the mention of his enemy, there was a trace of hatred in Quetzal’s voice . “The Third Prince is a person who will resort to extreme measures to succeed . ”
“Perhaps that is one of the reasons . ” Yin Su Shuang reminded, “Additionally, do not forget . He isn’t the only one part of the Royal Clan in the human world, you are also searching for Prince Shuekan . ”
In other words, this hinted of the one binding contract with those Usurpers being Shuekan .
Quetzal understood the suggestion in those words .
An icy-cold glare shot at Yin Su Shuang from those purple eyes .
“Do you still remember the appearance of the Demon Slayer who sealed you?” Yin Su Shuang suddenly threw him this question .
“…He wore a mask, with various chaotic spells on him…”
“Every Demon Slayer does that . ” This wasn’t considered a trait .
“But I remember his voice . ” Quetzal said certainly, “Why do you ask?”
“I’m just curious—”
Footsteps traveled from the hallway, and Yin Su Shuang stopped talking .
The footsteps drew close, and a few seconds later, a knock sounded from behind the office door, and it opened .
“Quetzal!” A delighted cry crashed into the room, “Someone sent me a love letter!”
There was a brilliant smile on Feng Ping Lan’s face, partly due to the happiness of receiving a love letter, but mostly because he saw Quetzal .
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After standing still, he discovered someone else in the office .
“Ah, Class Advisor! You’re here too!”
Yin Su Shuang answered indifferently, “What did you come here for?”
Looks like today’s discussion would end here .
“To share my happiness!” Feng Ping Lan drew out the letter from his pocket with a foolish smile, then raised it like he was presenting a treasure, “You guys look! Someone wrote me a love letter! A love letter, y’know? It’s a love letter!”
In comparison to Feng Ping Lan’s one-sided enthusiasm, Quetzal and Yin Su Shuang’s calmness made it seem as if they were in another dimension .
“By the way, why did Class Advisor come to visit Quetzal? Are you unwell?”
“Just some official matters . ” Yin Su Shuang glanced at Quetzal, then turned to tell Feng Ping Lan, “Gather your club members tonight, there’s a bounty mission for you . ”
“Oh oh okay!”
Once Yin Su Shuang had left, Feng Ping Lan excitedly walked towards Quetzal .
He felt as if he hadn’t met Quetzal in a long while . It had been a week since the School Festival Trials ended, and Quetzal hadn’t even appeared in the Shadow Academy’s classes .
Yin Su Shuang had told him that his status was more or less the same as Yerde, since he had accepted the job as school doctor and club advisor, and didn’t originally need to accompany his contractor at all times . This caused him to be slightly depressed .
Although it had only been a few days, he was incredibly happy to see him again .
“I haven’t seen Quetzal in the past few days, Quetzal is super handsome as ever!” Feng Ping Lan laughed foolishly, “Where has Quetzal been these past few days? Did you miss me? Hahahahaha!”
Quetzal looked coldly at Feng Ping Lan .
After interacting with Feng Ping Lan for some time, he now understood Feng Ping Lan’s normal pattern .
Next, Feng Ping Lan would ramble to him about some meaningless things, asking for his opinion and thoughts on it, but even if he did not reply, Feng Ping Lan would continue on .
He glanced at the clock . There were thirty-two minutes left until the end of lunch break . In thirty-two minutes, Feng Ping Lan would automatically leave and return to his classroom .
Detecting Quetzal’s small movement, Feng Ping Lan said with a smile, “I’ll leave very soon! Don’t worry!”
Having his thoughts seen through by him, Quetzal was slightly astonished .
Would his guy ever get angry or sad? How did he manage to keep up this sort of optimism and energy?
Feng Ping Lan moved the letter closer to Quetzal .
“Quetzal, look, look, it’s a love letter! Ah, do you know what’s a love letter? A love letter is something you write in to tell someone you like about your feelings! Do people in the netherworld write love letters too? Has Quetzal ever received a love letter before? Can I write one to you? You might receive a love letter as thick as a dictionary! There’s absolutely nothing in my dictionary, only Quetzal! Hahahaha!”
After entertaining himself for a while, Feng Ping Lan calmed down slightly .
“Alright, back to the main topic . This love letter was really moving! I almost cried tears of happiness! Let me read it aloud for you! Although it might be a little disrespectful to the person who wrote this letter, I’m just too happy, I just want to share it with you! In any case, Quetzal is a good person, it won’t matter even if you know!”
Quetzal didn’t want to listen, but he did not plan on stopping him . He just hoped that this would end quickly .
Feng Ping Lan laughed foolishly as he recited the contents of the letter, then gave a timely commentary on it, including the kaomoji .
Quetzal listened quietly . He did not comment on the things Feng Ping Lan recited, in one ear and out the other .
But for some reason, Feng Ping Lan’s content and elated smile caused a sense of displeasure to rise from the depths of his heart .
“I didn’t think that someone would have a crush on me…” After reading the letter, Feng Ping Lan placed the letter in front of his face, taking a sniff, “A person who smells this good likes me!”
Quetzal furrowed his eyebrows .
He was displeased . But he was unsure why he was displeased .
Because Feng Ping Lan was noisy and foolish?
Or was it some other reason?
“I wonder if she’s an ordinary student or a Summoner . I hope she’s an ordinary student . ”
“Why?” The question slipped out of Quetzal’s mouth .
“If she’s a Summoner, she might be very disappointed when she realizes I’m a fake . ” Feng Ping Lan scratched his head with a wry smile, “After all, this identity is just temporary, and I’m ultimately just an ordinary human . ”
Quetzal looked at Feng Ping Lan, the unhappiness in his heart deepening .
Yes . An ordinary human .
Yes . The situation before his eyes was just temporary, they were bound to leave in the end .
Looking at Feng Ping Lan, who was so delighted by the letter he could barely put it down, Quetzal thought, perhaps the one to leave first might not be them .
Perhaps, Feng Ping Lan would be the first to leave .
After all, Feng Ping Lan was just a human, an ordinary human .
Feng Ping Lan would find a person he loved, and his focus would shift away from them, away from this dangerous world, enjoying the bliss that an ordinary human should have .
When the time arrived, would they become his burden?
If such a day arrived, would Feng Ping Lan decisively give up on them?
“Naughty Miss Sandra, the hints you gave me were too little! How am I supposed to respond to your love? What happens if I guess the wrong person? Quetzal, what do you think?”
“Demons do not have such troubles . ” Quetzal replied taciturnly, his voice carrying a trace of condemnation, “When we swear an oath of loyalty, our hearts will not contain anyone else . ”
“I see . ” Feng Ping Lan nodded his head, then paused for a few seconds, a deep smile rising on his face, “So, does Quetzal want to be the only person in my heart, swearing loyalty to you alone?”
Quetzal stilled .
He hadn’t thought about that .
More importantly, he was unable to resolutely refute it .
“Or,” Feng Ping Lan probed in a small voice, “In Quetzal’s heart, is his loyalty aimed at me alone?”
A strong sense of loathing and scorn rose on Quetzal’s features .
“Oh oh! I was just joking! Don’t get angry!” Feng Ping Lan hurriedly smoothed things over, “Quetzal has always been loyal to Prince Shuekan, I’m just some passerby, I’m just really grateful to be able to admire Quetzal’s looks! Hahahahaha!” He hurriedly tucked away the letter, “I’m going off! See you later!”
Feng Ping Lan thought that he had stepped onto Quetzal’s landmine, and smilingly hurried away .
In truth, the one Quetzal loathed and scorned was—
Himself .
TL Notes
[1]
‘Never attempt to teach a pig to sing’ – The original phrase is 粪土之墙不可杇 (a wall of dirty earth will not receive the trowel) which comes from the Analects of Confucius, meaning you can’t teach a student who doesn’t have the aptitude .Please download our sponsor's game to support us!