The screen went black, the principal cut off the communication, and the control room fell silent again. The professors and students exchanged surprised looks with each other. After several decades, a “true “S” grade” appeared in Cassell College. This boy, who seemed utterly ordinary, had not only proven his rank with his scores but also with his extraordinary abilities. However, it seemed that something was wrong, and people had an inexplicable strange feeling.
Lu Mingfei was sweating a little under the gaze of everyone. He thought that he was probably not suitable to be a great man and became a hot water kettle on the solar stove. All of this seemed to be a coincidence. God knows how these coincidences came together. He was like a thief who happened to steal a rare treasure, but he was not very happy in his heart.
“Don’t let the bubble burst!” Nono said, brushing past Lu Mingfei, patting his shoulder before leaving.
The excited Professor Guderian rushed over to shake his hand vigorously. “The Principal’s Scholarship! It’s the highest honor of the college! Mingfei, I’ve always had faith in you!”
Lu Mingfei felt a bit bewildered. When Nono had patted him just now, he hadn’t understood her expression—it was definitely not a happy one, more like a touch of indifference. Had being an S-Rank somehow offended Nono?
He was surrounded by excited freshmen and walked out of the library. Nono had already gone somewhere. Her boyfriend Caesar, who should have been running around worriedly, didn’t seem to be in a hurry either. He was asking his followers in the student union if they wanted to stay up late and have a beer together. The night at Cassell College was particularly quiet in late autumn. The guide lights that were as high as the knees illuminated the cobblestone path, which was surrounded by Gothic-style buildings. The Bermuda lawn in the middle, the principal’s favorite, had been repaired, and every blade of grass was swaying in the wind.
Lu Mingfei shook hands with the freshmen one by one, and was considering whether he should use his student ID card with a high balance to treat these freshmen who supported him to a drink at such an exciting moment – although he felt depressed. Kiran kept lobbying him to join the freshman fraternity and sincerely expressed her willingness to give him the position of president.
Being a boss, you have to behave like a boss, right ? “Lu Mingfei thought”
4. Leave
Suddenly, a loud noise came from the bell tower in the distance. The bronze bell that had not rung for a long time began to shake. The sound of the bell resounded throughout the campus. The startled students came out of their dormitories one after another. They didn’t even have time to put on their clothes. The boys wore cotton pajamas and the girls wore silk nightgowns. They stood in the cold wind at night with their arms folded, looking around. It seemed that they had heard more than just the sound of the bell. The freshmen were all at a loss, but Caesar and the students around him all looked up at the direction of the bell tower. A large group of white pigeons poured out from there, chirping in the air, circling and flying. There were no telling how many hundreds or thousands of them there were. The night sky of the entire Cassell College was covered with the white feathers of pigeons. Caesar stretched out his hand to the sky, and a pigeon landed on his finger. Then all the pigeons landed on the lawn. They did not look for food, but just cooed. The sound seemed a little sad in the night sky. Everyone lowered their heads, and someone lit a white candle and stuck it in the lawn.
The students who had been full of joy just moments ago were now silent. Caesar took a white handkerchief from his uniform pocket and tied it to the fence around the lawn. The other students followed suit, making the fence bloom like trees covered in white flowers.
Amidst the confusion, Lu Mingfei heard someone behind him say, “Someone has left us.”
He turned to see Chu Zihang’s pale golden eyes. The head of the Lionheart Society had actually taken the initiative to talk to him.
“Every time someone leaves us, doves fly out of the church as a sign of mourning,” Chu Zihang said softly, looking at the lawn.
Even though Lu Mingfei was an S-Rank and Chu Zihang was an “A” rank, when speaking to this student leader, Lu Mingfei felt like a junior, nodding vigorously.
Chu Zihang patted Lu Mingfei’s shoulder and gave him a faint smile. “Thank you. If you hadn’t deciphered that map, there would have been more people leaving us, right?”
Lu Mingfei had never imagined that Chu Zihang would smile. No matter the situation, Chu Zihang always wore an expressionless face, even when Lu Mingfei had knocked him down with a shot. His expressionlessness was different from Caesar’s indifference—Caesar was proud, while Chu Zihang seemed indifferent to everything. But now, he smiled, gently, like an older brother.
“How’s your cousin?” Chu Zihang asked.
“He’s… doing well,” Lu Mingfei said. “He really admires you.”
Chu Zihang smiled again, politely, but not with joy.
“You’re not afraid to look me in the eyes, are you?” Chu Zihang asked again.
Lu Mingfei suddenly realized that Chu Zihang looked troubled because he always lowered his eyes, because those golden pupils that could not be extinguished would make people who saw them feel fear involuntarily. At this moment, the golden pupils were fully opened to Lu Mingfei, revealing a kind of enchanting beauty, but Lu Mingfei was indeed not afraid. Finger said that the golden pupils would automatically trigger the word spirit named “Emperor” and make people in awe, but this had no effect on Lu Mingfei. He was just a little jealous in his heart…
“No, I’m not.”
“That’s good. Actually, not many people are willing to look into my eyes. Most people don’t like to make eye contact with me.”
“This is my official invitation—please join the Lionheart Society,” Chu Zihang said. “You will become the next president after me, I promise.”
“Why?” Lu Mingfei was stunned.
A political appointment? This was too fast! It was like being promoted to major general before even joining the National Army! No, more like being made the next leader of the party!
“Because whoever succeeds me must be someone who can be my rival!” Chu Zihang said.
Lu Mingfei scratched the back of his neck. This was the second invitation he had received today. In the library, Kiran had already expressed that, as the acting president of the Freshman Union, she had finally found the ideal candidate in Lu Mingfei, which made him wave his hands in a hurry.
Actually, stepping down as president of the Freshman Union was still within reason. Although Lu Mingfei didn’t have much ability, he could rely on his S-Rank status to get by. But president of the Lionheart Society… that was a big joke, wasn’t it? The Lionheart Society was the oldest club at Cassell College. The position of its leader was something Caesar had coveted for a long time. It was only because the previous leader didn’t like Caesar’s arrogance that Caesar joined the Student Union instead. If Caesar couldn’t get it, then what right did Lu Mingfei have?
He really wanted to say something humble, like, “Your Majesty, your grace is too great, I am not worthy of such an honor, and the throne is not to be passed on lightly!” But he didn’t dare say it. Chu Zihang looked directly into his eyes, calm but serious, like a promising young monarch whose every word was true.
“Caesar will also want you to join the Student Union, and if you choose the Student Union, that’s fine too,” Chu Zihang said lightly. “Someone like you—whether as a friend or a rival—makes me happy.”
He lowered his eyes, patted Lu Mingfei’s shoulder, and turned to leave.