Dragon Clan: Force me to be reborn and slay dragons

Chapter 298 If she runs, chase her; make sure she can't escape!

"Lu Mingfei, come out here!"

"Don't think I don't know where you are just because you're hiding. You have the guts to bully my Mingze, but why don't you have the guts to come out and show your face?"

"come out!"

A sharp female voice pierced the tranquility of the campus like a blade. In the teaching building near the school clinic, classes that were in session were interrupted one after another, and students either frowned or curiously peeked out.

After a class period, the pheromones that Lu Mingze, the chubby boy, left in the parking lot to mark his territory had dried up. However, his gesture of kneeling down to his cousin to pay his respects without saying a word became known throughout the school through word of mouth among his classmates and busybodies.

Prince Ze has truly become a sensation this time.

If his reputation was previously limited to the second year of high school, not many people knew him in the first and third years of high school or in junior high school.

So from today onwards, he can openly say – "Don't worry about embarrassing stories spreading far and wide, for who in Shilan doesn't know you?"

The legend of his kneeling down and urinating all over the ground will spread throughout the entire Shilan Middle School.

That's why, even though the teachers who came after hearing the news forced him to endure the nausea and take him to the school clinic to change his clothes, and the school doctor repeatedly emphasized that he was fine and the onlookers had dispersed, he still refused to open his eyes, hoping that it was all just an illusion.

All of this was just a nightmare. When I wake up, I'll still be the beloved Prince Ze!
Unfortunately, his mother's wailing and howling forcefully pulled him out of this self-hypnosis and self-comfort.

"Mom, please, stop talking."

The chubby boy practically launched himself off the ground, grabbing his irritable mother's arm, trying to stop her from transforming into Big Mom and tearing down Shilan Middle School.

"It's...it's because I drank too many beverages and held it in all morning..." he stammered, making up an excuse that was half true and half false: "I got excited and just couldn't hold it in..."

The truth is he really did get carried away and brag all morning without going to the toilet; the lie is he was so scared he wet himself, but he would never dare to say that out loud.

The school doctor, trying to suppress his laughter, was flushed red, while the homeroom teacher, looking utterly dejected but forced to maintain her composure, tried to comfort him, repeating the facts that had been clarified several times before:

“Mingze’s mother, this is what happened. Lu Mingfei didn’t even say a word. If you don’t believe me, we can go to the security office to check the surveillance footage.”

Hearing her son and homeroom teacher say this, the middle-aged woman's anger subsided slightly, but her verbal fighting spirit remained undiminished:

"Even if Mingze is partly at fault in this matter, to put it another way, does Lu Mingfei bear absolutely no responsibility?!"

She became more and more excited as she spoke, spittle flying everywhere:

"If it weren't for him, would our Mingze have been embarrassed in front of so many people?"

"If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have lost my perfect Thirteen Orphans hand!"

"That heartless little ingrate! We've been treated to good food and drink, and he still wasn't satisfied and ran away from home. Now that he's back, he's bullying our Mingze. Does he think we owe him something?!"

Upon hearing this, the homeroom teacher clenched his teeth so tightly that it seemed as if he had used a great deal of force to keep his neck and head at the same angle, refusing to nod in agreement in front of the middle-aged woman's grotesque and distorted face.

As the chubby boy's homeroom teacher, he had visited Lao Lu's family before and knew what kind of life the two cousins ​​lived.

At that time, the family of three accompanied him to drink tea and chat, their faces full of wrinkles from laughing, their double chins even forming three folds, while the skinny Lu Mingfei was busy in the kitchen, picking and washing vegetables to prepare the ingredients needed for lunch.

But, couldn't you at least do it behind people's backs? Or at least pretend to?

Can't I just secretly order my nephew around so I don't have to see it or worry about it?
Ugh, disgusting!

The homeroom teacher rolled her eyes inwardly, but had to maintain a professional smile on her face.

He couldn't say what was on his mind openly, otherwise Lu Mingze's parents would definitely hold a grudge against him too, and they would be finished if the little fat boy secretly reported him to the Education Bureau after graduation.

When Lu Mingze saw that his homeroom teacher had suddenly stopped trying to persuade him and that his eyes were somewhat meaningful, he was so embarrassed that his face turned bright red. He felt ashamed and angry that all his 160 pounds of fat turned into rebellious spirit at this moment. He actually started to defend his cousin for the first time and contradicted his mother, trying to take all the responsibility on himself.

Don't ask, just tell me it's a man's responsibility.

"Now that things have come to this, I have no intention of explaining right or wrong." The chubby boy suddenly straightened his back and became serious, striking what he thought was a cool pose, as if he was about to sacrifice himself for his cause at any moment.

No one knows a son better than his mother, and no one knows a student better than his teacher. The middle-aged woman and the homeroom teacher both knew what kind of person this chubby boy was. They immediately noticed the small, shifty eyes on his chubby face that were darting around in one direction.

Following their gaze, the two of them froze.

At the end of the tree-lined path, a girl dressed in casual clothes was strolling along the path.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on her. Her long, black hair swayed gently in the wind, and her slender figure was as supple as a newly sprouted willow branch.

The girl possessed a flawless and beautiful face that seemed to exist only in the works of sculptors, with a pair of clear eyes that could reflect the entire world.

She simply walked quietly under the shade of the trees, reminiscent of a forest sprite or a fairy who had strayed into the mortal world.

The noisy middle-aged woman suddenly fell silent, her face turning somewhat unpleasant, just like when she first saw that beautiful older sister-in-law who was far superior to her in every way.

Even the homeroom teacher, who always liked to emphasize the dangers of early romantic relationships, couldn't help but hold his breath, and a poem came to mind: "Like a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally beautiful without any adornment."

Good heavens, this girl absolutely cannot be a student at Shilan Middle School, otherwise all the boys in the school will probably go crazy!

He was also a veteran of Shilan Middle School and knew that there were three campus beauties in the senior year: Su Xiaoqiang, who was incredibly beautiful and rich but had a bad temper; Liu Miaomiao, a well-bred young lady and a beautiful pianist; and Chen Wenwen, whose temperament was elegant and pure, like a white lotus flower.

But the girl not far away seemed to possess all three outstanding qualities: her appearance, temperament, and demeanor were all impeccable.

However, he quickly realized that this girl was probably not from this school. Otherwise, these teenage boys who secretly made lists of "most despicable people" and "school beauties" would have already elevated her to a pedestal. It was impossible for there to be no rumors about her at all.

As if drawn by the commotion, the elven girl's gaze swept over the group in front of the school clinic. When she saw Lu Mingze's affected posture and the subtle way he was looking at them, she frowned slightly, then looked away and quickened her pace, her back as light as a breeze.

Watching the unfamiliar but beautiful girl leave, the chubby boy reluctantly withdrew his gaze, feeling an emptiness in his heart, as if a piece of him had been ripped out.

Only by looking back at you, I think about the future and the evening of you.

I'm sorry, Xiyang, Xiaoya, Linlin, Lili, Xuexue...

It feels like another person has moved into my heart...

"Lu Mingze! Are you even listening to me?!"

Just as the chubby boy was lost in his fantasies, the middle-aged woman next to him, who had been calling him for a long time without him responding as if her soul had been bewitched, became furious and pressed a Great Wilderness Imprisoning Heaven Finger directly onto his forehead:

"You're always thinking about girls, no wonder your grades are always so bad."

"Starting today, get home immediately after school and don't linger at school. Sign up for two more tutoring classes on weekends so you don't have so much energy to waste!"

Upon hearing this, the chubby boy felt as if the sky had fallen, staring at the middle-aged woman in disbelief:

"Mom, you're my own mother! I already have two tutoring classes and one extracurricular activity on weekends. If I have two more, I'll be exhausted!"

"Don't try to play the victim with me!" The middle-aged woman didn't believe her and grabbed the chubby boy, dragging him out of the school.
"Elbow, come with me to the hospital. You're such a grown man and you're still soiling your pants. Maybe you have some kind of illness."

While playing mahjong, she overheard the older and younger women in the neighborhood saying that kids these days often like to do naughty things under the covers, and that Lu Mingze's outburst today might be due to doing too much handicrafts.

This is a matter of lifelong happiness, and cannot be taken lightly. The chubby boy panicked immediately: "No, Mom! Let me go! I want to go back to class!"

Before the middle-aged woman could even scold him, the homeroom teacher spoke up: "It's alright, don't worry, Mingze. I'll give you half a day off. Go see your mother; your health is important."

Despite his professional training, the school doctor, barely able to suppress his laughter, lowered his head and trembled as he handed Lu Mingze a bag containing wet clothes—clearly his canvas.

In the end, the chubby Lu Mingze was dragged away by his mother. He left without looking back, his back view desolate and not at all peaceful.

……

The dust in the archives floated in the sunlight, like a still snowfall.

Lu Mingfei closed the last photo album, the pages making a soft "snap" sound.

He and Chu Zihang exchanged a glance and tacitly stopped the pointless search.

The clues are clear: there was indeed a girl at Shilan Middle School whose records were deleted by the system. She had a close relationship with Chu Zihang and may have even tampered with his memories.

When I have some free time, I'll make a trip to the capital and we can talk face to face.

"So, I asked Fingel to get her contact information?" Lu Mingfei waved his phone. On the screen was a lewd emoji sent by Fingel. That guy had already visited Chu Tianjiao's old boss and was on his way back.

"Should we just go to the capital and talk to her?"

Chu Zihang held several yellowed photos in his hand, one of which, a video of the opening ceremony, was particularly eye-catching.

On stage, Chu Zihang, as a representative of outstanding freshmen, gave a speech. His face was still youthful, but it already showed the cold and stern features that he would later have. He was very much in line with Shilan Middle School’s definition of elite students.

Among the crowd below the stage, a petite figure with a high ponytail stood out, albeit indistinctly.

Although he couldn't see her face clearly, Lu Mingfei knew it was Xia Mi.

A man's intuition is sometimes more accurate than words.

Chu Zihang remained silent, his fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of the photograph.

He found the girl he had lost, but the memory was like a sketch dampened by rain, leaving only a blurry outline.

Fragmentary images flashed through my mind:
In the old courtyard, the shadows of the sycamore trees are cast on the overgrown ground, dappled like fish scales.

He sat at the wooden table organizing reference books, and behind him came the rustling sound of fabric. A slender figure stretched out its graceful curves in the sunlight, and the silhouette cast on the wall was as beautiful as a sonnet...

Her slender figure basks in the warm sun, her graceful posture exuding a lingering charm.

So he once had a youth like that too.

It turns out that he had also stepped into a girl's private space, spending an afternoon alone with a beautiful girl in a room filled with a faint fragrance, a dream come true for most boys, including Lu Mingfei.

"I don't know." Chu Zihang felt confused for the first time.

He looked up at Lu Mingfei, the iceberg in his pupils gradually melting: "I still don't remember her, I didn't even know her name until you told me."

Xia Mi... Xia Mi...

He chewed on the name repeatedly in his mind, like sucking on a slowly melting mint candy, cool yet with a slight sting.

These two words, which should have been the key to unlocking his memories, have now become a reminder of what he lacks.

Chu Zihang suddenly remembered his unreliable father.

If Chu Tianjiao were still alive, he would probably be smoking a cheap cigarette to maintain his persona, patting his shoulder with a hand that holds the steering wheel longer than the knife, and earnestly persuading him:

"Silly boy, does it matter if you remember or not? Get her first!"

"Once you have two kids, and you bring up the time you accidentally forgot about her, she might be angry enough to kill you, right?"

That man is capable of such a thing; no, that's exactly what he did.

Despite being there to carry out a top-secret mission, he manages to steal moments to date, get married, have children, and get divorced, living his life like an improvised absurd comedy.

Yes, the core of comedy is tragedy, no doubt about it.

"Don't feel embarrassed to go find her just because you've forgotten her." Lu Mingfei saw the reason for his good friend's hesitation.

He knows Chu Zihang too well.

This is a man who is stubborn to the point of being obsessive, always shouldering responsibility.

For Chu Zihang, forgetting someone who has left a mark on his life might be an unforgivable betrayal.

If no one comforts him, he will stubbornly try to recover all his memories, then appear before the other person in his most perfect state and calmly say, "Long time no see."

Like a fool.

Lu Mingfei's gaze unconsciously drifted towards Erii.

The girl sat upright in the sunlight, carefully flipping through photo albums. Whenever she spotted a blurry image of Lu Mingfei in the corner of a photo, she would let out a soft "ah," her eyes curving into crescents, as if she had discovered a treasure buried by time.

"A person's life is only a hundred years or so; there's no need to dwell on some things." Lu Mingfei seemed to realize something, looked up at the window, and suddenly said seriously:
"You need to tone down your male chauvinism; you're the victim now."

He suddenly stepped forward and hooked his arm around Chu Zihang's shoulder: "What you need to do isn't figuring out how to regain your memories, but instead, go straight to her, point to your head, and yell at her—'Xia Mi, how are you going to repay what you owe me?!'"

In his previous life, before he had fallen out with his uncle's family, he had noticed Chu Zihang and Xia Mi more than once.

Back then, Chu Zihang was no different from the Chu Zihang of this world; he was as cold and hard as a stone and had absolutely no idea how to win a girl's heart.

But Xia Mi is a wildfire that doesn't play by the rules. She'll stick an iced cola on his face, she'll suddenly attack him from behind while he's practicing swordsmanship, and she'll drag this expressionless guy to watch a midnight horror movie...

Little by little, with a not-so-broad mind, it melted the stubborn rock covered in solid ice.

But the world is ultimately different.

Here, Chu Zihang is shrouded not only in loneliness, but also in an irreconcilable blood feud with the gods. Those dark memories entwine him like thorns, turning his blossoming youth into a silent, unfinished drama.

"Go find her and make her take responsibility." Lu Mingfei tapped Chu Zihang's chest with his hand, his action not at all polite. If the girls in the school who admired Chu Zihang saw this, they would probably want to chop off his hand. Then he carefully wiped the wrinkles on Chu's shirt with a towel.

"She took it upon herself to flirt with the young man's heart, and then ran away because she didn't want to take responsibility. Did she think this was an online romance? She could even delete chat history and block him?"

"You're going to be a future domineering CEO, so you should do what a domineering CEO should do."

"She runs, you chase; she can't escape!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Zihang, whose eyes flickered slightly, was shoved out the door:
"Go ahead, there's a surprise waiting for you in the junior high section."

(End of this chapter)