Dragon Clan: Force me to be reborn and slay dragons

Chapter 299 You're still the same as before, so cold and aloof.

The emerald green leaves twirled and fell in the wind, and the girl's footsteps were as light as a cat's.

She wandered aimlessly along the tree-lined path of Shilan Middle School, a strand of hair twirling between her fingers, pondering why the first place she wanted to visit after returning to the city was Shilan Middle School.

My gaze swept over the boys on the basketball court, sweating profusely, watching them cheer for a brilliant layup and a three-pointer, watching them celebrate in funny or cool ways, watching them deliberately speak loudly to try to get my attention, and suddenly I remembered a long time ago.

At that time, she had just entered the school, like a wary young animal, carefully observing and imitating the actions of those around her.

A beautiful appearance is a dime a dozen, but an interesting soul is one in a million.

At Shilan Secondary School, there are very few people who possess both qualities.

She counts as one, and a certain boy surnamed Chu can be considered one as well.

I first noticed him at the junior high school entrance ceremony.

It was early September, the sun was still scorching, and all the new students were crowded into the air-conditioned auditorium, with each child accompanied by a proud parent standing behind them.

There were only two exceptions—

She hid at the back of the crowd, like a drop of water merging into the ocean; no one could notice her without permission.

The boy stood in the most eye-catching first position and was personally invited by the principal to go on stage to receive an award. He was also asked to speak as a representative of the new students, but from beginning to end, there was no one there.

At that time, she felt that the boy was both embarrassed and a little pitiful.

However, he showed little emotion when he spoke on stage. He had a cold face, and his voice was as calm as still water, without any fluctuation, like a robot.

Later she discovered that the guy really was like a robot, and his actions were probably guided by moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic and labor education. Except for the lack of expression, he was unbelievably perfect.

Always arrive at the classroom on time, always remain first in the grade, and always complete every task with a blank expression.

Too perfect to be human.

But this doesn't meet her needs.

What she needs is a model that allows her to blend perfectly into the crowd, not an outcast who is forever detached from the group.

Upon arriving at the junior high school basketball court, the girl paused slightly. Several boys whose voices had just changed were shouting and yelling on the court, their shooting motions mostly haphazard and unorthodox.

On many evenings in the past, whenever she passed by here, she would see that robot boy practicing shooting hoops alone.

His movements were clean and efficient; the basketball traced a perfect arc and swished through the net with a "whoosh."

He was a sharpshooter with excellent aim. His physical education teacher once begged him to join the school team, even bringing up the importance of bringing glory to the school.

He agreed, but rarely participated in team training. During matches, he would always silently complete his tasks and then quietly leave the field.

Youth basketball was too easy for him. The coach's tactics were just like those in basketball novels—get that damn ball to the best player and get ready to clap and celebrate!
He doesn't usually play ball with others, and others won't invite him to play. After all, who would want to play a game they're sure to lose without some special hobby?

Of course, this didn't stop the girls from screaming on the sidelines.

Thinking of those infatuated faces, the girl couldn't help but slightly purse her lips.

Perhaps it's because the wealthy are well-fed and clothed, or perhaps it's because their hormones are too strong during puberty, but the students at this school seem to be perpetually in heat, their eyes burning with desire as if they're about to spit fire.

The boys used all sorts of tricks to attract the attention of the opposite sex, while the girls fluttered around those few popular figures like butterflies drawn to nectar.

It's even more exaggerated than the Dragon Clan.

Her thoughts receded like the tide, and as she turned to leave, she saw him at the end of the tree-lined path.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the sycamore leaves, dappling the person.

The white shirt was strikingly clean, and the black trousers accentuated his long, slender legs.

He stood there, like a drawn sword, sharp and silent.

The wind swept through the treetops, and dappled sunlight danced across his stern face.

She blinked, surprised to see them meet again here.

But she didn't make any move, still keeping her hands behind her back, curiously observing him from afar.

He was taller than I remembered, and his shoulders were broader.

But what surprised her most was that the boy who used to be as cold as ice now had a more human touch in his eyes.

However, the lingering stench of blood around him was unbearable, suggesting that he had used up many of the skills he learned at the youth center abroad, or perhaps he had just returned from killing someone in Japan.

The girl stood with her hands behind her back, gazing at him across the tree-lined path where light and shadow intertwined. She could clearly see her reflection in his dark pupils, small as a butterfly trapped in amber.

After seeing so many blonde, blue-eyed foreign girls abroad, is it really true that I still prefer Chinese beauties?

It seems my efforts back then weren't in vain. Even if I've forgotten some things, my subconscious aesthetic sense is still on point, and I haven't become a Western worshipper.

His gaze was complicated; his eyes, which were usually as calm as a lake, were now rippling, as if he had remembered something but couldn't be sure.

He's not the kind of person who lies, and his acting skills aren't very good either.

So, he remembered?
The sunlight suddenly became dazzling, and a camphor leaf swirled and fell between the two of them, as if time had been paused.

White sneakers, tinged with gray and yellow, looked quite old as the girl walked on the cement pavement, her hands behind her back, approaching him step by step.

As the distance closed, she could clearly see the boy's Adam's apple bobbing unnaturally, and his slender fingers curling slightly.

How interesting!
Chu Zihang let his hands hang naturally as he watched the girl stroll towards him.

She is cute and beautiful, with delicate features that are flawless, and a pure and lovely temperament like the girl next door.

For some reason, as the other person drew closer, he felt a desire to retreat, as if this beautiful girl were some kind of predator at the top of the food chain.

But he still withstood this invisible pressure, standing still, his gaze fixed on her without shifting even for a moment.

"You're still the same as before, so cold."

The girl leaned forward slightly, looking up at him. A few strands of her long black hair fell down, swaying gently in the wind. Her slightly chubby cheeks glowed with a peach-like pink in the sunlight, and the smile in her eyes seemed to be mixed with honey, carrying the light joy of a long-awaited reunion.

Chu Zihang felt as if an invisible arrow had pierced his heart. There was no pain, but his body instantly stiffened like a sculpture, and the numbness spread through his blood vessels to his limbs and bones.

In short, it achieved a hard crowd control effect.

He frowned, took a deep breath to regain control of his body, and his voice was so deep it seemed to come from a great distance:

"You are...Xia Mi?"

Although it is a question, the tone is affirmative.

"Oh, senior brother actually remembers me, I'm so touched." The girl's eyes lit up with surprise when she heard her name spoken by him. Her lips curled up, revealing two sharp little tiger teeth, as bright as a summer flower in full bloom.

Only a barely perceptible glint of something different flashed in his eyes.

It's amazing that you actually remember me. Could it be because you faced that monarch who controls the spiritual elements and were shocked, and then remembered something?
Damn it, even after being dead for so many years, he still wants to ruin my plans.

Don't let me find your bones, or I'll definitely stew you into a rich bone broth!
Upon hearing the words "senior brother," Chu Zihang's brows, which had finally relaxed, furrowed again. He swallowed the question that Lu Mingfei had urged him to ask and nodded slightly: "I have some impression."

"Ah, you only have a vague recollection?" Xia Mi straightened up, displeased, her hands behind her back on her hips, her canine teeth gleaming dangerously in the sunlight.
"I always thought you just had facial paralysis, but it turns out you also suffer from amnesia!"

Chu Zihang was puzzled and looked at her quietly, waiting for an answer.

Xia Mi met his gaze without speaking, her cheeks slightly puffed out, as if she were playing some kind of breath-holding stare challenge.

But if Chu Zihang wanted, he could easily become the champion of breath-holding and stand there until the end of time.

But she can't, at least not in her current public persona.

In the end, she was the first to give in.

"We were classmates in junior high..." the girl said softly, her eyes filled with resentment, as if she were looking at a heartless man.

"Even though I transferred schools later, you've completely forgotten about me, even though I used to cheer you on all the time..."

Upon hearing this, Chu Zihang finally remembered that there was indeed such a cheerleader in his memory. She would often wear a skirt and wave colorful pom-poms while he was playing games, leading her teammates to cheer for them. Her voice was as clear and crisp as a wind chime.

But something just doesn't feel right.

He resisted the urge to glance back at the administration building, looked down at the girl in front of him who seemed a little angry but not particularly angry, and ultimately didn't know how to get to the bottom of things.

The girl's current settings are a mystery, and he can't determine them for the time being; his CPU is overheating.

Fortunately, Xia Mi was already used to his taciturn personality: "Senior brother, didn't you go abroad to study? Why are you back for vacation so early?"

She tilted her head and asked casually, but a hint of inquiry flashed in her eyes.

He had just killed the White King, and then suddenly ran back to his hometown, skipping even the ceremony of rewarding his merits. He must have something important to do.

Could it be that the White King's dragon bones have been moved?
Or something even more important—the cocoon?

The girl's thoughts were in turmoil.

Chu Zihang blurted out, "Recruitment."

This was the excuse he used to fool the principal of Shilan Middle School. Kassel did indeed have a tradition of searching for talent all over the world. For example, the mysterious and beautiful girl shrouded in mist in front of him was a mixed-race genius who had been lured into the preparatory class.

"Wow, it seems you're doing quite well abroad, senior. You've even gotten into the admissions office. I heard it's lucrative there." Xia Mi gave a thumbs up, her eyes revealing a longing and desire for money, just like a little money-grubber.

If it weren't for the fact that the body size didn't match, he would have seriously suspected that the girl was Fingel in disguise.

"..." Chu Zihang remained silent for a long time, "And you?"

The girl has only been successfully admitted to the preparatory class of the Kassel China branch, which means she is currently in the second year of high school and should have another month of classes before the holiday.

"I'm back for a couple of days to relax after the college entrance exams and revisit some familiar places." Xia Mi lowered her hands from her hips, instantly switching into the mode of a well-bred young lady.

"It's a pity that things have changed and people are no longer the same."

As she spoke, she glanced at him with a resentful look, her eyes full of dramatic flair, making one wonder if she attended the Beijing Film Academy Affiliated High School instead of the Peking University High School.

Chu Zihang: "..."

Although he had been spending all his time with Lu Mingfei, Finger, and Lao Tang lately, and had gotten used to their eccentric and optimistic personalities, his resilience had improved, and he had accumulated some experience in dealing with them. However, he still found it a bit difficult to handle this overly lively "junior."

It wasn't just because she was pretty and cute and had a past with him, but also because he couldn't figure out her intentions.

As expected, she was the one who messed with her memories, but she pretended not to know anything and didn't want to expose her directly.

Otherwise, if something unexpected really happens, and you rely solely on your words of power without a sword, the commotion will be quite significant and difficult to manage.

Xia Mi was completely unaware that her identity had been exposed. This heartless man was still plotting how to deal with her. She looked around and pretended to be serious:
"Senior, school's about to let out. I haven't eaten at Shilan Middle School's cafeteria in ages. How about you treat me to a meal?"

She was genuinely a little hungry.

I hopped on a plane early this morning to get here, and after landing, I rushed non-stop from the airport to the city center, and then from the city center to the school, without even having time to drink water.

I originally planned to "borrow" a bottle of water from the office, but unexpectedly Chu Zihang appeared out of nowhere.

Chu Zihang nodded. The cafeteria at Shilan Middle School accepts both meal cards and bank cards. Having reunited with his "old friend" after so long, he naturally wouldn't be stingy with the money for the meal.

"Great, thank you, senior brother!" Xia Mi's smile instantly blossomed, just like Fingel who had just gotten his meal.

Yes, the free meals at Kassel College are all-you-can-eat, but the menu never changes.

Finger always complains that he has gained weight because he eats too much pork knuckle, but he never mentions the fried chicken and cola he eats late at night.

In his bizarre logic, not mentioning it means zero calories.

The two walked side by side on the school path, their footsteps crushing the dappled shadows of the trees.

Xia Mi would occasionally and deliberately step on Chu Zihang's shadow, muttering to herself:
"Senior, are you doing the recruitment work all by yourself? Were you ostracized by those foreigners? I heard that foreigners are also very xenophobic. If you are bullied, you can't keep it to yourself."

Of course, there are accomplices who are searching for your information in the archives.

But that's something I definitely can't say, at least not now: "They're busy with other things."

"What's got you so busy that you forgot your job?" Xia Mi said, feeling indignant on his behalf, but secretly trying to gather information.

Incidentally, she also silently released the Word of Power: Kamaitachi, causing these invisible wind spirits to scatter throughout Shilan Middle School in search of Lu Mingfei.

She had just heard it; Lu Mingfei had also appeared at Shilan Middle School and had scared that chubby boy named Lu Mingze so much that he peed his pants.

Since Chu Zihang is still here, he definitely hasn't left. It's just a matter of whether he's back to show off or has some other motive.

"Of course, they're trying to persuade me to enroll and meet the enrollment quota."

Before the weasel could spread out, a clear voice came from the other side.

Xia Mi looked in the direction of the voice and saw a couple wearing matching outfits walking hand in hand. The one who spoke was none other than Lu Mingfei, the "handsome young man who has recently become a sensation on the internet."

He had an innocent smile on his face, but Xia Mi immediately canceled the Kamaitachi.

Something's not right with this guy.

(End of this chapter)