Dragon Clan: Avoid the College Entrance Examination to Slay the Dragon

Chapter 21 Before leaving
The vice principal crushed his cigarette butt fiercely into a ceramic ashtray, the sparks flying like dying fireflies. "This young man is surrounded by mysteries, and we can't find a breakthrough. Where's his grandfather?"

Ange rubbed the edge of the file bag with his thumb. "Old soldier. His grandfather was in the Fourth Field Army and was a famous walking map. He later went into the Korean War and beat you guys."

"What a mess, Ange," the vice-principal sneered, "Didn't you Union Jacks join the United Nations forces?"

"We examined him. His rash entry into the Nibelungen region did cause him considerable damage, but he received comprehensive treatment in China, and he should have woken up."

"Should have?" The vice-principal shook out the last cigar from the wrinkled cigarette box, and the filter knocked out fine tobacco crumbs at the base of his thumb.

"His vital signs are all normal, but he won't wake up." Ange's voice was accompanied by the faint explosions outside the bell tower. "It's like an invisible hand has locked his consciousness into the deepest compartment of his brain."

The Vice Principal leaned forward, an unlit cigar between his lips. The dim light from his blue-flame lighter cast a skull-like shadow on his eye sockets. "Don't you think these grandfather and grandson look like Russian nesting dolls? The more you unravel the mystery, the more it becomes."

Ange stopped in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. The dark red sky was torn to pieces by the pillars of fire, but the cold air climbed up to his ankles along the marble floor.

"So what's your conclusion?"

With a "crack", the blue flame licked the cigar.

"Don't you think this boy is a pawn some chess player has thrust onto the board?" Smoke escaped from between his teeth, weaving a web between the two of them. "To catch fools like us who think we're the ones holding the pieces."

"Even if it's bait, he'll take it." Ange turned. "Take him to Cassel and monitor him carefully. If you know there's a time bomb waiting to go off, it's best to keep it somewhere where it can be handled at any time."

The vice principal's hand, holding a cigar, hung in the air. "Are you sure you didn't send a bomb into our hearts?"

"Kassel is not only our military academy. It's also our strongest fortress." Ange gently placed a box of Cuban cigars on the edge of the mahogany table. "Besides, you're absolutely right. Gu Yi's bloodline is indeed very strong. There's no reason for us to give up on a half-blood who can be rated S-rank."

The vice-principal stared at Ange, "Damn it! Are you planning to use this bomb to blow up the dragon clan?"

The roar of the ninth explosion cut off the conversation, the vibration of the stained glass echoing in their eardrums for a long time. Outside the window, red flames like dragons coated Ange's profile like a bronze mask. "War with monsters should be extinguished with their blood."

"Crazy." The vice principal muttered to himself.

-

The morning light spread over the windowsill like melted gold foil. Lu Mingfei hooked his fingers on the tassel of the curtain and pulled it hard. The chirping of cicadas rushed into the room with the June heat.

"Get up! It's already eleven o'clock. You really won't get up if I don't call you, right?"

Gu Yi buried his face deeper into the linen pillowcase, his eyelashes rubbing against the coarse fabric, causing a subtle tingle. He could hear Lu Mingfei drawing anxious circles on the wooden floor in his flip-flops.

"Damn it, school is closed today, why don't we get some more sleep?" He raised his hand to block the waterfall of light leaking in through his fingers, and the floating dust danced a disordered waltz in the beam of light.

"That's why you slept until ten, not eleven." Lu Mingfei leaned over and supported himself on the edge of the bed. "I came here out of kindness to spend the night with you, and I even had to make breakfast. Am I your housekeeper?"

"You wanted to come here on your own." Gu Yi suddenly turned over and sat up. He smelled the caramel-like baking aroma floating in the air. His eyes swept across the light blue shadows under Lu Mingfei's eyes. This guy must have stayed up late playing games again.

"What's for breakfast?"

"Steamed buns and fried dough sticks."

"Can you do this?"

"Of course not. I bought it from Wang Ji downstairs, but I made the milk."

Gu Yi held his head and walked to his seat. On a blue and white porcelain plate lay a few caramel-colored dough sticks, their skin cracked and releasing snowflakes of dough. Steam was rising from the milk in the glass, condensing into winding beads on the wall.

The moment Lu Mingfei bit into the fried dough stick, golden oil splashed onto the blue-rimmed porcelain bowl, and a few tiny oil droplets suddenly floated on the surface of the milk.

"What are you going to do today?" he asked vaguely.

Gu Yi slid the peeled tea egg into the other man's bowl, the egg white gleaming a warm jade-colored hue in the morning light. "I'll go to the hospital to see Grandpa later. He's already been transferred to BJ, so I might have to stay with him for a few days."

"Oh." Lu Mingfei suddenly became very interested in the crack on the bowl's rim, and his thumb repeatedly scratched the crescent-shaped gap. "When are you leaving the country?"

"At the end of August, let's go with Senior Brother Chu."

"Okay." Lu Mingfei's response was so short that it seemed to have been cut by scissors.
"What? Can't bear to leave me?" Gu Yi pushed away the floating milk skin with the back of a spoon.

"What?" Lu Mingfei's plastic slippers made a harsh squeaking sound as they scraped against the wooden floor. "I'm just worried that you'll be corrupted by the extravagant capitalist world!" Gu Yi's eyes rippled, and he chuckled, "Lu Mingfei, you know I'm not just going to college."

"Yeah! You won't explain it to me clearly!" Lu Mingfei suddenly slammed his chopsticks on the edge of the bowl. "Every time we get to the point, you bring up the confidentiality agreement. Do you think you're in 'The Bourne Supremacy'?"

Gu Yi lowered his eyes as he stirred the milk. Amidst the tinkling sound of the silver spoon hitting the porcelain wall, the milk skin cracked into irregular geometric shapes. "I signed a confidentiality agreement, so there are many things I can't tell you. The same goes for you. Don't tell anyone else what I tell you."

"I know, I know." Lu Mingfei scratched his ears. "You've repeated it so many times that my ears are callused."

Gu Yi's eyes swept across the curled ends of Lu Mingfei's hair. Three days ago, when he told Li Chengze and the others that Lu Mingfei was also half an insider, Li Chengze and the others reacted calmly as if they had expected it and just asked him to remind Lu Mingfei not to say anything he shouldn't.

He also carefully observed Guderian's reaction. He seemed to know who Lu Mingfei was, and even seemed very familiar with him. However, Gu Yi did not intend to tell Lu Mingfei about this, lest he would have wild thoughts all day long.

"Don't act like we're parting forever. I'm going abroad, not dead. It's not ancient times now where we can only communicate by letter. Can't you just stay up a little longer so you can chat with me?"

"You're a human!" Lu Mingfei crushed the fried dough sticks in his hand, and golden crumbs fell from his fingers. "Next year, I have to face the hell of the college entrance examination! Unlike you, who can just flap your wings and get by."

"That's not necessarily the case. Maybe you'll study abroad later."

The bottom of the milk cup made a crisp sound when it hit the table. "You must be kidding! With my grades?" He suddenly lowered his voice and leaned closer. "Is your school really some kind of academy for people with super powers?"

"What do you think?" Gu Yi said with a forced smile.

"Stop!" Lu Mingfei suddenly covered his ears, and the chair legs scraped against the floor, making a piercing scream. "Just pretend I didn't ask! I don't want to be invited to have tea with the men in black one day!"

The tense atmosphere was suddenly diluted. Lu Mingfei sighed, "So what have you been doing for the past two months?"

"Pack up now, since you'll be away for a long time. But I've been alone at home for the past two months. You can come anytime you want, and it won't be a problem for us to see each other every day."

"You're so lucky! No one's watching you." Lu Mingfei slumped down on his chair. "By the way, Chen Wenwen texted me that the class reunion has been postponed to the end of August, when school is almost starting and everyone will be there."

"Yeah." Gu Yi answered absentmindedly.

"You're going, right? Why don't you say hello to your classmates before you leave?"

"I'll go to the class reunion." Gu Yi wiped the milk stains from the corners of his mouth with a tissue. "I heard that the address was arranged by Zhao Menghua? Are they planning to hold it at the Regent Hotel?"

"It seems so. Young Master Zhao is very generous." Lu Mingfei sighed. "But it's strange. You and Zhao Menghua have always been at odds. Why is that?"

"There's no reason, I just can't stand him." Gu Yi leaned forward, "Do you need a reason to hate someone?"

Lu Mingfei was forced to lean back by the sudden feeling of oppression, "I think I need it." He muttered softly.

"Anyway, I will go. After all, I have to leave, so I have to say hello."

"That's right! Tell me about your two years in high school. I'm afraid you haven't even spoken to some of the people in your class!"

"Maybe." Gu Yi turned the glass, and the milk left a spiral white mark on the wall of the glass.

"If it weren't for your face, I'd think you'd be invisible in the class." Lu Mingfei grabbed a cold fried dough stick and waved it in the air. "I asked you to join the literature club before, but you refused. You refused all group activities."

"Why should I join the literature club?" Gu Yi looked at Lu Mingfei with interest. "It's not like I dislike anyone in the club."

Lu Mingfei's face instantly turned red like a cooked shrimp, "You, you, you, what do you mean?"

"It's nothing special, but your reaction is quite interesting." Gu Yi said calmly, "I guess you're the only one in the class who thinks you've hidden it well."

Lu Mingfei tilted his head and whistled an erratic tune, his plastic slippers making a messy beat on the floor. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I guess Zhao Menghua and his group are unhappy with you, and this might have something to do with your situation."

"What?" Lu Mingfei replied weakly, "I think it's okay. We are just normal classmates."

Gu Yi looked at Lu Mingfei's red ears, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. "That's it. We can talk about your emotional problems later."

(End of this chapter)