Lu Mingfei, become the King of Elden!

Chapter 161 The heat of July, the gift of clothes in September (1 chapter missing)
The Book of Songs says, "In the seventh month, the fire star moves westward; in the ninth month, clothes are given out."

Although the term "flowing fire" actually describes a change in the stars, specifically the westward setting of Antares, Lu Mingfei felt that it was not much different from a realistic depiction.

From early morning, the cicadas outside were chirping incessantly. The sun was blazing, almost scorching, its blinding rays pelting the asphalt and creating visible, distorted waves of heat. The leaves of the plane trees lining the street were wilting and curling up, looking as if they had been baked out of their wits by the sun.

However, Lu Mingfei didn't feel hot at all.

Because he was sitting in a corner café with the air conditioning blasting.

The huge floor-to-ceiling windows shut out the burning world outside, leaving only blurry light and shadows and the faint chirping of cicadas.

The air was filled with the aroma of roasted coffee beans.

He nestled in the soft sofa seat, a nearly empty iced latte in front of him. Water droplets condensed on the glass rolled down and left a small dark stain on the tablecloth.

He stared blankly at the water stain, his mind completely empty.

When he returned to the small town where he was born and raised, life suddenly returned to peace.

The cooldown from the Farewell Black Crystal hadn't worn off yet, so he couldn't return to the border for the time being. His dragon-slaying mission at Kassel College was also far behind him. Everything seemed so unreal, like a bizarre dream.

Only the jazz music playing on repeat in the café and the hushed whispers of the couple at the next table stubbornly reminded him that life seemed to have really... taken an unbelievable detour and turned back.

The copper bell on the glass door rang out with a crisp "ding-a-ling," breaking the lazy atmosphere in the café.

A gust of wind carrying the scorching heat of the outside rushed in through the crack in the opened door, briefly dispelling the fortress of cold air.

Lu Mingfei looked up.

A tall figure stood at the door.

Black slim-fit trousers and a perfectly ironed white shirt.

The newcomer's face was expressionless, like an iceberg, only his black eyes seemed sharp when they scanned the room.

A few strands of his slightly longer black hair were damp with sweat and stuck to his temples, but this could not hide the aura of unapproachability emanating from him.

Chu Zihang.

Lu Mingfei sat on the sofa and lazily waved to him. The man, who looked like an assassin, quickly locked his gaze on him and walked over with steady steps. He sat down on the sofa opposite Lu Mingfei, each step as if he had measured the distance perfectly, and not a single movement was superfluous.

"A cup of Blue Mountain coffee."

He nodded slightly to the waiter standing by the table and said with a stern expression.

The coffee was served quickly, and the waiter tactfully stepped aside.

The soft music and whispers in the café seemed to automatically drift away from their table, creating an invisible vacuum.

"You're early."

Chu Zihang said this.

These words sound like a accusation against Lu Mingfei, but in Chu Zihang's world, this is actually just a casual greeting between friends.

Lu Mingfei was indeed early; he arrived almost an hour earlier than the agreed time, so his coffee was already empty.

"Oh, senior brother, you have no idea how boring it is to be back at the academy."

Lu Mingfei sighed and slumped on the sofa like a wilted salted fish:
"It's so hot. I feel like a rat in the sewer all day, huddled in my hotel room with the air conditioning on. Seriously, the hotels in this crappy place are way too expensive. It's not a tourist hotspot, and it's not Christmas or Valentine's Day. Why are they charging so much for rooms?"

He counted on his fingers, his face filled with bitterness and resentment:
"They're really sucking the blood out of us working-class people. Looks like renting a place is really on my mind."

Chu Zihang held the freshly delivered Blue Mountain coffee cup, steam rising from its rim. Upon hearing this, he paused, his dark eyes lifting to meet Lu Mingfei's face, a face etched with the words "impoverished and destitute."

He was silent.

The steam from the coffee rose gently between the two of them.

Chu Zihang's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, as if he were processing some complex information at high speed.

Is Lu Mingfei short of money? This contradicts some of his beliefs.

According to a casual remark Susie made during a casual conversation—Susie's sources of information are usually gossip from the girls' dormitory or anecdotes circulating within the Lionheart Club:
Within Kassel College, especially among certain "specific" fan groups, Lu Mingfei's value is ridiculously high. His autographed photos alone have been traded for a number on the anonymous trading section of the Night Watchers forum that would make those lunatics in the Executive Department green with envy.

Even more outrageous, Susie said in a low voice, with a tone that was both amazed and disgusted, that according to "unreliable sources," some of Lu Mingfei's "underwear" was even priced at a sky-high price of 50,000 US dollars a piece in extremely secretive channels!

Chu Zihang's brain was working at lightning speed.

This doesn't make sense.

The only explanation is... Lu Mingfei might genuinely be facing some kind of financial difficulty requiring a large sum of cash. Perhaps he was scammed by that guy Fingel? Or gotten involved in some loan shark scheme? Or maybe he fell victim to telecom fraud?
Chu Zihang's eyes sharpened instantly as he scrutinized Lu Mingfei, as if he were looking at a victim of fraud.

Are you experiencing financial difficulties?

Chu Zihang finally spoke, his voice still in that flat tone, but Lu Mingfei inexplicably felt that the surrounding air conditioning seemed to have dropped two degrees.

Lu Mingfei was immersed in the persona of the "poor masses" he was playing when he heard this and subconsciously nodded, only to realize afterward that something was off.

"Uh...it's not that it's particularly difficult..."

Lu Mingfei quickly tried to find something to remedy, scratching his head:

"It's just not worth it! Yes, it's not worth it! Look at that shabby room, it's not even as big as the toilet in the Norton Building! Why do they charge so much money? It's robbery! Capitalist vampires!"

Chu Zihang ignored his accusations against capitalism. He put down his coffee cup, the bottom of which made a crisp "clink" sound as it hit the saucer.

He took out a thin, dark blue leather card holder from the inside pocket of his equally impeccably pressed shirt, and with two slender fingers, precisely picked out a bank card from the holder.

"All the formalities have been completed."

Chu Zihang's voice was calm:

"The legal team appointed by the college is very efficient."

Your identity documents, household registration transfer, legal documents... all the subsequent trivial procedures will be handled completely, leaving no outstanding issues.

Lu Mingfei looked at the bank card, his eyes twitching slightly.

He knew perfectly well that this was the purpose of his visit, but upon hearing this, he still felt a stirring in his heart.

Independence.

Thoroughly.

Those distant yet profoundly deep wounds that had begun to fade in his memory were brought to a close by this cold card.

I felt a little empty inside, yet strangely relaxed.

"oh oh."

He gave a dry reply, his hand unconsciously resting on the empty cup.

(End of this chapter)