Lu Mingfei, become the King of Elden!

Chapter 54

Sunlight streamed down through the high-rise skylights, forming beams of light, with dust particles swirling within them.

Ling led Lu Mingfei to a smaller but still bustling student restaurant next to Cafeteria No. 1. It lacked the sophistication of a Michelin-starred restaurant, but it was quick and offered a wide variety of food.

The air was filled with the mixed aromas of various foods.

The two found a corner seat by the window and sat down.

I ordered a simple vegetable salad and pasta.

Lu Mingfei, without any hesitation, ordered a large portion of grilled ribs with mashed potatoes and vegetables, plus a large glass of iced cola. The calories and sugar from the food were exactly what he needed at that moment.

The moment that petite figure sat down at the table opposite him, Lu Mingfei realized something was wrong.

His exceptional perception allowed him to clearly sense that everyone in the restaurant was focused on this corner—

The freshmen were pretending to fork up food, while the upperclassmen were deliberately pacing back and forth with their plates, and some were even taking out their phones to frame their shots.

Lu Mingfei belatedly froze, his fork still in his hand.

Why is he having dinner with Zero again?

Apart from that one time at Red Maple Harbor when he "apologized," he has never eaten alone with any girl.

How could he agree so readily?
Could it be that he's starving and lost his mind?

What's even more terrifying is the attitude of zero.

She lowered her head and focused intently on the food on her plate, seemingly oblivious to the prying eyes emanating from the rest of the restaurant.

His calm and composed demeanor was truly admirable to Lu Mingfei.

Lu Mingfei suddenly remembered the way she handed him the towel—it was as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

When Zero raised her delicate and beautiful face, and her icy blue eyes met his potato-smeared face, his ears finally burned.

He took a big gulp of cola, the carbonation bursting in his throat, which cleared his head a little.

Calm down, calm down. Lu Mingfei, it's just eating, just eating. He's no different from everyone else around him.
"You've got some sauce on your chin."

Zero's voice rang out calmly.

Lu Mingfei frantically grabbed a napkin, but accidentally knocked over the salt shaker.

Snow-white particles spread out like a tiny galaxy on the table between the two of them.

A suppressed gasp came from not far away as a freshman holding a phone was dragged out of the restaurant by his companion.

Zero pulled a napkin from his uniform pocket, and Lu Mingfei, feeling apprehensive, finally managed to stammer out:
"Actually, we can pack it all together."

However, Zero was almost gone.

Lu Mingfei had no choice but to bury his head in his rice.

As he forked the last bit of salad and stuffed it into his mouth, finding it tasteless, the man opposite him sipped his lemonade, becoming increasingly enigmatic.

An absurd thought uncontrollably crept into Lu Mingfei's mind:
He felt like a wild dog leashed by an invisible rope, being subtly tamed by this Russian woman. From the accident in the last lab, to being forced to agree to the lobster tail as an apology (even though he was the one who suggested it), to this strangely atmospheric dinner tonight…

He was as if he were being precisely guided, step by step into some kind of pre-programmed sequence. Zero didn't even need to say much; a single glance or gesture was enough to throw him into disarray, leaving him no choice but to obediently follow her rhythm.

This feeling was even more frustrating than being chased and hacked by a group of soldiers in Stoneville.

The monster just wants your life; and Zero... Lu Mingfei couldn't fathom what was going on in her brilliant mind.

Click.

Zero set down the water glass, making a crisp, soft sound that broke the suffocating silence.

“You’ve been spending your evenings at the library lately.”

It's not a question, it's a statement.

Lu Mingfei's heart skipped a beat. Here it comes!
He could almost picture Zero wandering like a ghost among the library shelves late at night, then finding himself huddled in a corner, surrounded by ancient books.

terrible!

"Ah...yes, yes. Checking something." His eyes darted around for a moment, but he ultimately decided to confess part of the truth.

Lying in front of those eyes seems even more unwise and foolish.

"...Information regarding the stability of the dragon bloodline."

He lowered his voice:
"As you know, my situation is a bit... special. After the Three Gorges Dam incident, although the rating was maintained, I still feel... uneasy. I keep having nightmares, dreaming that I grow scales and claws or something, so I want to see if there are any preventative measures or... lessons from the past."

Zero is a participant in the "Bronze Project" and has seen Lu Mingfei in his dragon form, so revealing this information is not a big deal.

Moreover, what he was really afraid of wasn't that; it was Kaneki Ken's warning to him that day that truly frightened him.

He couldn't possibly submit the boundary, couldn't mention the faded ones, nor could he mention the physical changes honed between life and death that made him vaguely uneasy.

He only vaguely pointed to the "Three Gorges" as an officially recognized point of reference, and a deep-seated fear of losing control over one's bloodline that is prevalent among mixed-race individuals. This explanation is reasonable, and even seems particularly "ambitious" and "foresightful."

Zero listened quietly, her face expressionless, as if Lu Mingfei had simply said, "The moonlight is nice tonight."

She merely nodded slightly, the movement so small it was almost negligible.
"If it's in this aspect..."

A very slight commotion arose at the restaurant entrance.

A figure appeared at the restaurant entrance.

The man was wearing the iconic dark green uniform of Kassel College, his figure as straight as a javelin, with a cold and hard profile beneath his black, tousled hair.

He stood there, his gaze precisely sweeping across the empty restaurant, landing on the table where Lu Mingfei and Zero sat. His eyes were calm and undisturbed, instantly severing the last remaining subtle atmosphere in the restaurant that belonged to Lu Mingfei and Zero.

It’s Chu Zihang.

Chu Zihang made no small talk, nor did he show any surprise or curiosity about the existence of Zero.

He walked straight to the dining table, his steps steady, his gaze fixed on Lu Mingfei's face, getting straight to the point.

"Lu Mingfei."

Chu Zihang nodded to him in greeting:
"I hope I didn't disturb your dinner or date."

Lu Mingfei subconsciously looked at Zero.

Ling had already put down her water glass, her posture still elegant and composed, as if Chu Zihang's appearance was just an insignificant change in the restaurant's background.

She didn't even look at Chu Zihang; her gaze seemed to be fixed on Lu Mingfei, yet it also seemed she wasn't looking at anything at all.

Lu Mingfei was secretly overjoyed.

Chu Zihang's appearance broke the deadlock and gave him a chance to escape his misery, but out of politeness, he couldn't show it on his face.

"Senior Brother Chu."

Lu Mingfei quickly stood up, firmly grasped Chu Zihang's right hand with both palms, and said sincerely:

"You must have something important to tell me, right?"

Chu Zihang was stunned for a moment, unable to understand Lu Mingfei's approach.

"The principal asked me to take you to the Lionheart Society headquarters. There are some documents that I need you to review."

He paused and added:

"It's not in a rush, another day is fine."

"Oh, oh, oh! It's the principal's request! And he even needs you, Senior Brother Chu, to personally relay the message! It must be very important!"

Lu Mingfei's voice rose, interrupting Chu Zihang.

This indigestion-inducing meal is finally over!

He turned his head and gave Zero a seemingly kind smile:

"Hey Zero, look."

Ling then raised her eyes, her gaze lingering on Lu Mingfei's face for a moment.
Then, she nodded slightly:
"Ah."

(End of this chapter)