Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

Chu Zihang did not answer. The Mercedes-Benz returned along the original route and drove towards the Sophia Pizza Restaurant.

Outside Sophia Pizza, Zhao Menghua and Liu Miaomiao walked together, while their underlings tried to liven up the atmosphere.

"Brother Zhao and Sister Liu are a match made in heaven!"

"Exactly, some people are just jealous!"

"Who does Lu Mingfei think he is, pretending to be all high and mighty!"

Chen Wenwen stood far away, her eyes red and swollen. She would occasionally look up at Zhao Menghua and Liu Miaomiao, then quickly lower her head again.

Zhao Menghua noticed her and felt a surge of irritation.

"What are you looking at?" Zhao Menghua raised his voice, "Chen Wenwen, didn't you have a crush on Lu Mingfei? Why don't you go find him!"

Chen Wenwen's shoulders trembled, and tears welled up again.

Liu Miaomiao nudged Zhao Menghua's arm, signaling him not to go too far, but this only angered Zhao Menghua.

"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?" Zhao Menghua pointed at Chen Wenwen. "You've been acting all high and mighty all day, and now you know how to cry? Lu Mingfei is rich now, so you regret not being with him back then, right?"

Chen Wenwen's tears fell like beads from a broken string. She wanted to leave, but Zhao Menghua's underlings intentionally or unintentionally blocked her way.

"Move aside," Chen Wenwen said softly.

"Can't hear us! Speak louder!" one of Zhao Menghua's henchmen jeered.

"Get out of the way!" The underling was startled by a pair of golden eyes.

Chu Zihang drove up and stopped in front of Chen Wenwen.

All sounds ceased abruptly, and even Zhao Menghua subconsciously shut his mouth.

Chu Zihang got out of the car, walked up to Chen Wenwen, and handed her tissues and bottled water: "Wipe your face."

Chen Wenwen was stunned. Her hands trembled as she took the tissue and whispered, "Thank you."

Zhao Menghua couldn't help but want to speak.

Chu Zihang glanced at him and said, "Don't say anything."

Zhao Menghua opened his mouth, wanting to refute something, but under Chu Zihang's aura, he couldn't utter a sound.

Chu Zihang ignored him and looked at Chen Wenwen again: "It's Lu Mingfei's birthday today. He's inviting you to dinner tonight at Aspasia Restaurant."

The sound wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

Aspasia! That's the most expensive Italian restaurant in town, with an average cost of at least two thousand per person!

The underlings exchanged bewildered glances, and one of them muttered under his breath, "Doesn't that require booking three months in advance?"

Zhao Menghua's face turned extremely ugly. He had wanted to take Liu Miaomiao to Aspasia, but was turned away because he didn't have an appointment, which became a thorn in his side.

"Should we refuse?" Chu Zihang asked Chen Wenwen calmly.

Chen Wenwen stopped crying and looked up at Chu Zihang, who had once been ranked number one on the list of most despicable people to be punished at Shilan Middle School.

His invitation was like a lifeline, pulling her out of this awkward and painful situation.

She took a deep breath and wiped away her tears: "Okay."

As Chen Wenwen passed by Zhao Menghua, she stopped and whispered, "Zhao Menghua, I wish you happiness."

These words were like a blunt knife, slowly piercing Zhao Menghua's heart.

"Chen Wenwen! Who do you think you are! Do you really think I wouldn't dare?"

Chu Zihang glanced at him, and Zhao Menghua's voice caught in his throat.

"Get in the car, I'll take you home," Chu Zihang said to Chen Wenwen.

The car door closed, and Chu Zihang returned to the driver's seat.

A deathly silence fell as everyone watched the three leave. Zhao Menghua stood there, his face flushed a deep purplish-red. Liu Miaomiao looked at him, beginning to wonder if her judgment was flawed.

"Thank you," Chen Wenwen said softly.

The Mercedes slowly pulled away from the roadside, leaving Sophia's Pizza and the stunned crowd behind. The atmosphere inside the car was somewhat silent, but no longer as oppressive as before.

Chu Zihang glanced at Chen Wenwen in the rearview mirror: "Fasten your seatbelt. Where do you live? Should I tell your parents?"

"Near Jinling University Town, no need to tell them."

The engine emitted a deep roar, and the black luxury car blended into the night, like a fish swimming into the deep sea, silent and unnoticed.

Chapter 43 Bounty (Part 1)

The black Mercedes drew an elegant arc and came to a smooth stop in front of the convenience store.

Lu Mingfei and Frilian sat on high stools outside the convenience store, one munching on oden and the other sipping hot cocoa.

Chu Zihang got out of the driver's seat alone; Chen Wenwen was not in the car.

"Senior brother, you're back." Lu Mingfei quickly swallowed the radish in his mouth and gently nudged Frilian with his elbow.

Frillie put down the paper cup, her emerald green eyes narrowing slightly, like an alert cat.

"Awaited."

Lu Mingfei secretly observed Chu Zihang's expression, trying to find some clues.

How is Chen Wenwen? What did they talk about? But Chu Zihang's handsome face remained expressionless, revealing not a single piece of information.

"Uh, Senior Brother, did you take Chen Wenwen home?" Lu Mingfei asked tentatively.

Chu Zihang nodded without saying a word. This silence made Lu Mingfei very uncomfortable.

"Get in the car."

"Okay." Lu Mingfei finished the oden in a few bites, then threw it into the trash can along with Frilian's paper cup.

After Chu Zihang took Chen Wenwen home, he became even more silent, without explaining the contents of the SS-level mission that the academy had issued to the three of them.

At this moment, the Lionheart Society president seemed determined to treat himself as a mere driver, keeping his mouth shut and driving silently.

The atmosphere was even more somber than before.

Chu Zihang focused on driving, while Frillie gazed out the window. Lu Mingfei looked back and forth between the two, feeling like a little penguin caught between two icebergs.

As the Mercedes drove onto the main road, the silence inside the car almost solidified.

Lu Mingfei racked his brains trying to find a topic to break the deadlock, and his gaze unconsciously fell on Chu Zihang's hands that were controlling the steering wheel.

Long and slender, with well-defined joints, truly a pair of fine hands.

"Senior brother, you drive well," Lu Mingfei blurted out, then wanted to bite off his tongue.

What a lousy topic! But, how should I put it, in Lu Mingfei's opinion, Chu Zihang's driving skills are indeed quite good, very cool, like 007 driving in a movie.

Chu Zihang was surprised that Lu Mingfei would bring up the topic like this. He turned his head slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes behind his sunglasses.

“My dad taught me to drive; he used to be a driver,” Chu Zihang continued, “and happy birthday, Lu Mingfei.”

Lu Mingfei stared wide-eyed, frozen in his seat as if struck by lightning.

Chu Zihang had already sent him a text message to wish him well, which was already quite unexpected, but now he was personally wishing him well?

This is even more unbelievable than hearing that Fingel became famous as a male escort in Japan!

"Thank you, senior brother!" Lu Mingfei stammered, a warm feeling welling up from the bottom of his heart. "I received your text message this morning, thank you so much, senior brother."

Chu Zihang nodded slightly and turned on the windshield wipers to clear away the debris: "How are you going to celebrate my birthday?"

Lu Mingfei turned to look at Frilian, the silver-haired girl staring at him with emerald green eyes.

"Uh, I guess I'll go eat hot pot with Frilian," Lu Mingfei scratched his head, "and then watch a movie, ride bumper cars at the amusement park or something."

“Bumper cars are a lot of fun,” Frillian said. “But I’ll get my revenge for the time you bumped into me last time.”

Lu Mingfei couldn't help but laugh: "You're so vengeful! Didn't you bump into me eight times later?"

“Nine times,” Frilian corrected. “The last time you almost flew out.”

Chu Zihang watched the two of them talking back and forth in the rearview mirror, his brows furrowing involuntarily. Their unspoken understanding made him feel like an unwanted third wheel.

What is the most beautiful first love? If Chen Wenwen were to fight Frillie now, she would be knocked out in one round.

He began to imagine why Professor Schneider would arrange for him, Lu Mingfei, and Frillie to carry out the mission together.

Lu Mingfei and Frilian are too intimate; they need a third wheel to observe.

"Have you ever eaten Italian food?" Chu Zihang asked, interrupting their argument about which bumper car was stronger.

Lu Mingfei blinked: "No, but I ate roasted pork knuckle with the Italian, Caesar, our student council president."

Chu Zihang's lips twitched almost imperceptibly; he was amused by the answer. Caesar and roasted pork knuckle—they're such an incompatible pairing.

Chu Zihang briefly introduced several classic Italian dishes: cream of mushroom soup, seafood pasta, and tiramisu.

Lu Mingfei swallowed hard as he listened, and Frilian also became slightly interested.

Chu Zihang took out his phone and dialed a number: "Is this Aspasia Restaurant? This is Chu Zihang. I'd like to reserve a table for three for 8 pm."

The manager's apologetic voice came from the other end of the phone: "I'm very sorry, Mr. Chu, tomorrow night is completely booked."

Chu Zihang hung up the phone, pondered for a moment, then opened his text message and quickly typed a few lines.

"What are you doing, senior brother?" Lu Mingfei asked curiously, peeking out.

"Send a message to Fingel," Chu Zihang said without looking up. "Finger will issue the bounty for me."

The Kassel College forum was quiet today, with students idly scrolling through various daily posts.

"Schedule for the new round of competition between the Lionheart Society and the Student Union", "Predicted final exam questions for Alchemy Chemistry", "Today's special in the cafeteria is incredibly hard to find".

Suddenly, a pinned message exploded across the entire forum like a bomb:

[Bounty: 8 PM, Aspasia Restaurant, three-person table. Reservation made by: Lu Mingfei & Frillie. Bounty poster: Murasame. Reward: A promise from Murasame.]

The forum instantly erupted in chaos. Chu Zihang's ID, "Cunyu," rarely appeared on the Kassel forum, let alone posted a bounty in his personal capacity.

"A promise from Chu Zihang"—this reward was enough to drive any Kassel student crazy. The promise from the Lionheart Society president was like a powerful blank check in the college.

"Chu Zihang! Is that really you?"

"Lu Mingfei? He and Frilian were all lovey-dovey, and they even dragged President Chu into it as a third wheel?"