Chapter 34: First Encounter with Bai Ruolan

At this moment, Wang Yu finally realized something was amiss. When combined with the strange behavior of these individuals earlier, the ominous foreboding in his heart grew increasingly intense.

Looking at this woman with an air as elegant as an orchid, Wang Yu was certain he had never met her before. Yet, given the current situation and the attitudes of those around him, it seemed this woman should have some connection to him!

His brain raced. A woman closely linked to him whom he had never met—a name suddenly surfaced in his mind, and Wang Yu seemed to have guessed who she was. As expected, the next moment confirmed his suspicions.

"My name is Bai Ruolan!" she said, her face as cold as frost. Though the words were few, to Wang Yu, they felt as chilling as the depths of winter.

"I’ve crashed and burned!" That was the only thought currently occupying Wang Yu’s mind.

To be hitting on someone else right in front of his fiancée—and it appeared this woman was his fiancée’s close confidante, no less—he had truly made a fool of himself this time! However, despite being panicked on the inside, Wang Yu managed to maintain a composed expression on the surface.

...

"Hahaha, Brother Wang, how are you feeling today?" As soon as they entered the room, Zhao Kuangwei began to gloat.

Wang Yu couldn't help but roll his eyes, ignoring him. This guy had spent the whole day watching the show, and yet he dared to come back and gloat. Wang Yu felt that if he didn't give him a beating, he would be doing himself a disservice.

As the saying goes, as long as you don't feel embarrassed, then the one who is embarrassed must be the other person. Wang Yu had thoroughly carried out this principle today. After Bai Ruolan announced her name, although Wang Yu was in a state of turmoil, not knowing what to do, he remained as steady as a mountain on the surface.

He first expressed that it was an honor to meet her, then endured that strange atmosphere to continue their tour of the academy. Of course, throughout the process, Bai Ruolan remained as cold as ice, not saying another word to Wang Yu.

Finally, after seeing these young ladies off, Wang Yu could hold on no longer. He collapsed onto Zhao Kuangwei’s back and was carried all the way back!

"Brother Wang, I warned you many times today, you can't blame me for this!" Seeing Wang Yu's face darkening, Zhao Kuangwei said with lingering fear.

Zhao Kuangwei had arrived in the capital several months earlier than Wang Yu and had once caught a glimpse of Bai Ruolan from a distance, which was why he had recognized her immediately today. Zhao Kuangwei had originally pulled Wang Yu aside to tell him that Bai Ruolan had arrived, but he had no way of knowing that Bai Ruolan’s father, Bai Shang, had been away from the capital for the past few months. Consequently, Wang Yu hadn't paid a visit, planning to wait until Bai Shang returned.

Thus, today was the first time Wang Yu had actually seen Bai Ruolan. It was precisely because he didn't recognize her that he had struck up a conversation with Beiming Qingying, who had caught his eye. Otherwise, Wang Yu would never have been so suicidal. Zhao Kuangwei had indeed tried to hint at it, but Wang Yu, distracted by Beiming Qingying, had subconsciously ignored the warnings. Seeing that he couldn't save Wang Yu, Zhao Kuangwei had simply settled in to watch the show.

"Brother Zhao, I wonder if you have any understanding of Miss Beiming?" Shaking his head to clear away the events of the day, Wang Yu began to inquire about Beiming Qingying. He knew that Zhao Kuangwei loved to gather gossip and hadn't been idle since arriving in the capital.

Hearing Wang Yu ask about her, Zhao Kuangwei reached out to touch Wang Yu's forehead to ensure he wasn't running a fever, then said in disbelief, "Brother Wang, you can't possibly have taken a fancy to that one from the Beiming family, can you?"

"Brother Wang, you should understand that a connection between our Four Frontier Generals' families and those four families is impossible!" Zhao Kuangwei’s expression turned solemn as he spoke in earnest.

It was surprising that the usually flighty Zhao Kuangwei had such a serious side, something Wang Yu found hard to adjust to. "Could this be your true self?" Wang Yu wondered to himself.

"Brother Zhao is joking. I naturally understand what you mean. I was merely curious, which is why I wanted to learn a bit about Miss Beiming!" Wang Yu replied, returning to his own serious demeanor. It was just one meeting; although he felt a spark of interest, that was all it was.

Zhao Kuangwei looked at him with skepticism before saying, "Beiming Qingying is the legitimate daughter of the current head of the Beiming family. She has been doted on since childhood and is incredibly intelligent. If only she were a man..."

He spoke for nearly half an hour, detailing the situation of Beiming Qingying and the Beiming family. Watching Zhao Kuangwei chug his tea, Wang Yu had to express his admiration; the fact that this man could dig up so much inside information was proof of his capability.

...

At the first light of dawn, Wang Yu and Zhao Kuangwei rose early. Even as children of noble, prestigious families, they had been subjected to strict discipline and training from a young age, and they were accustomed to rising early to practice.

Moreover, as martial artists, they were used to morning training. It was said that the purple mist at dawn was particularly beneficial for practicing martial arts and internal energy, though whether that was true or not, they had been doing it since they were small.

Because Wang Yu hadn't bothered to use his system to check the attributes of passersby for some time, it was only today that he realized Zhao Kuangwei’s martial talent was actually quite good. Being a year older than Wang Yu, while not quite at Wang Yu’s level, he had reached the middle stage of the First-Class Postnatal realm.

The Four General families all practiced the same techniques, so Wang Yu understood that Zhao Kuangwei was training both internally and externally, which was much harder than focusing on just one. Wang Yu estimated that with Zhao Kuangwei's talent, reaching the God-tier might be impossible, but reaching the Heaven-tier shouldn't be too much of a problem.

After breakfast, hearing the clear, resonant tolling of bells from deep within the academy, the two stopped talking. They walked up the steps in the morning light, heading toward their designated classroom. When the bells rang again, it would signal the start of their first lesson.

Along the way, many students were dressed in the academy’s uniform: white robes with left-lapping collars. The boys tied their hair back with simple black ribbons, while the girls used simple wooden hairpins to secure their locks. Though simple, it gave them the air of true scholars and blended perfectly with the academy’s atmosphere.