Volume One, Chapter One Hundred Ten: Trust

Without adjusting his seat, Mode sat down beside Su Ziwen, carrying a tray piled high with food. After waving at Mode, classmate Xiao Feng continued savoring the hotel’s signature fried dishes.

Yu Jiuchuan nodded slightly, a hint of approval in his eyes. Earlier, when the group had been surrounded, it was this young man who had bravely stepped forward to handle the social obligations, allowing the three women to slip away. Yu Jiuchuan despised such social gatherings most of all; he preferred to spend his time studying rather than engaging in empty pleasantries.

Opposite Mode, Su Ziwen suddenly wrinkled her delicate nose, put down her chopsticks, and turned to fix her gaze on him. After confirming her suspicion, she beckoned Mode to lean in close.

“What’s up, class president?” Mode swallowed the poached oyster in his mouth, puzzled but obediently moved his head closer.

“That cousin of yours is here too?” Su Ziwen’s tone was cold and low, but it sent a shiver down Mode’s spine, stiffening him in place, unable to move.

His mind raced furiously, focusing all his energy on concocting an excuse to deceive Su Ziwen.

How did this girl know that Mu Qing had followed him here?!

“Where is she? Since she’s here, we should go greet her,” Su Ziwen murmured, her voice leaving no room for argument.

She was absolutely certain that the so-called “cousin” had just crossed paths with Mode a moment ago.

On the ride here earlier, the aura of that woman surrounding Mode had not been nearly so strong.

As her supernatural abilities grew, Su Ziwen’s intuition became sharper and more terrifying...

Ivannoti wiped his oily little mouth and curiously glanced at the senior students across the table, who seemed to be whispering secrets.

Seeing Mode frozen with fear, Su Ziwen snorted coldly and ceased her questioning, turning back to devour the food on her plate with large bites.

Yet between her chopsticks’ movements, there was a subtle undercurrent of deadly intent.

Ah, Mu Qing, this time you’ve truly gotten yourself into deep trouble...

“How is your cousin’s injury healing?” After a short silence, Su Ziwen’s voice came again.

Mode quickly shook off his petrified state and whispered, “She’s recovering quite well.”

Su Ziwen nodded gently.

When she last saw Mode during the autumn hunt, she had also caught the scent of that woman on him.

But that time, the woman’s aura was mixed with a strong, heavy stench of blood, as if she had suffered grievous wounds.

From the scent of blood alone, Su Ziwen could imagine how brutal the battle must have been.

She hadn’t had the chance to ask Mode about his cousin’s recovery until now, but judging by the fact that she had traveled all the way from Qin City to the capital, her injury must be almost healed.

Ivannoti neatly stacked his tray, then straightened his collar and cuffs before resting his small hands on his lap, sitting still to wait for the two across from him to finish their meal.

Once the little one entered this still state, a cold aura naturally radiated outward. His silver hair draped over a black turtleneck sweater, like a great moon rising high into the night sky, silently surveying the obscure world beneath with a serene yet chilling presence.

In this “ice porcelain doll” state, Ivannoti seemed to give off an impression that even a glance cast his way might be frostbitten.

Yu Jiuchuan, leaning back in his chair while studying, shivered involuntarily and pulled up the collar of his tracksuit. Casting a glance at the listless, bored Xiao Feng, he cleared his throat softly, reminding the two across the table not to keep whispering but to eat quickly.

“Say hello to your sister for me,” Su Ziwen said, noticing Yu Jiuchuan’s prompt, before refocusing on her food.

Where that woman went was her own business; Su Ziwen had no stake in it whatsoever.

Mode stiffly nodded, then began eating his somewhat cooled late-night meal.

It seemed the class president wasn’t intent on pursuing the matter further.

Suddenly, a commotion arose at the other end of the restaurant. The four—Su, Mo, Yu, and Xiao Feng—looked up to see a crowd gathering near the food pickup area, apparently in some sort of dispute.

Xiao Feng, who had been drowsy after eating, was instantly awakened by the noise, and the cold aura around him dissipated as he rubbed his eyes.

Indeed, excessive beauty often burdens its beholders with a heavy weight.

Ivannoti looked on curiously, wanting to investigate but hesitating.

Since childhood, strict upbringing had repeatedly taught him to avoid uncivilized and coarse behavior, constantly monitored by rigorous overseers. These heavy shackles had bound Ivannoti firmly within the deep prison called “family” until the day someone severed those chains and set him free.

“Whatever you want, just take it. Whatever you want to do, just do it. Those who once bound you have vanished like smoke. From now on, you are yourself—you are Ivannoti Feng.”

That day, in the exploration lands of Duvat, the Count Sadder’s castle was destroyed, and the secret imprisoned posthumous child of Hornheim Nord Feng disappeared.

Soon after, a silver-haired, silver-eyed foreign transfer student appeared at Tianshui High School in Qin City of the Huaxia region.

...

“Want to take a look?” Yu Jiuchuan noticed the young junior’s interest in the commotion and closed his book to ask.

“Yes, yes!” The little girl nodded repeatedly, showing no trace of her previous icy demeanor.

Yu Jiuchuan led Ivannoti toward the noise, leaving Mode and Su Ziwen alone in the corner.

“Is she trustworthy?” Su Ziwen cleaned the last morsel from her plate, then suddenly asked Mode.

Mode looked up and saw an unprecedented seriousness in Su Ziwen’s eyes.

“I believe her,” Mode’s lips moved slightly, swallowing the urge to joke as he spoke softly.

As a younger brother, he really shouldn’t answer such a question. Because once he did, it would essentially confirm that the woman wasn’t truly his sister.

Yet Mode still gave an answer. Just as he trusted Mu Qing, he also trusted Su Ziwen.

He believed she wouldn’t expose this lie to others.

At the same time, Mode didn’t want Su Ziwen to worry about the mysterious woman by his side.

“That’s good.” Su Ziwen hadn’t expected Mode to answer her challenge so frankly.

Well, as long as nothing went wrong, it didn’t really matter who was around Mode.

“Why don’t you officially introduce her to everyone one day? The winter camp lasts so long; you can’t keep hiding her from Senior Yu Jiuchuan and Xiao Feng forever.”

“Uh... maybe someday,” Mode scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed.

Though Mu Qing posed no real threat to the group, she was undeniably a source of trouble.

Mode didn’t want his schoolmates to have too much contact with that walking troublemaker.

...