ABBWW Chapter 62

Chapter 062 Sea King – “He wanted to get closer and closer to Shi Jingge.” (08/20)

 

Shi Jingge didn’t take the Winter Frost Herb. Ye Mingxu’s hand caught his attention. It was very pale, with a hint of pink, and his slender fingers were quite beautiful. But there was a long scar, half-hidden beneath the herb.

 

How could scars possibly exist in this world?

 

Shi Jingge furrowed his brows slightly. Ye Mingxu seemed to notice Shi Jingge’s gaze; he twitched his thumb, shifting the Winter Frost Herb in an attempt to conceal his scar. Not only that, but he clenched his hand to hide it too.

 

Yet even so, he stubbornly held out the plant, even bringing it a little closer to Shi Jingge. Deep down, a voice told him he absolutely had to give it to the person standing before him.

 

But he refused to accept it.

 

…Did he not like it? Ye Mingxu suddenly felt a bit disheartened.

 

“But,” Shi Jingge said with a hint of distress, “what should I do? I didn’t prepare a welcome gift for you.”

 

Ye Mingxu paused for a moment, then stammered, “N–No, it’s not necessary. I—I don’t need one.”

 

“No way!” Shi Jingge said. “This is our first meeting. If I accept your gift but don’t give one in return, what kind of person would that make me?”

 

Ye Mingxu stared blankly at Shi Jingge. He didn’t understand what Shi Jingge meant; he only knew that Shi Jingge didn’t want to accept his gift.

 

So, he probably really didn’t like it after all.

 

Ye Mingxu lowered his head, feeling even more dejected.

 

“Intead,” Shi Jingge said calmly, holding out his smart brain and speaking with deliberate emphasis, “let’s exchange contacts. I’ll make it up to you later.”

 

Ye Mingxu snapped his head up, his eyes sparkling. “H–How do we do that?”

 

Shi Jingge paused for a moment. “Are you wearing your smart brain?” Typically, they were worn on the wrist, but Ye Mingxu didn’t have one. “It’s something like this.” Shi Jingge waved the one on his own arm.

 

A look of realization flashed across Ye Mingxu’s eyes. He rummaged through his pockets until he finally pulled one out.

 

And not just one–he pulled out five of them. They all looked like top-of-the-line models. The only difference was the brands.

 

“I–Is this right?” Ye Mingxu said, looking a bit embarrassed. “I don’t really know much about these.”

 

Shi Jingge rubbed his temple. “Which one do you usually use?”

 

Ye Mingxu shook his head. “I don’t use any of these.”

 

“……” Shi Jingge shot Ye Mingxu a look of disbelief, then asked, “Have you linked your ID and completed the iris verification?”

 

Ye Mingxu shook his head again.

 

So those were five brand-new, top-of-the-line, never been used, smart brains.

 

Shi Jingge sighed. “Pick one that appeals to you.”

 

Ye Mingxu glanced at the one on Shi Jingge’s wrist—it was silver—and pointed to the only silver model among the wristbands. “This one. It looks nice.”

 

“Alright.” Shi Jingge gestured for Ye Mingxu to put the other four lightbrains away. Then he turned on the one he’d chosen and fastened it onto Ye Mingxu’s wrist.

 

Since he had to put the smart bracelet on Ye Mingxu, the distance between them inevitably narrowed. Shi Jingge kept his head down as he secured the bracelet, while Ye Mingxu also lowered his head to look at him.

 

His hair smelled really nice. Ye Mingxu took a deep breath; his eyes grew brighter, and the tips of his ears turned even redder.

 

It was just that, hidden beneath his hair, the redness wasn’t all that noticeable.

 

But a wave of heat rose slowly from the depths of his heart, rushing straight to his face. Ye Mingxu tried desperately to suppress it, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t.

 

So… So hot…

 

“All done,” Shi Jingge said as he finished adjusting it for him. The moment he looked up, he caught sight of Ye Mingxu’s slightly flustered expression, and those bright red ears were right there in plain view. Shi Jingge raised an eyebrow and feigned confusion. “Why are your ears so red?”

 

“Huh?” Ye Mingxu instinctively took two steps back and stammered, “I–I–I don’t know.”

 

“Is that so?” Shi Jingge was even more puzzled. “Your face is starting to turn red, too.”

 

In that instant, Ye Mingxu’s face burst into sudden heat. He stood there at a loss for quite a while before he remembered he could suppress it with his spiritual energy.

 

Just as he was about to act, Shi Jingge keenly sensed it and quickly said, “Maybe it’s just too hot out.” After a brief pause, Shi Jingge smiled. “You actually look pretty good like this. You looked so cold and unapproachable before, but now you’re much warmer.”

 

Ye Mingxu: !!!

 

The spiritual energy Ye Mingxu had summoned vanished in the blink of an eye. He gave a hesitant nod and said, “T–Thank you.”

 

As he spoke, the tips of his ears darkened a shade redder. He shot Shi Jingge a quick glance while Shi Jingge wasn’t looking, then quietly inched a tiny bit closer to him.

 

Then he inched closer again. Then again.

 

Seeing the distance between himself and Shi Jingge slowly shrink, Ye Mingxu felt a sudden surge of satisfaction.

 

Under Shi Jingge’s guidance, Ye Mingxu finally activated his smart brain and, after iris authentication, linked his personal information to it.

 

Ye Mingxu blinked. “What’s next?”

 

“Here.” Shi Jingge opened the messaging app and entered his own smart device ID. “This is me. Send me a message, and I’ll receive it.”

 

“Oh.” Ye Mingxu tapped into the chat screen with Shi Jingge. He didn’t know what to say, but he wanted to make sure Shi Jingge could receive his messages. After hesitating for a while, he finally sent over a period.

 

Then he looked at Shi Jingge expectantly.

 

Shi Jingge showed him the chat screen. “See? I got it.”

 

Ye Mingxu looked at the chat screen and smiled gently. He naturally possessed striking good looks, and being so young, even his stern expression was unexpectedly charming. But when he smiled like that, he looked just like an angel straight out of a comic book!

 

Shi Jingge froze for a moment, meeting Ye Mingxu’s puzzled gaze.

 

“You look really good when you smile,” Shi Jingge said with genuine sincerity.

 

Ye Mingxu lowered his eyes slightly and pursed his lips, looking a bit embarrassed.

 

“Smile more often, it looks good on you,” Shi Jingge suggested.

 

After hesitating for quite a while, Ye Mingxu nodded uncertainly. From now on, whenever he saw Shi Jingge, he’d smile more. Would that count as smiling often?

 

Ye Mingxu thought hesitantly. Now that they’d exchanged contact information, it was time to offer the welcome gift, wasn’t it?

 

He once again held out the Winter Frost Herb towards Shi Jingge, his expression stubborn.

 

Shi Jingge felt like laughing, but unexpectedly, a faint pang of sadness welled up in his heart.

 

Just as he was about to reach out to take it, a familiar voice suddenly rang out, “Xiao Ge?”

 

Shi Jingge turned around and happened to spot the senior from Kalandi College. He’d been the one who served Shi Jingge food and enthusiastically recommended stuff to him during dinner.

 

Seeing Shi Jingge turn around, the senior lit up. “It really is you, Xiao Ge!”

 

He rushed over in a few strides. Before Shi Jingge could even open his mouth, the senior had already reached him.

 

And he immediately spotted Ye Mingxu standing behind Shi Jingge.

 

“Ye Mingxu!” The senior’s voice suddenly rose. He instinctively pulled Shi Jingge behind him, his guard up. “What do you want?”

 

Ye Mingxu stared intently at the senior, his gaze unusually cold.

 

In that instant, a shadow suddenly fell over the senior’s heart—the pressure Ye Mingxu exerted on him was far greater than he’d imagined!

 

What a terrifying feeling!

 

In that split second, the senior couldn’t spare a thought for anything else. He knew Shi Jingge was speaking, but he couldn’t hear a word.

 

The mere “confrontation” with Ye Mingxu was enough to leave him gasping for breath.

 

And just then, Ye Mingxu suddenly turned and walked away. His gait was incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, he had vanished.

 

Only then did the senior let out a long sigh of relief. When he touched his back, he found it drenched in cold sweat.

 

Compared to last year, Ye Mingxu’s spiritual power had risen to an entirely new level. What kind of monster was he, exactly?

 

The senior had been a universally-acclaimed genius his whole life, but compared to Ye Mingxu…

 

He couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh.

 

What was the most agonizing thing in this world? Probably being a genius yourself, and then watching another genius—one who was already stronger than you—progress further and further ahead. You used to be able to see his silhouette, but now you couldn’t even see that anymore.

 

The distance between you grew longer and longer, until you couldn’t even find a reason to delude yourself anymore.

 

“Senior.” Shi Jingge’s voice carried a hint of spiritual energy, along with another kind of power, which finally roused the senior from his reverie.

 

The senior rubbed his temples, casting aside all the jumbled thoughts he’d been having, and asked with concern, “Are you okay? Ye Mingxu didn’t do anything to you, did he? How did the two of you end up together? If he did anything to you, you have to tell me; even if I can’t help you get justice, we still have Advisor Lin! Don’t be afraid, Xiao Ge.”

 

“I wasn’t scared.” Shi Jingge smiled at his senior. “We just ran into each other by chance. We exchanged greetings and introduced ourselves. Ye Mingxu seems like a pretty nice guy—he even offered me a welcome gift.”

 

Senior: ???

 

Senior: !!!

 

“You mean that Ye Mingxu?” the senior couldn’t help but clarify. “The same Ye Mingxu who just left?”

 

“Who else would it be?” Shi Jingge asked back, amused.

 

“It’s just…kind of unbelievable.” The senior paused. “Kalandi College and Siming Teji University aren’t exactly on friendly terms to be exchanging gifts.”

 

Shi Jingge narrowly avoided laughing at the senior’s reaction. “Do we really need to psychoanalyze every gift these days?”

 

“Actually, we probably do.” The senior nodded earnestly, though he didn’t think Ye Mingxu was the type to pull underhanded tricks.

 

Generally speaking, when Ye Mingxu didn’t like someone, he’d confront them head-on. He had the ability to do just that.

 

……

 

……

 

Damn it, why was he defending Ye Mingxu? Wasn’t he just boosting the other guy’s confidence and undermining his own?

 

The senior fell silent for a moment, then forcibly changed the subject. “What did he give you?”

 

Shi Jingge also grew quiet. After a prolonged pause under the senior’s puzzled gaze, he slowly said, “A very high-quality Winter Frost Herb.”

 

Senior: !!!

 

As it happened, the senior was the one searching for Winter Frost Herb. He exclaimed, “Where is it? Where is it? Let me see! Let me see!”

 

Shi Jingge glanced up at the senior and sighed mournfully.

 

Senior: ?

 

“You arrived just before I could take it,” Shi Jingge said slowly.

 

Senior: ……

 

Shi Jingge looked at the senior with a plaintive gaze. “I didn’t even have a chance to give him something for our first meeting, or say anything.”

 

Senior: ……

 

Sorry, I should’ve waited a few minutes. Or at least waited until after you’d taken the Winter Frost Herb before reacting… QAQ!

 

Shi Jingge patted the senior on the shoulder and consoled him, “Don’t be sad, senior. Extreme joy or sorrow isn’t good for your spiritual sea.”

 

Senior: “…Thanks.”

 

“You’re welcome,” Shi Jingge said with a smile as he pulled a palm-sized vial from his pocket and tossed it to him. “Here, to perk you up.”

 

“What’s this?” the senior asked in confusion as he opened the little bottle.

 

Instantly, a delicate fragrance mixed with subtle hints of sweetness wafted straight into his nose. He tilted his head back and took a sip; a flicker of delight crossed his eyes, and he gave Shi Jingge a thumbs-up.

 

Shi Jingge said with a beaming smile, “This isn’t for free, you know.”

 

Senior: ?

 

“It’s not too much to ask for a little promotional help, is it?” Shi Jingge said, his eyes crinkling with a smile.

 

Senior: ”…It really isn’t, actually.”

 

No matter where he was, Shi Jingge never forgot his day job.

 

#Rose Tea, Your Ideal Choice for Floral Tea#

 

—— ——- ——

 

Ye Mingxu felt a bit disappointed.

 

If that person had arrived a little later, he could’ve chatted with Shi Jingge a bit longer. 

 

Those people from Kalandi were really annoying…

 

Ye Mingxu lowered his gaze; not even the spiritual flowers and herbs blanketing the ground could lift his spirits.

 

He casually picked some, not bothering to examine them closely. He simply felt their energy content was decent, so he collected them all.

 

Things that used to bring him joy no longer did.

 

Ye Mingxu felt even more downcast; he stopped picking spiritual flowers and herbs altogether and wandered aimlessly ahead.

 

Just then, an excited voice rang out, “Brother Xu!”

 

Ye Mingxu looked up to see the other four Siming Teji students look at him with excitement, then run toward him in unison.

 

“We finally found you, Brother Xu! If we’d lost you we’d have gone crazy!”

 

“I was about to cry!”

 

“Brother Xu, what ingredients did you find? We were so busy looking for you that we didn’t even gather any ourselves!”

 

“What’s that in your hand, Brother Xu? A Three-Star Flower? A Dream Orchid?”

 

“This doesn’t seem very useful, does it? I don’t think we need it for the sobering potion or the basic antidote.”

 

“Brother Xu, you don’t look so good. Did you run into some of Kalandi’s people?”

 

Ye Mingxu said coldly, “Quiet.”

 

His voice wasn’t loud, and his tone was even, yet everyone could still hear him clearly, no matter how noisy the surroundings were.

 

Once Ye Mingxu uttered that single command, no one dared say another word; they simply stared at the spiritual flowers and herbs in his hand.

 

Ye Mingxu handed them all over, keeping only the Winter Frost Herb in his hand.

 

Unfortunately, none of those plants were suitable for making sobering potions or basic antidotes, leaving the other four members of the Siming Teji group momentarily bewildered.

 

Why did Brother Xu pick these?

 

Just then, one of the students noticed the Winter Frost Herb in Ye Mingxu’s hand.

 

“Brother Xu, none of these are of any use. Only that can actually be used.” His voice trailed off in the face of Ye Mingxu’s cold gaze.

 

After a long moment, Ye Mingxu slowly said, “This one… is out of the question.”

 

With Ye Mingxu having spoken, who dared say anything more? Besides, he was the one who found it in the first place.

 

Ye Mingxu slipped the Winter Frost Herb into his pocket. It belonged to Shi Jingge.

 

Not to him. He had no right to determine its fate. Only Shi Jingge did, Ye Mingxu thought, somewhat stubbornly.

 

But as Ye Mingxu pocketed the herb, the smart brain on his wrist caught the others’ attention.

 

Siming Teji’s four students all widened their eyes in unison.

 

Brother Xu, Brother Xu is actually wearing a smart brain!

 

You’ve got to be kidding, right?

 

Doesn’t Brother Xu hate smart bracelets the most?

 

They exchanged glances, but their eyes kept drifting involuntarily toward Ye Mingxu’s smart brain.

 

What made Ye Mingxu start using one?

 

Wait a minute—there’s not a single light on it!

 

Did Brother Xu not even turn on the smart bracelet at all? Was he just wearing it as an accessory?

 

In an instant, everyone from Siming Teji felt they’d figured it out. Of course, why would Ye Mingxu ever use a smart brain?

 

Feeling their stares, Ye Mingxu instinctively touched the bracelet on his wrist. Shi Jingge had even put it on him herself.

 

With that thought, Ye Mingxu suddenly felt a surge of motivation. As long as he gathered those twenty ingredients quickly and headed to the potion lab, wouldn’t he get to see Shi Jingge again?

 

“Let’s go,” Ye Mingxu said hoarsely. “Hurry up.”

 

He spoke slowly, enunciating each word clearly. The other students were already used to this; they usually understood what he intended to convey, so no one argued. They naturally followed behind him, treating him as their undisputed leader.

 

Ye Mingxu had an innate affinity for spiritual herbs and flowers, so they quickly located all twenty varieties—all of excellent quality—and headed to the alchemy lab.

 

Zhao Jiangcheng looked somewhat smug while Lin Yiwen remained composed.

 

A little while later, the Kalandi students emerged just as the time allotted ended. The five of them were chatting and laughing, looking completely at ease.

 

Lin Yiwen’s lips curved into a smile as he glanced at Zhao Jiangcheng with a hint of self-satisfaction. Ye Mingxu watched as Shi Jingge walked toward them, his eyes brightening slightly.

 

Shi Jingge seemed to notice him as well; he pinpointed his location and gave him a faint smile.

 

The other four students from Siming Teji were stunned. Were the students from Kalandi really this bold?

 

They exchanged glances and, as if on cue, stepped forward, with Ye Mingxu blocking their view.

 

Ye Mingxu: “?”

 

Lin Yiwen looked at his students, a glint flashing in his eyes, and suggested to Zhao Jiangcheng, “How about we spice things up a bit?”

 

Zhao Jiangcheng chuckled. “I’d love to hear more.”

 

“We’ll prepare two potions in total. With five people working together, there will naturally be a lead and supporting roles. How about letting the opposing team choose who has to personally prepare the final potion? What do you think? The person who makes the basic antidote will be designated by the other side. As for who makes the sobering potion, let’s decide by drawing lots. How about it?”

 

Zhao Jiangcheng gave a half-smile. “That doesn’t look good for us.”

 

“I have equal confidence in all of my students. Don’t you, Director Zhao?” Lin Yiwen said casually.

 

Zhao Jiangcheng narrowed his eyes. “Of course I do. Then let’s do as you suggest.”

 

With that, Zhao Jiangcheng turned to the students from Siming Teji; his tone was tinged with a hint of coldness. “Go discuss it now. As Mentor Lin suggested, decide who will prepare the basic antidote.” 

 

Lin Yiwen gave the students from Kalandi a subtle nod, offering no comment, and watched Zhao Jiangcheng with composure.

 

Zhao Jiangcheng felt a surge of frustration welling up inside him. He was clearly the one with the upper hand, so why did he still feel this way?

 

The students from Kalandi College went to the left to discuss, while those from Siming Teji University stayed on the right. The two groups were separated by a considerable distance, and with other students blocking the view, Ye Mingxu couldn’t even see Shi Jingge anymore.

 

He couldn’t help but shift a little to the left. Inch by inch, with every small movement, he felt a sense of satisfaction.

 

Just then, he heard a passionate voice say, “We’re definitely picking that Intermediate Division student! What did they even learn so far? They haven’t even covered basic antidotes yet! Who else are we supposed to pick?”

 

“He’s definitely the least skilled!”

 

Ye Mingxu jerked his head up to look over.

 

The passionate student instantly fell silent, looking somewhat startled.

 

Ye Mingxu spoke slowly, “He’s very strong.”

 

The students of Siming Teji: !!!

 

This was the only time Ye Mingxu had ever acknowledged someone as strong since they’d known him! If Ye Mingxu acknowledged him, just how strong must that Intermediate Division student be?

 

Could he also be a monster as terrifying as Ye Mingxu?

 

The students of Siming Teji dared not dwell on the thought. After all, just one Ye Mingxu was demoralizing enough; another one would be a double blow!

 

Especially since this person was even younger than Ye Mingxu!

 

No one doubted Ye Mingxu’s assessment.

 

After all, how could Ye Mingxu, who was so cold and arrogant, as if he sat atop a mountain peak, casually acknowledge anyone else?

 

That student immediately backtracked. “Then we won’t choose him!”

 

If he was that strong, why choose him? Just to make ourselves feel even worse?

 

Ye Mingxu spoke slowly, his voice hoarse, “Choose…him.”

 

The students of Siming Teji: ???

 

Ye Mingxu continued slowly, “Negotiate. Make them choose me, too.”

 

They’d be working on potions together, so they’d definitely be close. He wanted to get even closer to Shi Jingge. Just a little closer.

 

The students of Siming Teji: ???

 

Brother Xu, snap out of it!

 

There’s no way Kalandi College’s students would ever vote for you!

 

They’re not crazy!

 

---

 

Author’s Note: Much, much later—

 

Siming Teji University: When is the other side finally going to take Brother Xu off our hands?

 

Kalandi College: When is the other side finally going to take the Great Demon King Shi away?

 

#Why Did These Schools, Which Hated Each Other for Years, Suddenly Become as Close as Family?#

 

Because those two monsters not only completely outclass us in every way, but also lovey-dovey in our faces!

 

Do you have any idea how miserable we are?! Do you know how we’ve survived these past few years?!?!?

 

Yes, my plot flag has fallen again…

 

I’ll try my best tomorrow, waaaah

 

 

 

 

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Edit: Krone

Proofread: Choux_choux