Chapter 103 Nobles 1
Bang, bang, bang.
On a September morning, sunlight streamed through the huge skylight, casting bright spots of light on the spacious indoor tennis court, while the air was filled with the slightly astringent smell unique to sports flooring.
There was only one figure inside.
Lu Xuejin swung his racket with fluid and precise movements, each shot incredibly elegant. His white tracksuit accentuated his tall and straight figure, and his exposed skin was even whiter than fresh snow, creating an overexposed visual effect under the lights.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, which he casually wiped away with his wristband. He had a handsome face with gentle features, and a faint, natural smile played at the corners of his lips.
The ball machine stopped running, the tennis ball hit the ground and bounced up, and was held in someone's palm. The green and white contrasted sharply, and Kang Yuan's gaze followed the ball uncontrollably, as if he himself was being held by Lu Xuejin.
But soon, Kang Yuan lowered his head, not daring to cast an offensive glance at Lu Xuejin.
He was a figure known to everyone at Silver Oak Academy, yet few dared to speak of him lightly. His family background, abilities, and appearance were all exceptional, making him a true prodigy. Even though he possessed a quiet and gentle personality, like a piece of fine porcelain with a warm, lustrous sheen, no one dared to reach out and touch him.
The power of authority adorned him, making him seem high above and unapproachable.
The last ball landed precisely in the basket.
Kang Yuan quickly stepped forward, took the racket, and handed over a water cup and a clean towel.
Lu Xuejin slowly wiped the sweat from her forehead, her movements unhurried and calm, showing no signs of the hurriedness that comes with strenuous exercise.
"Go back." Lu Xuejin's voice was gentle, revealing no emotion.
"Yes," Kang Yuan replied in a low voice, respectfully stepping back half a step.
Lu Xuejin had suggested several times that they not be so formal and just treat each other like ordinary friends, but Kang Yuan always remembered why he was able to stand beside him and why his family was thriving. Lu Xuejin didn't care about etiquette or hierarchy, but Kang Yuan knew that in this position, countless eyes were watching him closely, and if he made a mistake, he would be immediately trampled down.
Kang Yuan remained vigilant, never allowing even the slightest thought of lust or greed to exist.
He was the servant chosen by the Lu family for Lu Xuejin; nominally, he was a playmate. He could not have any other identity.
Lu Xuejin lives in Beichen Building, the tallest and best-located dormitory building in the college, occupying the top floor and boasting a spacious balcony with excellent views. Since enrolling, he has rarely stayed on campus, having only spent two nights in his dormitory so far.
This time, after finishing the game, he unusually went back to his dorm.
After washing up and changing into comfortable home clothes, Lu Xuejin took a glass of water and went to the balcony.
The sun was slowly climbing to its highest point, its rays sweeping across the distant mountain ridges and over the silver oaks standing solemnly on both sides of the main road, bathing the entire Silver Oak Academy in a warm golden halo.
Downstairs, the hustle and bustle of the new students' enrollment had not yet completely subsided. Groups of students, dressed in brand-new uniforms, curiously looked around at the elite university where they would spend the next few years.
Lu Xuejin's gaze swept calmly over the excited, anxious, or ambitious faces; the insignificant people did not stir up the slightest ripples in her heart.
Finally, my gaze settled on a figure.
The young man, dragging a noticeably worn suitcase and dressed in faded casual clothes, stood alone under a huge silver oak tree, tilting his head slightly upward to look at the ancient college emblem hanging on the tree.
His profile was sharp and cold, his skin was slightly dark, his appearance was wild, and his demeanor was down-to-earth. He stood out conspicuously among the group of freshmen who were more or less accompanied by a halo of background.
Lu Xuejin looked at him for a few seconds, then unconsciously rubbed the inside of the water glass with her fingers.
"Are those the special admissions students this year?" he asked.
Kang Yuan, standing behind him, paused for a moment, then quickly composed himself and respectfully replied, "According to the registration information, he is a student admitted this year through the 'Special Talent Program,' ranked last. His name is Chenmo (Silent), and he comes from the south. However, this year, the Admissions Office did not release his specific scores in order to protect the special admissions students."
While speaking at a steady pace, Kang Ning was filled with doubts. Lu Xuejin usually seemed indifferent to the people and things in the academy, so why was she suddenly asking about a special admission student?
Lu Xuejin remained silent, her gaze still fixed on Shen Mo.
The young man downstairs seemed to sense the unusual weight of the gaze, and he suddenly looked up, pinpointing the source of the gaze on the balcony.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, the air seemed to freeze.
Lu Xuejin stood on the high balcony, bathed in the clear morning light, her long hair flowing, smiling gently, as if veiled by a dreamlike filter, pure and flawless. Many people stared at her blankly, or secretly.
The backlighting blurred his face, revealing only his strikingly bright eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, he stared intently at Lu Xuejin with a pure, almost beast-like gaze, as if confirming something.
The eye contact lasted only a second or two.
Lu Xuejin was the first to look away, as if he had only glanced at an insignificant point unintentionally. He turned and went back inside, his figure disappearing behind the glass door of the balcony.
Only after he completely disappeared did some students downstairs seem to breathe a sigh of relief, and the atmosphere became lively again.
Several students, dressed in obviously distinguished clothes and presumably from wealthy families, gathered together. One of them lowered his voice and asked the person next to him with an incredulous yet excited tone, "Was that...the one on the balcony just now?"
The person next to him nodded briefly, not daring to utter a sound, for fear of offending him.
Another freshman, equally confused, curiously approached and asked, "Who are you talking about? The people upstairs from earlier?"
No one paid him any attention. The people who had spoken earlier exchanged a knowing glance, their expressions tinged with superiority and disdain, and tacitly avoided the topic.
In this academy, those who are unaware of Lu Xuejin's existence are not even worth considering.
Just as the group was about to leave, a heavy suitcase blocked their way, and a tall young man stood in their path.
"That person is Lu Xuejin."
His voice was calm and emotionless, like a simple question or a confirmed statement.
He then asked, "Where does he usually hang out?"
The group blocking the road clearly hadn't expected this seemingly country bumpkin, a special admission student, to dare call her by that name so openly and to inquire about Lu Xuejin's whereabouts as if no one else was around. They'd seen plenty of people trying to curry favor with the powerful, but they'd never encountered anyone so barbaric and rude.
The leader was stunned for a moment, then, as if greatly offended, flew into a rage: "Who do you think you are! You dare to..."
His words came to an abrupt end.
Because Shen Mo glanced at him.
His eyes were terrifyingly calm, as if something untamed, cold and sharp lay dormant deep within them, as if he were assessing where to bite through his prey's throat more quickly, reckless and ferocious.
The leader was stunned by that look, and the mocking words stuck in his throat. He forgot to react for a moment and stood frozen in place.
Silence did not yield the answer he sought, so he withdrew his gaze, easily dragged his heavy luggage, bypassed the frozen group, and walked straight into the dormitory building.
Lu Xuejin was the object of everyone's pursuit by Silver Oak. Their brief eye contact just now naturally fell into the eyes of those who cared. The related discussions quickly fermented on OM. Silence had just reported for enrollment and had already become famous in this hierarchical and dog-eat-dog academy.
The dormitory for special admissions students is a standard four-person room. The other three beds are still empty. Silently and efficiently, he packed his luggage and left without lingering in the dormitory, heading to the shopping mall closest to the dormitory building.
Silver Oak covers a vast area, and students rarely leave the campus except on holidays. The campus has complete daily living facilities such as shopping malls, sports fields, cinemas, and restaurants, making it almost a college city.
The mall was lavishly decorated. Ignoring the strange looks, I went straight to an eyeglasses store with a clear goal in mind. Ignoring the various expensive styles recommended by the salesperson, my eyes swept over the display cases and finally settled on a pair of basic, inexpensive gold-rimmed glasses in the corner.
"Please take this out," he said calmly, pointing to the glasses.
Judging from his ordinary clothes and family background, instead of trying to increase his income and reduce his expenses while living in college, he actually squandered money on non-essential items as soon as he enrolled. The shop assistant used a smile to cover up his surprise and disdain and neatly put his glasses back on.
He swiped his phone on the sensor, and his balance instantly shrank to a pitiful three digits. He remained silent and unconcerned, took the glasses case, opened it, took out the delicate gold-rimmed glasses, and put them on as if no one else was around.
The cold metal frames fit snugly against the bridge of the nose, hidden behind the lenses, softening the overly sharp and direct eyes and adding a touch of refined pretense.
He glanced silently at his blurry reflection in the glass counter, then turned and left.
To save time, he chose to take a shortcut back to his dormitory. The silver oak forest had a high vegetation coverage, and many tree-lined paths were quiet and peaceful, making it feel like strolling through a forest.
Then, he was blocked in the middle of the road by several people.
The one in the lead, judging by the badge on his chest, was an upperclassman; he had a smiling face and looked very kind.
"Good morning, welcome to Silver Oak." Lu Chen greeted him in a relaxed tone, his gaze sweeping over Shen Mo's old clothes and brand-new gold-rimmed glasses, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.
"Someone asked me to give you a memorable welcome gift."
His tone was relaxed and his expression gentle, but judging from the way they surrounded him, the newcomers were up to no good.
As a henchman used by some powerful and wealthy children, Lu Chen had seen similar scenes countless times. Usually, in such situations, freshmen would either panic or pretend to be calm, trying to reason or beg for mercy.
But the specially admitted student in front of me was very calm.
This calmness wasn't feigned; it was a composure that emanated from his very being, as if he weren't the one being ambushed and about to be taught a lesson. He even had the leisure to adjust his glasses.
"..." Lu Chen muttered to himself, feeling that the special admission student was a bit strange. But no matter what, he was just a henchman who did things for money. His employer had ordered him to teach this special admission student a lesson and make him behave. As for what made the special admission student different, he had no interest in knowing.
"Junior, I'm sorry, I'm just doing this for money." Lu Chen's smile faded, and he took a half step back.
Several thugs immediately surrounded them, approaching with hostile expressions.
Silently, his fingers twitched slightly, lifting as if to remove the expensive glasses he had just put on. But just as his fingertips were about to touch the frames, his movement paused almost imperceptibly.
Light footsteps came from deep within the forest path, unhurried and approaching in this direction.
Go and stop them.
Although mental and physical violence is commonplace here, it doesn't look good to make it public. The powerful and wealthy are inherently greedy and cruel like wolves and tigers, yet they still pay attention to manners and etiquette.
"Why are you stopping me?"
The voice arrived before the person.
Lu Chen's expression changed drastically. His mask-like ease and friendliness vanished without a trace, replaced by surprise, uncertainty, and subconscious tension.
He clenched his chin, signaling the others to step back, and then abruptly turned his head to look behind him.
As the footsteps drew closer, a tall, slender figure emerged slowly from behind the lush green trees.
The dappled sunlight outlined her delicate features, and her slightly upturned eyes, like cornflowers washed clean, made everyone feel as if they were being watched over.
A gentle yet stern questioning gaze fell upon Lu Chen.
Lu Chen's heart pounded. Among the students of Silver Oak, he was only slightly better off than the bottom tier, and it was only after becoming a henchman that he came into contact with higher circles. But even in the circles he had to exert all his strength to reach, he didn't even have the right to get close to Lu Xuejin.
Lu Chen had met Lu Xuejin once before, but the situation was too awkward, and she had probably long forgotten him. Later, he only caught glimpses of Lu Xuejin from afar in crowds.
Some people harbor a possessive and protective instinct towards Lu Xuejin, and her employer is one of them. Therefore, even looking at her from afar requires caution to avoid causing trouble.
This was the first time Lu Xuejin had ever noticed him, and it was under such circumstances.
"Since when did our college develop the tradition of giving 'entrance gifts' to new students?" Lu Xuejin's voice was gentle and pleasant, like a stream cascading over jade, yet it sent chills down one's spine. "Why have I never heard of this before?"
Lu Chen stood frozen in place, his usual smile crumbling, a shadow falling over his heart. He couldn't help but think that his reputation with Lu Xuejin must have plummeted.
He tried to salvage the situation by explaining that he was simply following orders, but his lips trembled and he couldn't utter a word.
Lu Xuejin didn't even glance at them. Kang Yuan, who had silently appeared behind him, took the group away. The whole process was so fast that no one could react in time.
In the blink of an eye, only the two of them remained standing facing each other.
Silently, his head slightly lowered, the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose reflecting a faint light, made him appear exceptionally well-behaved and quiet. His deliberately hunched shoulders and hunched back even gave him the visual appearance of a model student's frailty.
"Senior," he called out softly.
As the sunlight dimmed in the shade, Lu Xuejin stared at him for a few seconds in silence, her expression unreadable, before slowly asking, "Are you alright?"
His attitude was natural, yet he maintained just the right distance.
"Ignore them. If you encounter a similar situation again, report it to the student council and they will handle it."
He listened silently, nodding, looking like he was earnestly learning.
"Go eat quickly, the food at the first canteen is good and inexpensive. The course selection system will open this afternoon, don't forget your required courses."
Mo looked at Lu Xuejin through his thin glasses. "Senior, can we exchange contact information? I might need to trouble you if I encounter any problems in the future. I'm not very popular."
This request, made by a specially admitted student, appears extremely bold and even presumptuous.
Lu Xuejin gave a half-smile: "Of course."
After adding the user as a friend, I silently manipulated my phone and slowly and clumsily added the nickname: Wife.
Send a smiley face emoji, a very faint curve appearing at the corners of your lips.
What game did you play this time?
Mo Mo was in high spirits. After receiving an admission notice out of the blue and learning that it was a prestigious academy full of powerful and wealthy people, he consulted a lot of information, endured the dizziness of reading, and summarized some routines from various texts, intending to actively cooperate with Lu Xuejin's game.
The silver oak trees outside the car window slowly receded.
Having held it in the whole way, Dong Yao finally couldn't help but ask: "What are you two planning to do, pretending you don't know each other?"
It really doesn't understand.
Lu Xuejin just smiled and didn't say anything.
Why capture it but not kill it? Why enter the small world knowing its true nature? Dong Yao has too many questions and doubts.
It had never encountered a creature like Lu Xuejin before, gentle yet wicked, playful like a feline, always enthusiastic about people, yet at times her eyes held indifference and weariness.
Dongyao thought that he and Chenmo were tacitly hunting each other, just like they were with Shen Yuncheng and the shepherd boy, giving them hope, stirring up delusions that shouldn't exist, and then pushing them off the cliff at their happiest moment to enjoy their collapse and despair.
Dong Yao understands this hobby.
But the others are disposable; their interest comes suddenly and fades just as quickly. Lu Xuejin has been playing with silence for several worlds and is still enjoying it to this day.
Why?
In human terms, silence is a boring state of being.
Do you like him?
Lu Xuejin slightly curled the corners of his lips, a smile that carried an elusive meaning, and casually lifted his eyelids.
"Who knows?"
The tone was light and casual, as if discussing a trivial matter.
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