Vol2 Chapter 9: If that girl bullies you, I will help you…

The Panamera sliced through the rain toward the end of the tree-lined road, three people inside.

“I don’t care who you like,” Bai Ci said abruptly as she got in, “but it can’t be Chen Wenwen.”

Lu Mingfei shrank, glancing at her through the rearview mirror.

“You’re not my mom…”

“I hate her.”

Bai Ci propped her chin with her left hand, staring at the rain outside.

She just found Chen Wenwen annoying.
Got a problem with that?
If so, she’d… sulk under the covers and secretly curse her…

“Maybe because you mentioned Chen Wenwen too much before,” Chu Zihang said, glancing at the mirror, expressionless.
“And I heard she rejected you pretty spectacularly.”

“That… that wasn’t a rejection, okay?
You gotta be close to get rejected, and I never even held her hand…”
Lu Mingfei shrank further.
“I don’t blame her.
She didn’t choose me, but who would’ve back then?
Zhao Menghua was better than me in every way, and he liked her so much.”

“Then why’d you ask her to dinner?” Bai Ci cut in.

“Senior arranged it…” Lu Mingfei shot a guilty glance at Chu Zihang.

“I took it upon myself to invite her.
It’s not Lu Mingfei’s fault,” Chu Zihang said calmly, his eyes unwavering.
“But I didn’t expect Bai Ci to be here.
I didn’t mean for her to know.”

Bai Ci turned to Chu Zihang, biting her lip.
“President… you’re really looking out for me, huh?”

“It’s a president’s duty to consider Lionheart members’ well-being,” Chu Zihang replied matter-of-factly.

Lu Mingfei nearly choked, almost rolling his eyes.
Come on, Senior, are you messing with me?
Have some emotional intelligence!
She’s right here!

As he opened his mouth to retort, Bai Ci pulled out disinfectant wipes and lifted his shirt, pressing them against him.

Lu Mingfei froze for two seconds, then heard Chu Zihang say, “Thanks.”

He looked down, following Chu Zihang’s gaze to his lower right abdomen.
The white wipe was stained with vivid red blood.

“I’ll handle the rest,” Chu Zihang said, one hand on the wheel, the other pressing his side, driving calmly.

“Sharp observation.
I didn’t even notice,” he added.

“Oh.”

Bai Ci glanced at the dazed Lu Mingfei and returned to watching the scenery.

She wasn’t some brainless lunatic.
As a Lionheart member, with the president driving, she wouldn’t retaliate now.

Unless she was crazy enough to crash the car with all three of them.

“President… try to use Bloodrage less,” Bai Ci said, eyeing the darkening wipe.

“I’ll try,” Chu Zihang replied, glancing at the mirror.
“Do me a favor—don’t tell anyone.
Consider it returning my favor.
Give me a moment.”

He stepped out into the pouring rain, unbuttoned his shirt, tossed it into the car, and unwrapped layers of gauze from his waist.
Shirtless, head bowed, he let the rain wash over him.
His abdomen was bloodstained, the wound shocking.

The rain rinsed the blood, releasing faint white steam, like mixing sulfuric acid with water—or as if Chu Zihang’s blood was scalding oil.
The blood-tainted water hit the ground, leaving white spots.
Lu Mingfei stared, dumbfounded, reminded of Alien’s acid-blooded creature.
He’d been chatting and riding with this monster—should he be proud or scream?

Lu Mingfei sighed, tugging his hair in frustration.
“God knows how a normal guy like me ended up at that school with these lunatics.”

“You’re not normal,” Bai Ci said.

“You’re not mad anymore?”

“The president set it up.
It’s not your fault.”

“Oh…”
Lu Mingfei looked at her, saying softly, “Weird?
Of course a pure human stands out in a reptile school.”

“You’re Cassell’s only other S-rank besides me.
Professors think you might save the world.
So do I.
But you’re always so pathetic… isn’t that weird?”
Bai Ci said, watching the steaming Chu Zihang.

“Weird people always seem weird to others but normal to themselves,” Lu Mingfei said, hands behind his head, leaning into the Panamera’s racing seat.
“You don’t know how much you shine at school.
Everyone says you’re on par with Caesar and Chu Zihang, the one to carry the S-rank mantle, the one to save the world.”

“Who expects me to save the world?”
Lu Mingfei looked out the window, voice low.
“Sure, if I did, people would cheer, give me medals, maybe my face on every newspaper headline, love letters flooding in, world tours for lectures…”
He paused.
“The whole world clapping, but I wouldn’t even know those people.
I’d bust my ass saving the world just for strangers to applaud?”

“I expect it,” Bai Ci said, resting her head on the front seat.
“If that day comes, the principal will clap for you.
So will Professor Guderian, the president, Caesar, Zero, Chen Motong, Fingel—and me.”

“Heh… your expectations might fall flat,” Lu Mingfei said with a self-mocking smile.
“You don’t like the pathetic me either, do you?
Sleeping in, gaming, spacing out, reading magazines at newsstands, pining for someone three years without confessing…
Would you find someone like that interesting?
I wouldn’t.
But that’s me.”
He looked up at the rain-streaked sunroof, voice soft.

“No way,” Bai Ci shook her head.
“We’ve been together years.
Sure, you’re full of flaws, but I’m still here, aren’t I?
If I didn’t like you, I’d have handed you to the Executive Department long ago…
Lu Mingfei… you’re a dragon, aren’t you?”

“No way…”

Lu Mingfei shook his head, feeling she was unusually talkative today.

“Someone who can kill that kind of monster can only be a monster,” Bai Ci said, sitting up.
She pulled something from her bag and clasped his hand.
“I saw it that day—all of it…
Are you a Next-Generation?
Or a First-Generation?”

That day, he’d shed mercy and humanity, seizing supreme authority and killing power, becoming a monster before her eyes, capable of rivaling a Dragon King.

Lu Mingfei stared, mouth agape, unsure what to say.

Was she… trying to kill him?

“By Executive Department rules, I should try to kill you now, any way possible, even if it means dragging the president down with us.
For humanity, it’s the right choice.”

She spoke, fastening something on him.

“But I can’t…”
She let go, slumping back.
“I said I’d have your back.”

“If they find out who you are, I’ll take you somewhere they’ll never find us.
The North Pole, or the South Pole if that doesn’t work.
If they come, I’ll take them out, then come back for you.”

“And… happy birthday, Lu Mingfei.
This is my seventh year knowing you.”

“If you’re okay with it, until you find a girl you love, I’ll be there for every birthday.”

“If you find her, I’ll congratulate you wholeheartedly.
If she dares hurt you, I’ll swap her perfume for Liushen toilet water.
But don’t forget me, or I’ll make you regret it.”

Lu Mingfei sat stunned, slowly coming to.
He raised his hand—a delicate four-leaf clover bracelet, symbolizing luck, was on his wrist.
He glanced at the rearview mirror.
Bai Ci had earplugs in and an eye mask on, fast asleep.

At that moment, the rain’s patter faded, replaced by her soft breathing, endlessly comforting.

He did have a girl he liked…

But he felt she didn’t like him—not in that way.

Like Lu Mingze said, she might not love him, but she’d probably say yes.

Swapping perfume for toilet water?
Only you’d think of that…

Later, Chu Zihang, blood washed clean, returned to the car.
He dried off, took fresh clothes from his suitcase, and changed.

Then he saw Lu Mingfei grinning like an idiot.