Ch80 - What a Perfect Match!

At that moment, a broadcast announcement echoed through the air.

“The hostage has been successfully located. The match is over.”

As the announcement ended, Jian Mei slowly regained consciousness. When he opened his eyes again, he was already lying inside a pod. As he woke, the other pod doors began to open one by one.

Nanfeng was the first to step out. Rubbing his hands together, he muttered, “Those bats were a real pain. The trees in that foggy forest were practically bare, so my vines had nothing to latch onto. They just kept swarming me. If my divine power hadn’t improved since last year, I might not have lasted.”

“You were in a forest. Your wood-element divine power was actually useful, so just be grateful, okay?” Ying crawled out of the pod, looking pained. “My fire was the real struggle. That place was covered in thick mist, and my flames were completely suppressed.”

From another pod, Yunshi slowly climbed out as well. Always easygoing and fond of sleep, he let out a sigh. “Guys, all of you with offensive abilities, just stop talking, alright? I had it the worst.”

As a member of the SA Dangerous Abilities Division, Yunshi’s ability was something Jian Mei had only learned about two days ago.

It turned out that Yunshi’s ability was grafting.

He was the second son of a renowned family of healing priests, yet his primary ability wasn’t healing—it was grafting. When someone nearby was injured, he could take on their wounds and pain, transferring them onto himself to heal them. At first glance, it seemed like a weak and impractical ability, but in reality, it was a formidable power—one that could prove unexpectedly crucial in life-or-death situations.

Nanfeng leaped out and said, “Come on, come on! Who got first place this time?”

The scoreboard still hadn’t updated.

But when it finally appeared and everyone turned to check the rankings, one name stood out at the very top—Jian Mei.

“……”

The room plunged into a deathly silence.

Nanfeng spun around, staring at Jian Mei in disbelief. “Xiao-Laodi, are you serious?”

“Hmm?” Jian Mei glanced at the rankings, just as stunned. “Maybe there’s been a mistake.”

At that moment, someone stepped forward from the observation room at the back, their applause ringing through the hall where the students stood. The principal smiled and said, “The younger generation never fails to impress. Truly remarkable.”

Nanfeng gawked at Jian Mei before throwing an arm around his shoulders. “You little punk, so you’ve been hiding your strength all this time, huh? And here we were worried about you—only for you to take first place!”

Jian Mei was still doubtful and turned to look at the principal.

The principal sighed and stepped forward. “We watched your entire match, Mei. You truly surprised us. More importantly, you made us realize something—when we place too much emphasis on divine power, we end up overlooking other crucial aspects. Lacking divine power or being unable to use it doesn’t necessarily mean failure. You’ve taught us an invaluable lesson today.”

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“Oh, that was just an herb,” Jian Mei replied softly. “It has detoxifying properties. There was plenty of it growing in the grass beneath the trees.”

Professor Hu Kan stepped forward as well. “Then how exactly did you stop the bats from attacking you?”

Jian Mei hesitated. “Bats? What bats? There were bats?”

“……”

The room fell into a stunned silence.

How could someone be this outrageously lucky yet still somehow earn admiration?

Jian Mei scratched his head belatedly, giving an awkward smile. But with this battle, he had completely erased the impression that he was useless in everyone’s eyes. On top of that, he had earned the right to attend magic classes alongside the others. That very night, someone delivered a set of magic class robes and a school bag to him.

When he returned to the dormitory, he still had time to attend his tutoring class outside the school. So, after greeting everyone, he immediately rushed off.

Over the past few days, the younger kids in the class had grown familiar with him. During their breaks, they would eagerly show off their little treasures.

“Mei, look at my little car!”

A short boy, no more than four or five years old, proudly held out a crystal toy car in front of Jian Mei. “Isn’t it cool?”

Jian Mei nodded. “It’s cool.”

A girl in a frilly dress squeezed in next, brimming with excitement. “Look at mine! My mom just bought me the latest butterfly bow!”

Jian Mei looked up and saw the glittering bow in her hair. He smiled. “It’s really pretty.”

The little girl huffed, clearly pleased with herself.

The other kids loved coming to him, eager to show off their prized possessions. Since everyone in this tutoring class lived in the Imperial Capital, their families were well-off. Normally, their only outlet was competing with one another, constantly trying to outshine their peers. But ever since Jian Mei arrived, things had changed.

Jian Mei never wore his school uniform outside. After all, showing up to an elementary tutoring class in uniform would have been embarrassing. Instead, he always wore old clothes from his time in Golden Town, making him look like a poor kid with no formal education.

The kids in class enjoyed talking to him because he never tried to outdo them—he simply offered sincere praise.

Ding-dong.

The school bell rang, marking the end of class.

After packing up his things, Jian Mei was about to leave the academy. However, he had barely stepped out of the classroom when a voice called from behind him.

“Jian Mei.”

The familiar voice made him pause mid-step. He turned around, and sure enough, it was Lu Xingwang.

Jian Mei was completely caught off guard. He quickly jogged over to a nearby stone pillar and asked, “Why’d you come by yourself today?”

Lu Xingwang replied casually, “I wasn’t busy, so I figured I’d come see you in person.”

In truth, since Jian Mei had classmates helping him with tutoring, he hadn’t visited the palace in a while. Between the two of them, it was hard to say who had run out of patience first.

Jian Mei smiled. “I was just thinking the same thing. It’s been days since we last saw each other.”

Lu Xingwang nodded. “Let’s head out first.”

Given his sensitive status as the crown prince, Lu Xingwang had taken a small disguise potion. Now, the person standing in front of Jian Mei appeared to be just an ordinary-looking young man. But his familiar voice and mannerisms made it easy for Jian Mei to adjust.

He didn’t ask why Lu Xingwang had to go incognito or why he chose such a plain face. Sometimes, the guy could be a bit clueless, but at other times, he was so considerate that it was comforting.

Jian Mei said, “I promised my classmates I’d bring them something.”

Lu Xingwang had already planned to accompany him anyway. “Let’s go to the mall.”

Apart from occasionally wandering the streets of the imperial capital, the only other place Jian Mei had ever truly gone shopping was Golden Town. But compared to the splendor of the capital, that place was in a completely different league. Since he had never been here before, he was eager to experience it for himself. He said, “Alright.”

In his mind, he had pictured a large shopping mall. What he hadn’t expected was that this wasn’t just a mall—it was practically an entire futuristic city! Mechanical light rings floated around the circular metropolis, and intricate streets wove together in a dazzling maze. This was the most prosperous city in Stan Star’s imperial capital, the very heart of interstellar trade.

The moment he stepped inside, Jian Mei was completely spellbound, his eyes darting around as he struggled to take everything in. “Wow, this is incredible.”

Lu Xingwang walked beside him. Whenever Jian Mei curiously pressed up against the glass of a shop, he never made comments like “You’ve never seen this before?” or “These are just ordinary things for us.” Instead, he simply stayed by his side, silently accompanying him.

Whenever someone walked past, Lu Xingwang would gently pull Jian Mei to the side, sighing in mild exasperation. “Watch where you’re going.”

Jian Mei was so captivated that his eyes sparkled with excitement. Lost in wonder, he barely noticed how absentminded he had become. When he finally snapped out of it, he turned back with a small, sheepish grin. “Hehe, got a little carried away.”

Lu Xingwang lowered his gaze to him. “Just don’t go bumping into people.”

“Hmm?” Jian Mei looked at him, his gaze soft with a trace of shyness, but his voice was clear, carrying a faintly coquettish tone. “Because you’re here.”

Of course, I know getting distracted while walking can be dangerous. But as long as you’re by my side… I don’t have to be afraid.

The street bustled with people coming and going. Lu Xingwang’s gaze darkened slightly.

His heartbeat suddenly wavered—an unfamiliar sensation. For the first time, an inexplicable longing took root in his chest… the desire to stay by Jian Mei’s side forever, to protect him for a lifetime.

Jian Mei pointed toward a glass display case not far away. “That looks like the manhua my classmate wanted. Wait here for me, Da Zhuang-ge. I’ll go grab a copy.”

Lu Xingwang stood still, watching as Jian Mei’s figure disappeared into the distance.

Behind him, a small snack stall bustled with activity. The vendors, ever enthusiastic, immediately latched onto him, eager to make a sale.

“Hey, handsome! Want to try our ice cream cones? Kids your age love them! Your little brother was just eyeing our stall a moment ago!”

Lu Xingwang remained indifferent.

He found it unsanitary—nothing like the safety of the palace.

Another vendor quickly jumped in, eager to steal the sale. “Hey, handsome, don’t listen to her! Buy from me instead! My ice cream cones are handcrafted, all-natural, and completely free of additives. Young couples love them! We’ve even got a buy-one-get-one-free deal. Not gonna lie, you and your partner are the most perfectly matched couple I’ve ever seen—this deal was made for you two.”

Lu Xingwang lifted his gaze, casting a look at the vendor.

That single glance sent a wave of unease through the man. He wasn’t sure why, but despite the young man’s plain appearance, his presence was suffocatingly intense. Just that one look made his heart skip.

And then, the young man stepped forward.

The vendor paled slightly, his voice faltering. “Uh, th-that…”

Lu Xingwang stopped in front of the stall, his lips parting ever so slightly as he spoke. “Two.”