Ch73.2 - I miss my alma mater so much

The room fell into an eerie silence.

Then, Lu Xingwang averted his gaze, somewhat suspiciously, and replied coolly, “We’re acquainted.”

Ya Wen didn’t suspect anything and was delighted. “That’s really great! Actually, I could tell the child truly missed him. When he first mentioned the name, I wondered—could a noble really have that name? I even told him it might be fake, but his expression at that moment was just heartbreaking. Even so, he still said he was willing to believe in that person, insisting he wouldn’t lie to him.”

“Your Highness, if you truly know that noble, please have him find that child,” Ya Wen said sincerely. “No matter what, he should at least meet him and give him closure.”

Lu Xingwang listened, feeling a tight knot form in his chest.

That child is so clumsy—how is he surviving in such a foreign place? Will he be bullied as a servant? When he’s struggling, is there anyone by his side? Has he been taken advantage of by ill-intentioned people?

Lu Xingwang wished he could fly there immediately, but reason held him back. “Where is he?”

Ya Wen snapped back to her senses, took out an address, and said, “We agreed that if we found the person later, we’d send a letter here. This is the town mayor’s house, but I’m not sure if he’s still there. He said he’d be leaving for school within the next two years.”

Lu Xingwang nodded. “Got it. Leave the address, and you can go back.”

Ya Wen nodded.

As soon as she stepped out of the grand palace hall, someone quickly caught up to her, carrying a tray laden with rewards.

She was caught off guard. “Oh, no, I really can’t accept this—I don’t deserve it.”

“Please take it,” Aruo said with a warm smile. “This is the prince’s reward. Even if you think you didn’t do much, you actually did something really important and were a great help. You deserve this.”

Ya Wen had never expected that a small favor would earn her such a generous reward. As she accepted the tray, her eyes landed on the gold coins and rare treasures inside, and a sudden chill crept up her spine. Could Jian Mei’s friend, ‘Dazhuang-ge,’ actually be someone important…?

……

On the other side,

Lu Xingwang set down the document, stood up, and contacted someone.

Zuo Qingshan, who was away on a business trip, answered the call. “Hello?”

“Check if a servant named Jian Mei is still at the town mayor’s house in Golden Town,” Lu Xingwang said, trying his best to keep his voice steady. “Make it quick.”

Zuo Qingshan was stunned. “What? Jian Mei? You mean that kid? I was just in that town not long ago—how come I didn’t run into him?”

Lu Xingwang wasn’t expecting much from him. “It’s not confirmed yet, but go investigate. I need results by tonight.”

Zuo Qingshan stared at the ended call in a daze.

He had met the mayor of Golden Town before, but as for the servant…

Suddenly, a memory surfaced—his encounter in the prison that day. Could it be… that child was really him?!

……

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Jian Mei didn’t quite understand. “So, am I a special admit? Have you accepted any other commoner students?”

“Not yet. You’re the only one this year,” the old man said. Noticing Jian Mei’s hesitation, he quickly added, “But who knows? There might be others by tomorrow, so don’t worry.”

Jian Mei wasn’t actually worried; he was just asking. “Then which class will I be in? Aren’t students placed into classes based on their abilities? But I don’t have any.”

The old man reassured him, “That’s nothing to worry about. We’ve already made the arrangements. Today is the first day of school. Take your luggage, and I’ll give you your dorm number and key card. Get yourself settled in and meet your new classmates.”

For some reason, even though the old man spoke with confidence, Jian Mei still found him unreliable.

Once they arrived at the school, Jian Mei asked, “Do I need to pay tuition?”

The old man shook his head. “No, you’re a special admit.”

Jian Mei didn’t want to take advantage of others. “Regardless of what kind of student I am, I’m here to study, so I should pay tuition. I don’t have any special skills, and I don’t deserve special privileges.”

The old man raised an eyebrow, a little surprised. “You’re a commoner, right? I checked your records—your parents passed away. Wouldn’t it be better to save that tuition money?”

Jian Mei replied softly, “I am a commoner, but I’ve worked before and earned enough to pay for tuition.”

Hearing this, the old man regarded Jian Mei with newfound respect. He wasn’t greedy for small advantages, knew how to stand his ground, and carried himself with composure. Having both a clear bottom line and independent thinking, such traits were rare.

The old man chuckled. “Alright, you can pay later. Go settle into your dorm first.”

“Alright,” Jian Mei replied.

He hadn’t expected to be admitted here at all. The old man handed him a golden room card and a map, then led him to a building at the forest’s edge. Pointing to a narrow path, he said, “Just follow this path straight, and you’ll reach the dormitory.”

“Thank you,” said Jian Mei.

Dragging his suitcase behind him, Jian Mei couldn’t shake the odd feeling in his chest. Today was the first day of school, wasn’t it? Just earlier, when he had been riding the floating light car, he had seen the campus teeming with students—ABC uniforms flashing through the crowd, luggage in hand, everyone busy moving into the dorms. The entire place had been buzzing with activity.

So why was it that now, when it was his turn, the road was completely deserted?

Where was everyone?

Was this really the dormitory? Could that old man have fooled him?

A trace of doubt crept into Jian Mei’s mind. He thought about messaging Shen Huai to ask, but he still hadn’t figured out how to use the communication terminal. The old man was long gone, leaving him with no choice but to forge ahead on his own.

The forest stretched endlessly before him, thick with birdsong but void of people. The longer he walked, the stranger it felt. Just as he began wondering how much farther the dorms were, a figure suddenly appeared in the distance.

Jian Mei’s eyes lit up. He quickly dragged his suitcase and ran toward the person, calling out, “Classmate!”

The boy walking ahead turned around, and Jian Mei froze. The child looked so young—probably only… seven or eight years old? Wasn’t that elementary school age?

The boy simply stared at Jian Mei without saying a word.

“Are you heading to the dorms too? Me too,” Jian Mei said, a thin layer of sweat forming on his forehead. “Let’s go together.”

The little boy turned away and kept walking.

“So… what class are you in?” Jian Mei asked tentatively. “I just got my room card, but I’m not really sure how the dorms are arranged.”

The boy finally responded, “I’m going to the dorm too.”

…?

Jian Mei froze.

Wait… wasn’t that what I asked earlier? That was such a delayed response!

He hesitated before trying again. “Then… should we walk together?”

The little boy stayed silent for a while. His round, dark head looked adorably small. After what felt like forever, he finally said, “I’m in the SA class.”

!!!

Sure enough… this kid was still answering my previous question!

Jian Mei waited patiently, saying nothing. Sure enough, after a long pause, the boy finally muttered, “Okay, let’s walk together.”

So he wasn’t cold, he was just slow to react.

Jian Mei found himself both amused and a little exasperated. The kid was really cute, so he asked, “Is your suitcase heavy? Want gege to carry it for you?”

The little boy kept his head down, walking in silence. About half a minute later, he finally responded in a soft voice, “Not heavy.”

Jian Mei had already grown accustomed to his delayed responses. He chuckled, “I still don’t even know what class I’m in. What kind of special power do you have, getting into this school at such a young age?”

He had thought the students here would be arrogant, their noses upturned, unwilling to befriend outsiders. But unexpectedly, this boy was obedient, innocent, and completely harmless.

The little boy paused again, taking his time to process the question. Then, at last, he said, “Anyone walking on this path is from the same class.”

Jian Mei’s smile froze. Was he really going to be in the same class as a little kid?

Before Jian Mei could even register his shock, the little boy seemed ready to answer his second question. He put down his suitcase and walked toward a large, leafy tree. Taking off his gloves, he revealed a pair of pale hands and pressed them against the trunk.

Right before Jian Mei’s widening eyes, the tree began to wither and crumble into dust. In the blink of an eye, the towering tree disintegrated, leaving behind nothing but a pile of ash.

The boy turned back to look at him. “I have an earth-element divine power.”

Jian Mei, who had just thought this kid was harmless and adorable, instinctively took two steps back. A faint memory surfaced in his mind—something Shen Huai had once told him.

“This year, there’s a kid from a Sorcerer’s Clan. His earth-element divine power is a mutation. You see, normally, we manipulate plants to make them grow, right? But that kid… everything he touches, whether plants or animals, would turn to dust.”

“People with particularly dangerous abilities end up in SA. It’s the smallest class in the academy—and the most dangerous.”

Jian Mei felt his soul leave his body. He fished the room card from his pocket, staring at the golden card with growing despair before letting out a long, pained sigh. “…No way.”

……

Meanwhile, at the Crown Prince’s Palace.

A palace attendant stepped forward and said, “Your Highness, the spring semester at Jishe Academy is about to begin. This year marks the fifth anniversary of your graduation. The principal personally sent a digital letter, inviting you to give a speech at the opening ceremony.”

Lu Xingwang didn’t even lift his head. “I’m busy. Decline it.”

The palace attendant paused briefly but knew better than to question the prince’s decisions. He quickly bowed and answered, “Understood.”

Just as the official was about to step away, Lu Xingwang received a message from Zuo Qingshan. According to his investigation, Jian Mei was no longer staying at the mayor’s residence. He had already left Golden Town and moved to the imperial capital for school. If everything went as expected, the academy he was enrolling in would be Jishe Academy.

Lu Xingwang closed the message and called out, “Come back.”

The palace attendant hurried back and asked in a hushed voice, “Your Highness, what are your orders?”

“Reply to the principal for me. I’ll be attending this year’s opening ceremony,” Lu Xingwang said calmly. “And tell him that since I haven’t been back in a long time, I feel especially nostalgic for my alma mater. Make sure every student is present at the event.”

Translator’s Notes:

This chapter was supposed to be up on Monday, but I’m taking a break this weekend. So, this is the last update for March! Next update will be on April 1.