33. Second Battle at the Fengtian Academy

Dan Niang and Old Cheng did a great job of arranging Ye Lan's room in an unnoticeable corner. It was far away from noises and chaos, so her rest could be ensured. Even a noisy day like yesterday, she could have a sound sleep.

When Ye Lan opened the door, she saw Libao's round head popping up. Libao carried a tray in his hand on which a variety of desserts and a jar of porridge were displayed. Libao said, "You wake up around noon, Lanbao. You should change your name into Lady Lazy! Come and eat some food. I get them from the kitchen early in the morning." Libao was so obsessed with these delicacies in the human world, 'Why they all taste so good?'

Ye Lan reached to the porridge and got a bowl of it without a second thought. She smelled the scent of peach blossom once she opened the jar. Libao sniffled and sneezed when he turned around. The porridge smelled great!

Ye Lan frowned, "You take the porridge from the kitchen as well?"

"This porridge?" Libao was stunned for a while and he had no idea. "I don't know. This porridge comes onto my tray out of nowhere."

"Xiao Hei came? Why did he leave without meeting up with her?" Ye Lan knew it was Xiao Hei who made it as soon as she opened the jar. The porridge suited her appetite so well. Did he come here early to deliver it to her?

Ye Lan smiled and stopped asking Libao. She took the bowl and had the porridge. The porridge was so good that Ye Lan narrowed her eyes when she had a mouthful of it. Libao looked at Ye Lan's satisfied facial expression and picked up the jar in confusion, then he put a spoonful of porridge into his mouth. He made some noises due to its deliciousness, thinking 'Xiao Hei, this human could really make things!'

Xiao Hei finished a jar of peach blossom porridge without effort when Ye Lan was drinking hers. Dan Niang came in charm when the two were enjoying their food. Last night Dan Niang almost stayed up all night, but she could still stand in front of them looking energetic and enchanting today. Her newly changed thin clothes really brought out her girly delicacy.

The scene of Ye Lan pulling Libao's ear could be seen at the doorway. "You finished my porridge secretly!" said Ye Lan angrily when she mistreated Libao out of dissatisfaction.

Libao resisted persistently and over-confidently, "Let him make more. That will be fine. I like him as well and let him make more."

Ye Lan was choked and she complained about Libao, "He is not your maidservant and it won't be that easy."

Dan Niang listened confusedly at the doorway. 'He could make porridge well, and he was liked by Libao, but he is not Ye Lan's maidservant. Wait a second! Not Ye Lan's maidservant nor Libao's. And a porridge maker that Ye Lan values so much. That lassie dared to curry favor with Ye Lan first?' Dan Niang was outrageous and turned to the kitchen without entering Ye's room, "Make me some porridge! Peach blossom porridge, apricot blossom porridge, or whatever flower blossom porridge, just make me one of each!"

The cook had no idea of what was going on. Could anyone eat that much early in the morning?

But he dared not to disobey, so he quickly went to the stove to cook the rice. Dan Niang calmed down a little bit when she saw the fire. 'That's right.' Dan Niang left in satisfaction with her hands resting on her waist and returned to Ye Lan and Libao's place. She saw Libao lying on the embroidered couch. And Xiao Hei was next to Ye Lan? Dan Niang saw Ye Lan talking with Xiao Hei when she opened the door aggressively. Dan Niang saluted them respectfully, "Dan Niang pays respects to Envoy Feng and Master!"

"Get up. Good morning. You must have been so busy last night." Ye Lan talked to Dan Niang and turned to Xiao Hei right away when she realized.

Ye Lan frowned, "Envoy Feng?" She knew what an envoy was, but what about the Feng? She looked at Xiao Hei in confusion. Xiao Hei smiled in a loving way, which made Dan Niang stunned. Feng Ming smiled to a woman in a surprisingly warm way? What the hell?

"Tell me." Ye Lan's eyes turned to Dan Niang. Xiao Hei didn't want to tell her his real name, but she really wanted to know it because the name "Xiao Hei" was so hasty. Indeed, one small mistake could cause everlasting regret.

Dan Niang said, "You don't know it, master? Envoy Feng is Envoy Feng Ming." Dan Niang had no idea of what Ye Lan wanted to ask, so she frowned and winked at Ye Lan to show her innocence.

"Feng Ming? Feng Ming? Envoy Feng Ming?" Ye Lan smiled out of surprise. She knew a man couldn't have such a tacky name like Xiao Hei. "Your real name is Feng Ming! Why don't you tell me?"

Dan Niang was so shocked. 'Xiao Hei, a cheesy name that couldn't be cheesier. He was called Xiao Hei, damn it!' Dan Niang couldn't help but swear. 'Master, you’re so mean to him. A handsome guy like him could put up with such a name. What an insult to him!'

The most unbelievable thing was that Feng Ming agreed to be called "Xiao Hei".

What was wrong with the world!

"As I said, you could call me whatever you liked. A name was just a code. Why do you care so much?" Xiao Hei said smilingly.

"But I've always been feeling that the name "Xiao Hei" is not classy. I'm so afraid you would laugh at me, but you refuse to tell me your real name. You are so bad." Ye Lan punched Feng Ming's chest to show brotherly love, which appeared to be a movement of flirting with soft-lighted filter and romantic background music in Dan Niang's eyes. Ye Lan knew Dan Niang misunderstood the gesture when she looked at Dan Niang's face, so she shook her head and flipped Dan Niang.

"But it's too late and I can't help calling you "Xiao Hei". You are such a big trouble." Ye Lan complained. Xiao Hei didn't care, "You can call me whatever you like."

Xiao Hei saw Dan Niang, became serious and looked at her, "You come here so early. Anything happened?" Dan Niang then remembered her information gotten from those greasy merchants and officials by maneuvering among them for hours yesterday, but she spilled the beans due to lack of consideration, "I'm here to see Libao. Oh, no. I mean, I..." Dan Niang was so ashamed and corrected herself after patting her head, "No. I, it's about you, master! I have some news of what you have sent me to inquire about."

"Oh, really?" Feng Ming nodded and turned around to leave. But he was seized by Ye Lan, "Is there anything important to do?"

"No, it's just you have something to discuss with her, I..." Feng Ming looked at Ye Lan smilingly.

Ye Lan knew that Xiao Hei was to avert suspicion and tried to set up the majesty of Master for her. But her record had convinced everybody. She was not afraid of anyone, let alone an insignificant Dan Niang! "It's about the Fengtian Academy," Xiao Hei was cut short by Ye Lan, "If you don't have anything important to do, why don't you stay and hear it together? And you can help me."

"Okay." Feng Ming nodded and turned around to let Dan Niang start.

Dan Niang rose and looked so serious without a hint of her everyday romantic air. She was so serious that gave people a chill to their spines, "The Fengtian Academy indeed enrolls new students every five years, but the dean has the final say, which means, as long as you are liked by the dean, you can take the entrance exam alone, and you can become a formal student if you pass it. They get a practice recently and will be back in a few days. However, the dean always lives in seclusion, so it needs luck and strength." Ye Lan got what Dan Niang meant, and she sighed. She had to frequent to the Fengtian Academy recently and forced the dean to show up.

"But! Ah ha ha ha!" Dan Niang restored to her daily romantic appearance after finishing the serious topic. She waved a fan with a charming smile, "I've never doubted the strength of you, master! But 30% of the luck depends on god and the rest on people themselves. You can leave it to me, and I will help you to make that old man to appear."

"Fine." Ye Lan knew Dan Niang's tricks. Leaving those things to her was the best choice.

Feng Ming looked at Ye Lan with a glimmer of worry. She was so hard-working, but he could do nothing to help her. The only thing he could do was to watch her going away and bearing everything herself.

He saw Libao who was lying on the embroidered couch and slapped Libao in a distance. Sleepy Libao was wakened up out of fear.

"What the hell are you doing? You want to scare your grandpa to death?" Libao had been having a good dream and he got up on the wrong side of the bed due to the sudden fright. He looked at Ye Lan and pouted, "Lanbao, he bullies me." He teared up when he complained, which gave Ye Lan a look of disgust. So, Ye Lan patted Libao's head. Feng Ming looked at Libao gloomily, "As the Master's contractual magic beast, you have to protect her all time. I'll bury you if she gets hurt even slightly! Do you hear me?"

Libao was not scared by the threat, but he saw Feng Ming's gloomy face and cold eyes, he couldn't help shivering and swallowing. He said without confidence, "Okay." Ye Lan knew Libao was afraid of Xiao Hei, and Libao also realized he appeared to be a bit terrified. In order to show his self-esteem and protest, Libao mumbled, "She's my master. It does me no good if she gets hurt. She's the first one to protect, even if I can't protect other people."

Ye Lan looked at Libao smilingly. She trusted Libao. Since last time they cooperated to kill Ye He, she knew Libao was definitely a reliable battle companion. So, she would like to pay attention and treat Libao as a friend instead of a servant.

Dan Niang knew she had finished her job but she didn't want to leave. She leaned on the edge of the table and looked at Libao in affection, thinking he looked so cute even in his sleep.

Libao got bored and laid on the embroidered couch to catnap. After a while, he felt a little sleepy.

"Tok tok tok!" "Who is this?" Dan Niang completely forgot the porridge she ordered and yelled at the door discontentedly. The waiter at the doorway replied right away, "Madam Dan, the porridge you wanted is done!"