SCOM - Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Every corner of the Federation's Capital City was bustling. Compared to Xijiang Exile Star, even the people walking the streets here seemed much more imposing.
Yan Yan walked along the street in clothes that weren't old but certainly weren't stylish, drawing occasional glances. Aside from feeling a bit uncomfortable at the port when he first arrived in the Capital, he had since stopped caring. The people here dressed well and ate well, but many were also all flash and no substance.
Arriving at the address Zuo Luohuan had given him yesterday, Yan Yan presented the card, and a waiter immediately led him to a private room. It was his first time in such a high-end restaurant, and he couldn't help but look around. Spotting a display of snacks on a nearby table, he asked the waiter if they were free.
"...Yes, they are."
This was the scene Jiang Hong walked into: Yan Yan standing by the decorative table, stuffing snacks into his mouth while simultaneously shoving more into his pockets, the waiter beside him looking hesitant.
"Are you a reincarnated hungry ghost?" Jiang Hong asked disdainfully.
Yan Yan spared a glance mid-chew, saw it wasn't Zuo Luohuan, and ignored him, continuing to eat.
"..." Jiang Hong addressed the waiter, "Pack two bags for him, the biggest ones you have."
The waiter recognized Jiang Hong and, seeing he knew this person, breathed a sigh of relief before going to get bags and pack the snacks.
Jiang Hong leaned against the table, picking through the snacks but ultimately taking none. "The food upstairs is the real good stuff. If you fill up now, how will you eat later? Zuo Luohuan is rich; you should order a few extra dishes then to make it worthwhile."
"None of your business," Yan Yan snapped abruptly.
Jiang Hong shrugged, then took the two large bags from the waiter. "You go on ahead, we're together. I'll bring him up later."
The waiter bowed gratefully to Jiang Hong. This big guy looked strange, and any mistake in service could lead to a deduction in pay.
"Stop eating, these two big bags are yours." Jiang Hong handed them to Yan Yan. "Is Xijiang Exile Star so poor you can't even get enough to eat, or is there something special about your constitution?"
He couldn't imagine such a situation existing in the Federation today. Local relief agencies had large amounts of donated food going uneaten daily; how could someone on a proper star not have enough food?
Yan Yan wiped his mouth, snatched the two large bags from him without answering, and only asked, "Where are we eating?"
Jiang Hong: "..." Damn it, this stubborn new student!
"Upstairs. Zuo Luohuan always likes to arrive early; she should already be waiting in the private room." Jiang Hong led the way, glancing back at Yan Yan at the corner. "How did it feel fighting Ji Yuezhi? Those moves he used on you were definitely textbook level."
Setting aside the lack of differentiation, Ji Yuezhi's skills were absolutely top-tier. It was no wonder he was mentioned in the same breath as Zuo Luohuan, and not just because of the Ji family behind him.
"He's strong," Yan Yan said gravely. "But I'll definitely be able to beat Ji Yuezhi in the future."
As he spoke the latter half of the sentence, Jiang Hong, ahead of him, happened to stop and open the private room door. Inside, Zuo Luohuan turned to look at them, saying calmly, "You beat Ji Yuezhi? Maybe in your next life."
"Why can't I win?" Yan Yan looked down on Ji Yuezhi, feeling the Disciplinary Committee was just a group obsessed with superficial appearances. "I'll become stronger in the future."
Zuo Luohuan released the whiskey glass she was holding, her fingertip lightly tracing the side. She looked up with a faint smile. "Someone who only knows how to fight can't beat Ji Yuezhi."
"Why are we still talking about Ji Yuezhi here?" Jiang Hong plopped down opposite her, seemingly forgetting he had started the topic. "I'm hungry, tell them to bring the food."
"Sit, order whatever you want." Zuo Luohuan pointed to the seat next to Jiang Hong, addressing Yan Yan. "Today is just a friendly exchange between senior and new students."
Yan Yan stared at Zuo Luohuan for a moment before finally sitting down. "What do you want to know?"
"Xijiang Exile Star."
...
Today was Saturday, a holiday. Early in the morning, the Ji family sent three cars to pick up Ji Yuezhi. When he came out, people were already waiting at the school gate.
"Young Master." The leader stepped forward to remind him, "The Master is in the car."
Ji Yuezhi walked towards the middle car. Someone immediately came forward, opened the rear door, and shielded him as he got in.
"Father."
Inside sat a handsome man with sharp features hidden beneath his brows. Judging by appearance alone, one might believe he was in his twenties. He was dressed just as meticulously and exquisitely, looking as if even every strand of hair had been styled, not at all like someone who had worked through the night.
Only after Ji Yuezhi entered did he stop his work, his imposing aura softening slightly. "How was your week at school?"
"Nothing major." Ji Yuezhi closed the car door and leaned against the window, replying casually.
Ji Xixiu glanced at his son. "I heard Zuo Luohuan isn't leaving this semester."
Ji Yuezhi's lowered eyelashes trembled slightly, but his tone remained unchanged. "Is that so? Perhaps she doesn't have enough credits."
"True, even with the credits of a top-ten student, it wouldn't last through a year of skipping class." Ji Xixiu didn't expose his son's pretense, instead changing the subject. "Your coming-of-age ceremony is almost here. What gift do you want?"
Ji Yuezhi watched the distorted scenery flashing past the window. After a long pause, he said, "...To differentiate soon."
"No rush, there's nothing wrong with your body." Ji Xixiu reached out and patted his son's head. "You'll differentiate eventually."
Few knew that the Ji family's only son had once begun to differentiate, only for the process to be forcefully suppressed just as it started. After a serious illness, there had been no further signs of differentiation.
Upon arriving home, Ji Yuezhi was noticeably more relaxed than at school. After his meal, he returned to his room to rest.
Shedding the stiff military uniform, Ji Yuezhi lay sideways on the bed, wrapping himself in a thin blanket, quietly browsing the school's anonymous forum. Nine out of ten threads he clicked on contained one particular person's name.
If Zuo Luohuan were here, she would notice that the ankles exposed from under the thin blanket of this widely acknowledged future Alpha of the First Military Academy were slender and beautiful, the skin overly delicate and fair, bearing no resemblance to traditional Alpha characteristics.
[Report!!! Zuo Luohuan was eating with a new student at Weibao Pavilion today!!! Pic attached.jpg]
Ji Yuezhi's finger paused when he scrolled to this title. His lips pressed into a thin line. After a long moment, he finally clicked in.
[Damn, isn't this the new student who got beaten up by Ji Yuezhi at the school gate? Is Zuo Luohuan trying to recruit Ji Yuezhi's enemy?]
[To the person above, Zuo Luohuan also beat up that new student. I think maybe Zuo Luohuan has taken a liking to the new student. Although he seems a bit reckless, he's quite good-looking.]
[AA relationships are unacceptable.]
[What era is this? What's wrong with AA or OO relationships?]
The topic drifted further and further off, focusing entirely on Zuo Luohuan and the new student's potential romance. Some even claimed Zuo Luohuan came back specifically for the new student. Ji Yuezhi's lips pressed tighter and tighter, until he finally couldn't resist posting from his alternate account.
[She doesn't like this type.]
[How do you know Zuo Luohuan doesn't like this type? I think this new student is pretty good!]
[She doesn't like him.]
[Forget it, forget it, don't say anymore. Probably just another obsessed Zuo fan.]
...
Ji Yuezhi closed his optical computer, turned over, and sat up. His fringe was slightly messy, his lips pressed into a straight line – a sign of extreme displeasure.
Zuo Luohuan didn't like this type of person. He knew it, had always known.
"Yuezhi." Ji Xixiu knocked on the door from outside. "Zuo Luohuan just asked me for your contact information."
The sound of hurried footsteps came from inside the room, and the next second, the door opened. Ji Yuezhi looked at his father. "She... wanted my contact info?"
"Said she wanted to personally thank you for the coming-of-age gift you sent before." Ji Xixiu frowned. "You've been classmates all this time, haven't you added each other's contact info?"
"...No." Ji Yuezhi said in a low voice. Although they had always been in the same school, they basically had no overlapping friend circles. Zuo Luohuan was only relatively close to Jiang Hong; otherwise, she was always off playing by herself somewhere. Before entering the First Military Academy, she was already notorious throughout the Capital for skipping class.
Ji Xixiu didn't understand what young people were thinking these days, but he never interfered. He simply said, "Zuo Luohuan already has your contact info. I subtly asked just now; she will come to your coming-of-age ceremony on the twenty-eighth."
After Ji Xixiu left, Ji Yuezhi closed the door, looked at himself in the mirror, then turned and went to change his clothes.
...
The trio dispersed after leaving Weibao Pavilion. Zuo Luohuan neither returned to school nor went home, instead heading straight for a shopping mall.
Walking along the road, she had initially intended to call Ji Yuezhi, but realized upon opening her optical computer that she didn't have his contact information. Zuo Luohuan asked her father for the Ji family head's contact info, then specifically called him to ask for Ji Yuezhi's number.
After getting the contact number, Zuo Luohuan didn't rush to call. She walked into a high-end custom accessory store in the mall, scanned the dazzling array of exquisite accessories in the display cases, and directly asked the manager, "Do you have neck locks?"
The manager remained calm. "Sir, are you referring to... that kind of neck lock? If you require one, you can accompany us to the top floor for a viewing."
"Let's go."
Compared to the brightly lit accessory store below, the top floor had a more ambiguous lighting. Every detail of the viewing room exuded meticulous, exquisite design. It resembled a large exhibition hall for neck locks, featuring every material and style imaginable.
The most eye-catching piece was on the main display stand: a neck lock adorned with pale yellow jade-colored lace edged with gold thread. If worn, it wouldn't lock what it should, but would thoroughly conceal what it shouldn't.
"Sir, the neck locks in the display case are all designed by our master craftsmen. Elegant and exquisite, very suitable as a gift for..."
Zuo Luohuan interrupted the manager, "What if I want to design and make one myself?"
The manager instantly understood. Alphas all shared the same trait: an extremely strong possessiveness. But he maintained his smile. "Of course. We have a dedicated design and production studio here. Guests are welcome to design their own. However, due to the higher scrap rate for novice designs, the price is slightly higher."
"Show me." Zuo Luohuan followed the manager further inside, finally dialing Ji Yuezhi's contact number.
She didn't initiate a video call, just a voice call. When it connected: "Ji Yuezhi?"
The other end was silent for a long time before speaking: "...Is there something?"
"The coming-of-age gift you sent, I saw it." Zuo Luohuan's gaze swept over the neck locks on either side, a hint of nonchalance in her voice. "I like it very much."
In his room, Ji Yuezhi, who had changed clothes but hadn't received a video call, recalled the gift he had sent. The tips of his ears turned slightly red, but his tone remained as cold as ever. "So?"
"So for your coming-of-age ceremony, I should also give you a gift." Zuo Luohuan walked into the design studio, as if suddenly remembering something. "Ji Yuezhi, do you know this is an erotic face mask? Something only lovers would give each other. You've been deceived."
As expected, the owner of the contact number on the other end seemed very displeased and abruptly hung up.
Hearing the disconnected tone, as if having won a round, Zuo Luohuan's mood inexplicably improved.
Comments
Post a Comment