“Hurry up and eat, Yushan. Your school’s cafeteria food is honestly pretty good, much better than other places.”
In a corner of the cafeteria, Lu Yushan gripped a stainless steel spoon.
The cold metal and slight greasy texture pressed against his fingertips.
He merely mashed the rice mechanically, over and over, showing no intention of actually eating.
Floating beside Lu Yushan was a round, chubby white rice dumpling.
It was stuffing a steamed bun into its mouth, its cheeks puffed out like cotton balls as it ate with great delight.
This white rice dumpling was called Snowball.
It was the very familiar that had approached Lu Yushan and signed the magical girl contract with him.
Lu Yushan could tell there was more to what Snowball was saying, but he couldn’t be bothered to ask.
He silently mixed the rice with the soup, then gently pushed the tray aside.
He didn’t speak, but Snowball immediately understood what he meant.
“Yushan, you’re the best!”
Whoosh—Snowball dove headfirst into the tray. Its small body burrowed through the food, splashing soup everywhere.
Lu Yushan shifted away with a hint of disgust in his eyes, trying to avoid getting splattered.
Did familiars even need to eat?
Lu Yushan furrowed his brows slightly, but he didn’t dwell on it.
His thoughts drifted back to that morning.
Who exactly was that girl?
Why did she know his identity? And where had he seen her before?
Just as he was searching through his memories from the past few days, Zhang Yang approached Lu Yushan with his lackeys, their intentions clearly malicious.
“How did a guy like him manage to catch Young Miss Gu’s attention? He must have stepped in dog shit for that kind of luck.”
“Yushan… Yushan…”
Snowball looked fearful, repeatedly tugging at the corner of Lu Yushan’s clothes.
Bang—!
The table in front of Lu Yushan was kicked hard. A dull, heavy thud exploded in the cafeteria.
The tabletop shook violently, a few drops of soup splashed out of the tray, and the chopsticks and spoon on the table clattered noisily to the floor.
The noisy chatter in the cafeteria instantly died down.
Countless eyes turned toward the sound, filled with amusement and the desire to watch a good show.
“Hey, isn’t that Zhang Yang from the honors class? Who’s the guy next to him?”
“That’s the transfer student. I heard he also got in through connections. This should be entertaining.”
Unlike in the classroom, Zhang Yang’s reputation in the school was big, but it was still limited mostly to his own circle.
Other students from well-off families wouldn’t blindly follow him.
“Yo, isn’t this our Sleeping God?”
Zhang Yang stood by the table, looking down at Lu Yushan from above.
The several lackeys behind him immediately spread out, vaguely surrounding him.
“Did you hear that, loser? Brother Yang is talking to you!”
The lackey beside Zhang Yang echoed loudly.
If it had been before, Lu Yushan would most likely have chosen to ignore them.
It was better to avoid trouble.
But now, that feeling was back again.
The image of him stomping the monster beneath his foot yesterday flashed through his mind.
He didn’t really want to kill anyone.
He just wanted to snap his neck and crush his spine.
“Stay away from Gu Lingyue. This is a warning.”
Zhang Yang lowered his voice, his tone full of jealousy and malice.
“Take a look at yourself in the mirror and see what kind of person you are. If you know what’s good for you, go apply for a seat change this afternoon. Otherwise…”
Crack— Crack—
Zhang Yang’s words got stuck in his throat.
He looked on in horror at the stainless steel spoon in Lu Yushan’s hand, which had been crushed into a twisted lump.
Lu Yushan slowly raised his head and met his gaze. That lifeless face now emanated an invisible pressure.
“?? No no no, Yushan, you can’t!!”
Snowball sensed the abnormality and bit Lu Yushan’s sleeve anxiously, trying to pull him away.
But Lu Yushan didn’t budge. Invisible magical power gradually gathered, and the oppressive aura grew thicker.
Zhang Yang was momentarily frightened. A familiar sense of shame surged in his heart.
“You—”
Zhang Yang had just raised his wrist when a clear, cool voice with a hint of restraint interrupted him.
“Oh dear, this classmate, causing a commotion and fighting in the cafeteria isn’t very appropriate, is it?”
Gu Lingyue walked over slowly from not far away.
Her posture was upright, a faint chill between her brows.
Her gaze swept across the steel spoon crumpled in Lu Yushan’s hand, and a trace of understanding flashed in her eyes.
Zhang Yang’s expression stiffened.
His hand froze in mid-air.
The ferocity on his face vanished for the most part, replaced by an unnatural, ingratiating smile.
“This… I was just joking with Lu Yushan. Right?”
Lu Yushan didn’t speak.
He simply looked at him with an indifferent, speechless gaze, which made Zhang Yang instantly agitated and his face flush red again.
“You this guy…”
Zhang Yang’s voice grew smaller.
He wanted to lash out but didn’t dare because of Gu Lingyue’s identity. He thought about kicking the table leg but ultimately pulled back.
“Let’s go.”
Zhang Yang shouted angrily, as if this could salvage some of his dignity.
The surrounding murmurs gradually died down.
Anyone could see that Zhang Yang had failed to show off this time.
But just who was that girl? She managed to make Zhang Yang behave instantly?
After Zhang Yang left, Lu Yushan also prepared to leave.
He hadn’t planned on eating anyway, and now an “unwanted guest” had shown up.
“Lu Yushan, do you mind if we have a chat?”
“I do.”
Lu Yushan answered immediately and started walking away.
Gu Lingyue chuckled lightly, as if she had expected this.
She leaned close to Lu Yushan’s ear.
He caught a whiff of a fresh fragrance and subconsciously tried to pull away.
“I need you to work for me. What do you want?”
Straight to the point.
Lu Yushan’s foot, which had been about to step forward, stopped.
The screen full of debt collection messages flashed through his mind.
A trace of determination appeared in his eyes.
“Money.”