Chapter 2: The Adorable Childhood Friend and the Enchanting Spirit

“Student Li, are you well-versed in the topic that Student Ye covered today? Or perhaps you’ve seen some special reports on the related news… Why don’t you share some study tips with everyone?” The director smiled warmly, his tone gentle, as if he were chatting with a new young colleague at Shang K.

Gentle was the right word.

The director simply couldn’t suppress his curiosity. Though this might cost him some of his authority as a teacher, in Li Xingming’s eyes, the concept of “teacher’s authority” probably never really existed.

After all, someone who could openly, boldly, and defiantly discuss the existence of black silk stockings in the grand auditorium must have a level of nerve beyond human comprehension.

To have earned Ye Sheng’s approval was proof that Li Xingming did have something going for him, despite his usual image as a “young master who doesn’t care much about family status but expects outsiders to show some respect.”

From now on, the school had to view him differently.

Faced with the director’s question, Li Xingming shook his head. “Before Lilith Arnorlund took part in the battle depicted in that oil painting, she had a fight with the assassin in her team and tore her stockings. I made a new pair for her on the spot and helped her put them on myself.”

Damn it, here we go again.

The students nearby struggled to keep straight faces. Li Xingming was like this—after absorbing so many strange and obscure facts, he always liked to imagine himself as a historical figure, immersing himself in scenes from an extraordinary past.

Though in the century since the Awakening of the Extraordinary, ancient beings unearthed from relics have awakened, integrated into human society, and even produced a number of hybrids, clearly none of that had any connection to Li Xingming at Maple Sugar City No.1 High School.

A native of Maple Sugar City, who hadn’t even undergone an extraordinary awakening, yet constantly swore he was part of history and fantasized about being Lilith Arnorlund’s boyfriend...

Diagnosed as hysteria.

Pure hysteria, if you asked me.

“Ah ha, Student Li, you’re quite humorous,” the director forced a laugh to smooth things over.

He understood.

This was just a polite excuse for “not wanting to share the real information.” Like when a woman asks a man how much savings he has during matchmaking, and he says two hundred million—not really meaning it, but signaling, “I don’t want to tell you.”

But Li Xingming really did have two hundred million.

He recalled the scene then: the malt fragrance in the tavern air, the relentless rumble of artillery from the front, the silky touch of black stockings, and the soft resilience of Lilith’s thigh.

Amid his reverie, Li Xingming’s gaze casually fell on Ye Sheng atop the podium.

Those long legs—wearing tights would certainly look exquisite.

Then he realized Ye Sheng was also looking at him, her eyes full of fervent curiosity for the unknown.

Soon after, Ye Sheng lowered her head and fiddled with her phone.

Li Xingming’s phone in his pocket vibrated twice.

A stranger had added him on WeChat.

***

When filling out the new semester’s statistics form, Li Xingming had left his frequently used WeChat ID. This was probably how Ye Sheng got it—there were many officials seated on the podium, and it wouldn’t be hard to check the school’s records.

Li Xingming pretended not to notice.

But Ye Sheng kept staring at him, her gaze tinged with a hint of grievance, as if refusing to give up until he accepted her friend request.

And every minute, she added him again.

This was not the rhythm Li Xingming liked—he didn’t enjoy being pressured by girls.

So he left the auditorium.

There were still scholarship awards and sponsor promotional videos to follow, but Ye Sheng couldn’t leave right away and could only watch helplessly as Li Xingming fled.

Well.

You can run from the monk, but you can’t run from the temple.

“Hello, teacher, please help me check Student Li Xingming’s home address.”

“Huh?”

…

Li Xingming entered the underground parking lot of Maple Sugar City No.1 High School and drove his beat-up commuter car through the bustling city to an art training institution.

After parking, he entered the VIP lounge on the second floor. Through the floor-to-ceiling glass, he watched a petite girl practicing her dance.

The girl was delicately charming, with a well-proportioned figure.

Her radiant face seemed sculpted by the gods, glowing with fresh, tender youth. Her eyes sparkled with lively spirit, and fine beads of sweat dotted her small, exquisite nose.

“Student Li is here. What would you like to drink?” A waitress in professional attire appeared at the VIP lounge door, balancing a tray and wearing a practiced smile.

“Iced lemon water, please.”

“Understood.”

Despite maintaining a courteous service attitude, the waitress’s eyes betrayed a trace of disdain.

This art training institution was the largest in Maple Sugar City and boasted many clients with status and background like Li Xingming. They would send their favored girls here to learn skills, satisfying their own standards for a lover’s talents.

According to gossip, Li Xingming and Jiang Qianqian had been childhood sweethearts, so theoretically their relationship should be quite innocent. Yet Li Xingming sent Jiang Qianqian here to learn singing, instruments, and dance...

The intention was obvious—he had certain demands of Jiang Qianqian in that regard.

The VIP lounge here was designed for patrons to admire their canaries’ graceful postures.

***

To satisfy the patrons’ possessiveness, the dance lessons were one-on-one, taught strictly by female instructors. No men were involved during the lessons, nor allowed to watch.

After class, the student could do more interesting things with their patron in the lounge. If the patron was willing to pay extra, the female instructor in charge could also join in.

Furthermore, for students who had awakened extraordinary talents, the training institution even sold “Charm” faction spirits—magic entities to please the patrons.

Jiang Qianqian was probably in no rush to buy these spirits. Her foundation was excellent, her charm innate. The female teachers privately speculated that after Jiang Qianqian awakened her extraordinary abilities, she might even spontaneously generate a “Charm” spirit within her...

Spirits were the fundamental units that composed extraordinary powers; a concept made tangible.

Only with a contracted spirit could an extraordinary individual unleash a myriad of powers—flames, frost, teleportation, immense strength; invisibility, enchantment, mind reading... Higher-level extraordinaries combined multiple spirits to wield godlike powers.

Undoubtedly, spirits were the most prized hard currency in this extraordinary era.

The waitress who served Li Xingming his lemon water also handed him the fourth-quarter spirit sales recommendation list.

Li Xingming skimmed through it, then commented:

“Average.”

“...This is already the best Charm faction stock available on the market...” she replied.

“All the ones on the market are average.”

“...”

“No need to recommend your goods to me anymore, thank you,” Li Xingming said earnestly. “I plan to explore the ruins myself and find her a natal spirit.”

A natal spirit.

As the name implies, it was the first spirit contracted by an extraordinary individual, deeply bound to their soul, shaping their future development irrevocably.

Parents of students at prestigious schools valued this greatly. Jiang Qianqian was in her final year of high school and was about to awaken. Li Xingming, as her childhood friend (and speculated patron), making such a statement was quite reasonable.

But him planning to personally find her natal spirit?

“Well, I won’t bother you any longer.”

The waitress bowed deeply, feigning a smile as she exited the VIP lounge.

She was already eager to complain to her colleagues.

As expected of Li Xingming—truly abstract beyond words.