Though Cold Night Feather’s words sounded nice, in truth, she was just like Lin Mi—an eternal brat who never grew up. How could one brat make another grow? We might as well light a candle for Lin Mi.
“A boy once told me he’d get stronger too,” Cold Night Feather said out of nowhere, thinking of Li Ming. “I saw pride and stubbornness in his eyes. So I let him go to the front lines. Because I knew—a boy with that look, if he survives, will break through the thorns and emerge reborn.”
Lin Mi and Bai Xin listened silently.
“As for you, Lin Mi,” Cold Night Feather locked eyes with Lin Mi’s emerald-green gaze, “I can’t promise you’ll succeed. To me, you’re just a brat desperate to prove yourself to your father.”
Lin Mi stayed quiet, staring back stubbornly.
“Ugh, fine. Guess I’m stuck being a babysitter,” Cold Night Feather surrendered to Lin Mi’s stubbornness. “Alright, alright. I’ll visit your house later and negotiate with your dad to let you stay at mine… Is he home?”
Lin Mi nodded.
“Then it’s settled. Oh, Bai Xin—you mentioned taking me somewhere after school, right?” Cold Night Feather clearly wanted to drop the topic. Dealing with Lin Mi’s drama was a huge hassle for her lazy self.
“Ah! I almost forgot after all that chatter!” Bai Xin smacked her fist into her palm. “I’m taking you to join our 2D Research Club!”
Cold Night Feather gasped. “Holy crap? I didn’t know you studied space and dimensions!”
“Well, ‘2D’ is short for anime, games, and stuff like that!” Bai Xin sighed, realizing the misunderstanding. “Call it an otaku club if you want! I usually hang out there after school.”
“Then why didn’t you take me earlier?” Cold Night Feather asked, puzzled.
“Eh, I’ve been in a daze these past days, like I was dreaming,” Bai Xin said, clapping her hands. “Alright, ladies! Big sis Bai Xin will lead you to the club!”
The moment she finished, Bai Xin got a sharp flick on the forehead from Cold Night Feather.
After winding through Donglin Third Middle School for ages, the trio reached their destination: a crumbling building on the school’s back hill. Curtains blocked the aged windows from within, and thick new wire mesh covered the outside—like the occupants didn’t want anyone peeking in.
“Huh? This is your clubroom?” Lin Mi asked, surprised. “No wonder this forgotten old building hasn’t been torn down.”
“I begged the principal uncle for ages to get ownership!” Bai Xin grinned, knocking on a door that clearly wasn’t original. How could a moss-covered ruin have such a sturdy steel security door?
Cold Night Feather frowned nearby. Here, she could almost hear the heartbeat of the sealed entity within the school—thunderous, like war drums echoing in her ears. This was the seal’s core!
She scanned the surroundings. Under the golden sunset, the trees hummed with hidden magic.
“These trees form a Seal Barrier!” Cold Night Feather muttered. But that wasn’t all. The shabby building itself held secrets. She touched the wall—yep, this was the barrier’s heart.
Her lips twitched. *How reckless is the principal?* This critical node of a massive seal had zero guards. He’d just handed it to a bunch of troublemakers. What if they accidentally unleashed that thing?
As Cold Night Feather studied the decaying scene, the door swung open.
“Huh? President, why so late? You didn’t even show up the past few days!” A tiny girl stood there, barely reaching Cold Night Feather’s chest. At 174cm tall, Cold Night Feather knew this kid was only about 140cm.
“How’s a primary student in high school?” Lin Mi deadpanned.
The girl finally noticed Lin Mi and Cold Night Feather behind Bai Xin. She froze at Cold Night Feather’s beauty, then glared at Lin Mi.
“Holy crap! Lin Mi! Shuo Ye, run! Lin Mi brought muscle to bully our president!” The little girl yelped and tried to bolt inside, but Bai Xin yanked her collar.
“Shut it. Lin Mi’s my friend now.”
Bai Xin marched in, dragging the squirming girl. The others followed.
Outside looked run-down, but inside sparkled. Two doors stood guard—a steel security gate and a glossy blackwood one. Polished wooden floors led to a glass coffee table centered in the hall. Three sofas surrounded it: one long, two short. Opposite them sat a massive LCD TV. A black-haired, flat-chested girl played PS4 on the couch.
Corners held computers. Anime posters plastered the walls. Behind the table, a huge bookshelf overflowed with manga, light novels, and figures.
“Wow. You’re a secret tycoon,” Lin Mi said, lips twitching. Her dad was an A++-rank ability user and deputy head of the Execution Department—but that job was deadly and paid peanuts. He was strict with her allowance too.
Bai Xin’s club setup? Just the authentic Japanese figures and books on the shelf were worth a fortune. Not to mention the TV, PS4, computers, and renovations.
“Is that the new Saber Alter figure by Huke? 1400 yuan without shipping,” Lin Mi pointed to a 40cm figure. “And that’s probably the priciest thing here—the HOME BEAUTY EHT98M03A, Harley series 98-inch TV. Quoted at 130,000 yuan!”
Cold Night Feather didn’t flinch—she had over a million in her account. But Bai Xin and the little girl gaped.
“It’s huge, so I knew it was expensive!” Bai Xin stared at the game-filled screen. “But damn, I thought it cost maybe ten grand! Rich people suck!”
Lin Mi eyed the suddenly unsophisticated Bai Xin. “Wait, you’re the president. Didn’t you buy this stuff?”
Bai Xin swallowed. “Well, I’m president, but Uncle Li funded the renovations. Back then, only Zhang Meng and I were in the club. Oh, Zhang Meng’s this hyperactive brat I’m holding—OW! Are you a dog?!”
Zhang Meng had twisted around and bitten Bai Xin’s hand. “You’re the brat! Your whole family’s brats!”
Cold Night Feather’s lips twitched again. As Bai Xin’s only living relative, she’d been insulted too. *Talk about collateral damage.*
Bai Xin dropped Zhang Meng from the pain. The girl stomped off, fuming.
“Anyway,” Bai Xin continued, “Shuo Ye showed up recently. Oh, Shuo Ye’s that flat-chested gamer girl.”
Cold Night Feather noticed Shuo Ye’s body stiffen at the comment.
“Then she bought everything—TV, game console, computers. Almost all of it. Except a few figures I got.”
Lin Mi studied the black-haired girl pausing her game. “Shuo Ye’s not from our school, right? When did Donglin get this level of rich kid?”
Before Bai Xin answered, Shuo Ye stood, clearly uneasy under their stares. She walked over and extended a delicate hand to Cold Night Feather.
“Hello. I’m Shuo Ye. Currently unemployed.”
When Shuo Ye’s soft hand gripped Cold Night Feather’s, surprising strength surged through it. But to Cold Night Feather, it was just a tickle.
The two beauties smiled at each other, hands clasped for ages. Outsiders might think sparks flew—but they were locked in a silent arm-wrestle.
Cold Night Feather won effortlessly. They pulled back, still smiling. Bai Xin felt like two grinning foxes stood before her.
“An unemployed person wouldn’t have this much money,” Cold Night Feather said smoothly, playing foreigner for cover. Her sharp features helped the act. “I just arrived in China, but I know that much.”
Her constant cramming on Western culture paid off.
“Being so evasive, Miss Shuo Ye, makes me think you have ulterior motives.”
“Ohohoho. I’m just hiding from my troublesome family. No ill will.” Shuo Ye spread her hands, still smiling. “Besides, there’s nothing here worth coveting, right?”
“Heh. I hope so.”
Both smiled, but Bai Xin smelled gunpowder in the air. She got a headache. This rich girl had always been lazy and expressionless—why did she clash with Cold Night Feather now?
