Chapter 74: I Won’t Eat Him. Winning First Place / Professor, Promise Me…
Jiang Chenyan was silent for a moment before looking up. “Fine.”
Shen Shiyue’s brow furrowed, and he said in a heavy voice, “Jiang Chenyan.”
“Don’t worry.” It wasn’t actually anything major; he was just curious about what Xie Huaijin was up to.
“I won’t eat him, will I?” Xie Huaijin suddenly laughed softly. His gaze fell on Shen Shiyue’s tense profile as he teased deliberately, “What are you so anxious about?”
The two locked eyes in the air for a brief moment. Shen Shiyue stared back at Xie Huaijin, while Xie Huaijin’s smile became increasingly casual; neither was willing to yield an inch.
Jiang Chenyan’s fingertips paused. Sensing the wrong atmosphere, he was just about to break the deadlock when—
“Jiang Chenyan! Shen Shiyue!”
Ji Xuan and the others hurried over, beads of sweat hanging from their foreheads as they stood there panting.
They simply couldn’t believe their team had taken first place.
The mechanical voice of the broadcast rang out on time, piercing through the noise:
[Will the top three teams please proceed to the inner venue.]
Jiang Chenyan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He remained silent, a very faint, complex emotion flickering in his eyes.
The inner venue was bustling with noise. Mu Sian’s face was so dark it looked like it could drip ink; when he looked at Xie Huaijin, he looked as if he wanted to grind the man’s bones to ash.
Xie Huaijin walked closer with a smile. His voice wasn’t loud, yet it reached Mu Sian’s ears with precision: “I recall you had a bet with Jiang Chenyan.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Mu Sian’s suddenly stiff face, his smile deepening: “You lost.”
The bet.
The loser would never bother Jiang Chenyan again.
Mu Sian knew it all too well.
His nails dug deep into his palms.
Heh, as if that’s possible.
With numerous gazes from prominent figures fixed on them, Mu Sian could only forcibly suppress his overwhelming rage. He gritted his teeth and remained silent.
Countless figures shifted under the lights of the inner venue. Jiang Chenyan kept his eyes lowered, his long lashes concealing the exhaustion within. His strength felt as though it had been drained; even standing straight felt like an effort.
The Principal’s congratulatory speech was long and hollow. Jiang Chenyan didn’t hear a word of it, feeling only as if countless gazes were entangling him like spider silk.
There was scrutiny, envy, and a few sticky gazes that made his stomach churn with disgust, lingering like maggots on a bone.
Jiang Chenyan instinctively looked around, desperately wanting to find a familiar figure.
Finally, in a corner of the front row, he saw Kai Lan.
His heart suddenly constricted.
Kai Lan’s arm was pinned firmly against the back of a chair by a black-clad Alpha, rendering him unable to move. That Alpha slowly raised his head, revealing a familiar face—Professor Ariel.
Jiang Chenyan’s vision momentarily went black. How did those two end up together?!
His gaze remained glued to the front corner, and he didn’t even notice the award presenter walking up to him.
“Take it.”
An extremely cold voice suddenly rang in his ear. It lacked any fluctuation, striking Jiang Chenyan like a blast of bone-chilling frost.
Jiang Chenyan snapped back to his senses and looked up.
Qi Bai stood before him, his features cold and sharp, his entire being devoid of any warmth.
It truly had been a while since they last crossed paths.
The medal had a silver base with fine thorn patterns engraved around the edges. In the center was an indigo starstone that reflected fine halos of light, looking like a piece of the cold night sky sealed within—elegant yet frigid.
Jiang Chenyan reached out and took it, the cold metallic sensation covering his palm.
The tones of the medal made his skin appear even paler. His knuckles were distinct, and his elegant features were almost bewitching.
Reflected in the silver-blue glow, that patch of white skin looked like fine suet-jade dipped in cold mist, carrying an unconscious sort of allure.
These hands were as exquisitely unreasonable as their owner.
Qi Bai’s eyes suddenly darkened, becoming bottomless.
He stared at the hand holding the medal, his voice low and cold. “Jiang Chenyan, does it have to be like this?”
Jiang Chenyan was stunned. “What do you mean?”
Qi Bai didn’t speak, only staring at him fixedly.
Jiang Chenyan felt a chill down his spine as a strange sense of pressure overwhelmed him from the other man.
He was too good at seducing people. Qi Bai’s gaze swept over Jiang Chenyan’s pale hand, then to his face, his tone complex and unreadable. “Like this… can you really enter the Alliance?”
Jiang Chenyan’s fingers tightened around the medal, and a surge of irritation rose in his heart.
What did he mean? That he didn’t deserve to enter the Alliance?
“Why wouldn’t I be able to enter?”
Qi Bai didn’t respond. His eyes were gloomy as he gave Jiang Chenyan one last deep look before walking directly to the next award winner, as if the conversation just now had never happened.
Jiang Chenyan stood there, feeling agitated.
Qi Bai’s eyes were all wrong, hiding a darkness and complexity he couldn’t understand. It wasn’t just Qi Bai; the other gazes falling on him also carried unreadable meanings—sticky and burning, making him feel incredibly uncomfortable.
Jiang Chenyan pressed a finger to his temple.
Counting the days, his heat period was almost here.
No wonder he had become so sensitive to everything around him lately; a single look from someone could disturb his peace of mind.
On the rostrum, the Principal’s speech continued, urging them to step down.
Several other big shots took turns speaking afterward, but Jiang Chenyan couldn’t take in a single word.
His gaze occasionally drifted toward the corner of the front row.
His fingertips tapped quickly on his terminal as he sent a message to Professor Ariel:
[Professor, Kai Lan is right beside you.]
A reply came almost instantly—a single, cold character:
[Mm.]
Jiang Chenyan pursed his lips and continued typing:
[Can you let him go?]
[Let him go so he can run around blindly?]
Jiang Chenyan: “…”
His fingers tapped away rapidly:
[Let’s meet privately in a bit, Professor.]
Almost instantly, Ariel’s message popped up:
[Whether you want to meet Kai Lan or me, you know the answer in your heart.]
“Damn!” Jiang Chenyan cursed under his breath. Staring at the question on the screen, he typed “Both of you!”, then felt the tone was too aggressive and silently deleted the exclamation mark.
After hesitating for a few seconds, he added a soft little heart at the end before hitting send.
The speeches finally drew to a close. Xie Huaijin was called away by his father’s personal bodyguards, and Mu Sian was also led away by several unidentified people.
Jiang Chenyan seized the opportunity to find an excuse to get away from Shen Shiyue and the others. He hid in a quiet spot at the end of the corridor, patiently waiting for Kai Lan and Ariel.
From a distance, he saw the two approaching.
Kai Lan spotted Jiang Chenyan in the corner at a glance. He instantly broke free from Ariel’s grip and sprinted over, tightly hugging Jiang Chenyan’s neck. Burying his head in Jiang Chenyan’s shoulder, he said muffledly, “Jiang Chenyan, I missed you so much.”
Jiang Chenyan: “…”
This was eerily enthusiastic.
“Don’t be so clingy.” Ariel caught up in a few steps, grabbed Kai Lan’s back collar, and with a light tug, pulled him out of Jiang Chenyan’s arms and back to his side.
Jiang Chenyan looked at Ariel and offered a subtle reminder: “Professor, I won.”
“I know.” Ariel walked forward without looking back. “I’m not blind.”
He gestured for the two to follow, his voice deep. “This isn’t the place to talk. Follow me.”
After crossing several quiet corridors, the three entered Ariel’s private laboratory.
The heavy metal door closed, cutting off the noise from the outside world.
Jiang Chenyan was the first to speak. “How did you two run into each other?”
Kai Lan’s eyes flickered. He secretly gave Jiang Chenyan a “let’s talk privately” gesture and muttered vaguely, “It’s a long story.”
Jiang Chenyan’s eyes moved slightly, understanding instantly. “Understood.”
Ariel saw this little interaction between the two.
Leaning against the lab bench, his eyes suddenly turned dark. Did these two little brats think he was dead?
Jiang Chenyan acted as if he didn’t notice the low pressure. “Professor, did you know? Before entering the simulator, I saw Kai Lan in the inner venue and was worried the whole time. Only after seeing him with you did I feel at ease.”
Ariel’s brow arched. These words from Jiang Chenyan hit home, and the bit of displeasure in his heart dissipated, replaced by a sense of satisfaction.
Jiang Chenyan struck while the iron was hot. “This means that I trust you from the bottom of my heart.”
He then shifted the topic. “So, you must fulfill your promise. My entry into the Alliance depends entirely on you.”
So this was what he was waiting for.
Ariel lowered his eyes and looked calmly at Jiang Chenyan, his gaze profound.
Jiang Chenyan was a bit nervous.
Beside him, Kai Lan was also nervous, his heart hanging in his throat.
The air was silent for a few seconds, a duration that felt like a century.
Finally, Ariel spoke slowly. “Even if I don’t recommend you, others will be falling over themselves to do so. You can rest easy.”
“Jiang Chenyan, this is your choice. I hope you won’t regret it in the future.”
Jiang Chenyan understood this. He had his own plans. Spending three years at the military academy until graduation? He’d rather just die.
As long as he got the Alliance slot, he could complete the System’s task. At that time, he wouldn’t have to worry about being obliterated anymore; he would be completely free of his shackles.
Jiang Chenyan looked up, meeting Ariel’s gaze. “I won’t regret it.”
“As long as you don’t regret it.” Ariel’s voice softened slightly. There were some things he couldn’t easily interfere with.
“Notification regarding this matter will come soon. Just wait.” Ariel returned to his usual indifference. “If there’s nothing else, you two should head back.”
Jiang Chenyan nodded and turned to leave. “Going now.”
After two steps, he realized there was no movement behind him.
He looked back to see that Kai Lan hadn’t followed. Instead, Kai Lan sprinted to Ariel and suddenly threw his arms around him. “The things I did before were indeed a bit much. I’m sorry, Ariel.”
The warm embrace carried the unique scent of a youth. Long lashes drooped slightly, casting fine shadows over his eyelids. His usual arrogance was gone, replaced by a rare gentleness.
In an instant, Ariel’s tense shoulders relaxed. The remaining displeasure in his heart was completely melted by this sudden softness.
He had never truly blamed him.
“When have I ever blamed you?” Ariel raised his hand and lightly patted Kai Lan’s back, his voice low and gentle.
Kai Lan buried himself in Ariel’s arms, his nose feeling stinging.
He didn’t know what the future held, nor did he know when they would meet again after this parting. He greedily enjoyed this brief moment of warmth.
Jiang Chenyan leaned against the doorframe, arching an eyebrow as he watched this scene with interest.
Quite interesting.
…
Jiang Chenyan walked ahead with his hands in his pockets, not looking back. Kai Lan followed dejectedly, Ariel’s words still echoing in his head, his footsteps somewhat unsteady.
Jiang Chenyan didn’t mention what happened between him and Ariel, acting as if he hadn’t seen the previous scene. He asked, “By the way, how did you sneak into the inner venue?”
Kai Lan’s eyes lit up. He hurried to catch up and leaned in close to Jiang Chenyan’s ear.
“Secret.”
Jiang Chenyan’s face darkened, and he spat out two words without looking back: “Dumbass.”
“If you won’t say it, I’ll check for myself.”
Kai Lan immediately wilted and hurried to keep up. “Don’t, don’t! I bought entry permissions on the dark web.”
Jiang Chenyan stopped in his tracks, falling silent.
…You can buy inner venue slots on the dark web? Was the security here just for show?
He suppressed the surprise in his heart. “Let’s get you out of here first.”
“Wait.” Kai Lan hurriedly pulled him back. “I need to go grab something. I went through a lot of trouble to collect it; I can’t lose it!”
Jiang Chenyan frowned, scanning the surroundings warily. “What is it? Find a hidden place to hide; I’ll go get it.”
“Okay.” Kai Lan agreed without hesitation and quickly ducked into the shadows nearby.
…
Jiang Chenyan returned to the inner venue and followed the route Kai Lan had described to the restroom.
He pushed a stall door, but there was movement inside; someone was using it.
He stepped out expressionlessly and leaned against the corridor wall, waiting patiently.
A moment later, the stall door opened, and an Alpha in a black suit walked out. As he passed Jiang Chenyan, he couldn’t help but steal a few extra glances.
A flash of displeasure crossed Jiang Chenyan’s eyes.
Once the Alpha was far away, he pushed the door and entered the stall. He felt around inside and indeed found a cold, tubular object. it was heavy, though he didn’t know what was inside.
He tucked it into his pocket and walked out quickly.
Just as he turned a corner in the corridor, he suddenly stopped.
At the end of the corridor not far away, a group of Alphas was gathered, talking in low voices.
Jiang Chenyan’s face darkened. Most of them were old acquaintances.
Qi Bai leaned against the wall, his features cold. An unlit cigarette was between his fingers as he chatted with Cyrus and Frederick.
Their gazes swept over him seemingly unintentionally, and the atmosphere instantly froze.
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