Chapter 57
The lightweight warship for the return journey had been waiting at the entrance of Heavy Cloud Gate. When Lu Jingning and the others appeared, Cen Junfeng remained calm, seemingly unfazed by Wen Xingchen’s one-night absence.
It was said that the joint gathering between the two schools turned into a melee involving four schools. As a direct result, almost everyone was carried out horizontally from the private rooms. The scene was quite spectacular.
However, Lu Jingning paid no attention to all of that. His only concern was, “What about Tang Jiaze? Did you guys take him down?”
“It wasn’t necessary. You didn’t see it, but Bing Yunlin single-handedly took care of him,” Kang Hanyun chuckled. “Tang Jiaze acted all arrogant, but he couldn’t hold his alcohol at all. Before it ended, he had already run to the restroom to vomit three or four times. Tsk tsk, despite looking like he was about to die from puking, he insisted on showing off, a typical case of valuing face over life.”
Upon hearing that Tang Jiaze had ultimately been defeated, Lu Jingning felt satisfied. He picked up his luggage and boarded the warship.
Glancing inside, although there were still empty seats, he unhesitatingly sat down next to Wen Xingchen. Cen Junfeng, who had just arrived, witnessed this scene. His eyelids twitched, and he walked past them without looking, finding a separate seat to sit down.
The first rule of survival was not to provoke others unnecessarily.
Lu Jingning had been exhausted from last night’s turmoil, and he fell asleep almost immediately after departing.
Wen Xingchen had been gazing out the window, but suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder. The person beside him had already fallen asleep, resting his head on Wen Xingchen’s shoulder.
His eyes glanced at Lu Jingning’s attractive side profile, and he discreetly adjusted his posture to sit more upright.
By the time they reached the temporary campus of the Imperial Navy University, it was already evening. Feeling the ship’s movement, Lu Jingning drowsily opened his eyes, seeing people bustling around. He stretched lazily and asked, “Ah, we’re here?”
Wen Xingchen stood up, feeling his arm go numb. After a simple stretch, he had to use the other hand to carry his luggage. He looked at Lu Jingning with a half-smile and half-jokingly said, “Wipe off your drool.”
Lu Jingning blinked before realizing what he meant. Reflexively, he rubbed the corners of his mouth with force. “Where’s the drool?”
“That’s because you already wiped it all away,” Wen Xingchen chuckled lightly. “See my coat? It’s your masterpiece.”
Lu Jingning maintained his usual stubbornness and replied, “Do you still remember the reward I gave you? Congratulations, now you can fully enjoy it.”
Wen Xingchen said, “Thank you very much.”
…
The light warship docked at the entrance of the temporary campus, and the members of the exchange team saw a grand formation waiting at the gate, led by Headmaster Cang and accompanied by teachers and students. As they approached, they all cheered in unison, “Congratulations on the triumphant return of the Imperial Navy University’s exchange team!”
By now, detailed reports on the military academy exchange competition had been circulating widely, and videos of various matches were all over the star network. Undoubtedly, the Imperial Navy University’s exchange team had been the most dazzling presence this year, gaining the spotlight, and, of course, this would not have been possible without the contributions of two new students.
Lu Jingning led the exchange team members in polite exchanges with the welcoming group. Headmaster Cang stood at the forefront and, upon seeing Lu Jingning and Wen Xingchen, couldn’t help but show an appreciative look, “Impressive, impressive!”
“It’s only natural,” Lu Jingning smiled as always, not the least bit modest. After shaking hands, he moved on to the next person, going through the process one by one.
As the welcoming ceremony came to an end, someone suddenly rushed out from the crowd, shouting, “Brother Lu, you’re amazing!”
Lu Jingning wasn’t surprised that Yu Qingcang came to greet him. However, he glanced at Yan Hebin, who stood not far away, and couldn’t help but lower his voice and ask, “What’s the situation now? It’s only been a few days, and you’ve already conquered my good roommate?”
“How is that possible!” Yu Qingcang was touched that Lu Jingning was the first to inquire about his love life. However, he looked toward Yan Hebin and sighed, “How could someone like Yan Hebin, who’s uninterested in worldly affairs, be so easy to pursue? I used you as an excuse to talk to him several times, but each time our exchanges lasted no more than five minutes. These past few days, I don’t know what he’s been busy with. He’s elusive like a dragon; today, I’m fortunate to have come to pick you up; otherwise, I doubt he’d take a single step out of the dormitory.”
“Thanks for your hard work. I should’ve guessed it.” Lu Jingning, having heard Yu Qingcang’s explanation, abandoned the idea of seeking advice on how to pursue someone. With that, he had nothing more to say. “I’m a bit tired; I’ll go back now. Let’s catch up another day!”
Yu Qingcang muttered, “…Damn.”
Not far away, Jian Luan was also welcoming Wen Xingchen. Lu Jingning glanced at him but quickly looked away. He bid farewell to Yu Qingcang and walked back to the dormitory with Yan Hebin.
Once they returned to their dormitory, Lu Jingning finally understood what Yan Hebin had been up to during his recent seclusion.
It was the first time Lu Jingning had seen such intricately detailed physical mecha models, let alone ones in human size.
At that moment, even the fatigue of the journey was forgotten, and Lu Jingning couldn’t help but walk around the new mecha model several times in awe. He curiously asked, “Did you make this?”
Yan Hebin nodded, “Yes. In a few days, you can join me in the virtual cabin to try out my new mecha and see if there are any adjustments needed.”
“Awesome!” Lu Jingning exclaimed again, looking at Yan Hebin with admiration. “No need to try it; just looking at the completeness of this model, if I didn’t know you, I’d think it was a creation from the Mecha Research Institute. Yan Hebin, are you really just a freshman? With this level of skill, if you were to apply, you could probably become a reserve engineer at the institute.”
One would think that a passionate mecha enthusiast like Yan Hebin would have a strong interest in the Mecha Research Institute. However, instead of being pleased by Lu Jingning’s generous praise, there was no joy on his face. In fact, it seemed as if he hadn’t even heard what Lu Jingning said. In a detached tone, he reminded, “Make some time in the coming days. The Vice President said there will be a university mecha exchange event next month, and he wants us to go together.”
Lu Jingning was puzzled, “Why should we go?”
Yan Hebin replied, “Because the mecha I designed is the best in the club. As for you, well, experience it for yourself.”
“Then, I guess it’s because my strength makes the other club members feel inferior,” Lu Jingning remarked.
“Sure, let’s go with that. As long as you’re happy,” Yan Hebin said.
Lu Jingning thought to himself that he should never boast about anything in front of Yan Hebin. It would only lead to being shut down immediately without any sense of achievement.
…
Lu Jingning was already famous at the Imperial Navy University, and after this exchange competition, his popularity increased exponentially through various star network media reports. As he walked through the classroom door, he heard Jian Luan call out from a distance, “Look, our Imperial Naval Double Stars have arrived!”
Lu Jingning listened to the crowd’s playful laughter and, after approaching, couldn’t help but ask somewhat speechlessly, “Why are we called the Imperial Navy’s Double Stars?”
Jian Luan handed him a report with an expression that said, “I didn’t make this up.” “This is what the whole star network calls you. We should follow the trend, right?”
Lu Jingning looked at the headline in the report, and his lips pursed tightly. What happened to being called the “Imperial Navy’s Twin Champions”? How did it become “Double Stars”? It made him and Wen Xingchen sound like two jinxes, bringing bad luck wherever they went.
Seeing his speechless expression, Jian Luan laughed and teased, “What’s wrong, Lu Jingning? Don’t like this nickname? I think it’s quite fitting. With the word ‘Stars,’ it perfectly expresses your hobby of causing trouble everywhere. Hahaha!”
Halfway through his laughter, he noticed that Lu Jingning was squinting threateningly. Wisely, Jian Luan cleared his throat and said, “As a person involved, you should find this nickname quite suitable, right, Wen Xingchen?”
Wen Xingchen had been sitting in his chair, observing the banter between the two. He calmly responded, “It’s not bad. Especially the word ‘Double,’ it’s very accurate.”
Lu Jingning felt like he was watching a skit with the way they played off each other. He was about to retort, but when he looked at Wen Xingchen, the words he wanted to say suddenly choked in his throat.
Remembering the mission he was carrying, he forcibly suppressed the urge to burst out and put on a humble front. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he took his focus off the virtual screen at the terminal and said, “Actually, I’m quite studious too. It’s just that the theoretical classes are not very friendly to me. How about this? After helping you with the exams, let me treat you to a meal?”
Wen Xingchen glanced at the terminal, discreetly hidden under the table. He went with the flow, “Sure.”
Although he tried to hide it, with his keen eyesight, Wen Xingchen clearly saw the enormous title in the search bar of the virtual screen: “Top Ten Techniques You Must Know to Woo Someone, Mastered in Seconds!”
Hmm, Lu Jingning seems like quite the diligent learner.
T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
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Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!
If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’
How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection
What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love
How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep
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