Chapter 29: Trouble

Lu Xiao Na quietly regretted not checking the almanac before going out today.

If it had just been Chen Feng, she wouldn’t have cared. She’d long since seen through his character. Petty, arrogant, and self-serving—but none of that really affected her.

Because she knew very well: with Chen Feng’s ability and guts, he wouldn’t dare stretch his claws in her direction.

But Dong Qingfeng… now that was different.

In a sense, Neo Aonan First Ability School was a noble school.

The tuition alone was enough to filter out most commoners.

The students who actually made it in either came from powerful families or had extraordinary abilities themselves.

The competition in a place like that? Ruthless. And for someone like Dong Qingfeng to rise above the rest, to become student council president—it was proof of real ability.

Since taking office, he’d made visible accomplishments, too.

His reputation among Neo Aonan’s second-generation elites—the sons and daughters of officials and top-tier ability users—was stellar.

Obviously, this wasn’t someone you could afford to take lightly.

And that wasn’t even the most important part.

The real issue was Dong Qingfeng’s background.

He was the illegitimate son of one of the Republic of Asia’s more influential ability users, who also happened to hold shares in several key enterprises in Neo Aonan.

Lu Xiao Na had only learned about this recently, from her father.

Not many people in Neo Aonan knew, but at her father’s level, this was common knowledge—something acknowledged but never spoken aloud.

Her father had specifically warned her: Stay away from Dong Qingfeng.

If she had been alone today, it would’ve been nothing more than a minor annoyance.
Growing up in government circles, she was used to both proper and improper advances from men of every rank. She could handle that easily.

But Luo Yan was here now.

Maybe Dong Qingfeng would still keep his distance from her because of her family background.
But Luo Yan? He wouldn’t have the same scruples.

Even if Lu Xiao Na believed Luo Yan could handle herself, trouble was still trouble.
And no one liked trouble—not even her.

Dong Qingfeng smiled.
“You’re too polite, Miss Lu. Really, you don’t have to call me President. Just my name is fine. Or if you’d prefer, you can call me… Little Dǒng.”

One of the girls behind him stifled a laugh at the joke.

Lu Xiao Na kept her tone cold. “President, my friend and I have something to do, so we’ll be leaving now.”

“Why don’t you have a meal with us?” Dong Qingfeng pressed.

“It’s always livelier with more people.”

Chen Feng chimed in with a smile, “Yeah, it’s been a while since we caught up. Let’s have a bite and chat.”

Their words were polite, but their eyes weren’t.
Both of them were obviously sizing up Luo Yan—their gazes wandering, lingering.

“We’ve already eaten,” Lu Xiao Na replied, her voice icy.

Chen Feng laughed, refusing to back down.

“Perfect! You can still have dessert, right? Besides, it’s not about eating—it’s about hanging out, getting to know each other better. Building… friendships.”

He paused, then looked directly at Luo Yan, his tone becoming more pointed.

“And especially, getting to know this beauty standing beside Miss Lu.”

Lu Xiao Na hesitated.

The other party had already said so much.

If she refused too bluntly again, it might completely sour the relationship—and with Dong Qingfeng present, things could easily spiral into real trouble.

But before she could respond, Luo Yan, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up.

With a calm smile, she said, “How about we save that meal for next time? We’re already full.”

“Oh? And this is?” Dong Qingfeng looked at her, eyes narrowing with interest.

Chen Feng grinned.

This trip wasn’t a waste after all.

Not only had he stumbled upon Lu Xiao Na, but there was also this mysterious beauty at her side.

Who was she?
He’d never seen her before.

The two girls behind them glanced at each other, eyes gleaming with schadenfreude.

What’s with this woman?
Sure, she was beautiful—but did she really think that meant she could do whatever she wanted?

“It’s not important who I am,” Luo Yan said casually.

She looked directly at Chen Feng and continued, “You’re an old acquaintance of Lu Xiao Na’s, so she’s too polite to refuse you outright. But I’m not. I don’t know you, and I have no interest in having dinner with you.”

Her voice was soft, but the tone was absolute.

“Besides, I’ve got plans with Lu Xiao Na later. First come, first served—that’s only fair, right? Cutting in like this isn’t polite.”

She smiled, her eyes calm and sharp. “So tonight, Lu Xiao Na belongs to me.”

“Big Sister Luo Yan…” Lu Xiao Na’s heart skipped a beat.

Now wasn’t the time to get flustered over ambiguous wording.
All she could think about was how Luo Yan’s rejection was too direct. It offended both Chén Fēng and Dǒng Qìngfēng at once.

But before she could say anything, Luo Yan gently took her hand.

In that moment, memories flashed in Lu Xiao Na’s mind—Luo Yan, single-handedly wiping out a mercenary squad. Luo Yan, saving her life without batting an eye.

The words she’d been about to speak died in her throat.

“Let’s go.”

Luo Yan didn’t give them another chance to haggle. She simply took Lu Xiao Na by the hand and walked away.

The group behind them fell silent for a moment.

The two girls exchanged looks, eyes wide.

They’d kind of expected things to turn awkward—but this? This was on a whole other level.

Lu Xiao Na’s friend clearly wasn’t someone you could mess with.

As the two graceful figures disappeared into the distance, Chén Fēng’s face went from furious… to amused.

He chuckled and turned to Dong Qingfeng. “Well, President Dong? What do you think?”

Dong Qingfeng licked his lips slightly, his eyes gleaming.

“She’s like a spirited mare. I like that.”

Chen Feng tsk-tsked.
“Funny, I’m interested too. Not sure I’m willing to hand her over to you.”

Dong Qingfeng waved lazily.
“Fair competition, then. Whoever catches her first wins. By the way—since you’re childhood friends with Lu Xiao Na, do you know who that girl is?”

Chen Feng shook his head.

“After she got into the Ability School, she started keeping her distance from me. I’ve met most of the girls she’s close with, but this one? I’ve never seen her before.”

“Then they must’ve just met recently.”

“Maybe she’s from out of town?” Chen Feng guessed.

A sharp glint flashed in Dong Qingfeng’s eyes.

“Most of the people coming into the city these days are either refugees or fallen elites. Even if they used to have power, now they’re just under someone else’s roof.”

He smiled faintly.

“But there are always exceptions.
Young Master Chen, you’d better check her background first. Otherwise, if you screw this up, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Of course.”
Chen Feng chuckled, tapping his temple.

“Intel first, troops second. Caution is the parent of safety.”

That was his specialty.
His ability level was still stuck at Aberrant Stage, and his grades were nothing to brag about—but when it came to stirring up trouble? He was a professional.

Even if he planned to do something reckless, he’d always do it after thinking things through.

“That’s good.”

Dong Qingfeng smiled, pulling the pretty girl beside him into his arms.

“Let’s eat first. It’s rude to keep a lady waiting.”