Chapter 31: The Dean’s Suspicions and Su Liyue’s Blushing Proposals

“Dean!” a mentor exclaimed, bowing respectfully upon hurrying into the office.

Dean Yu Qinglan elegantly set down his teacup. “Has word returned from the Duke’s estate?” he inquired.

“Yes,” the mentor replied, a hint of nervousness in their voice as they handed over a sealed letter.

“Duke Xiao states in this letter that he will hasten to the academy at his earliest convenience… to…”

“To what? Cease your stammering. It’s not as if the sky is falling, is it?” The Dean’s brow subtly furrowed, a dawning realization that the matter was far from simple.

The mentor swallowed hard before continuing.

“To… personally apologize to student Su Liyue.”

After a moment of profound surprise, Dean Yu Qinglan quickly regained his composure.

‘Unimaginable,’ he mused.

‘It truly is as Ye Xingchen had claimed earlier.’

What truly astonished him, however, was the sheer speed with which the person behind Su Liyue had acted; in such a short span, they had already intimidated the Duke’s estate within the Aetherlan Empire.

Indeed, those possessing such power and influence throughout the entire empire were few and far between.

“Apologize to a student? Are you certain you haven’t misheard?”

“Absolutely certain, Dean…”

Yu Qinglan’s profound gaze suddenly shifted to his teacup.

“To compel a Duke of the Aetherlan Empire to personally offer an apology in such a brief period… the power involved in this matter likely far surpasses our wildest imaginings.”

“Does the Dean imply… student Su Liyue’s identity?”

“No.” Yu Qinglan gently shook his head, his pensive reflection shimmering in the tea.

“Rather than Su Liyue, I am now far more intrigued by that student, Ye Xingchen. Do you recall his previous statements?”

The mentor pondered for a moment before responding.

“He claimed he was merely Su Liyue’s flower protector (TL Note: A Chinese idiom referring to a male escort or guardian for a female).”

“Would a power capable of instantly suppressing an entire ducal estate dispatch a mediocre individual to serve as her flower protector?

Furthermore, did you not notice how Ye Xingchen subtly diverted attention away from himself throughout? This deliberate low profile, upon closer reflection, now appears far more suspicious…”

He walked to the window, his gaze settling on a tall, striking figure on the distant training grounds.

“If this is indeed the case, to possess such composure and cunning at his age… this young man is likely far more complex than we had ever imagined.”

Moreover, could a youth of his age truly possess such a mature mindset? If so, how many trials and tribulations must he have endured to forge his current thoughts and sophistication?

Outside the window, a single leaf drifted slowly downward, perfectly obscuring Ye Xingchen’s form on the training grounds, as if hinting at some untold secret.

Dean Yu Qinglan stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of his office, lost in quiet contemplation.

***

“How are Xiao Qicai’s injuries?” the Dean suddenly inquired, without turning his head.

The mentor behind him replied.

“The best healers from the medical team have examined him; his internal injuries healed in less than an hour. However…” The mentor trailed off, hesitating.

“However, the moment he could leave his bed, he rushed off to cause trouble for Ye Xingchen and Su Liyue, didn’t he?” The Dean turned, his teacup making a soft clink against the windowsill.

The mentor wiped a bead of cold sweat from their temple.

“Precisely so. That young man seems… rather unrestrained.”

“Unrestrained? He is utterly foolish!” The Dean let out a sudden cold laugh, the magical crystal ball on his desk reflecting Xiao Qicai leading his cronies across the training grounds.

“He possesses barely a fraction of skill, yet an abundance of talent for causing trouble,” Yu Qinglan remarked, a trace of anger in his voice.

Now that Ye Xingchen’s words had proven true, failure to address this promptly would undoubtedly bring unprecedented trouble upon the academy.

‘And was this… also part of your calculations, Ye Xingchen?’

“Immediately arrange for him to be sent back to his dormitory for recuperation. And pay particular attention,”

His tone abruptly chilled, “He absolutely must not be allowed within half a step of Su Liyue and the others again.”

The mentor’s expression subtly shifted as a thought struck them.

“What is it? Is there something else amiss?” Yu Qinglan cast a glance their way.

“The Dean is wise. It is simply that this subordinate worries about Xiao Qicai’s temperament…” The mentor wiped another bead of cold sweat from their temple.

“Then assign a few more mentors to accompany him.” Yu Qinglan deliberately emphasized the word “accompany,” laden with deeper meaning.

“Now that it’s confirmed Su Liyue is backed by a power capable of subduing a ducal estate, should that hidden force truly intervene… we, caught in the middle, would likely find ourselves pleasing neither side.”

The Dean’s expression grew solemn.

The mentor’s body stiffened abruptly, the inner lining of their magical robe instantly drenched in cold sweat.

They suddenly realized the terrifying nature of a power that could disregard even a ducal estate.

Should Xiao Qicai’s arrogant actions not be immediately halted, not only would the Duke’s estate suffer, but the academy itself would struggle to remain unscathed.

But a power capable of making a venerable Duke yield so swiftly… could it be those elder figures from the Mage Association, who had been in secluded cultivation for years?

They discreetly wiped away the sweat trickling down their forehead, attempting to calm the absurd speculation swirling within them.

If that were truly the case… let alone a ducal estate, even the Aetherlan Emperor himself would likely gain no advantage.

‘That Xiao boy, this time he’s truly run into a formidable obstacle, one forged from profound iron imbued with mithril, no less.’

***

In the center of the training grounds, sunlight filtered through the clouds, bathing the three figures.

Ye Xingchen leaned against a tree, watching with keen interest as Su Liyue, Mu Wanqing, and Jiuwu engaged in familiar cooperative training.

Su Liyue’s talent for all-attribute affinity was on full display; her circulating magic perfectly merged with the Chaos Flame on Jiuwu’s tail feathers, sketching brilliant magical trajectories through the air.

Mu Wanqing, however, appeared considerably less practiced.

Her naturally potent water-attribute magic and the phoenix’s inherent fire attribute should have been mutually exclusive, yet, strangely, the chilling essence within Jiuwu’s Chaos Flame unexpectedly amplified her ice magic.

“Speaking of which, Qingqing,” Su Liyue suddenly paused, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead.

“What is it, Yueyue?” Mu Wanqing, who was attempting to make an ice crystal orbit Jiuwu’s flames, turned her head at the question.

“Since you’re a water-attribute mage, have you ever considered developing healing magic?” Su Liyue asked abruptly, gently wiping sweat from Mu Wanqing’s brow.

“Healing magic?” Mu Wanqing blinked, and the ice crystal in her hand shattered with a soft ‘snap’ as she ceased her movements.

“Yueyue, why ask that all of a sudden?”

“Just imagine,” Su Liyue exclaimed, gesturing animatedly.

“If we ever form a party for a team battle, I could be the DPS in the backline, you could handle support healing, and Ye Xingchen would be upfront tanking damage…”

“DPS?” Mu Wanqing tilted her head, and Jiuwu on her shoulder mirrored the action, both human and phoenix displaying identical expressions of confusion almost simultaneously.

“It means ranged damage output!” Su Liyue hastily clarified.

“Oh~ But your Xingchen… is he really that capable of tanking?” She began to envision Ye Xingchen clad in heavy armor, steadfastly blocking attacks, and couldn’t help but let out a soft giggle.

Su Liyue cleared her throat, a faint blush creeping onto her face.

“Er… he should be fine. I’m quite confident in his abilities.” ‘After all, that’s me; how could I not know?’

“Abilities~” Mu Wanqing suddenly drawled, her eyes narrowing playfully.

“Yueyue certainly has ‘deep insight’ into Xingchen~” She even made a strange, suggestive gesture with her fingers.

Su Liyue, her face flushed crimson, stamped her foot.

“Hey! As the only male in the team, you can’t possibly expect us two girls to take the frontline, can you?”

Mu Wanqing tilted her head in thought. “Ah… I suppose that’s true. But Yueyue, you’re defending him so fiercely, could it be that you’re…”

“Sh-shut up! Let’s continue training!” Su Liyue hastily turned away, pretending to focus on stroking Jiuwu’s feathers, though even the tips of her ears were burning red.

‘What ulterior motives could I possibly have for myself?’ she wondered. ‘It’s simply that the way I just spoke made me sound exactly like a tsundere heroine from a second-rate novel, which is making me blush involuntarily.’

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