We left the arena and were already on our way back to the dorms. However, one thing utterly perplexed me: what did Ryan mean by ‘traveling together’?
Yet, a thought suddenly struck me. I glanced at Lavishly beside me, then at Xilinka, before finally turning my gaze to Mifeier. Just who among them had captivated this handsome young man?
As a handsome man himself, offering unsolicited attention, and as a ‘man’ myself, I naturally understood. He must have taken a liking to one of the girls, attempting to boost his favorability and presence.
Yet, I was now intensely curious, truly, utterly curious. Driven by this burgeoning curiosity, I pulled Ryan aside, leading him towards a patch of grass. He seemed somewhat surprised by my forwardness but obligingly walked with me.
I pressed my hand down, signaling him to lower his head. My current height was, well, a bit troublesome.
He complied just as readily. I leaned in close to Ryan, gripping his collar. “Ryan,” I whispered conspiratorially, “which one of them do you actually like?”
As I spoke, I subtly gestured towards Lavishly and the other two girls, letting out a soft chuckle.
Ryan froze for a long moment, likely stunned that I had uncovered his little secret. His expression was a sight to behold, as if he’d swallowed a pound of flies, his face shifting through more colors than a painter’s palette.
“Cough, cough.” He cleared his throat softly, clearly in a dilemma. How should he respond? If I had directly asked if he liked *me*, he probably would have seized the opportunity and launched his offensive. But asking him *who* among them he liked… should he feign ignorance or press forward? He was truly conflicted.
“Hmm?” I hummed, confused, signaling my bewilderment. Why wasn’t he speaking?
Ryan was now lost in thought, grappling with what to do. Should he make a forceful confession or try to evade the question?
Ordinarily, he wouldn’t hesitate; he was a decisive and straightforward person. But now, he was utterly at a loss. One wrong move could ruin everything, for he vaguely recalled that the first time he’d extended an invitation, the other party seemed completely uninterested. Things had only just begun to thaw.
“Of course not! How could I possibly have a girl I like? Haha.” Ryan forced his tone to sound natural and light, as if truly nothing was amiss.
“Hmm?” I furrowed my brow. He didn’t *seem* to be lying, yet his behavior was highly suspicious. Why, then, was he following us? After scrutinizing him with a dubious gaze for a long moment, I still didn’t speak again.
Seeing my reaction, a wave of desolation washed over him. It seemed I truly felt nothing for him.
Releasing his collar, I walked back to Lavishly and the others, a touch of boredom in my steps. Lavishly looked at me but remained silent.
Observing the dejected Ryan nearby, she felt a pang of sympathy for him. It had only been a few days since they’d met, yet she had keenly sensed how different I was from typical girls.
Just then, Leixar approached from the side. Noticing the crestfallen Ryan, she looked a little puzzled before walking up to me.
“I have something good to tell you. Care to hear it?” she said, leaning in with a hint of temptation in her voice.
“No,” I replied decisively, without a moment’s hesitation. This agent never brought good news when she sought me out. I was certain this time would be no exception, so I refused outright.
Her expression stiffened, clearly not expecting such a direct rebuff. She leaned closer to my ear. “Did you handle that matter concerning Qianyue? It’s worth 50 points, you know. This matter can help you complete that small task, and there are quite a few benefits too,” she added, her voice dripping with renewed temptation.
Ha, I didn’t believe her. Good news? If it was so good, why the need for threats? Unfortunately, I seemed to be caught by her coercion.
“Then, wha-what is it?” I asked cautiously.
“It’s about the upcoming exchange between several major academies in the Divine Realm and other supreme planes,” Leixar explained. “I hope you can be our school’s freshman representative.”
Lavishly, standing nearby, interjected, “Didn’t they say the representative had already been chosen? Why is it Little Mengmeng again?”
Leixar shrugged. “I’m just a teacher. How am I supposed to know the demands from higher-ups?”
She was lying, Lavishly knew. Leixar was no ordinary teacher. Yet, having no proof, she could only let it go.
“Then, I want to go too,” Lavishly said after a moment’s thought, finding the whole affair rather odd.
The smile on Leixar’s lips widened. It was that simple; a naive young girl was reeled in. She had originally planned to take this small group and keep Qianyue by her side for observation.
“No problem. Do they want to come along too?” Leixar asked, gesturing towards Mifeier and Xilinka. Although she already knew the answer, she asked for formality’s sake.
Xilinka and Mifeier nodded, indicating their desire to go. Leixar smiled, satisfied. Half the task was done. Soon, she would just need to deal with Qianyue.
Seeing that all of them wanted to go, I felt a little relieved. Surely, they wouldn’t trick me now.
Leixar then looked at Ryan, observing him thoughtfully for a moment. “You, are you coming along? As a logistics follower.” Leixar spoke without any euphemism, directly using the term “follower.”
Ryan felt as if he’d seen a savior; what an excellent assist! After all, feelings needed to be nurtured slowly. Even if the other party ignored him now, she would eventually be moved and fall into his embrace.
“Yes, yes!” he nodded repeatedly, as if his head might shake off.
I was a little perplexed. Wasn’t this person that—what was it called? Right, a masochist. Someone tormented him, yet he was overjoyed. Truly, a strange individual.
However, if Ryan were to hear these thoughts, he would likely display the same expression as before.
“Oh, and your agent needs to come too,” Leixar added. “Since you’re the main representative, an agent is naturally required.”
“Hmm… I’ll ask her if she has time.” I had no idea what the agent was currently doing, but she always seemed quite busy.
I pulled out my terminal, entered the agent’s code, and in a moment, the call connected.
“Um, Agent, are you free right now?” I asked directly.
On the other end, the agent pulled her sword from a corpse and gave it a shake. Though no blood would cling to it, it was a habitual gesture.
“Just tell me what it is,” the agent replied simply. “I’ll see if I can make it.”
“It’s the academy exchange in a few days.”
Standing atop an extremely high peak, the agent gazed down at a massive fortress below. A few days… that might be problematic. “Don’t look for me. I’m tied up with something right now,” she said. “Have you forgotten that little lass, Liu Han? Isn’t she your agent too? Just go to the lower realm and bring her over; she’s not a fool, after all.”
“Liu Han?” I murmured Cute Little Fanboy’s name, considering it. It was a good idea; I could bring her up to play, as we’d already agreed. Using this opportunity was not a bad plan at all.
“Alright then, I’ll hang up,” I said, disconnecting the terminal.
On the other end, the agent put away her terminal, sheathed her sword, and after a glance at the fortress below, her figure swiftly flashed in one direction.
Having settled things on my end, I looked at Leixar. “Well, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.” To be honest, I didn’t particularly want to spend more time with Mentor Leixar; nothing good ever came from being around her.
I led Lavishly and the others back to the dorm. Lavishly and the girls immediately headed for the bathroom. Lavishly had initially wanted me to join them, but only gave up after my vehement refusal and insistence that I had things to do.
I returned to my room. It wasn’t a lie that I had things to do; I powered on my computer and skillfully opened Cute Little Fanboy’s chat window.
Big Dream Lord: –Are you there?
She replied instantly.
Cute Little Fanboy: –What is it?
Big Dream Lord: –It’s about you coming to the Divine Realm. I have something I need your help with.
Cute Little Fanboy: –Me help? Hmm… I’m almost done with things here. Alright, give me a time.
Big Dream Lord: –How about tomorrow? It’s a bit urgent, and you’ll need some time to adjust to the Divine Realm.
Cute Little Fanboy: –Hmm… Okay, I’ll try to finish what I’m doing. I’ll send you the address right away.
“Poi~” The email notification chimed. I opened the email and checked the address.
Big Dream Lord: –I’ll probably arrive around noon tomorrow. Be ready.
Cute Little Fanboy: –Okay, no problem. Logging off for now, I have a lot to do.
Big Dream Lord: –See you tomorrow at noon.
I shut down the computer and sat on the bed. “Hoo—” I let out a deep breath. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I still feared people. Interacting with gods wasn’t an issue, so communicating with humans shouldn’t be a problem either… right?
After waiting for a long while, I sensed they had finished bathing. I stripped off my clothes, preparing for my own shower. Just as I reached the bathroom door, it suddenly swung open.
I stood face to face with three girls wrapped in bath towels. Yet, the “benefits” before me were not my concern. “Why… why are you all in my room like this?”
Lavishly explained, “Last time, we slept over at Little Mengmeng’s place. I have to say, for some reason, Little Mengmeng’s bed is super, super, *super* comfortable! And it’s huge, easily fitting all of us, so we decided to sleep here again tonight.”
What? Last time, I hadn’t felt anything because I’d already been asleep. But this time… I wouldn’t be able to sleep like this!
“Hmm?” Lavishly watched me, seeing no movement. “Do you want me to scrub your back?”
I snapped back to reality, shaking my head frantically. “No, no need!” I turned around, pulled open the bathroom door, stepped inside, and quickly closed the door behind me.
I quickly washed myself, but still felt a blush creeping onto my face. Blushing at my own body… this was something else.
Even now, I hadn’t fully adapted to my female body. So, my showers were always incredibly quick; it felt like a sin to look for even another second.
I opened the bathroom door, ready for bed. I had to wake up early tomorrow.
But then, I saw the three girls, disheveled and already asleep on the bed. I had actually forgotten there were three girls on the bed…
Go to sleep early? I could only hope I’d manage to sleep tonight…