Tang Yue was still processing what just happened.
"Wait a second... did he just... blow cold air directly onto my head?" She shivered involuntarily as she pieced it together. This kid... unbelievable!
Right then, Mo Fan appeared, noticing the commotion. "Oh, hey, Mo Fan! Good timing—take Tang Yue out of here. Leave Chao He to me," Ye Chenfeng instructed without hesitation.
"But—" Mo Fan stammered, uncertain. Ye Chenfeng fixed him with a serious look, saying, "For the greater good, just trust me on this." With a swift motion, he knocked Tang Yue out with a quick hand strike to her neck.
Mo Fan was left speechless. "Well... okay, I guess." He knew better than to argue, and anyway, he wouldn't stand a chance against Ye Chenfeng if it came to that. "Sorry, Teacher Tang Yue," he muttered, casting a worried look over his shoulder as he left, leaving her to rest safely nearby.
Tang Yue eventually came to, blinking in disorientation. She turned to Mo Fan, exasperated. "You let Chao He escape?" she chided, a faint, smug smile on her face.
"I mean...I couldn't exactly take him on, could I?" Mo Fan admitted sheepishly, draping his jacket around her. "Besides, you know Ye Chenfeng. He'll get Chao He, you can count on that."
Tang Yue sighed but nodded. Mo Fan's trust in Ye Chenfeng wasn't misplaced; Ye was stubborn, reckless even, but he'd proven his loyalty time and again. "Fine, I trust him," she murmured, watching Mo Fan walk away, glancing back as if genuinely concerned for her. The gesture was oddly touching.
Then her phone buzzed. A message from Mo Fan read, "By the way, Teacher Tang Yue, my Awakening Stone...?"
Tang Yue shook her head, smirking. "Get lost, Mo Fan!"
Despite herself, she did end up helping him retrieve it. Time slipped by, and two weeks later, she got news that Ye Chenfeng had indeed captured Chao He and delivered him for judgment. Now, on the eve of the college entrance season at Pearl Academy, Ye Chenfeng had earned a place as a special recruit, though the path had been anything but typical.
As he made his way to Pearl Academy, he encountered a man with a Mediterranean-style balding head and a gruff tone. "Hey, you there! You're the special recruit for Pearl Academy, right?"
Ye Chenfeng paused, momentarily confused, but his confidence quickly took over. "Of course! It's an honor to be recognized," he said smoothly, flashing a grin as he approached the instructor.
The instructor gave him a sidelong look, unimpressed. "Right… well, follow me."
After a brief orientation, Ye Chenfeng was left with a group of examiners. He couldn't help but feel as if he'd been mistaken for a regular applicant, but as soon as his identity was cleared up, whispers filled the room.
"Is that the student with the star-enhanced body?" murmured one professor.
"Remarkable! He's performed service in Bo City's crisis too."
Hearing their praises, Ye Chenfeng couldn't help but savor the moment. He straightened, a triumphant smile crossing his face. Finally, they recognized his worth.
"Yes, that's me," he declared with pride, basking in their admiring glances. At last, he'd been seen for the powerhouse he was.