After Qin Lei and the others left, the two of them thought they could finally relax and focus on their reading. However, in the following hours, one after another, people came by. The leaders of these groups were all self-assured or indisputable high-class, handsome men.
The expressions on their faces revealed admiration and infatuation for Zhao Mengxi, but they were all unceremoniously sent away by Kent.
When Kent claimed his "territory" so confidently and decisively, these visitors mistakenly thought that Zhao Mengxi had already lost her heart to him. Though they were reluctant, there was nothing they could do—except find a chance to give Kent a good lesson.
However, when Kent mentioned that he had already arranged a duel with Qin Lei at the Wind and Cloud Competition, they lost the nerve to challenge him.
After all, Kent was a new student, while they were established figures. Sending one of them to challenge him would surely invite criticism.
If several of them did so, it would seem like bullying, and even if they won, they would only be mocked.
"Kent, wow, we were just together yesterday, and now so many troubles are coming our way," Zhao Mengxi said with a hint of embarrassment.
Kent could only laugh helplessly. "I should have worked harder when I became your boyfriend... it's a lot of pressure."
Zhao Mengxi smiled softly, "It's fine, I trust you. And seeing you so responsible, it makes me feel more at ease."
Kent felt a surge of affection. "Mengxi, I want to give you a gift."
"Wow... you've already prepared a gift for me? You're such a good boyfriend. If you keep this up, your probation period might be shortened," Zhao Mengxi said with a playful tone.
Kent felt a little awkward, rubbing his head before cautiously asking, "By the way, does your dad know about us?"
"Don't worry, my dad's views are quite traditional. As long as you're good to me and can support me, there won't be any problems," Zhao Mengxi said with a sweet smile.
Kent chuckled. "Now I feel even more pressure."
"Well then, it seems my task is clear," Zhao Mengxi said with a mischievous smile, coming behind him to gently massage his shoulders. Kent closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling.
Those who were watching from a distance couldn't help but grind their teeth in frustration. It felt like all their hopes had been shattered in an instant.
Some even took photos from different angles and uploaded them to the campus forum, which initially sparked a lot of attention and angry comments. But eventually, they all fell silent.
Clearly, at this point, they had no chance left and could only watch from the sidelines in bitterness.
When they returned to Room 520 at Changdao Hotel, Zhao Mengxi looked at Kent eagerly.
"So, what's the gift? Show me!" she said excitedly.
Although she had received many valuable and unique gifts in her life, this was the first time a gift had made Zhao Mengxi feel like a young girl again, full of anticipation.
"Close your eyes first," Kent said mysteriously, drawing the curtains and turning off the lights, making the room dim.
Zhao Mengxi obediently shut her eyes, her beautiful eyelashes fluttering.
"Okay," Kent whispered.
When she opened her eyes, a soft white light filled the room. In front of her stood a massive lotus flower, crystal clear and glowing with an icy aura. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
"What is this...?" Zhao Mengxi asked, her mouth slightly open in amazement.
"This is a Snow Mountain Ice Lotus, a 500-year-old low-tier Saint Grade spiritual herb," Kent said with a smile.
"Saint Grade spiritual herb?" Zhao Mengxi exclaimed in astonishment. Her eyes gleamed with joy, "Wow, I feel like I'm dreaming, Kent, is this really true?"
Before she could finish her sentence, she leaped into Kent's arms, her soft body radiating youthful energy, making Kent's heart race with warmth.
"It's true. You remember the two days we had free time in the Bull Horn Mountain secret realm? I followed a few Snow Bulls and was lucky enough to find this herb. If you take it, you will gain the ability to control snow," Kent explained.
"You're really lucky! A 500-year-old low-tier Saint Grade herb, it's priceless—at least two million dollars to start! Such an expensive gift, Kent, are you really giving this to me?" Zhao Mengxi's eyes sparkled.
"Of course," Kent replied without hesitation. "If I don't give it to you, who else would I give it to?"
"You could sell it, then you'd be a rich man and wouldn't have trouble finding a beautiful girlfriend, right?" Zhao Mengxi teased with a smile.
"Am I that shallow? Besides, I've always felt I didn't deserve you. In my eyes, you're the most dazzling gem, and no one can compare to you," Kent said seriously. "I actually realized you admired me long ago, but I pretended not to notice because I felt unworthy of you."
Zhao Mengxi's eyes shimmered, and with a tearful smile, she said, "My dear Kent, you're so silly."
"Hmph, I don't like hearing that," Kent replied, then got back to the point. "I'm curious, how do we use this herb? It's so big, it could last a month!"
Zhao Mengxi chuckled. "Haha, do you think I'm a little pig? A month would be way too much! And besides, spiritual herbs aren't consumed that way—they're absorbed."
"Absorbed?" Kent thought of the martial arts novels where the protagonist absorbs the power of herbs with their energy.
At that moment, Zhao Mengxi flicked her wrist and took out a delicate golden syringe, explaining, "This is the Spirit Absorption Needle, developed by Earthstar's top research institute. The relationship between the needle and the spiritual herb is like that of a magnet and iron."
With that, she inserted the needle into one of the lotus petals and slowly pulled the syringe. A stream of pure, white spiritual energy turned into sparkling droplets and flowed into the needle.
The petal that had been pierced by the needle slowly lost its glow and with a soft crack, shattered into pieces, turning into ice particles that fell to the ground and melted into water.
"I see," Kent said, realizing what was happening.
Zhao Mengxi glanced at him and took out a jade bottle. "The spiritual energy must be stored in jade containers."
Kent watched quietly as she carefully filled the jade bottle with the extracted energy, sealing it immediately to prevent any loss.
Then, she repeated the process, and soon the large Snow Mountain Ice Lotus had completely withered, turning into ice shards that melted into water. With the help of a hair dryer, the water evaporated quickly.
"Finally, it's done," Zhao Mengxi said, wiping the sweat from her brow, her face breaking into a delicate, radiant smile.