The artificial lake shimmered under the sunlight, and the scenery was beautiful. Willow trees lined the banks, and a gentle breeze caused their branches to sway gracefully, creating a serene and natural atmosphere.
The lone man and woman stayed silent, neither of them speaking first.
Dugu Yan gazed at the figure in front of her and couldn't help but begin to carefully observe him.
He was dressed in a luxurious white student uniform, indicating that he was a student of this academy.
His long, jet-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, reaching his waist. As the breeze blew, it swayed gently, adding to his carefree and elegant appearance. This head of long hair, which many women would envy, did not make the man appear feminine at all. Instead, in contrast with his broad back, it looked bold and unruly!
No one would mistake him for a woman.
Even without seeing his face, just by looking at his back, Dugu Yan was confident that the man in front of her was a handsome one, the type that would captivate thousands of girls.
"...Is there something?" A calm voice came from beside her.
Dugu Yan snapped out of her trance and realized that she had been staring at the man's back, completely mesmerized. A flush appeared on her face, and she knew he must have sensed her gaze. Soul masters had keen senses, and some people could feel when others were staring at them. Thus, peeping often went unnoticed.
In the past, it was always those rude men who would stare at her, but today, the tables had turned. She had been the one observing, and now she had been caught. It made her feel embarrassed.
"...No, nothing."
Her usual arrogant attitude vanished, and Dugu Yan spoke in a soft and shy manner, almost like a bashful young girl.
"...Are you a new student?" The voice asked again with some curiosity, and the figure finally turned around to reveal his face.
'Just as I thought…'
Dugu Yan thought to herself when she saw his face.
What appeared before her was an exceptionally handsome face, just as she had imagined—or even more handsome than expected.
Dugu Yan believed that she wasn't someone who was infatuated with looks. She had grown up among aristocratic families and had seen many young masters and noble sons. Their good genes ensured that none of them were unattractive, so she had long since stopped being interested in mere appearances. She thought of herself as not a superficial woman who judged only by looks.
But today, she realized she was wrong.
It turns out… she wasn't someone who didn't like handsome men. It was simply that the men she had met before weren't handsome enough to make her heart race.
Today, she found out that she was, in fact, the kind of woman who was drawn to good looks. Just by looking at the man in front of her, her heart started to race, and she felt warm all over.
Was this… what they call love at first sight?
She felt as though she needed to apologize for her past judgment of women who fawned over handsome men!
In truth, while Li Chang'an was indeed exceptionally handsome, one of the rarest in the world, he wasn't as outrageously handsome as to cause the heavens to tremble.
The reason he seemed so incredibly handsome in Dugu Yan's eyes, as if he were the most captivating man in the world, was largely due to the influence of their soul skills.
Dugu Yan's soul skill was the Jade Phosphor Serpent.
Li Chang'an's soul skill was the Half-Sword Half-Snake Azure Scaled Sword. It combined the traits of a weapon soul and a beast soul, which naturally made him an upper-level soul master. He had the power to influence lower-level beast soul masters.
Especially since Dugu Yan's soul was the Jade Phosphor Serpent, a lower-tier soul under the control of the Azure Scaled Snake Emperor. This naturally established an upper-lower relationship between the two.
As a result, she was instinctively attracted to him and even felt a sense of submission. This was entirely normal.
However, there was something to note about Dugu Bo.
Although Dugu Bo's soul was also the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor, with an absolute dominance over the lower-level Jade Phosphor Serpent, Dugu Yan inherited her bloodline from him. As a result, the usual dominance of an upper soul over a lower one did not apply here due to their familial bond.
It was only today, encountering someone without a blood relation to her, that Dugu Yan's soul instincts were triggered, causing her to mistake the sensation for love at first sight.
It was indeed a wonderful misunderstanding.
If Li Chang'an had been older, less handsome, or even a woman, Dugu Yan wouldn't have mistaken it for anything special. It was simply a matter of timing.
Li Chang'an hadn't expected that before he could approach her, Dugu Yan would come up to him on her own. But it was a good thing, as initiating a conversation was far different from being approached.
As a wise saying goes, love is like war: the one who makes the first move loses. Once someone takes the initiative, they put themselves at a disadvantage in future interactions.
Since Dugu Yan had approached him, Li Chang'an immediately adjusted his previous plan and began using a backup strategy.
"…Do you need something?" Li Chang'an asked, noticing Dugu Yan's silence. He furrowed his brows, as if a bit confused.
"…Huh? No, yes, I do," Dugu Yan snapped back to reality and quickly corrected herself, realizing her earlier reaction.
"Hello, Senior."
She assumed the man in front of her was older, so she addressed him as "Senior" with a sweet smile, acting the part of an innocent junior.
"Ah, you're a new student?"
Li Chang'an chuckled inwardly, wondering if Dugu Yan would feel embarrassed once she found out that he was seven years younger than her.
"Ah, you're a freshman," he said with a knowing look. Then he naturally assumed the role of a senior and said, "Well then, what can I do for you, junior?"
"I…" Dugu Yan's emerald eyes fluttered, but she quickly thought of an excuse.
"I'm new here and not familiar with the academy. Could you, Senior, kindly show me around and help me get to know the campus better?" She said, batting her green eyes and adopting a delicate, almost pleading expression.
"Ah…"
Li Chang'an paused, as if unsure.
Seeing this, Dugu Yan's expression immediately dimmed, and her shoulders drooped like a withered flower. Anyone could tell she was disappointed.
"I'm sorry if I've troubled you, Senior…"
Before she could finish, Li Chang'an spoke again, "No problem, as a senior, it's a pleasure to show my lovely junior around the campus." He smiled, not wanting to see her disappointed.
"Thank you, Senior!"
Dugu Yan's face lit up with a bright smile, her heart feeling as though it had just scored a victory. It was clear her previous act of looking sad was merely a tactic to elicit sympathy.
Most people, unless there was a serious reason or a truly difficult situation, would never turn down such a cute junior. After all, who could resist such charm?
(End of Chapter)