Lu Mingfei, become the King of Elden!

Chapter 49 Lobster Tail

In the afternoon at Kassel College, sunlight filtered through the dense branches of the trees, casting dappled patterns of light on the tree-lined path leading to the library.

The air was filled with the scent of grass and earth.

Lu Mingfei had just escaped from the equipment department's "fire and ice" test, and his head was still buzzing, as if he had been bombarded by a group of storm eagles.

His shoulders slumped, his steps unsteady, and all he wanted was to find a quiet corner to put his soul back into his body.

Then, he saw a petite figure.

zero.

She was standing not far ahead, under the row of tall cherry blossom trees by the side entrance of the library.

She tilted her head slightly, seemingly gazing at the light and shadow dancing among the treetops, or perhaps simply lost in thought.

The shouts from the distant stadium, the ringing of bicycle bells, the buzzing of students talking—all seemed to vanish into nothingness upon touching the invisible realm surrounding her, leaving only an ultimate silence.

The girl's face was as transparent as ice and snow.

Lu Mingfei and Ling were not close.

Zero is beautiful, but her beauty is aggressive, like an unsheathed ice blade, sharp and pure, making people afraid to approach her easily.

Not to mention, during the last lab class, he accidentally burned Zero's hair with a spray gun.

Speaking of which, how did we manage to get away with it back then?
Ah. He promised Zero he'd go eat lobster tails to apologize to her.
Lobster tail.
Lobster tail?
Lu Mingfei's forehead was covered in cold sweat.

When did this happen? Last week... or the week before last?

Because of his frequent travels between the border area and Kassel College, the concept of time has become increasingly indifferent to him.

For Zero, it might have just happened last week or the week before, but for Lu Mingfei, it happened a month or two, or even half a year ago.

Moreover, during this time, he was busy making money by reselling personal postcards with Fingel and had no chance to see Zero at all.

He had long since forgotten about it!
In that brief moment, Lu Mingfei's mind had already gone through a fierce mental storm.

And his final decision was—

I ducked and walked around it, pretending I didn't see it.

He moved his feet slightly, sneaking around like a mouse, intending to slip away quietly behind Zero.

however.

Zero slowly turned around.

Those icy blue eyes fell upon him calmly and without wavering.

"Lu Mingfei."

Her voice was clear and even, without much variation, yet she pronounced his name precisely.

"Uh... Zero-kun?"

Lu Mingfei forced a dry smile, feeling that the muscles on his face were a bit stiff.

Zero didn't respond to his comment.

She took two steps forward, instantly closing the distance.

Lu Mingfei's "sensory perception" was always active, reaching the smallest details. He could even smell the extremely faint, cool scent emanating from her, like that of a pine forest after a snowfall.

Did you go to training?

Zero asked casually.

"Oh, I did a routine test."

He gave vague answers.

Zero didn't press further. She simply took another half step closer.

Then, Zero did something that made Lu Mingfei's brain instantly shut down.

She held out her hand.

That hand was fair and slender, with fingertips that were slightly cool like jade. It gently reached out to his collar and then brushed against the messy collar of his school uniform.

The movements were natural.

Lu Mingfei's entire body tensed up.

He could clearly see Zero's eyelashes, so close to his face, each one distinct, like frosty butterfly wings.

"Your collar is messed up." Zero's voice was soft, still a calm and unwavering statement, as if he were simply stating an objective fact.

Her gaze was open and honest, without the slightest hint of ambiguity, as if that intimate gesture just now was merely a spontaneous act.

Lu Mingfei then came to his senses and reflexively stepped back, his heel hitting the curb and almost causing him to fall.

"Lobster tail!"

Lu Mingfei's voice trembled, and he was almost incoherent:

"I promised to treat you to lobster tails as an apology last time. Actually, I was just about to come find you; I've already made a reservation at that place."

He suddenly had a flash of inspiration:
"Red Maple Harbor! Tonight!"

The dappled shadows of the leaves swayed across Zero's face as she raised her hand to tuck a stray strand of golden hair, ruffled by the wind, behind her ear.

Zero agreed.

"Five o'clock."

Zero's voice remained calm, carrying a hint of coldness.

"The main gate of the school."

After she finished speaking, she turned and left.

Mingfei stood there, stunned, until Ling's figure disappeared around the corner before he finally let out a long sigh of relief.

"This is... terrible."

Lu Mingfei muttered something under his breath and glanced at his collar.

He shook his head, trying to shake off the terrifying few seconds that had just passed.

What is this? Lu Mingfei wondered.

Was it a whim of the Vacuum Queen? Or some signal he couldn't possibly understand? It couldn't be a protest, could it? Just because her hair got burned last time?
However, only now did he belatedly realize what he had just done.

Red Maple Harbor. It seems to be a restaurant that recently opened at the foot of Mount Kassel.

Lu Mingfei overheard Fingel mentioning it one evening; it seemed to be a family business of someone at the school, and the business was so good that reservations had to be made two weeks in advance to secure a spot.

Appointment system?

He pulled out his phone and started frantically tapping the screen:
"Finger! I need your help urgently! What's the phone number for Red Maple Harbor? Do you have any connections?"

The phone screen lit up almost instantly, and Fingel's reply featured a cheeky emoji:
【(￣▽￣*)ゞJunior brother, oh junior brother, you've finally come to your senses and want to go on a date? With whom?】

【Red Maple Harbour? That's a Michelin three-star restaurant that requires reservations two weeks in advance! Do you think I'm some local bigwig in Kassel's restaurant industry?】

Lu Mingfei's fingers typed rapidly:

[Stop talking nonsense. If you don't help, I'll kick you out and go it alone! I'll make sure you don't even get the remaining 30%!]

Fingel replied instantly:
[A threat! A blatant threat!]

"But junior brother, with your current reputation, if you just post something on the forum, I'm sure a lot of people would be lining up to fawn over you, right?"

Lu Mingfei stared at Fingel's reply, veins throbbing on his forehead. He gritted his teeth and typed furiously:
[Shut up! Just tell me if you can do it or not!]

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

Lu Mingfei's finger hovered above the screen, racking his brains to come up with an even more ruthless threat, when Fingel's message suddenly popped up with three large characters:

【You have to pay extra.】

Fingel quoted a somewhat exaggerated number. In the past, Lu Mingfei would never have even glanced at it, because he simply didn't have the money.

But now the two brothers are living a life of luxury—

Why are there so many?

Fingel replied:
[Besides the delivery fee, there was also hush money.]

[Breaking news: Zero just declined the student council's invitation to the dance today, citing an other commitment. Junior, you're doomed.]

Lu Mingfei's fingers trembled, and he almost dropped his phone into the bushes.

He took a deep breath and typed rapidly:
I'll transfer the money to you! Are you going to help me or not?!

Once the message was sent, Fingel's reply immediately became enthusiastic:

[You should have said so earlier! Senior brother will go and mobilize his connections right away!]

　I've been a bit busy today and haven't had dinner yet, but my love for you all remains unchanged~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)