Chapter 38: Hot-Blooded Youth

A competition ring had been erected in the center of the training grounds, and a match seemed to be underway. It was at its most intense moment, the terrifying clatter of armor and weaponry filling the air.

Nian Tu looked toward Xie Jili from a distance.

The young male’s expression was cold and stern. With a flick of his wrist, his long sword lunged forward with lightning speed. His opponent, no mere amateur, slammed a fist toward him, using the momentum to dodge the blade.

Xie Jili did not move a single inch. The incoming punch could not shake him in the slightest; he seemed to have fully anticipated his opponent's movements and raised his sword to block the path.

The two exchanged blows with blinding speed. It was a dizzying spectacle for Nian Tu, who could neither follow nor understand the tactical nuances of the fight. However, she could see that Xie Jili held the upper hand.

He moved like a weapon forged for war, a stark contrast to the thin, pitiful figure she had encountered when they first met.

She couldn't help but pause. Tapping the person next to her, she asked in a low voice what kind of competition this was.

"What? Buddy, speak up! I can't hear you... Ah! Ahhhhhhh!!!"

The military cadet she had addressed turned his head. The moment he caught sight of her, he jumped a full meter into the air, letting out a deafening shriek.

"A-a female..."

His voice cracked with tremors.

In an instant, there was an uproar. It was as if water had been dropped into a boiling cauldron; the entire training ground exploded.

"A female?"
"Where? Where is she?"
"Don't push!"
"I see her! She's so cute!"
"Who is she here to see? Which brother is so lucky? I beg you, teach us your ways!"
"Keep some distance! Don't scare her!"

Nian Tu hadn't encountered anyone on her way in, and for a moment, she had forgotten that this was a military academy, a place teeming with hot-blooded young males.

These testosterone-fueled youths were not as gentlemanly as mature males. Nian Tu felt like a little rabbit dropped into a wolf den, facing a crowd of starving wolves with glowing eyes—weak, pathetic, and helpless. She felt so awkward she didn't dare move, deeply regretting her rash decision. If she had another chance, she would have stayed obediently outside the school gates and waited for Lu Zhan to pick her up.

The little white cat poked its head out from her clothes, bristling with hostility and agitation, emitting a low growl of threat toward the crowd.

Nian Tu had never heard it make such a fierce sound; it didn't even sound like a cat, but rather like some large, predatory beast.

The cadets had been intoxicated by the beauty of a female, and since they failed to recognize the Crown Prince, they paid the feline's threats no mind—they didn't even notice its existence, their eyes locked solely on the adorable little female.

Females were an absolute rarity in the Empire, and this scarcity was amplified to the extreme within the military academy. The lopsided gender ratio meant many males were destined to never receive a female's favor, a fact they would eventually accept as they aged. But the males in the academy were hot-blooded and at the peak of their mating instincts.

Nian Tu could tangibly feel their near-fanatical yearning. The males refused to leave, even trying to squeeze closer. Even if they kept a certain distance out of forced politeness, the oppressive atmosphere was so intense it almost suffocated her. She was surrounded, unable to break free.

The match on the ring had already concluded, but no one had the heart to watch.

Only Nian Tu, her gaze drifting aimlessly, happened to look toward the ring and lock eyes with Xie Jili, who had been drawn by the commotion.

Xie Jili had just won his match. He was panting heavily, wiping sweat from his face with his clothes, revealing a glimpse of his firm abdominal muscles. The moment he met Nian Tu’s eyes, his pupils dilated. He stood stunned for several seconds before scrambling to adjust his clothes, a flush of red spreading from his cheeks to the base of his neck.

Why was she here?
Had she recognized him?
Had she seen him fighting like a beast? Would she think he was crude? Would she be afraid?

Love brings worry; love brings fear.

In the span of a few heartbeats, countless thoughts flashed through Xie Jili’s mind as he stared at her from afar. He guessed at her feelings, growing increasingly anxious and desperate.

Nian Tu, however, felt a spark of hope, as if she had grabbed onto a life-saving straw. She raised her hand and called out, "Xie Jili!"

All eyes surged toward the young male on the ring. Surprise, envy, jealousy...

Xie Jili became the center of attention. Even though he had just won the championship in the school's cold-weapon combat tournament, it was far less enviable than being called by name in public by a beautiful little female.

"Is this for real... how is it him?" someone who knew him clawed at his hair, unable to fathom what the little female could possibly see in him.

Xie Jili was not popular in his class. This was because he had once had a falling out with a classmate from a minor noble family. Even in a place like the Imperial Military Academy, there was no shortage of sycophants who looked up to the powerful and trampled on the weak. The noble looked down on Xie Jili, and his lackeys naturally treated him poorly. Added to that, Xie Jili was reclusive, lived a frugal life, and was constantly covered in injuries.

How could such a male be favored by a female?

Admittedly, he was strong, but females never chose their mates based on combat ability. Whoever gained a female's favor would be understandable, but for such a stroke of luck to fall on Xie Jili was simply inconceivable.

Xie Jili immediately jumped off the ring.

Enduring countless inquisitive gazes, he pushed through the crowd toward Nian Tu. He did not seem to enjoy the limelight, nor did he take the liberty of touching her. The young male was as taciturn as when they first met, and as the distance closed, Nian Tu could clearly feel his restraint.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked in a hoarse, cautious voice. Seeing she didn't answer, he ventured, "Shall I show you around the school?"

In a corner where Nian Tu couldn't see, he was so nervous that sweat seeped from his fingertips.

Nian Tu was desperate to let him lead her away from this awkward situation and nodded repeatedly. She soothingly stroked the little white cat, which was on the verge of exploding, and whispered to it, "Bear with it a little longer, just a little bit..."

Before she could finish, someone without any sense of boundaries bumped into them. A shadow fell over her, and Nian Tu looked up, dazed.

It was a strange male.

The newcomer was none other than the noble classmate who held a grudge against Xie Jili; his father was a Viscount. Nian Tu did not know him, and naturally, she was unaware of the bad blood between them. She scanned him briefly. His attire marked him as a cadet, but even in his strict uniform, a certain flippancy was evident in his eyes.

"Good day, milady," he introduced himself. "I am Qiu Xu."

As he spoke, he moved in with an air of intimacy, taking the liberty of attempting a cheek-kiss greeting.

To attempt such a greeting with an unfamiliar female was, without a doubt, a form of harassment.

Nian Tu was terrified! She frowned and scrambled to dodge, but it seemed she was too late!

In the blink of an eye, a cold light flashed—