Looking at the familiar young man, the girl suddenly broke into a smile, her smile as warm and charming as the March sunshine, making even the sun and moon lose their luster.
Her voice, light and melodious as she uttered these simple words, was like pearls falling onto a jade plate, crisp and delightful, echoing through the heaven and earth, causing everyone to be dazed.
Following the gaze of the girl, one could see outside the crowd stood a young man, merely in his teenage years, appearing quite young, with a tall and straight stature, and a handsome face.
Although the young man was handsome, capable of easily winning the favor of girls, in the presence of Mr. Xia, Hua Shaoyang, and other elite students, all of whom were exceptionally good-looking — even Xia Mang and Hua Shaoyang surpassed the young man — it was still surprising to see Vivian so delighted.
At just a glance at the young man, Hua Shaoyang, Mr. Xia, and Li Hu’s expressions subtly changed.
The others, too, were astonished, but the expression of sheer surprise and joy on Vivian’s face, unreservedly displayed, was unmistakable.
Who exactly was this young man to cause Vivian, renowned as one of the four beauties of Xiafeng Academy, to be so thrilled, leading everyone to speculate endlessly about his true origin?
However, many who saw Ye Chen felt a sense of familiarity, as if they had met him before, yet could not remember who he was, which only added to their puzzled frowns.
Ye Chen, unconcerned with what others thought, had intended to leave but was noticed by the girl, and he found himself unable to move his feet and walk away.
This was because, ever since he was kissed in Danxin Palace, he harbored a subtle, inexplicable feeling for the girl that made it impossible to maintain the same indifferent demeanor as when they had first met at Demon Beast Mountain Range.
With a wry smile, he had no choice but to step out from the crowd and approach the girl.
Under the stunned gazes of everyone, the young man actually reached out and tenderly touched Vivian’s forehead, the gesture incredibly affectionate as he said, "You’re great, really."
Ye Chen had never been skilled at uttering compliments, his words even paler compared to those of Mr. Xia or Hua Shaoyang.
Yet what was even more shocking was that Vivian didn’t resist the young man’s gesture at all; her smile blossomed even more beautifully, her bright eyes filled with joy, "No, as long as the congratulations come from you, Vivian will always be happy."
In an instant, it seemed as if countless hearts shattered into pieces.
At this moment, even the dullest person could see that Vivian held a significant fondness for the mysterious young man — even perhaps—
Yes, like was undoubtedly the feeling, though no one wanted to admit it, the girl’s actions had already proven everything.
Faces among the crowd took on a bitter smile. No wonder Vivian had always been lukewarm to others, maintaining a significant distance, even from celestial students of Heavenly Level Academy like Hua Shaoyang and Xia Mang who had boundless futures.
A woman in red watched Ye Chen with astonishment. She knew Vivian well; although gentle and serene, Vivian was not someone to easily develop affections for a man, no matter how excellent he might be.
What merits could this young man possibly have that won Vivian’s affections?
And like the others, she too felt a sense of déjà vu with the young man but could not recall who he might be.
Observing Vivian’s joyful expression, his gaze slightly shifted downwards to the girl’s rosy, enticing lips, he inexplicably thought of that kiss within Danxin Palace, and touched his cheek where he had been kissed.
Vivian seemed to remember this moment as well, her beautiful face suddenly blushing like fire, strikingly glamorous and captivating, drawing the stunned gazes of many.
But many people were filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred, for Vivian’s demure demeanor—the likes of which most had never seen—was now being revealed to an enigmatic young man, igniting the flames of jealousy in their hearts!
Hua Shaoyang’s expression changed dramatically, but eventually, he grew despondent, for he clearly understood some of Ye Chen’s background; he was a man who dared to address Li Yun, one of the Danxin Palace Master’s people, by name, someone he simply could not afford to provoke.
He knew this, but not everyone else did. Xia Mang was furious with the ambiguous atmosphere between Ye Chen and Vivian, filled with jealousy towards Ye Chen, who could make Vivian blush. He snorted coldly, breaking the silence, and looked at Ye Chen with a cold voice, "Kid, do you not know this is the test site of our Heavenly Level Academy? This isn’t a place for a mere Yellow-level Academy student like you to barge into."
Xia Mang was unaware of Ye Chen’s identity, though he had seen the Thirteenth Prince defend Ye Chen before. But now, with the Thirteenth Prince absent, he felt no need to hold back.
After glancing at the Yellow-level Academy badge hanging on Ye Chen’s chest, he was full of arrogance and disdain, paying him no heed.
There were quite a few from the Yellow-level Academy present, and at Xia Mang’s words, they all changed in expression, but none dared to speak out.
In Xiafeng Academy, the Four Great Colleges were strictly hierarchical, the Heavenly Level Academy was lofty and above, and they could only dare to feel anger, not voice it.
"Xia Mang, please take back what you just said. He is someone important to me, and I won’t allow you to speak of him this way," Vivian’s expression sank, clearly becoming genuinely angry.
But the more she did, the more Xia Mang’s jealousy raged. He scoffed, "Kid, do you only know how to hide behind others? Last time behind the Thirteenth Prince, and this time even behind a woman, I feel ashamed for you."
Vivian’s body suddenly emitted a remarkable aura, pressing towards Xia Mang, her face showing resentment, "What kind of person the gentleman is, is not for you to comment on!"
Xia Mang ignored these, continuing, "See, you can only hide behind a woman. If you are a man, then step forward and don’t hide behind a woman; you’re only making me look down on you."
"You—," Vivian was infuriated to the point of nearly wanting to teach him a lesson, but at that moment, a slim white hand rested on her fragrant shoulder; it was Ye Chen, who gave her a gentle smile, "Don’t be angry, let me handle everything."
Such a smile brought peace to the heart. Vivian nodded, her aura restrained, "Okay, I’ll listen to everything you say."
"Very good, I won’t disappoint you, rest assured." Ye Chen habitually patted Vivian’s head, this intimate touch making Xia Mang almost want to kill him. He sneered, "Cowardly fellow, you finally dare to come out, if you don’t, I would only be able to look down on you."
Yet Ye Chen merely gave him a dismissive glance, coldly stating, "What are you? Nothing but an idiot who acts like a fishwife, babbling nonsense. Why should I care about your regard?"
Everyone was gobsmacked; such a bold statement, rebuking Xia Mang in such a manner, was truly bold.
"Boy, you are courting death!"
Xia Mang instantly flew into a rage, the formidable aura of the Innate Realm bursting forth towards Ye Chen. But at that moment, another even more powerful aura appeared, blocking it; it was Vivian, her apricot eyes glaring furiously, her aura fully locked onto him.
Should he attack, there were a thousand reasons to believe Vivian too would strike, with the force of thunder.
At this time, Li Hu, along with the other two elite students, stood up, releasing powerful auras, clearly standing on Xia Mang’s side.
Simultaneously, a red-clad woman joined Vivian, also releasing a strong Innate Realm aura, almost matching Vivian’s. The two women’s auras could contend with the three men on the other side.
Now, only Hua Shaoyang had not acted, his gaze flickering as he watched Ye Chen.
"Thank you, sister." Vivian expressed her gratitude, the red-clad woman shook her head, her gaze landing on Ye Chen, she spoke with interest, "I also want to see what kind of man Vivian likes, it makes me curious."
Currently, amidst the storm from both sides, Ye Chen remained calm, even regarding Xia Mang from a superior stance. Suddenly, he smiled and dropped a bombshell that stunned everyone, "Is being ranked two hundred and ninety-six impressive?"
"Not worth mentioning!"