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"Sorry for being late!"

When Zhao Ling raised her head and clearly saw Song Chi's face as he approached, the complaints she had prepared vanished into thin air, replaced by a sweet smile on her cheeks.

"Hello, you must be Song Chi. My name is Zhao Ling."

After greeting each other, Zhao Ling led Song Chi into the First Torch Academy of Jiangyuan.

The administration of the Advanced Torch Academy was extremely strict, and with a Third Rank Torch Captain in charge, Song Chi didn't dare to trespass recklessly, instead having his uncle send word ahead.

It had been nearly two months since his uncle's flagship was promoted, and almost all the upper echelons of White Tower Floating Land were aware of it. In front of an old Third Rank Torch Captain like the principal of Jiangyuan Academy, his uncle still had some clout.

Walking down the academy's pathway with Zhao Ling, Song Chi felt an inexplicable sense of nostalgia.

Though he had only graduated nine months ago, within this short year, he had already experienced a variety of events, so many that calling it colorful would not be an exaggeration.

Trading with the many bizarre Starry Sea races at Zhu Tian Ruins Market, exploring the remnants of civilizations, battling space pirate gangs, and personally witnessing Fourth Rank combat units and the projections of Fifth Rank units...

All these experiences were filled with curiosity, danger, excitement, and shock, worthy of being described as marvelous.

But it must be said that, by comparison, the days as a student were no less significant, equally an indelible and indispensable part of his past life. Now, thinking back, there was a unique flavor to those days.

Maybe she heard his soft reflection, for Zhao Ling asked softly from beside him:

"What's wrong?"

Song Chi shook his head, tucking away the slight melancholy in his heart. While memories are precious, they belong to the past and one must look forward.

"Nothing, just reminiscing about some things from school..."

He spoke, not waiting for Zhao Ling, who was preparing to offer elder sisterly advice, to speak, and instead asked:

"By the way, Sister Zhao, how do I get to class ten-year-one?"

Zhao Ling pursed her red lips, striving to maintain the smile on her face, then turned and pointed towards a building on the side.

"The first floor on the left."

Hearing this, Song Chi nodded lightly.

"Thank you!"

...

In the classroom of ten-year-one, alongside the farthest row, second from the front.

The girl was wearing a cute cartoon T-shirt with snow-white capris, the hems of which were cut in the quite trendy tassel style of recent years. Her long hair was slightly curly, a few strands carelessly pinned behind her head, revealing clear and luminous eyes above her fair skin like jade, evoking the image of an elf that had descended to the mortal realm.

At that moment, a faint calling came from beside her.

"Ran Ran, a really handsome guy, one that scores above nine points!"

Shen Youran gave her equally delicate best friend an annoyed glance, and with a faint look in her eyes, she casually glanced out the classroom window.

Yet this seemingly inadvertent glance seemed to freeze time for her.

Outside the classroom, the familiar figure that haunted her dreams stood smiling in the hazy drizzle, an indigo umbrella in hand, silently meeting her gaze through the window.

Shen Youran didn't know how long Song Chi had been standing outside, but she was certain that however long he had been there, he must have been silently watching her for just as long.

In that moment, there was nothing else in the girl's eyes. The tranquility and indifference of the past seemed to dissipate like a dark cloud on the horizon.

At the same time, the other students in the classroom had also noticed Song Chi quietly standing outside. Dozens of gazes flitted between Song Chi and Class Teacher Zhou Huali on the podium, speculating about Song Chi's identity while curious about whom he was looking for.

Beside Shen Youran, Zhou Chun quickly noticed her friend's unusual demeanor and gently called out.

"Ran Ran..."

But before she could finish her sentence, a bold guess had already formed in her heart.

Could it be that he was here for Ran Ran?

Or could this man be the elusive Mr. Chi of ten years?

In her memory, Shen Youran was known for being calm and gentle—this kind of reaction was unexpected...

Apart from Song Chi, who seemed shrouded in mystery, she couldn't think of any other possibility.

Before she could finish her thoughts, Shen Youran had already stood up from her seat and walked to the podium where the class teacher was, whispering an explanation.

At the podium, Zhou Huali looked surprised. He turned to glance outside, pausing on Song Chi for a moment before turning back to nod at Shen Youran.

After receiving Zhou Huali's consent, Shen Youran's cheeks blossomed with a smile, and she hurriedly ran outside.

Inside the classroom, as the radiant smile emerged on the girl's face, accompanied by the faint blush of joy on her cheeks, all the classmates were dazzled by the sight.

Outside the classroom, Song Chi, who had caught the entire scene, felt his heartbeat race uncontrollably.

Outside the classroom, the girl who had lost all her usual reserve rushed straight into the rain, her eyes seemingly fixed only on the boy standing before her.

Within Song Chi, the Spectral Energy flowed, a massive amount of energy wrapping around his legs. In the next second, his figure dashed forward with incredible speed. To the eyes of the students inside the classroom, he seemed to have turned into a blur, reaching Shen Youran in just a few flashes.

He raised his right hand high, shielding the drizzly rain above with the dark blue umbrella, enveloping the girl's form completely under its canopy, while his left hand gently encircled her, pulling her slender waist tightly into his embrace.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read