Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Lu Mingfei Formula

"Have you heard? Lu Mingfei and the Little Celestial Maiden have struck some sort of unspeakable deal."

"Really? Is your information reliable?"

"Of course it is! Just a few days ago, someone from our class saw them buying luxury goods at the mall with their own eyes. Who doesn’t know about Lu Mingfei’s family situation? There's no way he could afford that himself—it must be… you know what I mean." A knowing look passed between them.

"Maybe they were just hanging out together. Is there really any need to think like that about people?"

"Hmph, just look at him. He’s suddenly studying hard, paying attention to his appearance, and he’s not fawning over Chen Wenwen anymore. Anyone can see something’s up. I think it’s not that he doesn't like Chen Wenwen, but that he can't like her anymore."

"Huh?"

"He’s actually already…"

…

Strange rumors spread throughout the class, but Lu Mingfei paid them no mind. He simply didn’t care what these classmates thought of him; they were insignificant in his eyes. As long as they didn't interfere with his life, he couldn’t be bothered to even spare them a thought.

Of course, much of this indifference stemmed from his ignorance of how outrageous the rumors had become. Lu Mingfei assumed that at most, people were gossiping about him living off a woman, and he could just brush off the comments. How could he have imagined that he would become the subject of such wild tales…

"Smack!"

A workbook was slammed harshly onto his desk. The boy handing out the homework looked at Lu Mingfei with utter disdain, as if gazing at garbage. After tossing the workbook, he left immediately, not wanting to linger even a second longer.

'What's going on?'

The malice and contempt radiating from his classmates gradually made Lu Mingfei realize that something was wrong. He opened his workbook to find a red duck drawn on the first page. As he turned the pages, he discovered that every single one had been defaced with large red ducks.

He stared quietly at the ducks, at the work covered in red ink. Anger blazed within him, and a mysterious formula began to take shape in his mind:

They drew in my workbook → it upsets me → Furina notices something is off/I talk to Furina while in a bad mood → Furina becomes sad → it damages my relationship with Furina = destroying what I care about most ≈ killing me

Therefore: They want to kill me!

Is this paranoia?

No, absolutely not!

If Lu Mingfei were still the same as before, this sort of thing really could have led to the worst possible outcome. If he had no strength, no money, his mindset would never have been as steady as it was now; he would never have been able to simply ignore such adversity. If he couldn’t ignore it or fight back, he would inevitably be crushed by it.

Perhaps he could endure for a while, but everyone has their limits. Once that limit is breached, the resulting breakdown could affect Furina—she might hear him being yelled at again, just as she had before. That would surely impact their relationship, perhaps even drag them both into the abyss.

From his current perspective, Lu Mingfei could handle such matters without being deeply affected, but that was only because he had grown stronger, because he had always striven to improve himself—not because the situation itself was trivial. If he were less capable, less powerful, what kind of tragic ending would await him?

"I look down on all those who stand tall"—

Lu Mingfei didn’t say those words lightly. What he despised most were those so-called "great ones" who, out of selfishness, so profoundly affected others’ lives. They were already living well enough; they could go through life easily without doing any harm. Yet they insisted on dragging others down, finding joy only in the suffering of others.

What Lu Mingfei scorned was this vile root, the ugly nature hidden beneath a lofty façade.

Light footsteps approached, and a slender shadow fell over Lu Mingfei. He looked up to see the Little Celestial Maiden, her expression complex. With a soft sigh, he asked, "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"I heard… there are some unpleasant rumors about you circulating in the class. Should I go and explain on your behalf?" Su Xiaoqiang asked with concern.

"From the moment the rumors started, the truth no longer mattered," Lu Mingfei replied calmly.

"I… is that so?" Her voice trembled slightly.

'How did things come to this?'

She bit her lip, her face clouded, remembering their chance encounter at the mall over the weekend—Chen Wenwen and Zhao Menghua had been there too. Lu Mingfei had even suggested that it might be best to clarify things, or else rumors might spread.

But… but…

That day, she had been so wrapped up in the thrill that Lu Mingfei might like her, she hadn’t explained. If she had just taken the initiative to clear things up, maybe things wouldn’t have escalated to this point.

Guilt flooded her proud heart. She couldn’t bear the thought that her negligence had brought so much trouble upon Lu Mingfei. Even just standing before him now made her face burn with shame.

Her gaze wandered, never quite settling on Lu Mingfei himself, instead darting to the objects around him. Soon, she noticed the homework book covered in red ducks.

She seized it like an outlet for her frustration, holding it up and glaring around the classroom, shouting, "Who did this? Who has the guts to stand up?!"

Her voice rang out across the room, but the only response was cold indifference. No one dared acknowledge her. Everyone knew that the Little Celestial Maiden was not to be trifled with—she had family, she had power. She could bully anyone she pleased, except for Lu Mingfei, who had always been at the bottom. The students of this elite academy understood these things well.

"Who did it? Who?!"

She called out again, her sharp voice echoing in everyone's ears. Her anxious and furious outburst seemed to confirm what some already believed. Hidden sneers curled on lips throughout the room, as if they alone stood above it all.

In the end, Lu Mingfei merely gazed impassively at everyone, watching their shifting expressions. Beneath the black lenses of his contacts, his golden eyes blazed like wildfire.

…

At noon, as classes ended, the Little Celestial Maiden offered to have lunch with him. Lu Mingfei refused coldly, keeping his distance.

He knew very well that Su Xiaoqiang only wanted to protect him. But what she didn’t realize was that, in doing so, she was not only protecting Lu Mingfei, but also shielding those vermin who cowered in the shadows.

"Mingfei, what’s wrong today? You’re much quieter than usual. Is something troubling you?" Furina asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

"It’s nothing. I’m out hunting, so I need to keep quiet and be patient."

"Hunting? Aren’t you at school?"

"It’s after school now."

"You’re allowed to hunt after school?"

"Usually not, but these are unusual times—a special period."

"Oh, then I’ll leave you be."

"It’s alright. It’ll be over soon—very soon."