Free Web NovelChapter 55: Chapter 53: Duomila
Li Qian had originally come for the free food and drinks, but after he arrived and saw what this gathering had devolved into, he instantly lost all interest.
He shook his head and made a silent vow. ’From now on, I’m never coming to one of these gatherings again, not even if my life depended on it.’
However, leaving right now would be a bit inappropriate. They all had to see each other for another month, after all. There was no need to make things too awkward, so he endured it.
He followed the large, boisterous crowd into Taoyuan Vacation Villa, and before long, they arrived at the villa’s Holiday Hotel.
Since it was a party, eating and drinking were a given.
Although it wasn’t dinnertime yet, a cold buffet could be held at any time.
The cold buffet was set up on the third floor of the Holiday Hotel.
It was located in an open-air sky garden.
The sky garden was filled with rockeries, lush trees, and a forest of flowers and plants. The scenery was quite lovely.
Eating, drinking, and chatting in a place like this, occasionally gazing down at the pavilions, terraces, and waterside corridors of the villa below, would have been a rather pleasant affair.
That was Li Qian’s plan at first, anyway.
But gradually, classmates kept coming up to make small talk, spoiling his mood and starting to get on his nerves.
Watching Fatty An hitting it off with a delicate-looking girl, Li Qian couldn’t help but crack a smile.
The girl wasn’t even in their class. Li Qian had a vague impression that she was from the class next door.
Paying these things no mind, Li Qian found an opportunity and left the sky garden on the third floor’s Celestial Terrace.
He went down to the first floor and, without hesitation, walked straight out of the hotel.
Once outside on the vacation villa’s grounds, Li Qian began to stroll at a leisurely pace.
Compared to all the bragging and hot air upstairs, taking a walk around the villa to admire the beautiful scenery was clearly a better choice.
It had to be said that Taoyuan Villa was, without a doubt, the single most luxurious vacation villa in all of Lingshui City.
Putting everything else aside, the scenery alone was truly worthy of the "top-tier" label.
After he had walked for a while, the sound of footsteps behind him grew steadily clearer.
Li Qian paid the footsteps no mind and continued to admire the scenery by himself.
"It seems you aren’t very interested in this kind of gathering either?" Though Li Qian was ignoring the sound, an elegant female voice suddenly spoke up from behind him.
Li Qian turned. Seeing it was Li Lanying, he gave a faint smile. "The feeling’s mutual."
Li Lanying smiled as well. She glided gracefully over. "If I’d known it would be this kind of party, I wouldn’t have come."
She walked to Li Qian’s side, found a stone drum stool, and sat down without a second thought. "The camping trips and spring outings from our first and second year... I doubt we’ll ever have pure gatherings like those again..."
Li Qian glanced at her, then found a stone stool for himself and sat down. "Things like this are always inevitable."
"Yes, people change," Li Lanying said with a sigh. "Besides, don’t you think they’re just practicing for life after graduation?"
Li Qian exhaled, his tone turning playful. "Sighing and getting all sentimental... that doesn’t seem like your style."
Hearing this, Li Lanying’s interest was piqued. "Oh? Then what is my style supposed to be?"
Li Qian thought for a moment. "Tranquil, elegant, and unconcerned with worldly affairs."
Li Lanying covered her mouth with her hand, chuckling softly. "Thank you for the compliment."
Li Qian spread his hands. "I’m just speaking the truth."
In contrast to the class president, Tu Jiaojiao, who was heroic, bold, and straightforward, the Meditation class representative, Li Lanying, was famously known as "Beauty Jing."
Her tranquil and elegant disposition had attracted a great many admirers as well.
She had just as many secret admirers as Tu Jiaojiao.
Li Lanying didn’t dwell on the topic. She changed the subject, asking, "We’re graduating soon. Have you decided which Beast Taming University you want to apply to?"
Li Qian’s target was Jiangnan Beast Taming University, but he didn’t say so. He gave a noncommittal reply, "I haven’t even taken the exams yet, so I don’t know what my score will be..."
He had a good impression of Li Lanying, but at this stage, it felt like a barrier had formed between him and all his classmates, except for Fatty An.
He didn’t want to get too personal with someone he didn’t know that well.
Besides, Li Qian believed that even if he didn’t say it, Li Lanying could probably make an educated guess.
After all, Lingshui City was located in Jiangnan Province, so most students from Lingshui Beast Taming High School would naturally prioritize Jiangnan Beast Taming University.
Li Lanying didn’t press the issue. She said softly, "With your grades, and the fact that you’ve already awakened your Beast Taming Space, even if you don’t count Kyoto Beast Taming University and Zhonghai Beast Taming University, getting into the other six major ones should be no problem."
Li Qian neither confirmed nor denied it. "Let’s just wait until the scores are out. It’s a little early to be talking about this."
Li Lanying nodded. She stood up from the stone stool and looked off in a certain direction. "I’ve been to this Taoyuan Villa a few times before, so I know where the best scenery is. Since neither of us can stand the atmosphere up there, want to go for a walk together?"
"Sure." Li Qian didn’t refuse, just nodded.
And so, the two of them began to stroll through the villa, walking side by side.
Back on the third floor, in the sky garden, Lu Kuihuan’s gaze swept across the cold buffet, but he couldn’t find the familiar, graceful figure he was looking for.
He couldn’t help but frown.
After fending off a girl who had come up to him trying to get acquainted, he walked to the edge of the sky garden, his eyes scanning the area like a searchlight.
Soon, his eyes locked onto two figures on a cobblestone path below.
It was Li Qian and Li Lanying.
They were walking side-by-side, talking and laughing, looking like a painfully perfect match.
His expression instantly turned cold at the sight.
Raging flames of jealousy ignited within him.
’I went to all this trouble, set up this whole event, gathered so many classmates... and in the end, it was all just to set the stage for this punk.’
Li Lanying led Li Qian on a walk through Taoyuan Villa.
She didn’t act as a guide, simply accompanying him in silence.
In truth, there wasn’t much to talk about.
While the scenery was pleasant, it consisted entirely of artificial attractions, completely lacking any cultural significance that would require an explanation.
The two continued their unhurried stroll through the villa. The grounds weren’t particularly large, so it wasn’t long before they found themselves back near the hotel entrance.
Just as they returned, they saw a large crowd gathered not far from the hotel entrance.
Some were their classmates, while others were ordinary tourists visiting the villa.
The crowd had formed a circle, apparently gathered to watch something in the center.
Seeing this, Li Lanying grew slightly curious. "What are they looking at?"
"Let’s go see." Li Qian was curious too. He didn’t hesitate and strode over.
As they entered the crowd, they quickly heard a familiar voice.
At that moment, holding court in the center of the crowd like the moon among stars, pontificating in front of a jet-black supercar, was none other than their class’s famous rich kid and one of the party’s sponsors—Lu Kuihuan.
"Let me introduce you all to the latest model of Car Robot, the ’Shadow Soul’! Look at it, isn’t its design awesome? And let me tell you, it doesn’t just look cool, its combat power is off the charts! Even a regular Elite High-level Pet Beast would be no match for it!"
After speaking, he shot a seemingly casual glance at Li Lanying, then suddenly barked a command, "Shadow Soul, Transformation!" ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
As Lu Kuihuan’s voice faded, a ZZZZZT sound immediately rang out. In an instant, the jet-black body of the "Shadow Soul" began to twist and contort.
Before everyone’s eyes, the "Shadow Soul" quickly transformed into a robot standing just over three meters tall.
"VMMMM..."
The moment the insanely cool and badass Car Robot finished its transformation, a commotion erupted in the crowd.
Many people cast envious gazes toward Lu Kuihuan.
He, in turn, lifted his chin, looking quite smug.
Li Qian also saw the cool Car Robot, but when he saw its mechanical eyes suddenly flash with a red light and its entire body begin to radiate a dangerous aura, he couldn’t help but frown and call out a warning, "Something’s wrong with that Car Robot! It seems a little..."
Before his warning could even register, the "cool" Shadow Soul violently raised a pair of thick mechanical arms and slammed them down.
The sudden attack caught everyone off guard, leaving them no time to react.
Classmates and ordinary tourists alike were all dumbstruck, frozen in place with stunned expressions.
"Everyone, get back!"
Someone roared a warning, and only then did the crowd begin to scatter in a panic.
But the mechanical arms were slamming down far too quickly.
Those on the outskirts of the crowd, like Li Qian and Li Lanying, were fine; they could evade with a single step back. But the people in the inner circle had no time to get out of the way.
In the nick of time, the light of a Summoning Array flashed. A pink, cat-like creature with a long tail, standing on its hind legs, suddenly appeared out of thin air.
"Duomila, Guardian!"
Following the familiar command, the pink cat-creature pushed its paws forward, and a translucent screen of light materialized abruptly.
Li Qian turned his head and saw that the one commanding Duomila to use the "Guardian" Skill was none other than "Beauty Jing" herself, Li Lanying.
Watching the bipedal Duomila perched on Li Lanying’s shoulder, Li Qian was stunned and subconsciously murmured, "Life Element?!"
That was right. Duomila was an extremely rare Life-type Pet Beast.
It was far rarer, and far more powerful, than the Cloud Valley Egg from the Pet Beast Hospital!
