Chapter 105: Claiming Kin One After Another
Jian Yu squeezed her eyes shut.
’He’s seducing me.’
’I need a drink of water to cool down.’
The lecture hall filled with rolling applause.
The professor’s voice droned on.
Jian Yu put down her water bottle. Her mind was in the gutter, so she didn’t hear a single word.
She opened her Star Brain and started a panoramic video recording.
’I’ll listen to it when I get back.’
A snow-white tail curled around her index finger.
She looked down, her gaze fixed on Yin Jiu’s tightly shut eyes.
Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Sheng Yue, who had also closed his eyes to rest.
His skin was fair, his dark hair severe. With the top button of his uniform undone, he looked less restrained and more aloof, projecting a casual, noble air.
Jian Yu blinked. Looking around, she realized many people were stealing glances at him.
’With so many people sneaking looks, there’s no way Sheng Yue doesn’t know.’
She secretly checked the forum, where a cluster of brand-new posts had appeared.
Title: Can You Just Casually Give Your Soul Beast to Someone?
[Shen Gu: I can’t. Mine’s an ant. I’m worried Yu would accidentally step on it.]
Jian Yu: "..."
’Shen Gu has some serious nerve, joining the discussion with his real name.’
[Tower of Babel: All I know is that for anyone below B-level, their Soul Beast can’t be separated from their body for more than half an hour.]
[Bones: And for B-level or higher?]
[Tower of Babel: For B-level and above, they can leave the body freely. But if it’s for more than a day, their physical form will start to turn illusory. They also can’t get too far from their master, or their power will decrease.]
[Huagao Shang: Forget about B-level this or that! Didn’t you guys see the picture? Chairman Sheng’s Soul Beast is with our baby!]
[Li Clan People: The Chairman’s Soul Beast is so small and looks so well-behaved. Our baby looks well-behaved too. I want to pet them both!]
[Baishao: Baby, pet it for me! I wanna see! You can pet a Soul Beast. The Chairman’s Level is so high, he probably won’t feel anything.]
Jian Yu’s eyes froze on the screen.
’When did everyone start calling me "baby"?’
’I’m not looking anymore. They’re all just egging me on.’
’If they’ve got the guts, they should try it themselves.’
Jian Yu dejectedly closed her Star Brain.
She stared straight ahead, pretending to listen to the lecture.
Yin Jiu stealthily opened its eyes.
’Target: Her hand.’
’Master, look at me! Look at me!’
It wriggled, shrank itself down with a twitch of its ears, and rested half its body on the back of Jian Yu’s hand.
It was warm and very soft to the touch.
Jian Yu understood.
’Is this how Xi Yu and the others see me?’
While keeping her eyes on the professor, Jian Yu thoughtfully reached out and gave Yin Jiu’s head a couple of rubs, her face a perfect mask of someone engrossed in the lecture.
She could feel a searing gaze from her side, but she pretended not to notice.
’We’ve already kissed, can’t he be a little bolder? I’m talking about Sheng Yue, not me.’
Jian Yu still didn’t know how to take the initiative. She didn’t want to, didn’t dare to, and wasn’t willing.
Her fingers idly stroked Yin Jiu’s chin.
She saw Sheng Yue shift in his seat. A blush crept up his cool, pale face, and he glanced her way several times as if he wanted to say something but held back.
The hand he had resting on the desk was clenched into a fist, and his breathing grew heavier.
A round of applause marked the end of the lecture.
The palm-sized Yin Jiu vanished from Jian Yu’s hand right where it lay.
She lowered her eyes, her face a picture of surprise.
Under the direction of Lin Yu and a few others, the students began to leave in an orderly fashion.
Jian Yu stood up nervously, looking at Sheng Yue with embarrassment.
Her voice was quiet and a little meek. "I’m sorry. I was so engrossed that I forgot."
Sheng Yue took a moment to steady his breathing, his thin lips still pressed into a cool line.
His expression was impassive, his voice as cold and stiff as always.
"It was Yin Jiu’s fault."
He turned and walked away, his long legs carrying him off, the uniform outlining his lean, powerful waist.
"Jian, Senior Lin Yu asked us to escort you back."
Jian Yu looked at the group of students in front of her, all wearing the same level of uniform, then picked up her water bottle and placed it in her Space Ring.
She gave a reserved nod.
"Thank you. I appreciate you going to the trouble."
’Ugh, my stupid mouth. It’s always the same few phrases, back and forth. Nothing new.’
’It’s fine. It probably won’t be them escorting me next time anyway.’
’No need to make small talk with them, right?’
Jian Yu silently affirmed her own reasoning.
The path to the direct-access elevator led past the auditorium, so they had to walk.
Surrounded by a group of three or five people, both in front and behind, Jian Yu felt the escort was a bit of an exaggeration.
Just as her steps carried her past the shadows of the auditorium, a strong sensation of being watched wrapped itself around her spine.
’Emmm...’
’Okay, maybe having more people around is a good thing.’
The suffocating feeling of being watched pressed down on her, overwhelming her senses. Jian Yu subconsciously gripped the hem of her skirt and lightened her steps.
’Day in and day out, it never ends.’
A ribbon of purple smoke materialized at her fingertip, winding around her index finger.
’Is it just my imagination, or do I feel a little tired...?’
Kissing him before had also made her tired, and they’d kissed so frequently that she hadn’t paid it any mind.
Looking back, something felt a little off.
Ever since she’d started intentionally concealing her scent, she’d felt exhausted after every time she used her special ability.
Without realizing it, Jian Yu had stopped walking.
"Jian, do you want to go in and take a look?"
’Take a look?’
Jian Yu’s gaze shifted upward.
The dome was high, painted with a blue sky and white clouds. Outside the auditorium’s main doors, a white carpet stretched out into the distance.
She could feel that the owner of that gaze was inside.
’Love letters, a secret admirer... I’ve always been the passive one in all this.’
’Does the person hiding in the shadows enjoy seeing me nervous and afraid?’
’What a twisted sense of humor.’
’I hope they’re at least good-looking.’
Jian Yu released the fingers clutching her skirt. "Can I go in?"
"Of course."
"No, maybe next time." Jian Yu glanced at the scene inside, still feeling a little uneasy.
White colonnades stood scattered about, and a hundred Beast God Statues were arranged among them. Their solemn, bestial eyes seemed to hold an ancient divinity.
’Awe-inspiring, but also terrifying.’
"Jian Yu!"
She looked toward the voice and saw Qin Xianzhao running over in a hurry.
Three of her escorts blocked his path.
Qin Xianzhao was holding several gift boxes.
"I spent a lot of Star Coins at auction for these. I hope you like them."
He didn’t immediately bring up their family connection, but warily watched her expression instead.
"Don’t believe what Guan Dan said! You’re not Xie Li’s daughter!"
Suddenly, Jian Yu didn’t feel like leaving anymore.
’I want to hear what else he has to say.’
"It’s true that I’m not Xie Li’s biological son. She deliberately had us switched at birth. The Qin Family knows about this because I’m also a member of the Qin Family. Master Qin is my uncle, my father’s younger brother."
"You did the paternity test with Master Qin, didn’t you? Qin Shen Yuan had an accident once—he had a full-body blood transfusion, so the test results wouldn’t be accurate."
"Shen Qing was Master Qin’s first wife. You are Shen Qing’s daughter. She had a child before she died. If you don’t believe me, you can do a maternity test with Shen Qing’s DNA."
Qin Xianzhao looked at her, his eyes full of expectation.
Jian Yu: "..."
’Does he really think you can’t perform a maternity test on someone who’s dead?’
’Besides, Ling Yanzhi already helped me find Shen Qing’s genetic data.’
’Is restoring data from the Alliance’s gene bank and extracting Shen Qing’s genetic information supposed to be difficult for the Qin Family or something?’
Jian Yu was about to call out Qin Xianzhao’s lies when, unexpectedly, another person showed up to claim her as family.
"Nonsense. How could she be part of the Qin Family? She’s clearly my little sister."
The man’s voice was exceptionally pleasant, with an undercurrent of pride in his tone.