Love you, bro, see you at Xuanwu Gate

The three chatted a bit more about the Hidden Dragon Rankings and other experts in the academy, but the topic eventually returned to club selection. Reaching a consensus, An Changqing, Long Ao, and Chen Guan decided to join the Star Patrol Club together.

The club recruitment month process went very quickly.

Relying on their outstanding performance in the Four-School League and their own strength, the three passed the Star Patrol Club's assessment without any suspense, officially becoming fresh blood for the club.

Qin Wu personally received them, offered a few words of encouragement, and had Li Yuqing and Huo Qixing show them the ropes of the club's affairs.

There were quite a few acquaintances in the club, such as their classmates Li Muxue, Liu Feiyu, Wang Hanyue, and Sun Miao, as well as Liu Xiao, who had traveled with them for a while previously.

"Good work, and welcome to the club, everyone. This Saturday, it's my treat. Let's all go out and have a good time relaxing, how about it?"

Qin Wu laughed heartily, naturally drawing cheers from the senior members around them. Long Ao disliked crowds and was just about to refuse when Qin Wu cut him off: "Long Ao, it's been a long time since we brothers sat at the same table. You wouldn't deny your older brother some face, would you?"

Seeing that Qin Wu had put it this way, Long Ao could only sigh and agree.

Chen Guan roughly memorized the faces of these senior members. When his gaze inadvertently swept over Liu Feiyu, the latter stared back with a hint of provocation, but his head was held down by Liu Xiao from behind.

Liu Xiao immediately cast an apologetic look. Chen Guan nodded, not paying too much mind to this little interlude.

...

Rooftop.

Bang! The locked door was kicked open, revealing a flamboyant face.

"What do you want from me, Second Brother?"

He stood with his arms crossed. Liu Xiao leaned against the railing and said flatly, "It's just the two of us here."

"I'm not blind."

Liu Feiyu didn't care at all. Mimicking Liu Xiao, he leaned against the wall behind him, casually hooked his foot, and kicked the door shut again.

Liu Xiao didn't mind his rudeness. "Why must you keep picking on Chen Guan? You've already seen his strength."

"Second Brother, I just can't stand him, that's all. Did you call me up here just to lecture me again? Save it. I'm already annoyed enough listening to Big Brother every day. Why are you tormenting me too now that you're back in the country?"

Liu Feiyu kicked a small pebble at his feet, looking completely laid-back and cynical.

Liu Xiao looked at his stubborn appearance and fell silent for a moment. He knew that Liu Feiyu no longer trusted him. Liu Xiao spoke slowly, "I'm not here to lecture you."

"Then what? Don't tell me you came all the way up to the rooftop just to enjoy the breeze with me?" Liu Feiyu sneered, his gaze turning toward the bright lights of the academy city in the distance.

"There must be a limit to everything. You are stronger than me, but I don't want you to miss out on things you shouldn't, pushing people who could have been friends over to the opposing side."

Liu Xiao lowered his arms, stood up straight, and stuffed his hands into his pockets, stopping just beside him. "You're not a kid anymore. You need to make plans early these days."

With that said, Liu Xiao acted as if he didn't care about Liu Feiyu's response at all. He opened the door and walked straight out, the door slamming shut behind him with a bang.

Liu Feiyu didn't stop him. Instead, he walked step by step to the edge of the rooftop. Only when he saw that Liu Xiao's figure had indeed gone far away did he relax his expression.

"Second Brother, oh Second Brother, I don't want to end up like you, forced to flee to a foreign country."

He stared blankly at Liu Xiao's retreating back. After being apart for so many years, he could no longer be certain if Liu Xiao was still his Second Brother, or just his Big Brother's second brother.

His older brother, Liu Chengjun, was never a tolerant person. Back then, it was precisely because Liu Xiao had shown too much of his brilliance and tried to compete with Liu Chengjun that he was sent abroad.

And their father naturally wouldn't care. He wasn't short of children. A rich father would only produce more and more siblings. To their father, choosing an heir was like raising a venomous insect—he only wanted the most outstanding one to survive.

Among all their siblings, only the three of them were legitimate; the rest were illegitimate children. Therefore, in Liu Chengjun's eyes, he and Liu Xiao were the biggest thorns in his side.

If he showed any signs of being highly capable, Liu Xiao's fate would likely become his own.

He couldn't form cliques, he couldn't be high-spirited, and no glorious or upright image could ever be associated with him.

Until he was strong enough, he had to appear completely harmless.

Liu Xiao's worries were completely unnecessary. Chen Guan... was someone he had carefully selected.

"So, before my era arrives, I am willing to play the clown on stage."

"Big Brother, let's see which of us will have the last laugh."

Looking in the direction of his home, Liu Feiyu muttered to himself.

Love you, bro. See you at Xuanwu Gate.

...

Inside the academy city, the lights were bright. Having grown tired of the cafeteria food, Chen Guan made a rare decision to walk a bit further and stroll around outside the school.

It was completely different from inside the school here. The bustling, down-to-earth atmosphere of the streets and alleys made Chen Guan incredibly nostalgic.

In such a setting, a crowd of people gathered in a circle naturally caught Chen Guan's attention. Chinese people love a lively scene, and Chen Guan was no exception. He slowly walked over.

By a relatively quiet alley entrance, a rather simple painting stall was set up.

An old drawing board, a few stools, and a young girl wearing a washed-out cotton dress with her hair in two braids sat quietly there. She had her head down, quickly sketching on a piece of white paper with a charcoal pencil.

Many passersby surrounded her, pointing at the drawing board and letting out gasps of amazement.

The girl drew extremely fast, able to finish a simple yet lifelike portrait sketch in barely a dozen seconds.

What was even more amazing was that she seemed to capture the most expressive moment of the person in the drawing. Whether it was the innocence of a child, the sweetness of a couple, or the weathered look of an old man, they all leaped off the paper, full of vitality.

"She draws so well! This little girl really has some skills."

"This speed, this charm, it's incredible!"

"I heard she's been drawing here for a few days now. She charges whatever you feel like paying, any amount is fine."

Discussions echoed endlessly. Chen Guan stood at the edge of the crowd, his gaze falling upon the girl drawing.

The girl looked to be about twenty years old, with delicate features and clear, focused eyes. There were no fluctuations of spiritual energy around her; she looked just like an ordinary street artist with a talent for drawing.

"Would you like a drawing?"

The girl suddenly lifted her head and looked at Chen Guan. Her voice was ethereal and melodious, exceptionally pleasant to the ear.

The words of refusal had already reached Chen Guan's lips, but he was interrupted.

"Hey, silly boy, agree to it."

It was Baal's voice. Thus, Chen Guan obediently changed his tune: "Thank you."

The girl smiled faintly and quickly began to sketch the lines.

On the paper was an image of Chen Guan fighting with his scythe. His expression, his movements, and even the dark gleam on the scythe were drawn so vividly, as if she had seen it with her own eyes.