Chapter 125: Why Is It You Again?

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Xuan Xuan was completely bewildered by Zhan Yu’s words. What did he mean by that?

Seeing Xuan Xuan turn back, Zhan Yu realized he had spoken out of turn. How could he have asked such an absurd question? Just as he was about to correct himself, he happened to catch sight of Xuan Xuan’s clear, penetrating eyes. The words he intended to say shifted, and without a second thought, he asked again, "Who exactly are you?"

Having not heard him clearly the first time, Xuan Xuan turned back only to meet Zhan Yu’s vortex-like eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, and she still failed to grasp his meaning. "What?" she asked.

Just as Zhan Yu was about to repeat himself, Wanqi Lianhao walked up, his brows deeply furrowed. "Xuan Xuan."

He had been wary of Zhan Yu from the start, and it was particularly galling to hear that Xuan Xuan had spent three months under his command during military training. Worse yet, he had heard that Wanqi Weihao and the others had entered the rainforest, leaving Xuan Xuan alone in the presence of Wanqi Weihao and Kuang Shao for over a month.

With his heart filled with displeasure and worry, Wanqi Lianhao’s brows knit even tighter when he saw Xuan Xuan lingering reluctantly behind Zhan Yu after disembarking from the starship.

Xuan Xuan had already begun walking toward him, yet Zhan Yu was still "shamelessly" calling for her to go back.

She was his daughter, and the man before him was, in all likelihood, a "pedophile," with a notorious playboy standing nearby.

Wanqi Lianhao desperately wanted to pull Xuan Xuan away, but his years of self-restraint kept him in check. He simply frowned and called her name.

Hearing Wanqi Lianhao, Xuan Xuan finally tore her gaze away from Zhan Yu’s eyes. Seeing her father, her mood lifted significantly, and she curled her lips into a smile. "Dad."

Wanqi Lianhao didn't think it was his imagination—his daughter had gained weight again. The double chin that had finally begun to disappear after much effort had returned after three months of absence.

Wasn't military training supposed to make people lose weight?

Besides, she had gone to an uninhabited planet. How could she have gained weight instead of losing it?

He had spent much time fretting over whether she had eaten well, slept well, or been comfortable, only to feel foolish for worrying at all.

Looking at the way Zhan Yu was staring at Xuan Xuan, Wanqi Lianhao felt a surge of heat rising in his chest.

"Young Master Zhan seems to have a lot of free time," Wanqi Lianhao said coldly.

Xuan Xuan felt the temperature drop instantly and couldn't help but glance at her father. Why was it that after not seeing him for so long, his ability to emit a chilling aura had grown even more potent?

However, after a quick look at the tension between the two men, Xuan Xuan made a wise decision and sidled up to her father.

Wanqi Lianhao glanced at her, the dark look on his face barely fading.

Zhan Yu, on the other hand, bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Third Young Master."

"Third Young Master is truly doting on his daughter," Kuang Shao said with a smile. He had long noticed that Wanqi Lianhao held a strong opinion of him.

He still hadn't figured out why, but it seemed Wanqi Lianhao didn't think much of Zhan Yu either.

He cast a glance at Xuan Xuan standing beside him. Could it be because of his daughter?

He must be overthinking it, right?

She was so... young. Who could possibly have designs on her?

"Heh." With a cold laugh, Wanqi Lianhao looked toward Wanqi Weihao and Wanqi Weihan, who were waiting nearby. "Excuse us."

Without waiting for a reaction from the two men, he turned and left with Xuan Xuan.

Zhan Yu stood stunned, his brows knit tightly. She hadn't answered him, but given the bewildered look in her eyes at that moment, had he really guessed wrong?

That had to be it. Such an absurd theory—how could it be true?

He let out a self-deprecating laugh.

"Didn't you tell the old man you'd be entering the Federal First Military Academy directly?" Kuang Shao, completely unaware of what had transpired, said in a tone meant to comfort Zhan Yu.

There had been no news of the girl for three months. Although there were no external signals on the uninhabited planet, Wanqi Xuan Xuan did not seem like the type to lose contact with her teacher.

Knowing the girl's methods, Kuang Shao felt that a lack of signal was hardly an obstacle for her.

Glancing at Xuan Xuan’s retreating figure once more, Zhan Yu sighed, remaining silent.

On the way home, Wanqi Weihao and Wanqi Weihan dared not speak, as the expression on their Third Uncle’s face was too grim.

Xuan Xuan, however, did not care in the least.

She reckoned that Tong Wan had already prepared a table full of delicacies, just waiting for her return.

Sure enough, upon arriving home, Tong Wan was busy in the kitchen. Seeing Xuan Xuan return, she completely ignored the three men and inspected Xuan Xuan from head to toe, her eyes red from not having seen her for three months.

"Military training is just too harsh; Xuan Xuan has lost so much weight."

Xuan Xuan nodded. She agreed; the cafeteria food had been so terrible at the start that it must have starved her thin.

The three men around them broke into a cold sweat. Where had Xuan Xuan lost any weight? Why were they the only ones seeing her double chin becoming increasingly plump?

Wanqi Weihao and Wanqi Weihan were even more exasperated. Xuan Xuan had basically spent three months on vacation at the camp; how could that be considered suffering?

They were the ones who had truly returned tanned and thin after two months of struggling in the rainforest, yet Tong Wan seemed entirely blind to that.

"Grandmother," Wanqi Weihan couldn't help but call out, trying to get her attention.

Tong Wan looked over, but only to glare at him. "Is this how you take care of your sister when you were told to look after her? Look at how much Xuan Xuan has suffered! Look at how thin she’s gotten!"

The two brothers felt utterly defeated. Who exactly had suffered? Who had lost weight?

"Go, help your sister take her luggage to her room. I need to cook more good food to nourish Xuan Xuan," Tong Wan commanded.

They gave a resentful look at Tong Wan as she headed back into the kitchen. Ever since Xuan Xuan appeared, they had gone from being the family treasures to mere blades of grass. Still, they obediently carried her luggage to her bedroom.

Wanqi Lianhao watched the bustling Tong Wan and glared at Xuan Xuan.

Xuan Xuan remained unfazed, chatting with Tong Wan while rummaging through the cabinets for the dried meat she hadn't eaten in months.

How she missed that taste.

The Federal First Military Academy allowed for a three-day break after military training concluded.

Xuan Xuan happily hunkered down at home, enjoying Tong Wan’s pampering.

Although she occasionally felt the icy gaze of her father, all in all, it was a wonderful time, especially with Wanqi Yi there to protect her.

However, Wanqi Weihao and Wanqi Weihan were not so lucky.

Whenever Wanqi Lianhao needed to vent his frustration, the two brothers were clearly the perfect outlet.

And Wanqi Lianhao’s justifications were always impeccable.

Their progress was too slow, and they had been overly eager for success during training, committing major errors.

Everything they did during their training was eventually reported to Wanqi Lianhao and the others; the fact that they had entered a Zerg-infested area had been reported to Wanqi Yi and the others that very evening.

God knows how much progress the two had made over the three months, and they had already admitted their faults at the time. It had been two months since then, and to bring it up again—if Wanqi Lianhao wasn't just using them to vent, he wouldn't even believe it himself.

Wanqi Lianhao’s frustration grew heavier. Why was it that after all his training, he saw no improvement in them, yet they had progressed so much under Zhan Yu in just three months?

Furthermore, they were supposed to be guarding Xuan Xuan, and they had let her walk right into a wolf’s den.

He grew more ruthless, watching them during their morning exercises. "Ten extra laps this morning."

A groan erupted from the brothers. Who had angered their Third Uncle this time?

The three days passed far too quickly.

Before she had enough of her time off, Xuan Xuan returned to the Federal First Military Academy.

This was her first time truly observing the academy, and it actually felt quite nice.

Wanqi Weihao was in the Command Department, Wanqi Weihan in the Mecha Department, but Xuan Xuan was in the Manufacturing Department.

For the first time, Xuan Xuan went to class on her own. Wanqi Weihao had downloaded her entire schedule early on, researched the locations of all her classrooms, and delivered her to the door of her first class before leaving for his own.

Xuan Xuan looked around. The Mecha Manufacturing Department was quite crowded; the major was considered the academy’s flagship program.

The current class was "History of Mecha."

The lecturer was an elderly teacher. Xuan Xuan rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought.

"Use copper as a mirror to adjust one’s attire; use people as a mirror to understand gain and loss; use history as a mirror to know the rise and fall of nations." This was a phrase the teacher constantly kept on his lips.

She curled her lips. It actually made quite a lot of sense.

However, it seemed to be an ancient saying from the Huaxia era. Could this teacher also be a researcher of those block-style characters?

Xuan Xuan felt a moment of conflict. If he truly were a researcher of those characters, she might find herself at odds with him.

Fortunately, the class period was not long.

She glanced at the students around her whom she didn't recognize at all. She hadn't participated in much of the military training, so most students had only heard her name without ever seeing her in person.

She walked out of the classroom calmly. The next period appeared to be a large lecture shared by multiple departments, and it seemed Wanqi Weihao and the others had the same course.

She followed the students around her at a leisurely pace toward the next classroom.

Xuan Xuan suddenly looked up and inadvertently collided with a pair of dark eyes.

"Why is it you again?" Xuan Xuan couldn't help but sigh. How was he everywhere she went?

There was a hint of a smile in Zhan Yu’s eyes. "Why can't it be me?"

He had hesitated for a long time before deciding to enter the Federal First Military Academy.

He also felt his own suspicions were far too absurd, but he couldn't help but feel that everything had a cause and effect.

If Wanqi Xuan Xuan hadn't behaved in ways that made him feel something was amiss, he wouldn't have doubted her.

Over the last three days, he had carefully sorted through his thoughts, and he was certain that there was something off about Wanqi Xuan Xuan.

He didn't like to act on baseless hunches, but this time, even without evidence, he wanted to trust his intuition.

Just like the first time he met her, when he had trusted, for no reason, that her potted plant could dissolve his internal cold.

Just like when he first heard of the "Volcanic Potion" and firmly believed it must have been hers.

Even if he were wrong, he had to try.

He curled his lips into a smirk. "What, don't you want to call me teacher?"

"Hmph." Xuan Xuan rolled her eyes at him. After all, she was the one who had taught him his Metal-element magic.

Seeing Xuan Xuan turn and walk into the classroom, he lowered his head and chuckled softly. A hint of certainty deepened in his eyes—her textbook had her name written on it.

Just a fleeting glance was enough to make Zhan Yu clench his fists. Her handwriting was so "distinctive."

Could she have possibly taught her own student to write like that?

He had always remembered the mysterious, profound characters she used to write.