Looking at that familiar youth, the young maiden suddenly blossomed into a smile. Her smile was like the sunshine of March, gentle and enchanting, making even the sun and moon pale in comparison.
"You're here!"
Three simple words slipped softly from her lips. Her voice was light and melodious, like large and small pearls falling onto a jade plate—clear and pleasant, echoing through the heavens and earth, causing everyone to stare in a daze.
Following the maiden's line of sight, they saw a youth standing outside the crowd. He was only about sixteen years old, appearing quite young, with a tall and straight posture and a handsome, refined face.
Although the youth could be considered quite handsome and likely to win a girl's favor, among those present, whether it was Xia Shao, Hua Shaoyang, or the other elite students, none were lacking in good looks. Even Xia Mang and Hua Shaoyang surpassed the youth in appearance. Yet, they had never seen Vivian show such joy, which was truly surprising.
The moment they saw the youth, Hua Shaoyang, Xia Shao, and Li Hu all simultaneously changed expressions.
The others looked at the youth, quite astonished. Seeing the expression in Vivian's eyes as she gazed at him, it was clearly filled with pleasant surprise and joy, unabashedly overflowing on her face.
Just who was this youth, to make Vivian—a beauty renowned as one of the Four Great Beauties of Xia Feng Academy—so delighted? It made people speculate endlessly about his true origins.
However, many felt a sense of familiarity upon seeing Ye Chen, as if they had met him before, but they simply couldn't recall who he was, causing them to frown in frustration.
Ye Chen naturally had no time to pay attention to everyone's thoughts. He had originally intended to leave, but now that the maiden had spotted him, he found himself unable to move his feet away.
This was because, ever since being kissed in the Alchemist Heart Palace, he had developed an inexplicable, subtle feeling towards the maiden in his heart. As a result, he could no longer maintain the same indifferent, emotionless expression he had when they first met in the Demonic Beast Mountain Range.
Finally letting out a bitter laugh, he had no choice but to step forward from the crowd and walk up to the maiden.
Under the stunned gazes of everyone present, the youth actually reached out and patted the head of Vivian—whom countless people in the academy regarded as a goddess—showing an unusual intimacy as he said, "You're amazing, truly."
Words of praise had never been Ye Chen's forte; they even seemed rather pale and weak, falling far short of the flattering words of Xia Shao, Hua Shaoyang, and others by a thousandfold.
But what left everyone even more dumbfounded was that Vivian showed no resistance to the youth's action. On the contrary, her smile widened, becoming even more radiant and captivating, her bright eyes filled with joy. "No, as long as it's your congratulations, Vivian will be very happy."
In that moment, it seemed as if countless hearts shattered into pieces with a clatter.
At this moment, even the dullest person understood that Vivian held considerable favor for this mysterious youth. One could even say—
She liked him!
That's right, it was liking. Although no one was willing to admit it, the maiden's actions had already proven everything.
The smiles on everyone's faces turned bitter. No wonder Vivian had always remained lukewarm and distant towards others, maintaining a considerable distance. Even elite students from the Heaven-tier Academy like Hua Shaoyang and Xia Mang, with their limitless futures, were treated the same way.
The red-clothed woman looked at Ye Chen with great suspicion. She was very familiar with Vivian. Although gentle and serene, she would never easily take a liking to a man, no matter how outstanding he might be.
Just what virtue or ability did this youth before her possess to make Vivian like him?
Moreover, regarding this youth before her, she also felt a sense of déjà vu. But like the others, she couldn't recall who he was.
Looking at the pleasantly surprised Vivian, Ye Chen's gaze drifted slightly downward, landing on the maiden's delicate, alluring red lips. Inexplicably, he recalled the kiss from the maiden in the Alchemist Heart Palace and touched the cheek where she had kissed him.
Vivian also seemed to think of the same thing. Instantly, her beautiful face flushed like fiery clouds, rosy and exceptionally charming and captivating, drawing many stares and leaving quite a few people in a daze.
But more people were filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred. Vivian's shy expression was something the vast majority had never seen before. Now, she was actually showing it to a mysterious youth, making the flames of jealousy burn wildly in their hearts!
Hua Shaoyang's expression changed drastically, but in the end, it turned gloomy. He clearly understood part of Ye Chen's background—someone who dared to directly call Li Yun, one of the masters of the Alchemist Heart Palace, by name. He was simply not someone Hua Shaoyang could afford to provoke.
However, just because he understood didn't mean everyone did. Xia Mang was furious at the ambiguous atmosphere between Ye Chen and Vivian. He was even more filled with jealousy towards Ye Chen, who could make Vivian act shy. With a cold snort, he broke the silence, looking at Ye Chen and saying coldly, "Kid, don't you know this is our Heaven-tier Academy's Power Monument testing ground? How can a mere Yellow-tier Academy student like you barge in here?"
He wasn't clear about Ye Chen's identity. Although he had seen the Thirteenth Prince defend him before, that was all. Now that the Thirteenth Prince wasn't present, he naturally had little to fear.
Glancing at the Yellow-tier Academy badge Ye Chen wore on his chest later, Xia Mang's face filled with even more arrogance and disdain, completely looking down on him.
Among those present, there were also quite a few from the Yellow-tier Academy. Hearing Xia Mang's words, their expressions changed, but none dared to speak up.
In Xia Feng Academy, the four academies had strict hierarchical distinctions. The Heaven-tier Academy stood high above, and they could only seethe in silence, not daring to voice their anger.
"Xia Mang, please take back what you just said. He is someone important to me, and I won't allow you to speak of him like that," Vivian's expression immediately darkened. It was clear she was truly angry.
But the more she acted this way, the more Xia Mang's jealousy burned fiercely within him. He sneered mockingly, "Kid, are you really only capable of hiding behind others? Last time, you hid behind the Thirteenth Prince. This time, you're even hiding behind a woman. I feel ashamed for you."
"Xia Mang!"
Vivian's entire body instantly erupted with a startling aura, pressing towards Xia Mang, her face tinged with anger. "What kind of person the Young Master is is not for you to comment on!"
But Xia Mang ignored this and continued, "See, you can only hide behind a woman's back. If you're a real man, step forward. Don't hide behind a woman; it only makes me look down on you."
"You—" Vivian was both angry and embarrassed, almost wanting to teach this guy a lesson. But at that moment, a slender, fair hand pressed on her fragrant shoulder. It was Ye Chen, who gave her a gentle smile. "Don't be angry. Leave everything to me."
Such a smile made one feel at ease. Vivian nodded, retracting her aura. "Alright, I'll listen to whatever you say, Young Master."
"Good, I won't disappoint you. Don't worry." Ye Chen habitually patted Vivian's head. Such intimate contact made Xia Mang wish he could kill him. Xia Mang sneered, "Coward, finally daring to come out. If you didn't, I'd only be able to look down on you."
But Ye Chen just swept a cold glance over him and said indifferently, "What are you, anyway? Just a fool who chatters nonsense like a market shrew. Why would I need you to look up to me?"
Everyone was stunned. These words were simply too arrogant, actually reprimanding Xia Mang like that. He was truly bold.
"Kid, you're looking for death!"
Xia Mang instantly flew into a rage. The terrifying aura of the Xiantian realm erupted, pressing towards Ye Chen. But at that moment, another, even more powerful aura appeared, blocking it. It was Vivian. Her almond-shaped eyes glared angrily, her aura completely locking onto him.
If he dared to make a move, there were ten thousand reasons to believe Vivian would absolutely strike with the force of a thunderbolt.
At this moment, Li Hu and the other two elite students also stepped forward, releasing powerful auras, clearly siding with Xia Mang.
Simultaneously, the red-clothed woman also came to Vivian's side, similarly releasing a powerful Xiantian realm aura, not much inferior to Vivian's. The auras of the two women could contend with the three on the other side.
Now, only Hua Shaoyang hadn't made a move, but his gaze flickered as he watched Ye Chen.
"Thank you, Sister," Vivian said gratefully. The red-clothed woman shook her head slightly, her gaze falling on Ye Chen with interest. "I also want to see just what kind of person the man Vivian likes is. I'm very curious."
Standing at the center of the storm between the two sides, Ye Chen's expression remained unperturbed. He even looked down at Xia Mang with a condescending gaze, suddenly smiling and saying something that shocked everyone present: "Is being ranked 296th on the list really that impressive?"
"Not worth mentioning!"