The new principal, Zhong Qi, bore an identical name and appearance to Luo Ning's deceased uncle, Zhong Qi.
Thus, Luo Ning had been tailing Zhong Qi for the past few days.
When Yan Shouyi inquired now, a rare hint of dejection appeared on Luo Ning's face:
"This guy seems to be just an ordinary principal, sticking to a routine between home and school every day. Quite dull… However, there is one thing worth mentioning."
"What?" Yan Shouyi's heart leaped.
Could this Principal Zhong truly be problematic?
Luo Ning said, "The breakfast shop he frequently visits tastes good. It's right by the school entrance, and it suits my palate."
Yan Shouyi rolled his eyes.
"Are you going to continue tailing him?"
Luo Ning shook his head, "Forget it. Even if he has some issue, my uncle is already dead. He can't possibly be my uncle."
Yan Shouyi pondered for a moment and said, "Then I have a job, and I'd like to ask for your help."
"It's to monitor and protect the Li family for me, right?" The intelligent Luo Ning directly stated the answer.
"Yes, I have other matters to attend to in the coming days and cannot keep an eye on the Li family, so I have to ask you to take on this task."
"What's in it for me?"
"More blood to suck?"
"No thanks, the blood I just got is enough for more than half a year."
"Then you were planning to suck a second one earlier???"
"It's like a buffet, why wouldn't I eat more if I could?"
Yan Shouyi fell silent; Luo Ning truly considered himself a buffet.
Luo Ning leaned close to Yan Shouyi's face, grinning mischievously, "What else do you have to offer me? For example, your chastity?"
"Chastity isn't for sale."
Yan Shouyi flatly refused, then seemed to recall something and said,
"Speaking of which, I do have something that I'm sure will interest you."
"Tell me about it."
"Corpse Stitching Technique, perhaps?"
Luo Ning's expression instantly turned serious.
The Corpse Stitching Technique was a supreme skill of the Corpse Herders.
It could not only repair corpses but even stitch them together.
It allowed for the joining of different body parts from various corpses.
She could even use this stitching technique to create a zombie with three heads and six arms, like Nezha!
But unfortunately, the Corpse Stitching Technique had long been lost under the wheels of history.
Luo Ning and Zhong Qi only knew of its existence but had no opportunity to learn it.
However, now the Corpse Stitching Technique was being spoken of by Yan Shouyi.
This indicated that the Corpse Stitching Technique might be recorded in the Luban Shu.
"Are you saying you know the Corpse Stitching Technique?" Luo Ning asked seriously.
Yan Shouyi shook his head, "I don't even know how to raise a corpse, how could I know the Corpse Stitching Technique? But… the Luban Shu does indeed record the methods of the Corpse Stitching Technique, and I can tell you these methods."
As expected.
The Luban Shu, a compilation of the supreme skills from all professions, truly contained the long-lost Corpse Stitching Technique.
Luo Ning's eyes became fervent.
If she could truly learn the Corpse Stitching Technique, her abilities would improve by more than a small margin.
"So, deal?"
"Deal!"
Luo Ning said, "But you have to give me the methods first."
"You woman, how can you not bear to lose even a little?" Yan Shouyi said with a sigh of helplessness.
"I stand by my word, only what I hold in my hands is truly mine."
Yan Shouyi said, "I can give you the methods first, but the content is quite extensive. Give me a day, and I'll write it down for you."
Luo Ning nodded, "Alright, it's settled then."
With their cooperation secured, Yan Shouyi felt a weight lifted from his mind.
After parting ways, he returned to his dormitory to rest.
Long Feicheng still looked frail. Yan Shouyi did not want to disturb him.
Lying on the bed, Yan Shouyi couldn't help but think of the eldest daughter of the Li family.
Since his last visit to the Li family, he hadn't seen Li Qing'er again, nor did he know her fate.
However, she had likely been expelled by the Li family.
After all, Li Qing'er had brought it upon herself, and Yan Shouyi felt no guilt.
But the appearance of Zhong Qi, Luo Ning, and Ah Gong, all served to repeatedly remind Yan Shouyi of one thing.
A great calamity was approaching.
Chen Dawei had paid a bloody price years ago to calculate for Yan Shouyi that the opportunity to alter his destiny lay with the Li family in West Lake.
And his grandfather, decades in advance, had arranged a marriage engagement with the Li family for Yan Shouyi.
Yet, Yan Shouyi had severed ties with the Li family for Lin Zhitong.
The opportunity to alter his destiny, the final chance, had not been found.
Perhaps this time, it was a sign that his fate with the Li family was not yet severed, a chance to seek the alteration of his destiny.
However, before that, he first needed to protect Lin Zhitong.
At the very least, he had to ensure she safely navigated the press conference.
...
The next morning.
Yan Shouyi waited early below Lin Zhitong's dormitory, ready to escort her to the company.
This time, he wasn't wearing the security uniform. Although Lin Zhitong didn't mind, he couldn't be too casual.
At eight o'clock, Lu Caiwei stretched as she went to the balcony to wash up. Looking down, she saw Yan Shouyi waiting below.
She quickly returned to the dormitory and said to Lin Zhitong, who was changing clothes,
"Zhitong, Yan Shouyi is downstairs!"
"Oh," Lin Zhitong replied indifferently.
Lu Caiwei was taken aback, "Your tone… Did you two break up? No way! If you two broke up, I'll never believe in love again!"
After all, Lin Zhitong and Yan Shouyi were childhood sweethearts, and Lin Zhitong had waited for Yan Shouyi for ten years.
Neither of them was ordinary.
Calling them a perfect couple wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Seeing Lin Zhitong remain silent, Lu Caiwei decided to tease her a little. She said with a smile,
"Finally, you two broke up! Does this mean I can make a move on Yan Shouyi? Yan Shouyi isn't bad-looking, he's capable, and especially responsible. Being with him would definitely make me feel very secure!"
Lin Zhitong immediately lost her composure, "Caiwei, although I know you're doing this on purpose, I still can't help but get angry!"
"Oh, so you two didn't break up, you just had a fight?" Lu Caiwei showed a gossipy face, "Tell me, how did Yan Shouyi upset you?"
What happened yesterday was difficult to articulate, and Lin Zhitong certainly couldn't reveal it.
To escape Lu Caiwei's interrogation, she could only quickly change, put on a mask, and head out bare-faced.
However, even going out bare-faced, Lin Zhitong's appearance surpassed that of other girls who had meticulously dressed up.
The pair of purple eyes visible beneath the mask were incredibly alluring, and the fair neck below her ears invited much imagination.
She went downstairs and found Yan Shouyi chatting with their dorm manager, a 'Yaksha.'
Upon seeing Lin Zhitong, Yan Shouyi immediately walked over and handed her a thermos.
"What is this?" Lin Zhitong asked, confused.
Yan Shouyi leaned in and whispered, "I know your period has come. I was wrong yesterday. This is brown sugar water. Drink it first, and when we get to the company, I'll give you a stomach massage."
Lin Zhitong's face instantly turned red.
What on earth was this all about!
Of course, her period hadn't come.
But with Yan Shouyi bringing brown sugar water and offering a stomach massage, Lin Zhitong couldn't help but feel shy.
The resentment she had for Yan Shouyi's earlier insensitive behavior vanished.
She asked, "Where did you get this brown sugar water?"
"I borrowed the kitchen from your dorm manager this morning to boil it," Yan Shouyi replied honestly.
Lin Zhitong immediately felt a warmth in her heart.
The thermos in her hand emanated a gentle warmth, dispelling the autumn chill.
"I forgive you," Lin Zhitong said with a smile.
Yan Shouyi breathed a sigh of relief. Although he still didn't know what Lin Zhitong was angry about.
At least he had managed to appease the little princess.
The 'Yaksha' beside them also showed a loving smile, as if recalling her own youth when she was cherished by a man.