Lin Mo stood by the roadside, flicked his wrist, and a cellphone appeared in his palm.
Having been to Han Country for a month, and just returning with nothing particular to do, Lin Mo planned to take some time to accompany his mom and Xia Mengdie. He was about to call Xia Mengdie to let her know of his return when his phone coincidentally rang.
The incoming call displayed an unfamiliar number.
Lin Mo answered the call and then hummed a few times before hanging up somewhat helplessly.
The call had come from Imperial City, and it was a landline number from Tian Nan University's office. His counselor had called him, requesting that he return to the university to complete some procedures.
Although Lin Mo had informed the president that he didn't need to attend classes to receive his diploma, he still needed to complete some paperwork at the end of each semester.
"So, the holidays have already started, huh?" Lin Mo slapped his forehead. He neither went to the office nor attended school, so naturally, he lacked any real sense of time.
"Yingzi, Mengdie is in Shanghai right now. You go back to Shanghai first. I'll head to Imperial City to take care of some matters," Lin Mo said to Yingzi.
"Okay, then I'll go back and let Sister Mengdie know I'm safe, so she won't worry about you," Yingzi nodded obediently.
Lin Mo smiled faintly and suddenly remembered something. He handed her a beautifully crafted ring:
"This is a ring I've forged. Please give it to Mengdie for me."
"Alright." Yingzi nodded, holding the ring in her delicate palm, then nodded again before Lin Mo turned and left, planning to take a car to Xuzhou.
Watching Lin Mo as he got into the car and drove away, the smile on Yingzi's face gradually disappeared. Then she lowered her head and opened her creamy palm to reveal a small silver ring.
Lin Mo had killed the Great Elder of Joy Sect in Xiazhou and had reforged this ring; he had initially intended to give it to Xia Mengdie but was delayed by his trip to Han Country and had lost quite some time.
"Sister Mengdie, you're so fortunate. The master always has you in his thoughts," Yingzi pursed her lips, suddenly feeling a subtle and indistinct sourness in her heart, as if she had just eaten a hawthorn berry.
Yingzi stood there for a while before carefully stowing the ring away and then departing from the airport.
...
The holiday had just begun, and most of the school's students had already left. Lin Mo hadn't spent much time on campus, only getting along well with Wu Yifan, Zhuang Zhou, and Fatty; but evidently, all three had already gone home, meaning Lin Mo didn't have many acquaintances left at the university.
The counselor from last semester had been a woman whom Lin Mo had met once. Surprisingly, this semester's counselor turned out to be a man, meticulously seated behind his office desk, wearing glasses. He didn't ask much about Lin Mo's absence from classes. After all, this matter had been personally decided by the president, and the counselor was aware that a matter the president had personally settled was likely to involve someone with no ordinary background.
"Okay, fill out these documents and hand the forms into the Academic Affairs Office when you're done."
The counselor put away his signing pen and added, "Zhang Mengmeng, you're the class leader, take him there."
"Sure, teacher."
Lin Mo and Zhang Mengmeng left the office. It turned out Zhang Mengmeng, as the class leader, had to handle some holiday matters for the teacher, so she hadn't left the school.
Lin Mo didn't have much to do with Zhang Mengmeng, although she was the class leader, Lin Mo had never paid much attention to her before.
"Lin Mo, I thought you weren't coming," Zhang Mengmeng said, panting as she caught up with him, just as he was about to leave after handing in his paperwork.
"These documents needed to be signed in person, so I came back for them," Lin Mo said casually, hands in his pockets.
As they walked through the campus, alongside shaded paths and clear man-made lakes, past willows on the bank and couples seated on benches, the atmosphere was suffused with youthful vigour, temporarily drawing Lin Mo into a daze.
"By the way, could I treat you to lunch?" Zhang Mengmeng hesitated before blurting out her invitation with a blush.
Lin Mo had appeared in her life six months ago, as fleeting as a rare sighting, yet she had hoped every moment since then that Lin Mo would return to campus, even though she wasn't clear on his true identity but had an inkling that he wasn't just an ordinary person.
After all, she had seen numerous influential figures treat Lin Mo with deep respect back when she was at school.
And Zhang Mengmeng was well aware that there could be nothing between her and Lin Mo, but even a little more time spent with him would satisfy her.
Lin Mo stopped walking, turned, and looked at her with eyes like stars, then nodded, "Sure, but I still have some things to deal with now, call me tonight, and I'll give you my number."
After saying this, Lin Mo couldn't help but give a wry smile, as if he, perhaps, wasn't as cold and aloof as he used to be.
After exchanging numbers, Lin Mo left the university; his return hadn't caused any stir, as his mind was now focused on cultivation. As for the worldly assets, he had little interest in managing them because Lin Mo understood that only with true strength could he protect everything he owned.
Indeed, that evening, he received a call from Zhang Mengmeng.
They agreed to meet for dinner at Hongbin Building.
"Lin Mo, I'm over here," said Zhang Mengmeng, waving her small hand enthusiastically.
Lin Mo quickened his pace toward her. Zhang Mengmeng was dressed simply in a white T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, but a closer look revealed she had taken great care with her appearance, having her hair styled at a salon and a light layer of makeup on her face, which added a few more touches of charm to her innocent look, instantly drawing people's eyes.
She was, after all, the class beauty, and having dolled herself up, she naturally attracted a lot of attention.
"You've chosen such a nice place to eat?" Lin Mo looked up, thinking a casual restaurant meal would suffice; he'd agreed to meet Zhang Mengmeng out of consideration for the friendship between classmates.
"I've also invited a close friend, you don't mind, do you?" Zhang Mengmeng asked.
Lin Mo shrugged, indicating it didn't matter. As they spoke, a white Porsche with a roar of wind diagonally crossed the road, leaving four long tire marks on the ground before coming to a stop, and out stepped a man and a woman.
The pair that emerged from the car were dressed to impress; the woman was wearing a glamorous long dress, her hair casually draped over her shoulders, showcasing smooth white skin, and her black high heels accentuated her posture.
She was about eighteen or nineteen, captivating with a demure allure, yet her slightly cold face bore a hint of pride.
As for the man, around twenty-three, he wore a dark blue suit with an upright figure, well-groomed hair, and an air of defiance on his face.
"Tong Ling," Zhang Mengmeng greeted the woman with a smile and a wave.