Chapter 3: Driving Away the Flies

Under the glaring lights, the two of them sat face to face.

Only now did Lu Qingyue finally take in his appearance. A few loose strands of the man's hair were casually draped over his forehead. He wore a simple training T-shirt, revealing a stretch of lean, muscular arm.

At this moment, he was lazily lowering his gaze, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. Even under scrutiny, he showed not the slightest discomfort—meeting her gaze with complete openness.

He was nonchalant and arrogant, yet not in an off-putting way.

Lu Qingyue stared at him blankly for a moment. Suddenly, from the playfulness in his eyes, she realized with a start that this was the long-legged guy who had just helped her out on the field—and the very same person who had been the subject of so much gossip among her classmates just now... the chief instructor!

Which meant, the embarrassing scene of her sprawled on the ground had been witnessed, start to finish, by this handsome man across from her.

Lu Qingyue: "...." She wished she could leave the planet.

Enduring her humiliation, she met his gaze, feigning calm as she asked, "Brother, who are they?"

Perhaps the earlier conversation about the "Ten-Second Boy" had put him in a bad mood—Lu Yi, with a dogged air, curled his lips, tipped his chin at the two men, and announced, "The one in front of you is called the Sea King. The one in front of me is the Sea Dog. Remember to greet them when you see them in the future."

Cheng Xingye: "..."

Chen Shujie: "......"

Lu Qingyue: "Huh?"

Why had this suddenly turned into personal attacks?

Before Lu Qingyue could greet them, Chen Shujie spoke first, blurting out, "Wait a minute—why is he the King and I’m the Dog?"

Lu Qingyue: "???"

Why is that the part you care about?

Lu Yi lazily glanced at him, utterly unbothered, and explained with perfect composure, "Even the ocean world has its standards—looks matter."

Chen Shujie quickly glanced at the man beside him: "..."

Sorry to have bothered you.

He really shouldn’t have asked.

Lu Qingyue touched her nose. Seeing that the two men showed no objection, seeming to accept these titles, she hesitated, wondering if she should greet them.

Noticing her indecision, Cheng Xingye suddenly chuckled, his slender, well-shaped fingers tapping the table as he warned, "Little one, don’t be rude—call us ‘brother.’"

Sure enough, the girl paused.

After a few seconds’ hesitation, she quickly complied, bowing her head respectfully, "Hello, Brother Sea King. Hello, Brother Sea Dog."

Cheng Xingye: "..."

Chen Shujie: "......"

Lu Yi, sitting to the side, was shaking with suppressed laughter, trying hard not to make a sound.

But in the next moment, the entire cafeteria heard his unrestrained laughter.

Moments before, he’d been scowling like the whole world owed him five million, and now he was laughing like a hundred-kilogram fool.

Cheng Xingye thought these two siblings were cut from exactly the same cloth—enough to leave anyone speechless.

He lowered his head, rubbing his nose thoughtfully, as if considering how to deal with this ungrateful little wolf cub. But when he looked up into the girl’s bright, innocent eyes, any hint of pettiness vanished instantly.

She was just a teenager—what was there to fuss about?

With this thought, he couldn’t help but mock himself for his earlier pettiness and took a closer look at her.

She really did look very young.

Because of military training, she wore an army-green training T-shirt today, a belt loosely cinched at her waist, making her waist look even more slender.

Her features were delicate: a perky nose, full lips. But it was her large, clear black eyes that really stood out—whenever she looked at someone, there was always an air of innocent naivety that made it impossible to bully her.

Cheng Xingye cleared his throat and looked away, "Alright, go get your meal. Don’t you have training this afternoon?"

Chen Shujie immediately fished a meal card from his pocket and slid it generously toward Lu Qingyue, "What would you like to eat, little sister? The chief instructor’s card is yours to use—no need to spare his wallet."

This batch of second-year students was allowed to use the university cafeteria, but they didn’t have meal cards. Meals required buying tickets at the counter, so borrowing a meal card was certainly convenient.

But the two of them weren’t close enough for this—using his card so openly felt a bit inappropriate.

Lu Qingyue hesitated, meeting his eyes, but didn’t reach for it.

Before she could speak, a large hand suddenly reached out, calmly took the card, and slid it into his own pocket. He lazily grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet.

"Thank you, Instructor! Then my sister and I won’t stand on ceremony."

Cheng Xingye: "...."

...

"Brother, don’t you have your own card? Why use someone else’s?!"

Lu Qingyue watched as Lu Yi, without a care in the world, piled his plate high with food—using someone else’s card no less. She was almost embarrassed by his shamelessness.

Lu Yi, hearing her, showed not the slightest guilt. Instead, he directed the cafeteria worker to add more meat dishes and said brazenly, "If you don’t use someone else’s card, it’s a waste. No need to worry about his money just because he helped you out a little. Don’t mistake him for a good guy."

As he spoke, he jerked his chin toward their former table, "See? He’s already attracting another swarm."

Lu Qingyue followed his gaze and saw that a girl had sat down in her previous spot, chatting with Cheng Xingye, her face alight with excitement.

He still had that same air about him—lazy yet polite. He didn’t make anyone feel awkward, but neither was he overly warm.

Lu Qingyue suddenly found herself curious about what kind of person he really was.

He looked like a scoundrel, but his actions didn’t match the reputation. They called him Sea King, but he didn’t seem that dissolute.

She was about to ask Lu Yi about him, but Lu Yi suddenly changed the subject, "Oh, there’s papaya soup today."

He glanced at her, his tone tinged with mock sympathy, "Let’s get you a bowl."

Lu Qingyue: "???"

...

When they returned with their food, the girl sitting opposite Cheng Xingye still hadn’t left.

Lu Qingyue was about to find another seat, but Cheng Xingye suddenly looked up, noticed her arrival, and, with a polite smile, interrupted the girl who was still reluctant to leave, "Sorry, this seat is taken."

The girl had come to flirt with him and, after failing to get his phone number, was determined to keep trying. His interruption caught her off guard—she looked embarrassed and awkward, quickly getting up to give Lu Qingyue her seat.

As she left, still unwilling, she couldn’t help but size up Lu Qingyue, curious about her relationship with the student council president. Her gaze was far from friendly—almost as if she saw a rival, she looked Lu Qingyue up and down without reservation.

Lu Qingyue might appear gentle and sweet, but she never tolerated being treated unfairly for no reason.

She met the girl’s eyes with polite directness, then cocked her chin in open challenge—as if to say, "What are you staring at?"

Her gaze was sharp and unflinching, her presence swelling from 1.63 meters to a full 1.8, brimming with the aura of a rightful queen.

The girl was all bark and no bite. She hadn't expected Lu Qingyue to stare back so boldly, and immediately backed down, no longer daring to look her way.

Having won this silent standoff, Lu Qingyue withdrew her gaze in triumph—only to meet Cheng Xingye’s amused eyes across the table.

A hint of intrigue sparkled in his gaze as he regarded her, clearly surprised by her fierce look just moments before.

Lu Qingyue felt a sudden pang of guilt under his scrutiny, and after two seconds of eye contact, she lost her nerve and mumbled, "...There was a fly staring at me."

Cheng Xingye raised an eyebrow, then let out a soft laugh.

He leaned forward, his posture lazy and casual, looking every bit the rogue.

But the words he spoke were gentle and considerate.

"Mm. Next time you see a fly, tell me."

Sitting in the bustling cafeteria, as casual glances from others drifted their way, his dark eyes fixed on her clear face. He coaxed her softly, almost like he was soothing a child, "Shall I help you chase it away?"