Chapter 57: Arriving (Patreon)

The Next Day

The sky was a clear, endless blue, and the morning sun gently bathed the earth in golden light.

This time, Zhu Zhuqing wasn't the first to wake. She remained fast asleep, her lips curled into a sweet, contented smile.

Last night, Lu Feng had carried her into a moment so incredible, it felt like floating to paradise.

It wasn’t a dream, but it was dreamy—a magical moment they created together.

She never thought it could be so different from what she’d dreaded.

There was no pain at all, just pure bliss.

Words couldn’t do it justice; nothing came close.

All her worries vanished.

She wasn’t scared of it anymore.

Honestly, she loved it.

But only with the man she adored.

That deep, tangled-up love made it so perfect.

This time, Lu Feng was so gentle, giving her an experience completely unlike their wild first night. Her heart and body melted into it, swept away, unable to pull back.

She was so happy she nearly screamed a few times.

But knowing her sister was asleep nearby, she tried hard to stay quiet.

Sometimes, little noises slipped out, and she’d quickly cover her mouth.

She’d meant to head back to the compartment after being with her fiancé.

But she didn’t want to leave. She felt so relaxed, so content, and loved being snuggled up with him.

Tired and happy, she drifted off right there on the sofa, curled up in Lu Feng’s arms.

"Hey, I've already finished my shower, and you two are still asleep? Weren't you the ones who said you'd wake up early today to report to Shrek Academy?"

Zhu Zhuyun's voice rang out, full of exasperation.

Lu Feng groggily opened his eyes and sat up, squinting at the sun already high in the sky. He yawned. "Huh… guess we overslept a little."

He felt completely at ease, body and soul refreshed.

Last night, he and Zhu Zhuqing had been in perfect sync. Lu Feng pulled out all the stops, tending to her with quiet, gentle care, always mindful of how she felt.

And he got just as much in return.

It really was a case of you’re happy, I’m happy.

Thinking back on last night’s bliss, he still craved more.

Catching Zhu Zhuqing’s gaze, he turned to her.

Their eyes locked, and knowing smiles spread across their faces, no words needed.

They reached for each other, wrapping their arms around one another and sharing a deep, passionate kiss in the bright morning light.

"Hey, hey, hey, enough already! Are you two just going to pretend I'm not here?!" Zhu Zhuyun's complaining voice cut in again.

“Alright, we’re gonna be late for registration,” Zhu Zhuqing said with a cheeky grin. She gently nudged Lu Feng away, stood up, and slipped into her pajamas. Spotting the fishnet stockings, now torn to shreds by Lu Feng, on the floor, her cheeks flushed. She quickly snatched them up and darted back to the compartment.

Lu Feng eyed the tattered stockings, flashes of last night’s intensity replaying in his mind, sending another jolt of excitement through him.

It had been a bit much, but thankfully, the excess energy had gone into wrecking her socks and clothes.

"Huh? Sis, why are your dark circles so bad? And your eyes are all bloodshot?" Zhu Zhuqing asked just before stepping into the shower.

"...It's nothing. Maybe I'm not used to the climate here yet."

Zhu Zhuyun turned her face away nonchalantly, secretly rolling her eyes. Yeah, and whose fault is that?

She had already put on foundation, how could Zhu Zhuqing still see the dark circles? Ugh, need more concealer.

With a sigh, Zhu Zhuyun returned to her vanity.

Listening to their exchange, Lu Feng couldn't help but recall the time back at the Zhu family villa, when Zhu Zhuyun had emerged from the shower with dark circles under her eyes, looking utterly exhausted.

"Could it be that she... again? The eldest miss of the Zhu family, the future Empress just how did you end up with such a habit?"

Half an hour later...

After saying goodbye to Zhu Zhuyun, Lu Feng and Zhu Zhuqing boarded their carriage.

At the academy gates, a long line had already formed, with Tang San and Xiao Wu among the crowd, though not standing together.

Lu Feng's carriage, however, rolled straight through the gates of Shrek Academy, personally escorted by Flender to arrange their accommodations.

Once settled, Lu Feng came back out to fetch Xiao Wu.

She had come to report to Shrek Academy that very day, and during their days apart, her heart had grown more and more eager to see him again.

The moment she spotted Lu Feng appearing, Xiao Wu's face lit up with joy. She bounced excitedly, waving her fair hand in the air. "Lu Feng! Over here, over here!"

With a smile, Lu Feng walked over, joining her in line. They shared a natural, polite hug before he took her hand, their fingers intertwining.

Tang San's expression darkened, a flash of anger and jealousy flickering in his eyes.

Dai Mubai, also at the entrance, nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Lu Feng. He quickly ducked his head and scurried away.

No way am I messing with someone from the Merchant Alliance.

Ever since the Pleasure Spring Pavilion had shut its doors on him, even his old flames in Suotuo City had started avoiding him like the plague. The only option left was Cuihua's sister, Ruhua, out in some village.

Never in my life have my standards sunk this low.

Wait, why was Lu Feng coming from inside the academy gates?

Had he been in that carriage that drove straight in earlier?

Teacher Li Yusong had mentioned the carriage carried an assistant instructor... Could it be...?

As Dai Mubai's face twisted in realization, he saw the usually stern Li Yusong break into a wrinkled, friendly smile, nodding politely at Lu Feng.

Dai Mubai's heart sank.

Noticing Lu Feng accompanying Xiao Wu in line, Li Yusong sped up the admission process.

Thanks to Lu Feng's hefty investment, the academy no longer had to scrape for every last gold soul coin, arguing with parents over registration fees like some shady scam.

No more needing to summon his spirit and flex his Soul Emperor-level power just to scare off skeptical parents.

Back then, the academy had been so broke that even Flender had resorted to such measures, what else could they do?

But for Li Yusong, a dignified 66th-ranked Soul Emperor, to be reduced to that? The humiliation had been unbearable.

Now, though?

With Lu Feng—their little god of wealth—pouring in funds, even Flender couldn't care less about those meager registration fees.

Unqualified students were simply turned away, no charge.

No more embarrassment for Li Yusong.

Better yet, his salary had tripled.

And it arrived on time.

So, from the bottom of his heart, Li Yusong was grateful to Lu Feng.

Xiao Wu quickly passed the first round of the entrance test.

Lu Feng then led her straight into the academy, heading for the final test with Zhao Wuji.

"Teacher, may I ask why he didn't have to go through the entrance exams and just walked in?"

A soft, polite voice rose from the back of the line.

The speaker was a noble young lady in an elegant pale green dress, her well-bred demeanor obvious at a glance. Brown hair, tied with a few delicate braids, cascaded over her shoulders. Her skin was so fair it seemed to glow, her figure slender and proportionate, with long, pale legs and an ethereal beauty that looked almost untouched by the mortal world.

This was Ning Rongrong.

"And he just cut in line earlier," Tang San added deliberately, stirring the crowd.

He knew Lu Feng and Xiao Wu had planned to enroll at Shrek Academy together, so there was no way Lu Feng was already a senior student.

Normally, Tang San was calm, composed, and low-key but after the incident last time, his mind had taken a heavy blow. Unconsciously, his attitude had shifted.

The moment he spoke, other parents and students joined in, the crowd erupting into noisy protests.

"SILENCE!" Li Yusong barked. "This young man is an assistant instructor of Shrek Academy."

The moment those words left his mouth, the entire crowd fell dead silent.

Hearing "assistant instructor," Tang San's face darkened further.

This is bad.

If he entered the academy, he'd be under Lu Feng's authority.

For a moment, Tang San nearly turned to leave.

But then he remembered—Yu Xiaogang would soon be arriving to teach here as well.

If Yu Xiaogang is a full instructor, he'd outrank an assistant.

Suppressing his frustration, Tang San stayed put.

"He looks about my age, and he's already an assistant instructor…" Ning Rongrong murmured, her beautiful eyes flickering with surprise and curiosity as she studied Lu Feng's retreating figure.

Lu Feng hadn't even bothered to acknowledge the crowd's complaints, leaving Li Yusong to handle them while he casually led Xiao Wu inside.

But he had heard Tang San's voice.

Still causing trouble, huh, Little San?