Lin Jingqiu left, leaving behind a classroom full of stunned onlookers.
They couldn't quite wrap their heads around it. They were shocked by how proactive goddess Lin had been, casually tossing over a bank card, and even more stunned by how composed Chen An had remained.
If it were them up there, they'd probably be blushing and stammering like idiots.
As soon as Lin Jingqiu walked away, the bullet-headed trendsetter immediately scooted over.
Liang Bufan poked Chen An's arm, his eyes bulging like copper bells. "Damn, Brother An, that was Lin Jingqiu, and that's your reaction?"
He wiggled his eyebrows, grinning like a fool. "If you'd just played your cards right, with her background, she's basically a little rich lady! If you could cling to her leg, you'd save yourself at least five hundred years of hard work!"
Chen An slipped the bank card into his pocket and replied casually, "It was just a transaction. I saved her life, she gave me money. That's all."
Liang Bufan looked heartbroken. "Brother An, don't just focus on short-term gains! We need to look at the bigger picture—strategy, you know?"
Chen An couldn't be bothered to respond. He lowered his head and returned his consciousness to the Spiritual Sea, continuing to study that thread-thin strand of spiritual energy.
Of course, "thread-thin" was only relative.
Compared to a Foundation Establishment cultivator's Spiritual Sea, which could be as vast as the Pacific Ocean, his was still incredibly limited.
Their conversation soon spread throughout the class.
Many who overheard couldn't help but chuckle to themselves. In the end, he was just a poor boy—limited in vision. Didn't he realize how many people would kill to be connected to Lin Jingqiu?
And yet all he cared about was the money. How laughable.
So vulgar.
—
At noon, after class, Chen An was called to the office by their homeroom teacher, Liu Mengzhu. She sighed and scolded him for a long time.
She told him bluntly he couldn't be so impulsive next time. Even if he liked someone, he shouldn't treat his own life like it meant nothing!
Especially since he had a heart condition—what if something had gone wrong because of the shock?
Chen An just smiled and nodded the whole time, never arguing or talking back.
Eventually, Liu Mengzhu ran out of things to say. After carefully checking his hand and complexion, confirming there was nothing serious, she let him go.
Just as Chen An stepped out of the office, a beautiful figure waiting outside approached him.
Who else could it be but Lin Jingqiu?
She had clearly cooled off by now, her expression sunny and bright. Hands clasped behind her back, she stared at Chen An without blinking.
She thought to herself, how had she never noticed before that someone this handsome went to her school?
Chen An stepped back a bit under her gaze. "What is it?"
Lin Jingqiu rose on her tiptoes and deliberately averted her eyes. "Come with me. I've got something to tell you."
Chen An frowned. "Why didn't you say it this morning?"
"There were too many people around in class. It wasn't convenient. Besides, don't you want to know why someone tried to kill me?"
"Nope." Chen An's answer came swiftly.
Lin Jingqiu choked, caught off guard. She clenched her teeth in frustration. "Even if you don't want to, you have to!"
She grabbed his arm. "Come on, follow me."
Chen An didn't resist. He let her drag him along.
Truthfully, he'd already sensed something was up—he just didn't care to dig into it. But since she insisted, he figured he might as well hear her out.
Lin Jingqiu led him up the stairs to the rooftop.
The sky was clear and the weather fine. She let go of his hand, turned to face him, and her expression grew serious.
"This conversation was supposed to be handled by official personnel today, but I refused. I wanted to tell you myself."
"Chen An, you saved my life. You probably don't realize what that means." As she spoke, her expression took on a proud air—that innate superiority she carried.
"I'm a true genius. In any field, I'm considered exceptionally talented."
She had every right to be confident.
Though she'd only recently begun cultivating and hadn't even reached the threshold of Qi Refinement, her master, Daoist Fuyun, had publicly declared:
"My disciple Lin Jingqiu has the potential for Foundation Establishment!"
Keep in mind, over a year had passed since the revival of spiritual energy, and the total number of Foundation Establishment cultivators across the nation could still be counted on one hand.
And all of them were ancient relics from major sects.
"Chen An, have you ever read Xianxia novels?"
He raised an eyebrow. "A bit."
Lin Jingqiu bit her finger, hesitating. She still hadn't decided whether or not to involve him.
After all, for an ordinary person, it might be a kind of blessing to live out this life peacefully.
But she quickly shook her head. It had already been over a year since spiritual energy began reviving. No matter how the world tried to cover it up, eventually, the truth would come out.
If so, it was better for Chen An to know early. Who knows—maybe he'd gain a lucky chance down the line.
"Then what I'm about to say should make sense to you."
She spoke slowly, "Our Xia Nation's culture has a long and storied history, with five thousand years of continuous inheritance. Records of cultivation date back as far as the Qin Dynasty's Qi Practitioners."
"But with the rise of science and modernity, people seem to have forgotten all this. The once-flourishing Daoist sects with tens of thousands of disciples faded from public view."
She looked him in the eye and said, "But I'm here to tell you—cultivation is real. It's not a fantasy."
She had expected him to gasp in disbelief, to stare at her in shock as that was her reaction when she first learned the truth.
But Chen An only gave a lazy "oh," not even bothering to lift his eyelids. It was as if she were saying something as mundane as asking if he'd eaten lunch.
"Hey, are you thinking I'm joking?" Lin Jingqiu couldn't help blurting it out.
His calm demeanor was getting on her nerves. Was it because she explained it too vaguely?
Seeing him shake his head, her mouth twitched.
No, this wasn't right!
Shouldn't he be gasping in awe, looking at her with newfound reverence? Why was he so damn calm? He was acting like... like someone who had already cultivated!
She stared at him. "So you're not even a little surprised?"
Chen An paused for two seconds, then leaned back theatrically like Liang Bufan and said in a flat tone, "Wow, amazing. Who would've thought cultivation is real?"
Lin Jingqiu's vision went black. "Forget it. I don't even want to argue with you."
She patted her chest, causing some ripples, and continued, "There's a lot I still can't tell you. What I've said already is technically classified."
"As for the attempted assassination, the factions involved are too complicated to explain right now. But you don't need to worry about that—my family and Qingcheng Mountain will handle it."
"You know Qingcheng Mountain, right? It's right here in Qingshi. That's why I transferred schools. It, along with Longhu Mountain in the capital, are the top Daoist sects right now."
"Both have deep histories and countless lineages, and with the revival of spiritual energy, they've become the biggest beneficiaries. Even the government doesn't dare openly oppose them anymore."
She finished, then grabbed his hand.
"I told you all this for one reason. You saved my life. And I happen to know about your congenital heart condition. There's no way I can just sit by and do nothing."
"So come with me to the capital. Even if the doctors can't help, I'll take you to see my master. She'll know what to do!"
Chen An was momentarily silent.
He hadn't expected that a casual hand-block would turn into this. He just wanted some system coins, but the girl had taken it so seriously.
Not only had she volunteered to take him to the capital for a checkup—she'd even considered begging her master for help.
Honestly, Lin Jingqiu was a really good person. The problem was, Chen An wasn't even sick anymore...
He sighed. "I appreciate the thought, but I'm not sick anymore. Didn't Dr. Qin already say my body's doing great?"
Lin Jingqiu raised an eyebrow. "He also said he wasn't sure!"