The end of class finally arrived, and everyone rushed towards the exit.
"Stop!" Ye Ling's angry voice echoed from the classroom.
Everyone halted and turned back, looking at her with confusion. Following her gaze, they saw Chu Tian hunched over, desperately trying to squeeze his way out. Even with his considerable strength, he couldn't move quickly through the crowd of over a hundred people.
At that moment, everyone understood what Ye Ling meant by "stop." Without anyone knowing who initiated it, perhaps several people, they gave him a forceful push. Chu Tian was shoved out of the crowd, and as he watched them with resignation, they made a "take care" gesture. Then, in a whoosh, everyone left the training room, with some even closing the door behind them.
Chu Tian turned around awkwardly and looked at Ye Ling. "Ye... Senior Sister Ye, well, uh... it's time to eat, how about... we chat while we eat?"
As Chu Tian spoke, Ye Ling approached him step by step. Seeing her icy expression, Chu Tian was terrified she might suddenly attack, and he felt extremely nervous. It was impossible not to be nervous; he had personally witnessed Ye Ling discipline classmates countless times.
Ye Ling stopped just half a meter away from him. Seeing Chu Tian's rigid posture, she slightly curved her lips and, to Chu Tian's shock, said, "You're treating!"
"Huh... huh?" Chu Tian was a few beats too slow to react. It wasn't until Ye Ling pushed open the training room door that he finally vocalized.
They left the teaching building together, with neither of them speaking. Finally, Chu Tian felt the atmosphere was too awkward and asked, "Where are we going?"
"You're treating, you decide!" Ye Ling replied without looking back.
"There's a Mala Tang place by the west gate, it's pretty good!" Chu Tian blurted out instinctively.
Ye Ling stopped abruptly upon hearing this and turned to look at him.
"Uh..." Chu Tian probably realized his suggestion was a bit off. She was the campus beauty, and anyone who wanted to treat her to a grand meal would likely have a line around the lake. He had actually suggested Mala Tang, and for a moment, Chu Tian felt awkward.
"How about skewers?" Chu Tian, his mind in a tangle, blurted out again. To his surprise, the "cold-faced demoness" actually smiled, a rare occurrence, and said, "I must say, your taste is really... like this! I don't know how you managed to chase Luo Yi'an! But skewers are good, I haven't had them in a while. Let's go!"
With that, she no longer walked ahead of Chu Tian but walked shoulder-to-shoulder with him towards the school's west gate. Chu Tian stood there dumbfounded. This was the second time he had seen the "cold-faced demoness" smile. She was quite pretty when she smiled. However, Chu Tian didn't dare to say that out loud.
As they walked, they became the subject of explosive news on campus. The "cold-faced demoness" was walking out of the school's west gate shoulder-to-shoulder with a guy. It was well known that the west gate was lined with all sorts of small inns and hotels. When people mentioned the west gate, these were the first things that came to mind.
When they reached the west gate, Ye Ling said, "Do you want to report this to your little girlfriend?"
Chu Tian had already noticed that the students, and even the teachers, on the road were looking at them with peculiar eyes. It seemed Ye Ling's reputation truly had a significant influence on campus.
"Uh, I'll ask Luo Luo if she's eaten yet," Chu Tian said. He was genuinely afraid that if the news reached Luo Luo, she might misunderstand. They had finally made some progress.
"Yes, I was actually looking for Luo Yi'an. It's a pleasant surprise to find both of you. If she's free, ask her to join us too!" Ye Ling said.
Chu Tian didn't pay close attention to what she said. Under Ye Ling's amused gaze, he took out his phone and called Luo Luo.
"Hello, Luo Luo, have you eaten?" Chu Tian asked as soon as the call was connected.
"Not yet, I was planning to go home and eat with you!"
"I'm at school right now. Senior Sister Ye Ling asked us to go eat together."
Luo Luo was quite surprised to hear that Ye Ling had invited them. She said, "Okay, where are you? I'll come find you."
After telling Luo Luo their location, he hung up. Not long after, Luo Luo arrived. The three of them left the school campus together to find food. Now, with a beauty on each side, Chu Tian was sandwiched between them, attracting even more attention.
They found a roadside food stall and sat at a table by the road. There weren't many people grilling skewers at this hour. Soon, a table full of food was served.
Ye Ling, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. "Do you know why I asked you here?"
Chu Tian and Luo Luo exchanged glances at her directness and shook their heads. Seeing their nervousness, Ye Ling smiled, a beautiful smile, and said to them, "Don't be nervous, you two."
Her smile made them even more nervous. No one had ever heard of Ye Ling smiling before; otherwise, she wouldn't have the nickname "cold-faced demoness." Furthermore, rumors had it that anyone who saw Ye Ling smile met an unfortunate end, as her smiles usually signaled that she was about to deal with someone.
"Actually, I'm not a student at your school," Ye Ling said.
Hearing this, Luo Luo became curious and asked, "Senior Sister, I heard you transferred here later. Where were you before?"
Ye Ling didn't answer Luo Luo's question but instead asked them, "Have you heard of a recruiter?"
When Chu Tian heard "recruiter," he wondered, what kind of person? Someone who recruits others to join the army? Luo Luo, on the other hand, looked surprised. "Senior Sister, you can't be a recruiter at our school, can you?"
Seeing that Luo Luo seemed to know what a recruiter was, Chu Tian turned to her and asked, "What is a recruiter?"
When Luo Luo heard Chu Tian's question, she first glanced at Ye Ling. Ye Ling, ever since sitting down, no longer had her usual cold demeanor. Instead, she seemed like a friendly older sister. She nodded at Luo Luo and said, "It's okay, it's not a secret. Go ahead and tell him!"
With Ye Ling's permission, Luo Luo explained the matter of recruiters to Chu Tian. It turned out that recruiters were almost like those who recruited people to join the army. However, the soldiers they recruited belonged to an organization called the Ninth Office. As for the Ninth Office, Luo Luo didn't say much, only that it was a secret organization directly under the government. Moreover, almost every university had a recruiter who was specifically responsible for scouting and providing talent for the Ninth Office.
After Luo Luo finished speaking, Ye Ling looked at her. "It seems you know quite a bit about recruiters. Has someone approached you?"
Luo Luo nodded. "Yes, before I transferred here, someone approached me at my old school. My surname is Luo!" She said something peculiar. Chu Tian was curious: Your surname is Luo? What's the big deal? Is having the surname Luo so impressive?
However, after hearing this, Ye Ling had a look of realization, which quickly turned into one of regret. She then turned to Chu Tian, who was still lost in thought, and asked, "So, are you interested in joining the Ninth Office?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Tian thought, the Ninth Office? What exactly is that? You guys are talking in riddles.
[Author's Words]
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