Lu Xiangfei knew how to properly position himself. Although he and Xia Lin were classmates, he understood that her goodwill stemmed purely from their shared student days. He had no intention of leveraging this connection to show off.
His sole focus was on excelling in his foundation work and not disappointing Xia Lin.
"Wang Shao, your Jhin plays are excellent. I'm truly no match for you," Lu Xiangfei said with genuine modesty.
"Don't be too humble. A few games will tell the story. Lin'er said you're quite capable, and there must be a reason for that," the National Little Wang replied with a smile.
"Come, enough of these pleasantries. Let's see some real skill," Xia Lin said, initiating the game by sliding into the esports chair.
The five-person team consisted of Xia Lin, the National Little Wang, Lu Xiangfei, Qin Dou, and Jiang Xin.
Xia Lin took on the top lane as Teemo. It was the only champion she played, and she was both unskilled and enthusiastic.
While other Teemo players strategically placed mushrooms on key paths, Xia Lin's Teemo couldn't even find five mushrooms across the entire map.
It was peculiar. She'd constantly be planting, even when her mushrooms were on cooldown during team fights. Yet, wherever she planted them, they seemed to disappear. Truly a baffling phenomenon.
The five players began their first match, engrossed in the game.
..........
Pu Zaiye toured the villa with Li Changhe and Huang Heng. They visited every area except the fourth and third floors.
The fourth floor was Xia Feng's residence, hence off-limits.
The third floor housed the residences of the young ladies, making it inconvenient and inappropriate to visit.
"Brothers, what kind of work do you usually do around the villa? I'd like to help out," Pu Zaiye asked, cutting to the chase.
"We clean toilets," Huang Heng stated calmly.
He felt no shame in admitting this; rather, he felt a sense of honor.
Upon hearing this, Pu Zaiye nodded and said, "It's an immense honor to clean toilets for Young Master Xia. I truly envy you."
Pu Zaiye spoke these words without any flattery; he was simply stating a genuine feeling. He truly believed cleaning toilets here was a matter of supreme honor.
After all, this was the residence of Young Master Xia. To even enter these gates was to be among the crème de la crème.
Pu Zaiye had always considered himself a nobody. He had never imagined he would one day set foot in the Immortal Realm.
His transformation from a stray dog to a divine canine was entirely due to the efforts of Young Master Xia.
"You don't need to envy us. Aren't you a member of the villa now as well?" Li Changhe asked Pu Zaiye.
"Heh, it's all thanks to Young Master Xia's regard for me," Pu Zaiye chuckled, excitement flashing in his eyes.
"If Young Master Xia allowed you into the villa, it's naturally because you have your merits. There's no need for excessive humility. From now on, you'll share our toilet-cleaning duties," Li Changhe said.
Li Changhe wasn't foolish. Xia Feng personally bringing him into the villa clearly indicated he was a gem in the rough.
In truth, Pu Zaiye himself didn't quite understand why Xia Feng had suddenly decided to bring him to the Immortal Realm and let him stay in the villa.
He certainly didn't dare to ask for the reason.
He could only attribute it to his good fortune.
"I have one more thing to ask you both. Young Master Xia mentioned taking me to the Immortal Realm. Do you know when that will be?" Pu Zaiye wanted to get a clear understanding to make arrangements at home and bid his parents farewell.
"We're going in the next couple of days," Li Changhe explained.
"So soon?" Pu Zaiye was taken aback.
This was much sooner than he had anticipated.
"Yes, we'll be back after about ten days. You can return whenever you wish, but staying for more than a month at a time is the absolute limit," Li Changhe nodded.
Pu Zaiye listened, utterly bewildered. Was visiting the Immortal Realm this casual?
It sounded more like a short trip than anything else.
"This is the Immortal Realm we're talking about. Why does it sound like I'm just going on a trip?" Pu Zaiye swallowed, his confusion palpable.
"Oh, I forgot to mention. One day on Earth equates to one year in the Immortal Realm. This means that if you spend ten years in the Immortal Realm, only ten days will have passed on Earth. Do you understand what I mean now?"
Li Changhe patiently explained to the somewhat dazed Pu Zaiye.
After Li Changhe's explanation, Pu Zaiye finally understood.
Simultaneously, he was greatly astonished. One day on Earth equaling a year in the Immortal Realm?
If anyone else had said this, he would have dismissed it as nonsense. But coming from Li Changhe, he had no choice but to believe it.
Li Changhe could only have gained such knowledge by following Young Master Xia.
Pu Zaiye remained speechless for a long time, his desire to visit the Immortal Realm and see its world growing stronger.
Since it was no different from a trip, Pu Zaiye decided not to go back. He would simply tell his parents he was traveling abroad and would be temporarily unreachable.
The afternoon passed quickly. It wasn't until dinner that Pu Zaiye saw his cousin, Lu Xiangfei.
Lu Xiangfei himself didn't know how he managed to finish dinner; he was in a daze the entire time.
Sharing a table with so many influential figures left him in a state of emotional turmoil.
If he were to speak of it, people would surely call him insane, and he would understand their reasoning.
After the meal, Lu Xiangfei left first.
The next two days passed uneventfully. Jack Ma and Penguin Ma had arranged for trainers to guide Lu Xiangfei.
When asked who he thought trained him better, Lu Xiangfei maintained that both were equally good.
In his eyes, they truly were on par. He made no effort to favor one over the other, and the competition between the two giants concluded in a draw.
That same day, Xia Lin invested a hundred million yuan in Lu Xiangfei to kickstart the classmate association fund. With Xia Lin's investment, Lu Xiangfei was filled with renewed vigor, secretly vowing to do his utmost to satisfy her.
With all preparations in place, Xia Feng decided to head to the Immortal Realm the following day.
It was time to delve deeper into matters of the Divine Realm.
After dinner that evening, Xia Feng flew directly to the Cultivator's Guild.
He had promised Dongfang Lingyu during his previous visit that he would bring them to the Immortal Realm, and Xia Feng never forgot his promises.
Dongfang Lingyu's entire family was having dinner. Lin Song and Dongfang Chuxue had spent the entire night battling each other.
They had unleashed years of pent-up resentment and longing.
The duel ultimately concluded with Dongfang Chuxue's victory. The next day, Lin Song's eyes were bloodshot, and he walked with a listless gait, appearing as if a strong gust of wind could topple him. He had indeed been beaten quite severely.
The Dongfang family, including Dongfang Lingyu's immediate family, Lin Yuwei's family, and the elder Dongfang Wenkang, made for a lively gathering.
Dongfang Wenkang, in particular, radiated joy after coming to terms with everything. He had many regrets from his past, but it was never too late to mend.
Ever since Xia Feng had spared his life, he had come to a profound realization.
In life, survival was the most important thing; everything else was truly insignificant.
Xia Feng landed directly in the Dongfang family's courtyard. Seeing the family happily enjoying their dinner, Xia Feng slowly walked in and said with a smile:
"You're only just having dinner now?"