The Master’s Mask Unveiled Again
Chapter 980 - 979: He Broke the Appointment Early

Chapter 980: Chapter 979: He Broke the Appointment Early

points!

Lu Yutian wasn’t hearing that score for the first time; she had already mentally prepared herself for it.

But!

She never expected that the person who scored the highest marks and broke her record would be Lu Mian!

How could it possibly be Lu Mian?

She’d rather it be anyone else than that uncultured, shallow, scheming Lu Mian!

Lu Yutian bit down on her chopsticks, glaring fiercely in Lu Mian’s direction, her teeth grinding audibly.

Upon analyzing, she immediately understood—given Lu Mian’s connection to Jing Pei, it was inevitable that a physics student would receive special treatment.

And as for the Elite Class, her own class, the preferential treatment they received from the instructors—it might very well be Lu Mian’s doing too...

She just knew it. Everything Lu Mian did had a purpose!

Lu Yutian’s eyes flickered between light and dark, filled with a hatred she’d never felt for anyone before—a hatred fierce enough to wish the other person would disappear.

A boy sitting across from her noticed and cautiously asked, "Yutian, why do you keep staring at that girl? She’s Lu Mian, the darling of the physics department, with that 789-point score!"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Lu Yutian quickly reverted to her well-mannered, refined persona as a daughter of privilege. "Oh, it’s nothing. I was just wondering if she might be the final new student joining our Elite Class."

The boy wasn’t completely sure but analyzed logically, "Theoretically, if she’s a student of the Elite Class, she should have prioritized training with us!"

Being part of the Elite Class was almost like stepping one foot into a bright future; it wasn’t just a token of pride but proof of one’s capability.

Who wouldn’t want to add such an achievement to their name?

Agreeing with his reasoning, Lu Yutian nodded. "Perhaps she really looks down on the Elite Class."

"What the hell?! She must be crazy!" The boy cursed in sheer frustration.

Lu Yutian merely smiled faintly, planting seeds for what might come in the future.

She absolutely didn’t want Lu Mian in the Elite Class, but if she did join, she swore Lu Mian wouldn’t have an easy time!

——

Meanwhile, Lu Mian had no idea she had already become someone’s target.

She simply held a special meal card in hand and walked directly up the stairs to the cafeteria.

At Chixia Sect’s dining hall, the first floor was open to all students, the second floor was reserved for inner sect disciples, and the third floor consisted of private dining rooms—the higher the floor, the more exclusive the dining privileges. Generally, one wasn’t allowed to move between floors.

But Lu Mian made her way straight to the third floor, where, in the finest private dining room, Mo Fan, Jing Pei, and a young man she didn’t recognize were already waiting for her.

Wearing her military training uniform, the girl swaggered in with one hand in her pocket. Her jacket casually draped over her shoulders, she fanned herself with her hat in the other hand.

As soon as she entered, Jing Pei rose to his feet with a broad, welcoming grin.

"Mian, you’re finally here! Sit down, sit down! You must be exhausted. Mo Fan said you love hamburgers, so I had them prepare two just for you!"

"Thanks, Grandpa Jing." In deference to the burgers, Lu Mian compliantly took a seat.

Jing Pei beamed with pleasure as he fussed over her, bombarding her with questions and concerns, leaving Mo Fan no opportunity to get a single word in.

Mo Fan sighed quietly—*I’m queued up, holding my token of love...*

Soon, the young man at the table asked curiously, "Grandpa, who’s this?"

Only then did Jing Pei remember the young man beside him. "Jing Che, let me introduce you. This is Lu Mian, a chess prodigy! That snuff bottle of mine? I gave it to her!"

The matter of the snuff bottle was well-known throughout the Chixia Sect.

Jing Che opened his mouth, not because he was surprised by how skilled she was at chess, but because he was shocked by how deferential his own grandfather was to her.

His grandfather was notoriously stubborn and quick-tempered, someone even the family’s heads struggled to deal with. Yet, this girl seemed to have him wrapped around her little finger.

If that was the case, what about Chunchun?

Could Grandpa help protect Chunchun too?

"Jing Che, what are you standing there for? Say hello!" Jing Pei prompted.

Jing Che immediately nodded and clasped his hands in greeting. "Miss Lu, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Jing Che."

"Hi." Lu Mian pressed her lips to sip her tea, then set the cup down, twirling it lightly between her fingers. Finally, she raised her gaze to glance at Jing Che.

He looked somewhat familiar.

But this time, she was sure she’d never met him before.

Jing Che felt a chill run down his spine under her penetrating gaze. But being well-trained, he kept his composure. He turned the table’s lazy Susan, rotating the hamburgers in front of her.

"Miss Lu, please enjoy. If you encounter any issues at the Chixia Sect, I’d be more than happy to help."

"Thanks."

Lu Mian picked up a hamburger and began eating in a leisurely, composed manner.

Finally finding an opening, Mo Fan seized the chance to ask, "Miss Lu, which specific major are you in?"

"Applied Physics." Lu Mian gracefully took another bite of her hamburger and then added, "Also the Elite Class, studying artificial intelligence."

Jing Pei waved his fan and laughed heartily. "Mian, you’ve beaten robots before. Why do you still need to study artificial intelligence?"

"Just for fun."

"..." Mo Fan thought of the little fellow in the Yijing Residence Villa.

That little rascal was actually a robot named Little Sansan.

After being upgraded by Miss Lu, it became incredibly smart. While it occasionally threw tantrums, it was perfect at applying herbal patches, giving massages, or performing health diagnostics.

His limited imagination couldn’t fathom how artificial intelligence could evolve further.

Little Sansan was already perfect, wasn’t it?

Nevertheless, upon learning that the Elite Class was also Lu Mian’s class, Mo Fan made a mental note and immediately instructed the instructors to treat the Elite Class more favorably.

Since they were Miss Lu’s classmates, they should enjoy some perks.

——

After a simple lunch, Lu Mian descended the stairs with Jing Pei and Mo Fan.

When she reached the lower floor, she spotted Sui Yuan and naturally went over to greet her.

The brim of Little Baldy’s hat was pulled low, and she was quietly scarfing down her meal, but Lu Mian still spotted her amidst the crowded room at first glance.

The young girl strolled over, propping her arms on the table and tapping it lightly with her fingers.

"Pretty girl, want to meet up tonight?"

With a teasing tone, Lu Mian appeared in front of Sui Yuan, roguish and playful as ever.

Setting down her chopsticks, Sui Yuan quickly covered her face with her hands.

"Mianmian!" So many people were watching; it was so embarrassing!

Lu Mian, however, remained completely nonchalant, wrapping an arm around her and speaking in that characteristic mischievous way—a display of their inseparable bond that no one could interfere with.

Jing Pei and Mo Fan, who had come downstairs with Lu Mian, naturally followed her lead when they saw her approach Sui Yuan, and the three greeted her warmly.

Jing Che, however, stood frozen in place, filled with dazed astonishment.

No one else knew, not even his grandfather, but the girl blushing shyly with flushed cheeks was his biological sister, Jing Chun!

She looked so different from how she did before leaving home years ago.

The cute, soft girl with flowing locks had transformed into this timid, withdrawn Little Baldy.

He had read about her transformation in the materials he painstakingly gathered, yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t bring her back from Wucheng.

As it turned out, Chunchun had been admitted to Qing University.

As it turned out, she had always been working hard to achieve her dream.

Years ago, they had made a promise to each other—to get into Qing University and walk the same steps their mom once walked.

To see the sights their mom had seen and taste the foods she had tasted.

But he... he’d broken that promise first.

As Sui Yuan joked and played with Lu Mian for a moment, she also greeted Jing Pei and Mo Fan and then inadvertently raised her eyes to meet Jing Che’s gaze.

For a moment, their eyes locked.