Noble Academy's Mob Character: Reborn as the Campus Heartthrob - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Return to the Academy

They walked beneath ancient trees.

Hu Xiang had gone off to chat with the junior monk. Not many people were visiting; most rushed in to draw fortune sticks and pay homage to the Buddhas enshrined in the various halls.

Most simply took photos and left.

“Mr. Jiang, why did you come to Formless Temple?” Qi Yuan asked.

“For someone,” Jiang Wang replied.

Qi Yuan had a hunch, but he didn’t dare let his gaze stray.

The burning intensity of that gaze was impossible to ignore. He lowered his eyes and asked, “For someone?”

“Mm-hmm,” Jiang Wang confirmed, “someone very important to me.”

What kind of person would require a visit to a temple? Qi Yuan already knew the answer.

Still, he feigned puzzlement, acting as if he understood, yet also didn’t.

But having only recently met Jiang Wang, he felt it inappropriate to press further, so he abruptly stopped.

Faced with a stranger’s genuine kindness, all Qi Yuan could offer in return was a blessing.

“Then I wish Mr. Jiang may have his wish fulfilled.”

Jiang Wang maintained his gentlemanly politeness.

“Qi Yuan, thank you for your blessing. I believe that, as you said, I will have my wish fulfilled.”

His tone was solemn.

The moment of parting arrived.

“Goodbye, Mr. Jiang.”

Qi Yuan waved goodbye.

Jiang Wang’s companions had only just climbed up and were resting; they hadn’t even explored the temple yet.

Although Jiang Wang had arrived earlier and already seen everything, he couldn’t abruptly descend the mountain with Qi Yuan.

A smile still lingered on his face, but inwardly, he wondered why he had brought such a group of incompetent companions.

Watching Qi Yuan depart, he wiped the smile from his face and kicked Hao Zhuang, who was feigning death on the ground.

Hao Zhuang dared not make a sound. He knew his friend was in a foul mood right now. Best not rush to your death. Just lie low and play dead.

After descending the mountain, Zhuo Ming treated the entire department to a lavish feast. Exhausted after the meal, everyone bid farewell and returned to their lodgings, where they would likely collapse into bed and sleep until the end of time.

Qi Yuan and Hu Xiang lingered behind.

Hu Xiang’s mouth moved repeatedly, yet he couldn’t bring himself to voice his burning question.

“Brother Qi…”

“I won’t tell anyone what happened on the mountain today.”

In the end, he refrained from asking the question that consumed him, instead offering his assurance: he would keep everything he’d witnessed that day a secret.

An ordinary student, powerless and without connections, entangled with the Jiang Family, one of the nation’s top-tier aristocratic clans? If word leaked, countless tongues would wag, scrutinizing Qi Yuan’s every move.

Hu Xiang couldn’t bear to see that happen. True friends should support each other. Even if he secretly harbored ambitions of clinging to Qi Yuan’s coattails, his intentions were genuine, his heart filled with goodwill toward his friend.

Qi Yuan understood Hu Xiang perfectly. Had Hu Xiang not been a principled, kind-hearted person, he would never have allowed him to get close enough to become his friend.

Friends are easy enough to come by, but finding one with a sound moral compass, unwavering principles, a compassionate heart, and the ability to truly consider your well-being—that’s a rare treasure indeed.

“Mm, thank you, Hu Xiang,” Qi Yuan said, acknowledging Hu Xiang’s concern. He then explained, “Actually, I only met Mr. Jiang last night.”

Implying they weren’t well-acquainted.

“He has companions, but they probably haven’t made it up the mountain yet. He just happened to see me—the only person he knew even slightly—and suggested we explore the temple together.”

Pure coincidence.

“We likely won’t interact again after this. After all, I’m just a student, and he’s been in the working world for ages.”

His tone was nonchalant, as if he didn’t particularly care about his brief encounter with Jiang Wang at the temple.

We’re just passing through. No need to dwell on it or overthink things.

Hu Xiang understood. He scratched his head, realizing he had indeed been overthinking it.

He dropped the topic and started sharing funny stories he’d heard from other department members during lunch.

“Did you hear what Xiaoyu said earlier, Brother Qi?”

“I still can’t stop laughing about it.”

“How could someone fart repeatedly while asking for help with a bug on their butt?!”

“So embarrassing! If I were either of them—the farter or the poor guy who had to endure it—I’d want to die right then and there.”

“Good thing I wasn’t…”

After a well-deserved rest until the next day, the trip officially ended, and everyone boarded the return bus.

Qi Yuan was still exhausted. He hadn’t slept well the previous night, plagued by nonsensical dreams, and now he was drifting off to sleep in his seat.

Most of the others were in similar states. Many had suffered leg cramps in the middle of the night due to sore muscles.

Compared to the lively atmosphere on the way here, the bus was now silent. Everyone was too drained to speak, lying back and dozing off.

Qi Yuan slept almost the entire way back.

Upon arrival, Hu Xiang roused him from his daze. Rubbing his face groggily, Qi Yuan still felt terribly tired.

Like zombies, the group shuffled back to their dorms.

Qi Yuan boarded the campus shuttle. The wind whipped against his face, and whether it was the gale or his sheer exhaustion, his half-opened eyes drifted shut again.

What a nightmare, he thought. I’ll never go mountain climbing again. Never.

Finally, he reached his dorm.

After getting off the shuttle, he swiped his keycard, unlocked the door, tossed his bag onto the desk, and collapsed onto the bed, instantly falling asleep.

He slept like the dead until the sky began to lighten.

Qi Yuan realized he had slept until past six the next morning.

He reached for his phone, unable to fall back asleep.

Nothing much had happened at the academy these past few days, except for the buzz on the forum about the Principal planning a collaboration with a foreign university. The plan was to have both schools select a few students for a month-long exchange program, allowing them to experience each other’s academic environments.

He vaguely recalled something like this from his previous life, but he hadn’t paid much attention to it at the time, so he didn’t know the specifics.

Foreign students, huh?

He quickly remembered meeting a strikingly beautiful foreigner with dazzling golden hair and violet eyes at the academy in his previous life. He looked like he had stepped straight out of a fairy tale.

The rumor was that this foreigner came from a prominent family, but Qi Yuan had never bothered to learn the details. Still, the man’s striking looks were undeniable, making him undeniably alluring.

So, will he come again this time?

Qi Yuan couldn’t predict the butterfly effect his rebirth might trigger.

But having grown accustomed to unexpected events, he wasn’t afraid of such consequences.

He didn’t blindly rely on his past-life memories; to him, they were merely experiences. Any final decision still required careful consideration.

In the days that followed, Qi Yuan spent his time either in class or working at his department.

It wasn’t until Hu Xiang mentioned in his ear that the exchange students had arrived that Qi Yuan realized how much time had passed. He’d been so busy lately that he hadn’t even had any of his strange dreams.

The afternoons were monotonous, making him drowsy.

Qi Yuan slumped over his desk, intending to nap, but Hu Xiang’s words completely banished his sleepiness.

No wonder Zhuo Ming isn’t here.

He glanced at Zhuo Ming’s empty seat.

The Principal had instructed the Department Heads to introduce the college to the exchange students.

In the Principal’s view, the Department Heads were naturally the most familiar with the college.

Hu Xiang scrolled through his phone, a smirk playing on his lips as he raised an eyebrow.

“I wonder if the exchange student assigned to Brother Zhuo is male or female? And what do they look like? Do they even speak our language?” he mused.

“I hope it’s a total babe! I’ve never seen a real foreign beauty up close before.”

He put down his phone, clasped his hands together, and began praying.

Qi Yuan didn’t care and had no interest in speculating. He knew Zhuo Ming would bring the exchange students over soon enough.

“What if it’s a guy?” he asked, curious about Hu Xiang’s reaction if the exchange student turned out to be male.

Hu Xiang: “Even if it’s a guy, no problem. I can still check out the hot exchange student babes the other Department Heads bring back.”

“I knew Brother Zhuo’s luck was the worst, so I wasn’t expecting much from him.”

“But we still gotta pray, right? My bottom line is just that Brother Zhuo brings back someone normal. Our bottom-tier department can’t afford anyone too outrageous.”

Qi Yuan nodded in agreement. That made sense.

He, too, hoped the exchange student Zhuo Ming brought back wouldn’t be anything too extraordinary—just a normal person they could spend the month with amicably.

Before long…

The Zhuo Ming that Hu Xiang had been obsessing over arrived with the exchange student.

The door opened.

Zhuo Ming entered first, looking resigned.

Following him was the exchange student, whose breathtaking beauty stunned everyone.

A cascade of dazzling golden hair framed deep-set, violet eyes. His exquisitely handsome face was lit by a dazzling smile.

The man was tall, towering over Zhuo Ming by at least half a head.

As he entered, he waved cheerfully, greeting everyone in perfect, accent-free Mandarin with a melodious baritone voice: “Hello everyone!”

Everyone stared, their eyes wide with pure, captivated amazement.