After a while, the preparation for the refreshments was mostly on track. Li Yuan had a few students who had learned quickly take charge of leading the others in practice, while he stepped aside to observe.
At some point, Setis had walked over to his side, holding a cup of freshly brewed black tea—this time, it was the kind that had been steeped for the full three minutes.
“Want some?”
She handed the cup over.
Li Yuan nodded and took it, taking a sip. The flavor was indeed much better than the previous cup. He offered a sincere compliment.
“Very good.”
“Naturally.”
The corners of Setis’s mouth curled up slightly. She leaned against the table next to him, crossing her arms as she watched the busy group of students.
“So, how are they? Not bad, right?”
“They’re all quite serious about it,” Li Yuan answered truthfully, his gaze sweeping across the classroom. “However, two of them need more practice with their technique. Especially that boy with the glasses; he’s always in too much of a hurry when pouring the water.”
“That’s Thor. He’s ranked second to last in the class... but he’s an honest kid,” Setis introduced him casually, her tone a bit nonchalant.
“Second to last?”
“Yeah. He’s fine in theory classes, but he always gets nervous during practicals. Once he’s nervous, he makes mistakes.”
Li Yuan nodded thoughtfully but didn't ask further.
The two stood side by side like that, occasionally exchanging a few words and occasionally falling into silence. The late morning sun slanted in through the window, coating them both in a faint golden glow.
This scene was far too conspicuous to those around them.
A red-haired girl—Mila—secretly nudged her companion with her elbow.
“Hey, do you see that?”
“I see it.” The companion swallowed hard. “The Tyrant is actually handing a man a cup of tea... and she didn't even rush him to drink it?”
“And she smiled just now. She really smiled.”
“I haven’t seen her smile this many times in my entire life.”
“Tsk, then your life must have been too short.”
The students exchanged a knowing look and then, with perfect coordination, lowered their heads to continue their work, pretending they hadn't seen a thing.
After about another half hour, Li Yuan saw that the time was about right and clapped his hands to signal everyone to stop.
“Let’s end it here for today. You’ve all mastered the recipes for the cookies and puffs, and your basic black tea skills are mostly there. Just familiarize yourselves with the procedures again before the formal reception begins this afternoon.”
The group felt as if they had been granted a grand amnesty and thanked him one after another. A few bold ones even struck up a conversation with Li Yuan, asking where his teahouse was and what kind of tea he usually sold. Li Yuan answered them all with a gentle attitude, showing no trace of pretension.
During this break, Setis called Mila over.
“I won’t be here this afternoon, so you’re in charge. If there are any problems you can’t handle, contact me via magic communicator.”
“Okay, okay.” Mila nodded repeatedly, then seemed to remember something and asked cautiously, “Um... Setis, will you be participating in the exhibition match this afternoon?”
“Of course,” Setis answered decisively.
Mila’s eyes lit up, and she lowered her voice. “Then can I go watch? I’ll hand over my work here. Not many people will be coming in the afternoon anyway—”
“Suit yourself.” Setis waved her off, her gaze already turning back toward Li Yuan.
She walked over and patted his shoulder.
“Come out with me for a moment.”
After saying goodbye to everyone, Li Yuan followed her out of the classroom.
The hallway was much emptier than when they had arrived, as most students had gone to participate in their respective activities. The sound of their footsteps echoed softly on the stone floor.
After walking for a bit, Setis stopped and turned around to look at him.
“There’s an exhibition match at the martial arts arena this afternoon.” Her tone was casual, as if she were mentioning a trivial matter. “I’ll be on stage.”
Li Yuan nodded and smiled. “I’m sure it will be spectacular.”
“So, are you coming?” Setis’s tone was still in her typical commanding style, but her eyes reflexively drifted to the side. She didn't even wait for Li Yuan to speak before settling the matter. “It starts at three. Don’t be late. The martial arts arena is in the East District, the largest circular building. It’s easy to find.”
Seeing her act as if she didn't care when she clearly did, Li Yuan found it a bit amusing, but he kept a polite smile on his face.
“Alright, I’ll definitely be there.”
“Really?” Setis blurted out, then immediately realized she had lost her composure again. She coughed twice to cover it up. “Ahem... then it’s a promise. Three o’clock, the East District martial arts arena.”
“It’s a promise.” Li Yuan nodded seriously.
The corners of Setis’s mouth couldn't help but twitch upward, but she quickly controlled her expression and returned to her usual cold demeanor.
“Then I’ll be going. I still have to do pre-match preparations.” With that, she turned and walked away quickly, her pace much lighter than usual.
Li Yuan watched her figure disappear at the end of the hallway, shook his head, and turned to head downstairs.
As he walked out of the teaching building, the sunlight was just right. He stood at the entrance, watching the crowds coming and going, when he suddenly thought of a question—
Setis was participating in an exhibition match, but who was her opponent? The girl seemed fairly strong among her peers... right? Since Li Yuan didn't know much about the cultivation system here, he couldn't judge Setis’s strength based on his own, but seeing how proud she looked whenever she mentioned it, she probably wasn't bad.
Well, whatever. He would find out when the time came.
He set the thought aside for the moment and walked toward the academy gates along the path he had come. Feeling a bit hungry, he planned to find something to eat.
Behind him, by a second-floor window of the teaching building, Mila and Thor were leaning on the windowsill, watching the figure in the cyan robe gradually recede.
“Thor.”
“Yeah?”
“I think the Tyrant might not be the Tyrant anymore.”
“...Don’t let her hear you say that. Also, I didn't hear anything just now.”
“I’m not stupid.” Mila pulled back her gaze and sighed like someone with experience. “But seriously, who exactly is that Mr. Li Yuan? To think he could tame that Setis so completely.”
Thor pushed up his glasses and thought seriously for a moment. “Probably... an existence even more terrifying than the Tyrant.”
The two looked at each other and laughed in unison.
After leaving the teaching building, Li Yuan strolled casually along the main road, his gaze skipping over the dazzling array of stalls on either side. Finally, his footsteps were caught by the aroma of roasted meat.
It was an open-air stall set up at a fork in the road. Several students wearing third-year uniforms were busy flipping skewers on an iron rack. Grease dripped onto the charcoal with a sizzling sound, and white smoke carried the fragrance a long way. Li Yuan stood by and watched for a while, and one of the girls with a ponytail immediately greeted him warmly.
“Would you like a few skewers, sir? These are made from demonic mountain pig meat. They’ve been marinated all night, guaranteed to be delicious.”
“I’ll take two, then.”
He handed over a few silver coins. The girl nimbly wrapped them up and handed them over, even throwing in a cup of chilled fruit juice.
Li Yuan thanked her and ate the skewers as he walked. The taste was indeed good; the meat was firm but not tough, and the seasoning was just right. It wasn't much worse than the high-end restaurants in the inner city. He ate while taking in the surrounding sights, his mood quite relaxed.
However, this relaxation didn't last very long.
Rate on N.U.
