Chapter 25: Recording.

Chapter 25: Recording.

Once assured of his well-being, Ye Lincheng released Xie Chu, wiping off the splattered chicken gelatin soup from his ear with his sleeve, then coldly turned his gaze to the booth.

The boy who had reached out earlier quickly retreated two steps behind the table upon seeing him, while the other two distanced themselves further from Xu Chen.

They had initially stood up out of pride, feeling slighted by the mere presence of two Omegas. Now, realizing the very person whom Xu Chen had been berating for half an hour was right in front of them, they knew they were outmatched and didn't want to be involved by association.

A voice, cold enough to send chills, rang out,

“Who pushed?”

A young man looked up at the ceiling, as if he had lost his way.

Xu Chen, having just managed to wipe the chili oil from his eyes, squinted through his red and swollen lids. With tears blurring his vision, he looked towards the source of the sound, only to be shocked by the sight of Ye Lincheng.

Ye Lincheng stared at him for a long moment before vaguely recalling that he was the one who had provocatively followed Xue Jiaren during the cultural vs. sports basketball match.

The three boys behind kept silent. Seeing this, Xu Chen, putting on a bravado act, boldly shouted, “I did it! So what?”

A powerful punch landed on the very corner of the mouth that had been incessantly chattering. Xu Chen's jaw made a disconcerting "crack" sound, and blood mixed with saliva sprayed from his mouth.

A waiter quickly intervened, hoping to prevent any disturbance to the dining atmosphere. Ji Feifei stepped forward to assist Xie Chu just as Ye Lincheng was about to throw another punch.

Wiping the blood from his lips, Xu Chen swung wildly, rage evident as he yelled, “Damn you! Touch me again and see what happens! What, I was wrong to say you messed with him? Have the guts to get me expelled then! Damn it!”

As Ye Lincheng seemed poised to retaliate, Xie Chu hurriedly held him back, "Stop it." He then took out his phone from his school uniform pocket, coldly saying to Xu Chen,

“Remember what you said? I recorded it.”

Xu Chen was taken aback.

The three boys cowering in the corner went pale upon hearing this.

Initially, they would have been content to watch Ye Lincheng give Xu Chen a thrashing and let off some steam. However, if that recording was heard by others, they'd be dragged into the mess.

One of the boys, who was naturally timid, whispered a reminder to Xu Chen, “Bro Chen, maybe we should let it go. Remember what you said earlier...”

If what Xu Chen boasted about stealing uniforms and framing Ye Lincheng was true, and Xie Chu reported it to the school, a simple reprimand might be the least of their worries. It might even end up on their records, which would be much more serious than just using foul language.

Holding up his phone, Xie Chu calmly told Xu Chen, “Apologize to him now, or I'll send this recording to Lu Qingguo and your class teacher.”

Having been tormented by chili oil and beaten up, Xu Chen had sobered up somewhat. He wasn't sure how long Xie Chu had been standing there or what he had heard. Recollecting his earlier bravado and the insults he had hurled, cold sweat mixed with chili oil dripped down his forehead.

“Want me to play it back for you?” Xie Chu threatened as he prepared to unlock his phone.

"I'm sorry."

Xu Chen muttered, head hung low.

Ye Lincheng frowned, about to say something, when the boy who had pushed from the group of three felt guilty and whispered to Xie Chu, "Hey, I'm sorry. I did push, but I didn't mean for you to fall..."

Ji Feifei snarked, "What? You wanted him to fly?" The boy glanced at Xie Chu's casted leg and shut up.

Realizing Xu Chen wasn’t the pusher, Ye Lincheng relaxed. The waiter was already coming with a mop. After ensuring Xie Chu and Ji Feifei were unharmed, Ye Lincheng assisted his friend back to their booth.

Xie Chu shot Xu Chen a glance but said nothing more.

After all the commotion, they were drained.

Yu Yang, noticing Ye Lincheng's damp clothing and tense expression, suggested, "Shall we continue eating? Or go change and find another place?"

Ye Lincheng took off his wet school jacket, wrung it, and threw it to the side. Glancing at Xie Chu, he said, "Let's eat. Why wouldn't we?" He settled back into his seat.

The meat and veggies were on the table, but there was no pot. As their stomachs growled in hunger, an apologetic waiter approached, "Sorry, about your pot of chicken soup..." He eyed Ye Lincheng's wet school uniform, hesitating to say it was spilled.

"It's all spilled. I'll order another pot now. Shall we stick with the same?" The waiter, fearing they might leave without ordering, pitched, "It's great for the skin, and we use free-range chickens. It's nourishing..."

"Alright, that's enough. Just that," Ye Lincheng interrupted, feeling like he reeked of the chicken soup.

Yu Yang pointed to the drink section and asked, "They've got cola, oolong tea, Sprite, pineapple-flavored and peach-flavored beers. What do you two want?"

"I'll have the pineapple-flavored beer," Ji Feifei responded.

Xie Chu said, "Cola."

"Okay, I'll grab some beers and colas. Those who don’t fancy alcohol can have the cola," Yu Yang dashed off after speaking.

The pot of chicken soup arrived swiftly. In no time, steam rose from the table. They dug in, and only after satiating their hunger did they resume their conversation.

Gu Sheng, unfamiliar with Xu Chen, curiously asked Ji Feifei, "What did that guy say? Any past issues with him?"

"None whatsoever." Ji Feifei was still annoyed, thinking of Xu Chen's words. He then looked at Xie Chu with a questioning gaze.

During the seasonings, it was Xie Chu who had pulled him aside after overhearing something, even recording it. Naturally, Ji Feifei assumed Xie Chu knew Xu Chen.

Xie Chu, with a mouth full of food, didn’t respond immediately. After swallowing a piece of beef, he turned to Ye Lincheng with a frown, asking, "Did you offend him?"

Ye Lincheng, having removed his school uniform, was now in a black athletic tank top. His muscular left arm was damp and slightly reddened. He clicked his tongue, saying, "We had a minor disagreement during a basketball match. I can't believe how grudge-holding these first-year kids are."

Xie Chu pursed his lips, "Apart from that basketball match, did you two have any other disputes?"

Ye Lincheng shook his head, "I can't even recall who he is."

"He probably got all these stories from that bastard Xue Jiaran," Ji Feifei grumbled, "Forget about this unlucky topic." He cracked open two bottles of fruit beer, pouring everyone a half glass, and energetically proposed, "How about a game of Truth or Dare?"

There aren’t many games you can play at the dining table - it's either Truth or Dare or the King’s Game. Yu Yang, while toying with a toothpick, responded, "Why are you always up to mischief wherever we go?"

Ji Feifei snorted, "Did I do anything to you?"

With top students and popular guys present, would they even care about you?

Seeing Ji Feifei's raised eyebrows, Yu Yang threw his toothpick in annoyance, "What are you implying? That you’re not interested in your own dad? Let me tell you, there are treasures on me you haven't seen yet, damn it..."

Ji Feifei and Yu Yang's banter seemed endless, from pointing with chopsticks at noses to beer spilling everywhere.

Disturbed by the commotion, Ye Lincheng glanced at Xie Chu beside him. Realizing the top student was uninterested in such childish games and was quietly focused on eating, he inquired, "Haven't been eating properly lately?"

Xie Chu paused, eyes lighting up, "Why? Is Aunt Zhang resigning?"

Ye Lincheng chuckled, "No way."

Disappointed and without hope of further information, Xie Chu pouted and resumed eating. After a short while, he overheard a soft mutter, hinting about "Volcano Literature."

"However," the voice whispered, "maybe she could work at your place for a while. I've been..."

The chopstick that had been directed at Ji Feifei's nose now aimed for Ye Lincheng’s. Yu Yang let out a sharp exclamation, nearly breaking into a falsetto,

"You’re willing to loan Aunt Zhang out?"

Aunt Zhang had been with the Ye family since their time in America. Ye Lincheng had grown up eating her cooking. Over the years, he had grown accustomed to her dishes. She knew his tastes inside and out, and planned his meals meticulously. Hence, Xu Xu retained her services to care for her son.

Yu Yang had never seen Ye Lincheng without Aunt Zhang's meals for even a day.

His outcry attracted attention. Gu Sheng and Ji Feifei both looked over in confusion. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Ye Lincheng quickly changed the subject, saying,...

"Aren’t we going to play Truth or Dare? Come on, why are you all just staring?"

Mentioning the game, Ji Feifei snapped back to attention, clicking his tongue, "Of course, the good-looking ones are always fearless, while the not-so-fortunate are always on edge."

"Who are you calling unattractive!" Yu Yang raised an eyebrow. He used to be quite the heartthrob in Jiacheng Lake Bay's Weikang Street. Only when he started hanging out with Ye Lincheng in high school did his allure diminish a bit. But he wouldn't stand for such insults.

He picked up a bottle of beer, "Alright, if you dare not complete a task in the game, you'll have to down a whole bottle. And no going back on your word!"

Ji Feifei grabbed a chopstick and started spinning it on the table, "Remember, it was you who said that. The person the chopstick tail points at will ask, and the one the head points at will do the dare. Watch out, you little..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the chopstick wobbled and stopped.

The tail pointed at Ye Lincheng, while the head indicated Xie Chu.

Ji Feifei: "..."

"Really? Can you two not drag innocents into your games?" Ye Lincheng said, clearly irritated.

But Yu Yang had already thrown down the gauntlet. Now he couldn't backtrack. Scratching the back of his head, he mumbled, "Well, uh... How about you go first, buddy? Give us a dare."

Ji Feifei rolled his eyes as soon as Yu Yang spoke, then protectively placed his hand in front of the still calmly eating teen, "Just so we're clear, no making it hard for Chu Chu. He's just a kid..."

"And I'm what, ancient?" Yu Yang snorted and tapped his bowl with a chopstick, "The dare should be legit. No bias or favoritism. We are, after all, law-abiding model students."

Ye Lincheng shot him a 'thicker-skinned-than-a-fortress' look, but he had no intention of making things hard for Xie Chu anyway. Given Xie Chu's stubbornness and easily-embarrassed nature, Ye Lincheng didn’t want to risk losing his special private tutoring sessions over the weekends.

Ye Lincheng pondered a moment, then gestured towards Xie Chu’s phone on the table,

“What did Xu Chen just insult me with? I want to hear that recording you took.” Some people die, but not completely...

After what felt like an endless unconsciousness, Shi Yu abruptly sat up in bed.

He gulped in fresh air, his chest heaving.

Confusion, disbelief, and various emotions surged.

Where was this?

Subsequently, Shi Yu instinctively looked around, only to become even more bewildered.

A single-occupancy dorm?

Even if he had been rescued successfully, he should be in a hospital room by now.

And his own body... how is it that there's not a scratch on him?

With confusion in his eyes, Shi Yu quickly scanned the room, and his gaze finally settled on a mirror by the bed.

The mirror reflected his current appearance, looking around seventeen or eighteen years old, strikingly handsome.

The him before was a dashing young man in his twenties, having been working for some time.

But now, by any account, he looks the age of a high school student...

This transformation left Shi Yu stunned for a long while.

Please don’t tell him the surgery was a success…

Both body and appearance have changed. This isn't about surgery anymore; it's more like magic.

He has completely turned into someone else!

Could it be... he had traveled through time?

Besides the mirror by the bed, which was obviously placed in an inauspicious feng shui position, Shi Yu also discovered three books beside it.

Shi Yu picked one up and the title rendered him speechless.

"Essential Handbook for Novice Beast Trainers"

"Postnatal Care for Pet Beasts"

"Evaluation Guide for Beast-Eared Girls of Different Races"

Shi Yu:

The names of the first two books seem normal, but what's the deal with the last one?

"Ahem."

Shi Yu's gaze turned serious, he extended his arm, but it quickly stiffened.

Just as he was about to flip open the third book, wanting to find out what it was all about, a sharp pain shot through his brain and memories flooded in like a tidal wave.

Ice Plains City.

Pet Beast Breeding Base.

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