Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Moreover, at this moment, other Student Council members stood behind Ludwig, their expressions now incredibly diverse.

Including the botanical students who were originally attending the summoning class, they all turned their gazes toward Li Qingzhi under this explosive incident, holding their breath in disbelief at what they had just witnessed.

In that moment, as the utterly stunned Li Qingzhi lifted his gaze in confusion, his eyes suddenly met Ludwig's not too far away!

Oh no.

Upon realizing that he had unintentionally sent Ludwig's magic beast to the afterlife, Li Qingzhi's mind became a jumbled mess. What now? Could a magic beast be summoned again after being dispatched?

If not, wouldn't Ludwig be left without one?

Grasping the gravity of the situation, Li Qingzhi, feeling anxious, couldn't help but apologize to Ludwig, "I'm sorry, I had no idea it was your magic beast. I mistook it for a ghost and thus performed the ritual."

With a guilt-ridden pursing of his lips, Qingzhi continued, "Is there any way to reverse what's been done?"

Little did anyone expect that the atmosphere would become even more awkward after Li Qingzhi finished speaking, and Ludwig's expression grew even more intricate.

It turned out that Li Qingzhi's words had solidified the fact that he effortlessly defeated the high-ranking magic beast of the Chief. Thus, Ludwig's mixed feelings were understandable.

On the other side, Ernest, upon hearing the news, hurried over and swiftly learned the sequence of events from the students.

As Bruce watched Li Qingzhi face the multitude of student council members, he anxiously turned to his teacher, Ernest:

"Teacher Ernest, is there any way to resolve this situation?"

Ernest, well-aware of the situation, didn't seem overly worried. Instead, he turned to the students and explained:

"Magic beasts don't truly die. The higher their rank, the stronger their vitality. Your magic beasts are no exception. When they suffer fatal injuries, they retreat to the magic space and will return once they have recovered."

"And," Ernest directed his gaze towards Li Qingzhi, analyzing for the students, "while Li Qingzhi, as an exchange student, knows some Eastern mystic arts, the technique he used just now didn't appear to be a large-scale damaging spell. Judging by its method of use and effect, I believe it was a temporary sealing magic."

Upon hearing this, Bruce, who had been on edge about Li Qingzhi's predicament, finally sighed in relief.

In response to the arrival of the student council members, Teacher Ernest promptly stepped forward.

"Have you come because of the recent tremor? I was conducting a summoning class with my students. That commotion was the result of a summoned magical beast. There's no need to be overly concerned."

At this moment, Li Qingzhi, upon seeing Teacher Ernest approaching, couldn't help but seek assistance from his summoning class instructor: "Teacher Ernest, I accidentally sent the valedictorian's magical beast to the afterlife. What should I do now?"

Observing the black-haired youth's guilty demeanor in this moment, Ernest couldn't help but feel a softening of his heart towards this Eastern student who had originally been a source of headache for him.

"It's not as severe as you imagine. Such a sealing magic does indeed put the magical beast into a dormant state, but it should be summonable again in a few days."

"However, this serves as a lesson for you all: do not meddle with another student's magical beast without permission, understood?"

With that, Ernest turned around. There were still many students who hadn't completed their summoning, so he had to continue guiding them. Thus, he left the student council members with, "Alright, Li Qingzhi didn't mean it. You can ask him for the details. I need to get back to teaching."

Catherine, standing beside Ludwig, nodded first in response. "Of course, we've disturbed you."

Realizing that the situation wasn't as severe as he had imagined, Li Qingzhi let out a slight sigh of relief but still felt somewhat guilty. After all, Ludwig wouldn't be able to summon magical beasts for a few days because of this incident.

Thinking of this, Li Qingzhi looked at Ludwig apologetically once more. "I'm sorry, Head Prefect. I've caused you trouble."

"I'll punish myself."

To everyone's surprise, the usually aloof and professional Ludwig fell into a prolonged silence as he gazed intently into Li Qingzhi's dark, ink-like eyes.

Though Li Qingzhi hadn't meant any harm, summoning beasts were the most cherished companions of every mage. Having one suddenly sealed would undoubtedly upset anyone, especially considering the commotion Li Qingzhi's beast had caused. It was expected that the strict Head Student would mete out immediate punishment to the Eastern student for such transgressions.

After a few seconds, when everyone anticipated Ludwig to sternly reprimand Li Qingzhi with a warning, the Head Student instead spoke with a hint of restraint:

"Be more cautious next time!"

All those watching the exchange were flabbergasted. They never imagined that Ludwig would show such leniency, especially given the circumstances of Li Qingzhi losing his summon.

In truth, Ludwig, who had been on the verge of sending a warning letter he could no longer tolerate, hesitated momentarily upon seeing Li Qingzhi's guilt-ridden expression. The youth's handsome brows were slightly lowered at this moment, and his usually vibrant, deer-like eyes appeared dimmer, betraying a palpable sense of disappointment.

Faced with such a Li Qingzhi, Ludwig suddenly recalled the letter he had yet to decipher and that bag of intricately crafted heart-shaped chocolates.

That was all from Li Qingzhi, implying that no further words were necessary.

And Li Qingzhi's confession to him was still left unanswered.

This left Ludwig at a loss for harsh words, but it also stirred a vague conjecture within him:

Could Li Qingzhi be doing all this just to catch my attention?

Though it would indeed be troublesome if his summoning beast were temporarily sealed, he had tested it out and found that he should be able to summon his Flame Phantom again by this afternoon, so it wasn't much of an issue.

Moreover, just as he was about to discard the warning letter, he suddenly recalled the heated discussion among the student council members a few days ago:

"I never expected this Eastern student to be so bold and enthusiastic!"

"But didn't the Head Prefect already give him two warning letters? How could he still dare to give chocolates and a love letter?"

"Frankly, I think he might be even happier if the Chief were to issue another warning letter to him."

With this in mind, Ludwig silently discarded the idea of sending another warning letter. Instead, he couldn't help but address Li Qingzhi, "Don't always resort to such methods to..."

Yet, halfway through his sentence, Ludwig found himself unable to continue under the scrutiny of so many onlookers. He gritted his teeth, turning his face away, a subtle flush heating his cheeks. Resolutely, he decided to have a proper conversation with Li Qingzhi in private another time.

Observing Ludwig hurrying away with the other student council members, without reprimanding him, Li Qingzhi was now completely baffled by the unfinished sentence that Ludwig had left hanging: "What is coming?"

The black-haired youth pondered for a long while but couldn't make any sense of it.

Ludwig seemed to have left him with a riddle to ponder.

After the other students successively summoned their magical beasts, the summoning lesson for the day drew to a temporary close. Teacher Ernest concluded by instructing them on how to return their magical beasts to their magic spaces when not needed.

The incident where Li Qingzhi unintentionally sent the Flame Spirit to the afterlife seemed to have concluded there.

However, following that day, rumors about "the new eastern student, Li Qingzhi, instantly slaying the first-year chief's high-ranking magical beast" began spreading uncontrollably across the various academies.

The protagonist of the event, Li Qingzhi, was oblivious to all this. For the past few days, his mind had been preoccupied with something else entirely: what Ludwig had originally intended to say to him.

After pondering through several lessons and reflecting on his previous interactions with Ludwig, a realization suddenly dawned upon Qingzhi. "I get it now!"

Bruce, who was still engrossed in studying potion concentrations, couldn't help but be perplexed by Li Qingzhi's sudden exclamation. "Get what?"

Li Qingzhi smiled happily. "Ludwig must consider me a somewhat familiar acquaintance, so he didn't get angry!"

If anyone else had said those words, Bruce would undoubtedly dismiss them as wishful thinking. But coming from Li Qingzhi, it didn't seem out of place at all.

Indeed, Li Qingzhi's interactions with Ludwig seemed more extensive than he had initially thought. Apart from the two warning letters, they were both representatives of the freshmen cohort, and Li Qingzhi had mentioned before that he had even given Ludwig a ride, an occurrence that hadn't taken place with any other new students.

"It does seem that way," Bruce nodded, reflecting on the matter. "The Headmaster only warned you to be more cautious next time. He was quite lenient with you."

At that moment, he had been terrified, believing the situation to be irreparable. Yet, in the end, it had resolved so lightly. Ludwig indeed showed great tolerance towards Li Qingzhi.

With this realization, Li Qingzhi's mood improved. He attributed their growing familiarity to that chocolate, seeing it as the catalyst for his relationship with Ludwig. Even if they couldn't be considered friends just yet, Ludwig's attitude toward him was undeniably different from before.

This newfound understanding drew Li Qingzhi closer to Ludwig in his heart.

Initially, Li Qingzhi had sensed Ludwig's intention to distance himself from everyone, so he held back his natural inclination to approach and engage warmly, unlike with other classmates.

Now, as Li Qingzhi felt their closeness grow and carried guilt for the inconvenience caused, he began to treat Ludwig similarly to his other Western peers, extending even more warmth and hospitality as an apology.

Thus, Ludwig's student council desk would occasionally accumulate various magical potions with their efficacious properties, mystical soups exuding alluring scents, and familiar-looking charms of unclear purpose. Moreover, during random encounters at the academy, Ludwig would receive invitations from Li Qingzhi to ride his flying sword.

It was evident that Li Qingzhi's affections were growing warmer, and Ludwig understood the underlying sentiment. However, he was unsure how to respond. After all, this was his first time receiving a declaration of love from someone of the same gender, and such a bold one at that!

Ludwig found himself grappling with a mix of emotions. Surprisingly, he wasn't entirely averse to Li Qingzhi's confession, probably because Li Qingzhi appeared harmless and friendly, causing no distress.

But as the student council members' teasing intensified, Ludwig began to lose his composure.

Not until he found the third letter this month, filled with enigmatic Eastern characters and adorned with tiny hearts, did Ludwig's cheeks flush while he gritted his teeth. Who said that Eastern people were more reserved?

Mei Mi, with her sharp eyes, seized the opportunity to tease, "Ahh! Another love letter written in Eastern script!"

Ludwig, feeling a tightening in his chest, gave Mei Mi an expressionless glance. When the girl guiltily looked away, he swiftly hid the letter beneath a scroll on the table. Later, alone, he couldn't resist sneaking another look, though the little hearts still perplexed him, their presence now more conspicuous.

This couldn't continue.

Maintaining a calm facade, Ludwig's ears burned as he held the letter, making a decision.

...

That evening, as Li Qingzhi bid farewell to Bruce and was about to leave the Botanical Academy alone, he was suddenly yanked into the shadows by a pair of strong hands at a corridor's turn.

A hand covered his mouth, while the other firmly gripped his waist, leaving him unable to escape or call for help.

Startled, Li Qingzhi, in his surprise, instinctively prepared to retaliate. But just as he was about to summon his Shadow Sword, a faint yet familiar scent of iris reached his nostrils.

Could it be...

Realizing something, Li Qingzhi's eyes widened slightly. He struggled to turn his head, only to discover that the person behind him was indeed Ludwig!

Ludwig, after pulling Li Qingzhi in, had initially intended to find a secluded corner to speak with her. Now, he overlooked the intimacy of their gesture. He could vividly sense the warmth and softness of Li Qingzhi's skin and lips through his palm, while his hand on her waist rediscovered the familiar sensation from before.

An indescribable warmth began to spread from where Ludwig's hand touched Li Qingzhi's palm.

It was comfortably fitting, almost nostalgic, yet the moment Ludwig became aware of his thoughts, he promptly released his grip.

Released, Li Qingzhi caught his breath, then turned to regard Ludwig behind him, unaware of the turmoil in the other's heart.

As the blond youth retracted his hand, he gently pressed a finger to his lips, gesturing for silence. "It's me."

Gazing into Ludwig's profound sapphire eyes, Li Qingzhi's heart was still pounding wildly from the recent unexpected turn of events.

Moments later, after making a concerted effort to compose herself, Li Qingzhi couldn't help but lift her gaze and ask, "Did you have something to discuss with me?"

Otherwise, he wouldn’t understand why Ludwig had suddenly pulled him into this dark corner.

The handsome blond youth, despite his composed expression, promptly nodded, acknowledging, "I have something to tell you."

As he finished, Ludvig paused for a moment, seemingly gathering his thoughts. After a few seconds, the young man spoke.

"You don't have to go that far, it's... really too much."

Same-sex affection was an entirely foreign territory for Ludwig, making it difficult for him to express himself directly. Hence, he chose a more indirect approach.

Li Qingzhi, however, appeared puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

Ludwig looked at Li Qingzhi for a moment. "I mean the chocolate and letter you left on my desk." Although Ludwig still couldn't bring himself to explicitly say "confession" to Li Qingzhi, he believed his words were as straightforward as they could be.

On the other hand, Li Qingzhi, with a vastly different mindset from Ludwig's and unaware of the special meaning behind love tokens, didn't realize that he had been perceived as having already confessed. He thought Ludwig was merely discussing the friendly gifts he had sent.

After a few moments of contemplation, Li Qingzhi looked sincerely toward Ludwig and said, "I feel fine, actually."

As he said this, Li Qingzhi's expression suddenly turned a bit bashful, but he quickly laughed and continued, "Actually, I wanted to give it to you when the semester started, because I felt that you're a very nice person."

The blunt statement caught Ludwig off guard, his thoughts momentarily in disarray. As he was lost, Li Qingzhi's voice sounded again, her black eyes gazing at him with clarity and sincerity that made it impossible to decline.

"Don't you dislike it?"

Would he actually confess in person? Ludwig's heart tightened at Li Qingzhi's relentless straightforwardness. For a moment, he was at a loss for words to respond to this unexpected declaration of affection. Meanwhile, Li Qingzhi, with an earnest gaze, looked directly at him once more, his tone sincere:

"Are you willing?"

With his heart already in disarray, Ludwig, confronted with Li Qingzhi's bold confession, found his heartbeat accelerating uncontrollably as he unintentionally locked eyes with her:

This Easterner was actually serious!