Azure Eyes (2)

Du Chen averted his gaze in an instant. The stunning new student, Annie, continued to nod in acknowledgment to others.

Strange. He was certain he had seen those eyes before!

Du Chen discreetly studied Annie. Aside from those sky-blue eyes, everything about her – her figure, her face, her demeanor – felt utterly unfamiliar to him.

He had never met this person, yet why did her eyes feel so familiar?

No, within that familiarity lurked a strange sense of unfamiliarity, like…

Du Chen pondered for a long time, but no words came to mind that could describe this peculiar sensation.

At that moment, everyone resumed their seats. Professor Jemison sat directly opposite the window, with Jason and Annie on either side of him. Du Chen, by chance, found himself seated directly across from Annie.

Seeing Annie, Jason's small eyes widened slightly. He chuckled, "Professor Jemison, you've truly given me an enormous surprise! Miss Annie's beauty is astounding. Is she one of your students?"

"You could say that! Annie is also a freshman of the 77th cohort, soon to begin her studies at our Water Pavilion!" Jemison exchanged a knowing smile with Annie. He explained, "Annie reported yesterday, and coincidentally, she registered at the station I was overseeing. Oh, Jason, you know I'm an artist. Annie's beauty, the moment I saw her, filled me with an irresistible urge to paint her."

Jemison rose, bowing deeply to Annie. He exclaimed, "It's simply magnificent! When I made my rather impertinent request, Annie actually agreed! For this, I must thank the gods of the heavens! They have granted me an opportunity, a chance to paint the most beautiful maiden across the Three Continents!"

"Professor Jemison, you're too kind," Annie replied with a graceful curtsy and a smile. "It would be my honor to have my likeness captured by a true artist!"

Her voice was clear, sweet, and utterly delightful, yet to Du Chen's ears, it remained entirely unfamiliar.

The banquet resumed. Jason chatted animatedly with Jemison, while the other students, like wild cats scenting fish, flocked to Annie, offering toasts and engaging in conversation. Unfortunately, Annie seemed to only speak the Common Tongue of the Aethelgard Continent, much to the frustration of the male students who were attempting to converse in various jumbled dialects.

If he hadn't been cultivating the Precious Lotus Scripture, he'd probably be pestering Annie just like these rascals, wouldn't he?

This thought brought a faint smile to Du Chen's lips as he raised his wine cup. Coincidentally, Annie was looking at him then, and their eyes met, sharing a mutual smile. Annie picked up her glass and approached Du Chen, subtly gesturing for a fellow student seated beside him to move, before taking the seat to Du Chen's left. "Hello, I'm Annie, from the Kingdom of Homi on the Aethelgard Continent."

The Aethelgard Continent teemed with countless small kingdoms, and Du Chen had never heard of a 'Kingdom of Homi'. He raised his cup. "Francis, Lanning Empire!"

"Oh? How coincidental. The Lanning Empire is the suzerain state of the Kingdom of Homi, so I suppose we're countrymen then."

"Heh, indeed, quite a coincidence," Du Chen mumbled dismissively, stealing a glance at the others' reactions. Sure enough, his fellow students' gazes had already grown tense and unnatural.

"Are you of the Sigurd lineage? Then, what level of battle qi practitioner are you, or perhaps a Battle God?" Annie pressed Du Chen, oblivious to the resentful stares of their male companions.

Alas, among the inheritances Francis had left him, this face was both a blessing and a curse. Everyone yearned for good looks, but if it only served to attract incessant female attention, then it was hardly a boon.

Du Chen thought with annoyance. At the same time, he meticulously sifted through his past experiences, trying to pinpoint where he might have encountered such a pair of sky-blue eyes.

Yet, it had been nearly three months since his transmigration, and in that time, he had seen countless individuals with sky-blue eyes. Moreover, Annie's appearance was entirely unfamiliar, making it difficult for him to connect any threads of memory.

Annie seemed genuinely interested in Du Chen, digging for details and even asking about his childhood anecdotes. Gradually, Du Chen began to grow impatient.

"Wow, look! What a magnificent sight!" Jemison suddenly exclaimed, pointing at the two. "By the sheer window overlooking the sea, a handsome young man and a beautiful maiden whisper intimately! I absolutely must paint this! What a truly wonderful scene! Jason, I need canvas and oil paints!"

"Right away!" Jason promptly called for the supplies, then chuckled, "Francis, Annie, could you please hold still? Indulge Professor Jemison, the academy's most distinguished painter!"

Du Chen could only offer a wry, silent smile. Annie, however, was gracefully composed, moving her chair closer to Du Chen.

As he painted, Jemison remarked, "Oh, right, Jason, you invited me here to inquire about the intensive training. I can't reveal too much, but I can offer a piece of advice: three days from now, the freshman registration will conclude, and the intensive training will commence. For these three days, drink plenty of water, eat lots of beef – you must eat a lot! And avoid strenuous activities; conserve your energy as much as possible!"

What exactly was this intensive training? Du Chen's curiosity was piqued. How could training be so intertwined with eating and drinking?

Jason voiced the same question. Jemison explained, "The content of the intensive training changes every year, but one thing remains constant: its purpose is to cultivate your physical strength. Therefore, you are strictly forbidden from using battle qi during the training. Oh, just imagine: without your battle qi, you might have to carry dozens of pounds of sandbags around Battle God Isle, or go three days without food, or two days without water."

After Jason translated these words for everyone, the students no longer cared about envying Du Chen's popularity with women. They all stared nervously at Professor Jemison.

Jemison continued, "I don't mean to scare you, but Jason's enthusiasm is so infectious that I feel compelled to warn you. Last year, that damned Black-faced Devil made the freshmen go three days without food, then had them, in groups of five, carry giant sacred artifact cannons up Hot Spring Mountain. Two students fainted from exhaustion, and three others secretly used their battle qi, leading to their immediate expulsion!"

"Oh, that damned Dean! No wonder when I paid my respects to the senior students this morning, they all called him the Black-faced Devil!" Jason cast a glance at his own rolls of fat, his face turning a shade paler.

"Alright, it's finished!" Jemison took a deep breath, looking heavenward as if he had just completed a magnificent opus. "I shall preserve this painting forever. Jason, thank you for your warm hospitality. I'll leave you with one last piece of advice: once the intensive training begins, stash some beef jerky in your boots. That's a trick learned from previous cohorts."

Amidst Jason's profuse thanks, Jemison presented the finished oil painting to Du Chen. "Here, take a look!"

"My compliments, Professor Jemison!" Du Chen couldn't help but marvel. This effeminate man was a true artist. On the canvas, by the seaside window, a beautiful young man and woman sat smiling. Both had golden hair and robes of pristine white. Most strikingly, their pairs of sky-blue eyes, set against the distant sea, seemed almost alive.

"No need to thank me; on the contrary, I should be thanking you both!" Jemison instructed someone to carefully package the oil painting, then waved at Annie. "Miss Annie, you've been helping me with this painting since yesterday, and your dormitory hasn't even been arranged yet. Where would you like to stay? I'll handle the arrangements for you."

"Hmm..." Annie tilted her head slightly, pondering in a rather adorable manner, then chuckled, "How about Dormitory Number Seventeen by the Water River? I just heard from Student Francis that it has excellent scenery, nestled by the mountains and water! And, coincidentally, Number Seventeen hasn't been rented out yet."

Du Chen suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to slap himself.

Damn it! Why had he just told Annie all that?!

The most scenic courtyards along the Water River were arranged side by side. Annie had chosen Dormitory Number Seventeen, which happened to be right next to Du Chen's Dormitory Number Eighteen.

They had become neighbors.