未命名Volume One: Black and White Senior YearChapter Seven: Night Walk

Lung Kun felt that today was the most fulfilling day of his life, a day where he learned more than ever before. Luo An's knowledge was vast, and as he passed it on to Lung Kun, the latter realized he had also absorbed Luo An's extraordinary learning abilities.

Spending the entire day skimming through all his high school textbooks, Lung Kun found that concepts he once couldn't comprehend now made perfect sense with just a glance. It was as if these things had been sealed in his mind all along, and merely browsing through the books had unlocked them. This epiphany led to a frenzy, witnessed with a mix of astonishment, frustration, and bewilderment by the class monitor, Tang Keyu. Since all the books belonged to her, she was acutely aware of Lung Kun's relentless activity. Every hour or so, he would rush to borrow another five or six books from her. Initially, she was both surprised and pleased by Lung Kun's sudden transformation—this boy who never studied seemed to have discovered the joy of learning. But as time passed, her excitement turned to irritation. Lung Kun wasn't reading; he was flipping through books at lightning speed, barely spending thirty minutes on each one. How could anyone truly grasp anything that way? For reasons she couldn't quite understand, this behavior, which ostensibly had nothing to do with her, left her inexplicably angry.

By the end of the day, Tang Keyu realized that Lung Kun's attention wasn't even on her. She was left fuming alone, while he seemed utterly engrossed in his textbooks. When school ended, Lung Kun approached her, slightly softening her frustration. She thought he had finally remembered his promise to treat her to lunch, something he had completely forgotten while absorbed in his books. Yet to her dismay, Lung Kun had come to borrow her notes instead. Her pent-up anger boiled over. It wasn't as if Tang Keyu lacked suitors willing to take her out—there were enough to fill several trucks. But being overlooked so completely was a first. Her eyes stung with the threat of tears.

Taking a deep breath, Tang Keyu slammed the meticulously organized stack of notes into Lung Kun's hands, grabbed her bag, and walked away without a backward glance, leaving him bewildered and teetering on his feet.

Lung Kun was utterly confused. He turned to Luo An for help, asking, "What just happened?"

Watching Tang Keyu storm off, Luo An chuckled mischievously. "Lesson two of the day: women's hearts are delicate. Never upset them."

"But how did I upset her?" Lung Kun asked, even more perplexed.

"Weren't you supposed to take her out to eat?"

"Ah!" Lung Kun slapped his forehead in regret. "I got so caught up in studying that I completely forgot. Why didn't you remind me?"

With a sly grin, Luo An replied, "Lesson three: never forget a promise to a woman. If I had reminded you, would you have learned this lesson so vividly?"

For the first time, Lung Kun truly felt the power of knowledge and couldn't wait to dive into Tang Keyu's notes. However, work couldn't be ignored; knowledge wouldn't fill his stomach just yet, and he still needed to earn his keep.

After a brief evening shift, Lung Kun couldn't wait to get home and study. His living conditions weren't ideal; his neighborhood was accessed through a long, dark alley that public buses avoided. Every night, he had to brave this secluded path alone. Initially, he had been terrified, standing at the alley's entrance to gather courage before rushing through. Rumor had it that this area was a hotspot for nighttime crime. However, having lived there for six months without incident, Lung Kun had grown accustomed to it.

Now, with Luo An's presence in his body, Lung Kun felt invincible. Walking briskly, he kept his focus straight ahead, a habit instilled by his grandfather. But as he neared a familiar corner, Luo An's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Don't take another step forward!" Luo An's tone was unusually grave.

Startled, Lung Kun stopped mid-stride, nearly losing his balance. "What's wrong, Luo?"

"There's danger ahead. Likely an ambush," Luo An warned.

Peering into the darkness, Lung Kun saw nothing. "There's no one there. How can there be an ambush?"

"If you could see it, would it still be called an ambush?" Luo An retorted impatiently. "Take another route."

"Another route? That's so troublesome. Can't you handle them for me?"

"Do you know how long it would take me to recover after a fight using your weak body? Forget it. Just go the other way."

Reluctantly, Lung Kun turned around, only to come face-to-face with a disheveled woman standing silently behind him. Her hair obscured her face, and her sudden appearance nearly gave Lung Kun a heart attack. "Another ghost?!" he thought, his heart racing.

Luo An snorted. "Relax. She's just drunk. Stop embarrassing yourself."

Lung Kun sighed in relief but still couldn't shake his nerves. The woman stumbled forward, smiling foolishly at him before continuing toward the alley. Remembering Luo An's warning, Lung Kun tried to stop her, gesturing for her not to proceed. However, she ignored him. Panicking, he reached out instinctively to pull her back, only for her to grab his shoulder first.

In a blur, Lung Kun found himself hurled to the ground. Pain shot through his body as the woman's sharp voice pierced the night. "Trying to take advantage of me? Do you even know who I am?"

Tears welled in Lung Kun's eyes. "I didn't even touch you!" he wailed internally.

The commotion had likely alerted anyone lying in wait up ahead, but Lung Kun was too injured to get up.