novelhk Chapter 3 The Person Who Changed His Fate
Chapter 3 The Person Who Changed His Fate
The faculty and students of Kassel College finally met the person associated with this mysterious name.
In the real world, outside the golden screen.
"This is Lu Mingfei?" Caesar raised an eyebrow, his tone filled with undisguised disappointment. "He looks... quite ordinary."
Percy whispered a reminder from behind him: "Young master, appearances can be deceiving."
"I know," Caesar said, arms crossed. "It's just that it's so different from what I expected. I thought he would at least be... someone with presence."
On the other side, Chu Zihang remained expressionless, but a hint of confusion flashed in his eyes. Lu Mingfei on the screen appeared more mature than he remembered, probably because he was two years older. But that listless demeanor, that alienated feeling of being out of place with his surroundings, was exactly the same.
"Senior brother, do you know him?" a member of the Lionheart Society asked in a low voice.
Chu Zihang was silent for a few seconds, then nodded: "I've met you before."
"He...will he really become the principal?"
"have no idea."
Meanwhile, in the girls' dormitory area, Nuonuo was leaning against the window, her eyes fixed on Lu Mingfei on the screen. Her brows were furrowed even more deeply.
That's strange, so very strange.
Why does seeing this face make her feel like crying?
It was a very complex emotion, a mixture of sadness, longing, guilt, and... a strong protective instinct. It was as if this seemingly ordinary boy had once been incredibly important to her, so important that she would give anything for just one smile from him.
But she had never seen him before.
At least in this world, in her memory, there had never been such a person.
Inside the light screen, the story continues.
"Are you full already? Have some more vegetables." A middle-aged woman's voice rang out, her tone concerned but also somewhat perfunctory. She was Lu Mingfei's aunt, a slightly plump middle-aged woman with curly hair.
"I'm really full, Auntie." Lu Mingfei stood up, pushed his chair back under the table, and said, "I'm going back to my room."
"Leave the bowls there, I'll wash them later," the aunt said.
"It's okay, I'll wash them." Lu Mingfei picked up his bowl and chopsticks and walked towards the kitchen.
As he passed the dining table, he glanced at his cousin Lu Mingze sitting opposite him—a fat man two years younger than him, but weighing at least thirty pounds more. Lu Mingze was engrossed in his meal, his plate piled high in front of him.
Lu Mingfei didn't say anything, but silently walked into the kitchen and turned on the tap.
The sound of rushing water filled the air.
In the living room, Uncle—a balding, beer-bellied middle-aged man—put down his newspaper and sighed: "Mingfei, did your parents call today?"
The sound of running water in the kitchen stopped for a moment, then continued.
"No." Lu Mingfei's voice came from the kitchen, devoid of emotion.
"It's been so long since we last contacted each other. You know, even if those two are doing research abroad, they can't forget about their child." The uncle shook his head. "You're about to go to university; they need to provide for your tuition and living expenses, right?"
"Dad, don't worry about it. Uncle and Aunt have definitely made arrangements." Lu Mingze said indistinctly, his mouth full of food.
"What arrangements? It's already July, what about the acceptance letters? Have the schools decided yet?" Auntie Wang chimed in, her voice tinged with obvious anxiety. "I heard from Aunt Wang next door that her son didn't do as well as Mingfei on the exam, but he's already received acceptance letters from two schools. Mingfei, this..."
"Alright, alright, that's enough," her uncle interrupted. "Mingfei knows what he's doing."
In the kitchen, Lu Mingfei silently washed the dishes.
His movements were slow and meticulous, as if he were performing some important ritual. Water washed over the dishes, and the foam shimmered with iridescent colors under the light. He kept his head down, his bangs falling down to cover his eyes.
No one saw that beneath his lowered eyelids, a faint golden glint flashed in his otherwise dull eyes.
fleeting.
After washing the dishes and drying his hands, Lu Mingfei walked out of the kitchen.
"I'm going back to my room," he repeated, his voice still flat.
"Go on, go on, remember to turn on the air conditioner, it's hot today." Aunt waved her hand.
Lu Mingfei nodded and walked towards a small door at the end of the living room.
That was his room—or more accurately, a room converted from a storage room. It was very small, only about seven or eight square meters. After placing a single bed, a desk, and a simple wardrobe, there was almost no space left. The desk was piled high with books and test papers, a few anime posters were pasted on the wall, and a worn-out suitcase sat next to the bed.
Lu Mingfei closed the door, shutting out the noise from the living room.
He didn't turn on the air conditioner—not because he didn't want to, but because the air conditioner in this room was broken. He had reported it for repair several times, and his uncle always said, "I'll find someone to take a look when I have time," but he never did. The sweltering heat of July accumulated in the small space, making it feel like a steamer.
Lu Mingfei took off his T-shirt, sat shirtless on the edge of the bed, and picked up an old book from the bedside table.
It was an original English edition of "An Introduction to the Dragon Genealogy," its pages yellowed and edges curled, clearly having been read many times. The spine bore the words "Cassell College Library" in gold lettering, below which was a small sign—the half-decayed World Tree.
This is one of the few things his father, Lu Lincheng, left him.
Lu Mingfei opened the book, but didn't look at it. He just stared blankly at a anatomical diagram of dragons on a certain page. His fingers unconsciously traced the edges of the pages, his eyes vacant.
The sounds of a neighbor's television, a child crying, and car horns blaring from the distant street drifted in from outside the window. These sounds blended together, forming the most ordinary background noise of the city.
Lu Mingfei sat there, motionless, like a statue.
After a long while, he suddenly spoke, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible:
"Do you think they're really looking for me?"
The room was empty, and he seemed to be talking to himself.
But the next second, a childlike yet mature voice rang in his mind:
Of course, brother. They've been looking for you. It's just not the right time yet.
Lu Mingfei twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile that wasn't quite a smile: "The time isn't right yet... You've said that a hundred times."
This time it's for real. I can feel something starting to move. Brother, your time is running out.
"I've never had enough time." Lu Mingfei closed the book, lay back on the bed, and stared at the cracks in the ceiling. "From childhood to adulthood, I've always been waiting. Waiting for my parents' calls, waiting for their letters, waiting for them to suddenly come back one day and say, 'Mingfei, we're taking you away.' Later, I stopped waiting because I knew I wouldn't be able to wait any longer."
No, brother, this time is different. The person you're waiting for will arrive very soon.
"Who?"
[A person who can change your destiny. A person who... reminds you of who you are.]
Lu Mingfei closed his eyes and said nothing more.
The voice in my mind also fell silent.
The room fell silent again, save for the tireless chirping of cicadas outside the window.