Lu Mingfei, become the King of Elden!

Chapter 50

The lighting at Red Maple Harbor is cool-toned and carefully designed to focus on each table. Diners' faces appear clear under the soft glow, while the surroundings are bathed in comfortable shadows.

The air was filled with a very faint scent of sandalwood and cedar, mixed with the aromas of butter, vanilla, and other foods, while deep jazz music played in the background.

This should have been a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, but for Lu Mingfei, every second felt like walking a tightrope.

As soon as he arrived at the restaurant entrance, a waiter in a perfectly tailored dark uniform opened the door for him. To Lu Mingfei's surprise, the restaurant was empty.

“Mr. Ricardo M. Lu, your meal is ready.”

The sound of footsteps on the marble floor was swallowed up by the velvet carpet as Lu Mingfei followed the waiter through the empty dining area.

Lu Mingfei's eyelids twitched, and he asked:
"Have the other guests not arrived yet?"

"The restaurant will be closed for dinner from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m."

The waiter pulled out a chair for him, his impeccably polite smile tinged with a hint of confusion.

"Your assistant emphasized privacy requirements during the call, so we specifically declined all appointments."

Lu Mingfei suddenly grabbed his collar and loosened his shirt slightly. He seemed like a fish out of air, his breathing becoming rapid.

No wonder they hadn't seen a single person; no wonder this supposedly popular restaurant only had the two of them as customers. It was all because—

Mr. Ricardo M. Lu has booked the entire venue!

He could almost see the string of zeros in his bank card suddenly come to life, turning into little birds that slowly flew away one by one.

The waiter brought Lu Ming the chilled sparkling wine he had insisted on. The water droplets condensed on the glass were falling, just like someone's shattered sanity at that moment.

Lu Mingfei sat opposite Zero, his back ramrod straight, his hands neatly placed on his knees, like a prisoner awaiting trial.

Ling sat quietly, her eyes calmly scanning the menu, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.

Thanks to his extraordinary five senses, Lu Mingfei could count almost every single eyelash.
She ordered a pan-fried lobster tail, and followed the waiter's recommendations for the other side dishes, her voice still clear and crisp.

Lu Mingfei quickly ordered the exact same dish, plus a vegetable salad, praying that the food would arrive soon to fill the suffocating silence.

He secretly glanced at Ling; she wasn't wearing her uniform today, but instead a beautiful white evening gown, which made her pale blonde hair and snow-white skin appear even more translucent.

"That... last lab class."

Lu Mingfei mustered his courage and decided to plead guilty and accept punishment:

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to forget about it, I've just been too busy lately."

He spoke rapidly, as if he wanted to tear his heart out to prove his remorse.

"Look, your hair... you can't see it at all now, right? It's still perfect!"

As soon as Lu Mingfei finished speaking, he wished he could bite off his own tongue.

What kind of talk is that!

Zero finally looked away from her plate and onto his face.

"Ah."

She simply responded with a soft "yes," which was taken as acceptance of the apology, or rather, she had no intention of wasting any more emotion on the matter.

"The dance tonight"

Lu Mingfei scratched his head and said:

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made the appointment at the last minute, which caused you to decline the student council's invitation."

"Ah."

It was still that clear and crisp syllable.

Lu Mingfei felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.

Why does this Russian girl talk even less than Melina? At least Melina can tell riddles, but this girl with no personality is truly impossible to get a word out of!
Just when Lu Mingfei thought he would have to spend the whole night in this agonizing atmosphere, Zero spoke up.

Her voice was flat and clear, devoid of any emotion.
"Thank you for saving me last time."

Lu Mingfei thought he had misheard and looked up in confusion:

"When?" "The Three Gorges Dam."

Concise and to the point.

"Oh oh oh"

Lu Mingfei scratched his head sheepishly:
"It's nothing, just my job. Don't the teachers at the academy always say, 'Slaying dragons is our destiny'? Who would be standing by then?"

"They will not confront the Dragon King directly and kill him."

Zero said calmly.

"It's not entirely my doing."

Lu Mingfei waved his hand somewhat awkwardly:
"Didn't you and Caesar launch the Storm Torpedo and severely damage Norton? If you hadn't weakened him, I wouldn't have had a chance to fight him hand-to-hand; we would all have died in the flames of the 'Candle Dragon' long ago."

This is the official statement from "Project Bronze".

Theoretically speaking, Norton gave up his own growth and was eager to merge with the dragon servant "Samson" in order to temporarily obtain enough power to unleash "Candle Dragon".

However, he did not do so, but instead willingly fought Lu Mingfei underwater, ultimately dying. The academy could only conclude that Norton had suffered immense trauma, resulting in an unstable fusion and an inability to release high-risk Words of Power.

Only Lu Mingfei knows the real truth.

It was the little devil's transfer of power and cheating instructions that bound Norton, limiting his power in a form similar to "commandments".

The main course, pan-fried lobster tails, arrived. Two large lobster tails were pan-fried to a tempting golden brown, drizzled with fragrant butter, and rested on a pristine white bone china plate.

Lu Mingfei breathed a sigh of relief, picked up his knife and fork, and prepared to turn his embarrassment into appetite.

Zero spoke again:

"Do you think so too?"

"Ok?"

Lu Mingfei was stunned for a moment, then realized what she was asking.

Is slaying dragons our destiny?
He suddenly remembered what the old knight had said.

No, that was not his destiny.

Lu Mingfei shook his head:
"Perhaps the matter of 'slaying dragons' is destined to be intertwined with my life, but it is not my destiny, but merely a mission."

As for fate or anything like that, I guess it's about living for yourself? It's just that I haven't found my purpose yet. I don't believe in fate.

Ling nodded slightly and said nothing more.

Dinner continued in an even more subtle and unspoken atmosphere. Lu Mingfei buried his head in his food, not daring to look directly at Ling, only observing her out of the corner of his eye.

Stepping out of the restaurant, the cool evening breeze carried away the lingering aromas and warmth of the food. The college's streetlights lit up one by one, casting a dim, yellowish glow in the twilight.

"So...we're even about what happened last time?"

He asked tentatively, with a hint of hope.

Ling stopped and turned to face him. The light outlined her delicate profile, and her eyes sparkled.

She didn't immediately answer whether it was "even" or not. Her gaze lingered on Lu Mingfei's face, as if scrutinizing him, or perhaps pondering something.

The silence was so long that Lu Mingfei almost felt suffocated.

Then, she nodded slightly, the movement so small it was almost imperceptible.

"Ah."

Just when Lu Mingfei thought the ordeal of the night was finally over, Zero spoke again, her voice so soft that no one could hear it.

But Lu Mingfei's ability is equivalent to driving "Kamaitachi" all year round; he can hear any sound within a ten-meter radius.

"You kept your promise."

she says.

Lu Mingfei didn't understand.

(End of this chapter)