Volume One: In the Prime of Youth Chapter Five: The Heart-Piercing Jiang Feng

Strolling down the streets of Bancroft Academy, Huo Ye couldn't help but marvel at the prosperity and vastness of the place. Was this truly an academy? To him, it felt more like an economically thriving city! From 24-hour supermarkets to five-star restaurants, from cozy cafes to exclusive clubs, from forests to sparkling lakes—everything one could wish for in life was here. To have achieved so much under the constant threat of disasters was a testament to the academy’s status as the elite institution built with the combined resources of all human colonies.

In this era of supernatural abilities, though calamities plagued the world, life outside the disaster zones had returned to its former liveliness. Bancroft, an oasis in the desert, exemplified this more than anywhere. Huo Ye’s travel-worn appearance drew quite a bit of attention, especially his distinctive Hunter Corps trainee uniform. Though his uniform bore no military insignia, being only an intern, it still caught many eyes as he walked by.

He and Alice stopped in front of a clothing store. “Let’s go with this one,” he said to her. “The furniture store’s right across the street. I’ll buy some new clothes and change. Can you pick out a bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and a bookshelf for me? I’ll come find you once I’m done.” As he spoke, he handed her a card.

“Alright!” Alice replied, cheerfully accepting the card and skipping off toward the furniture store.

Meanwhile, from a distant corner, a man was hunched furtively over his crystal-brain communicator. “Hey, Jiang Feng? I just spotted Alice. She’s with a guy in a Hunter Corps uniform, over at the East District furniture store. You’re coming now? Okay, I’ll keep an eye on them.”

Having changed into a comfortable set of casual clothes, Huo Ye shed the solemn aura that came with his Hunter Corps uniform and now looked every bit the elegant, dashing young heir. He put the uniform into his portable spatial storage box—a high-end model, crafted from space-imbued minerals found in the disaster zones, with about ten cubic meters of storage.

Stepping out of the clothing store, the cool autumn breeze brushed his ears. Huo Ye smiled to himself, murmuring, “A fine, crisp autumn day. Bancroft—twenty years ago, my father turned this place upside down. As his son, perhaps I should follow in his footsteps.” With that, he strode into the furniture store.

But the moment he saw Alice inside, Huo Ye felt a pang of discomfort. A group of boys had gathered around her, clearly led by one in particular, who was chatting with Alice despite her obvious impatience. His fawning smile irked Huo Ye—was Alice really this popular?

He crept closer to listen.

“Alice—”

“Don’t call me that,” Alice interrupted coldly, refusing his attempt at familiarity.

“Ah, Alice, it’s just coincidence we ran into you. Look, this furniture you’re buying is so heavy. We guys are strong—let us help you carry it home.”

Coincidence? Huo Ye silently cursed. Could you be any less subtle?

Alice had always been indifferent to her admirers. Not interested in romance, she refused to let anyone harbor unrealistic hopes—she believed it was the responsible thing for both sides. She wanted to chase them off, but since they were only offering help, she restrained herself. “No need. I’ll just put the furniture in my storage box.”

The leader was about to protest when a new voice cut in. “That’s a bit heartless, isn’t it? At least give us admirers a chance.”

Everyone turned to see a tall, handsome youth approach with a relaxed, sunny smile. Though his clothes were simple, they were all understated luxury brands—quietly extravagant. His narrow, alluring eyes crinkled as he smiled.

The lead boy swore inwardly. This guy’s got it all—tall, rich, handsome. The competition was fierce! But wait, wasn’t that supposed to be my line?

It was Huo Ye, of course. He shot Alice a secret glance—“Don’t worry, let me put on a show. Watch closely.” Sensing his intent, Alice played along.

Huo Ye stepped up to the lead boy and offered his hand. “Hello, I’m Zhou Xu, Alice’s friend.” As children, he and Alice had attended the same slum school in the early days, and given the ever-present dangers and the sensitive nature of their backgrounds as military brats, they’d always used aliases—Zhou Xu being Huo Ye’s.

“Jiang Feng,” the boy replied, face unreadable though his mind was in turmoil. Tall, rich, handsome—and a friend? Anyone who could call her “Alice” so casually and not get rebuffed had to be a formidable rival.

Alice interjected at the perfect moment. “Since Zhou Xu said so, I’ll give you a chance—go get a car and move my things home.”

The goal achieved, Jiang Feng pulled a long face. What did she mean, “since Zhou Xu said so”? Did he really still stand a chance?

But he had no choice but to go through with it. He ordered his friends to start moving Alice’s furniture.

Huo Ye glanced at the pieces Alice had chosen for him—her taste really did match his. He walked to the wardrobe and said, “You guys take care of the rest. I’ll handle this one.”

“By yourself? Are you sure you can manage?” someone asked, eyeing the solid wood furniture doubtfully. Even for those with abilities, the sheer size made it awkward to move alone.

“I can,” Huo Ye replied confidently. He bent down and effortlessly hoisted the wardrobe onto his shoulder as if it were nothing but foam.

Someone stared in surprise, then remembered—of course, he must have a personal power.

Personal powers—also called superpowers or special abilities—were rare even among ability-users, and those with such gifts were even rarer. Still, super strength was nothing extraordinary, so he didn’t dwell on it.

Jiang Feng and his crew struggled to carry Alice’s double bed, feeling as though a thousand knives were stabbing his heart as Alice hovered solicitously around Huo Ye.

“Is it heavy?”

“You know me—this is nothing.”

“You do have a storage box, you know. Why not just use that?”

“It’s moving day. Gotta have the right atmosphere. You picked a nice wardrobe—I like it.”

“As long as you’re happy.”

Jiang Feng felt his very existence fading away. Moving day? Alice said these things were for her house—was she moving in with this guy? Was he, Jiang Feng, helping build a love nest for his goddess and his rival?

With just a few words, Huo Ye had wounded the boy’s heart deeply.

Jiang Feng summoned a cargo truck—nowadays, such vehicles were rare since a single storage box could hold as much as a truck. These trucks were mainly used to transport large numbers of storage boxes for bulk trade. The driver watched as the group loaded just four pieces of furniture, filling the entire truck, and cursed under his breath, “What a waste! Why not just carry it in your pocket?”

Alice rode separately from the boys, but Huo Ye ended up in the same car as Jiang Feng. “Hey, do you like Alice?” he asked.

Huo Ye had posed as Alice’s admirer out of pure mischief—he wanted to see Jiang Feng’s reaction to the news that his goddess might be moving in with another man.

Jiang Feng thought inwardly, Isn’t it obvious? I’ve humbled myself so much—why else would I be here if not for her? But since the damage was done, he decided to probe for more information. “Yeah. Don’t you?”

“Of course I do. Only, not in the same way you do,” Huo Ye replied.

Jiang Feng was puzzled. Not in the same way? Did he mean he liked her as a girlfriend, while I liked her as a goddess? Was he taunting me?

He had no way of knowing that Huo Ye meant nothing more than the simple affection between family members.

“So you’re her…” Jiang Feng ventured cautiously, afraid of what he might hear.

Huo Ye considered, then said, “We grew up together. I just transferred in today. Alice is helping me find a place to stay.”

“Oh, childhood friends,” Jiang Feng said.

“Something like that,” Huo Ye replied.

Such is life—say one thing, and others will always imagine more. Huo Ye spoke the truth, but Jiang Feng guessed otherwise, and Huo Ye had no intention of correcting him. Let him misunderstand.

Jiang Feng heaved a deep sigh. He now wanted to confirm if the man his informant had mentioned—the one in the Hunter Corps uniform—was Huo Ye. As the academy’s top information broker, with eyes and ears everywhere, he could uncover anyone’s secrets with just a bit of data. Even the major clubs paid handsomely for his intelligence. Once this was over, he would dig into “Zhou Xu’s” background thoroughly.

Alice lived in a luxury four-person apartment, though only she and one other girl resided there. Huo Ye was told by Alice that the other girl had already agreed to his moving in, so he didn’t think much of it.

The apartment had two floors—Alice and her roommate on the ground floor, Huo Ye in an empty room upstairs. His luggage had already been delivered.

Even the largest room felt full once those four big furniture pieces were in place—one more would have been too much.

“Well, we’ll head out then. Let me know if you need anything else,” Jiang Feng said, trying to maintain his composure even as he longed to escape this place of heartbreak.

“Alright. I won’t see you out, then. Take care.”

Jiang Feng saw Huo Ye standing there, every inch the master of the house, and felt a rush of anger—but he kept his cool and walked away without looking back.