Chapter 298 - 177: Race Against Time! Nine Heavens Dragon Dance

Chapter 298: Chapter 177: Race Against Time! Nine Heavens Dragon Dance

"Let’s go pick up Xiaoyu."

She led the group to the entrance, where their driver, Old Li, was already waiting.

The car drove through the night.

The shops along the street were all brightly lit, with red lanterns hanging by their entrances. Some had already put up New Year’s couplets and "Fu" characters for good fortune.

Although it was New Year’s Eve by the solar calendar, the merchants clearly preferred to cultivate an atmosphere more akin to the Spring Festival. Red lanterns, golden ingots, beckoning cats—they used whatever felt most festive.

When they arrived at the guesthouse, Xiaoyu was already standing outside waiting.

The young girl was bundled up in a pink down jacket, her scarf wrapped so snugly that only her eyes and the tip of her nose were visible.

She wore a pair of new white snow boots that stood out under the streetlight, and on her shoulder was a fluffy little crossbody bag shaped like a rabbit. Its two long ears dangled down, swaying with her every move.

When she saw the car pull up, she stood on her tiptoes to peer inside. The moment she saw Wan Ze in the back, her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled.

"Brother! What took you so long!" she complained the second she got in, though her tone was all playful affection, without a hint of real anger. "I’ve been waiting forever! It’s so cold out here!"

"Didn’t I tell you to wait inside?" Wan Ze gave her a hand, helping her into the car.

"I couldn’t wait!" Xiaoyu declared, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Then she turned to Sun Fan next to her, her voice instantly becoming sweet and docile. "Hello, Sister Fan."

"You’ve gotten even prettier, Xiaoyu," Sun Fan complimented her without reservation, turning to the side to give her a gentle look.

Xiaoyu immediately ducked her head, burying her face in her scarf as the tips of her ears flushed red.

Zhou Xianchuan poked his head back from the front seat, blinking expectantly. "Hey, Xiaoyu, I’m here too, you know?"

Xiaoyu looked up, glanced at him, and gave a dismissive, "Oh."

"..." Zhou Xianchuan’s expression froze. He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He turned to Wan Ze with a wry smile. "Ah Ze, Xiaoyu never used to be like this. When she was little, I’d take her to buy candied hawthorns, and she’d even call me ’Hello, Brother Xianchuan’! Why do I just get an ’Oh’ now? You must have been a bad influence!"

"Get lost." Wan Ze couldn’t be bothered with him. He reached out and patted Xiaoyu gently on the head. "Sit still. Behave."

Xiaoyu giggled and scooted back in her seat, her feet swinging back and forth beneath her.

"Let’s grab a bite to eat first... We can just eat on the shopping street in the plaza. There’s a luosifen place that’s insanely good," Zhou Xianchuan immediately suggested.

But Sun Fan and Xiaoyu shot him down almost instantly.

"No way! Luosifen is too stinky!"

Zhou Xianchuan gave a sheepish grin and scratched his head. "Well, what do you two want to eat?"

Xiaoyu looked to Sun Fan.

Sun Fan mused, "I know a really good restaurant, and it has an excellent viewing spot. We can head over there in a bit..."

The streets were packed with people, and the chaotic cries of street vendors hawking New Year’s Eve gifts filled the air.

The car couldn’t get through the traffic, so the four of them decided to walk.

Wan Ze led the group, pushing through the crowd until they reached Property Plaza.

"Wan Ze?" a voice suddenly called out.

Wan Ze looked over.

Beside him, Zhou Xianchuan sounded surprised. "Class Monitor? You guys are here for the countdown too?"

The one who had called out to Wan Ze was their class monitor, Liu Yu. She was standing with a group of other young men and women. Fang Xiaoxi trailed at the very back, her head bowed as she stared at her phone, her bangs obscuring half her face.

Zhao Hexiang was in the group, along with a boy named Liu Xi who was wearing an expensive-looking black jacket. His hair was slicked back and gleaming, and he stood in the middle of their circle, his voice and laughter the loudest of the bunch.

"You are, too?" Liu Yu asked with a smile.

Then her eyes fell on Sun Fan. The two young women made eye contact, and Liu Yu said politely, "Hello, senior."

"Hello," Sun Fan replied with a small smile, not thinking much of it.

"Wan Ze, do you want to join us? The more, the merrier," a girl behind Liu Yu piped up, poking her head out and suggesting with a grin.

Her name was Song Wanqing. She had a high ponytail, and her eyes crinkled when she spoke, giving her a charming look.

They were all from the same class—with the exception of Xiaoyu, and... Sun Fan.

Sun Fan didn’t say a word.

Zhou Xianchuan kept quiet too... ’This will probably make Sister Fan uncomfortable,’ he thought.

Just then, Wan Ze looked up and said bluntly, "Maybe next time. We already have reservations at Cloud Meal."

He didn’t explain further; he didn’t need to.

He disliked complications.

But Song Wanqing seemed to get the wrong idea. Her gaze flickered between Wan Ze and Sun Fan, and a knowing smirk spread across her face. The implication was unmistakable.

The other girls beside her also started exchanging winks and nudges.

Liu Yu ignored their antics and simply nodded at Wan Ze.

As soon as Wan Ze’s group was out of earshot, the girls huddled together, whispering conspiratorially.

"That’s Sun Fan, the senior, right?"

"That’s her... I heard she’s a real piece of work. She once cornered Fu Min and her cronies from Class 3 in the bathroom and slapped them around."

"For real? But doesn’t Fu Min practice martial arts too?"

"She used to. The rumor is that Fu Min spread a story about Senior Sun Fan and the gym teacher being a thing, so Sun Fan beat her up on the spot. After that, Fu Min quit the dojo. Apparently, Sun Fan’s family is really well-connected, so Fu Min’s family didn’t dare make a peep."

"Still, for Wan Ze to be so chummy with Sun Fan... Didn’t he and Zhou Xianchuan just join the dojo a short while ago? Looks like Wan Ze knows how to social climb."

Liu Yu’s brow furrowed slightly as she listened to their gossip, and she opened her mouth as if to speak.

’I don’t believe that kind of speculation.’

’A figure like my brother, Liu Zhengming—one of heaven’s favored, who has seen countless geniuses and heard of every rising star—only ever has endless praise for Wan Ze.’