Gu Yuena shifted her gaze from the jade box back to Caelus's face.
She watched him quietly for two seconds, as if trying to see through everything hidden beneath his gentle smile.
Finally, she nodded slowly.
"Is that so?"
She withdrew her gaze, not asking another word.
She knew he wasn't telling the truth.
At least, not the whole truth.
But since he didn't want to say, she wouldn't press him further.
Sometimes, prying too deep into things would only lead to the opposite of the desired effect.
Seeing that Gu Yuena was no longer questioning him, Caelus breathed a quiet sigh of relief in his heart.
Finally... he'd managed to fool his way through.
Although exposing his Ultimate Ice and Second Martial Soul was only a matter of time, that was for later; he didn't want to explain too much right now, as it was too troublesome.
However, before he could fully relax,
A voice full of shock, grievance, and intense dissatisfaction suddenly erupted from the row in front of him.
"Holy crap!!"
Ye Guyi spun around abruptly, her beautiful eyes wide and round. She pointed a trembling finger at Caelus, then at Gu Yuena, her face filled with disbelief.
"Differential treatment! This is blatant differential treatment!"
She was about to explode with anger.
"Why is it that when I ask you, you fiercely tell me to mind my own business, but when Gu Yue asks, you not only explain honestly but even take the stuff out for her to see?!"
"Caelus, you're too much!!"
The young girl's accusatory voice gave Caelus a bit of a headache.
All the 'ostriches' who had just buried their heads in their books couldn't help but quietly lift their eyelids again, using the corners of their eyes to catch the sequel to this spectacular drama.
Looking at the little angel in front of him, whose cheeks were puffed out with anger and whose eyes were practically spitting fire, Caelus felt a deep sense of helplessness.
He found that dealing with this kind of interpersonal trouble was sometimes even more difficult than facing a Titled Douluo.
Ye Guyi was different from Zhou Sichen and the others.
She sincerely treated him as a friend. In this class, besides Gu Yuena and the Lan sisters, she was one of the few who had truly entered his small social circle.
He couldn't ignore an accusation from a friend.
Thinking of this, Caelus's originally helpless expression instantly softened.
He raised both hands in a gesture of surrender, a slightly apologetic smile appearing on his face.
"My fault, my fault."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was full of sincerity.
"My attitude was bad just now, I apologize to you."
He didn't make any excuses and directly admitted his mistake.
Ye Guyi had prepared a whole bunch of denunciations, but they were all blocked by Caelus's straightforward apology.
She froze for a moment, and her puffed-out cheeks subconsciously deflated.
Striking while the iron was hot, Caelus continued in a gentle, somewhat coaxing tone:
"To make up for my mistake just now, and to solemnly apologize to our lovely classmate Ye Guyi, tonight is on me. In Shrek City, you pick the place and you order whatever you want, how about it?"
These words gave Ye Guyi a perfect way to back down.
The small flame of anger in Ye Guyi's heart instantly dissipated by more than half.
But she still maintained an 'I'm very angry, the consequences are serious' expression, turning her head to the side with a cold snort.
"Hmph, do you think a big meal can buy me off? I... I'm not that easy to talk to."
Though she said that, her slightly twitching ears and the arc of her lips—which she couldn't suppress as they curled upward—had already betrayed her true thoughts.
Gu Yuena, who was to the side, hadn't spoken from beginning to end.
She just sat there quietly.
But if someone were to observe closely, they would find a faint, almost imperceptible smile flashing deep within her purple eyes, which were as profound as the starry sky.
She thought the scene before her was very interesting.
This Caelus, who always acted mature beyond his years as if everything was under control, showed a clumsiness and helplessness when facing simple emotional disputes between peers. It made his originally distant image instantly become vivid and real... Time always flows quickly during a fulfilling and intense academy life.
When the afternoon classes ended, the setting sun dyed Shrek Academy in a layer of warm gold.
Caelus fulfilled his promise of an apology banquet.
A large group of people left the academy and arrived in the bustling Shrek City.
Ultimately, under Ye Guyi's careful selection, they walked into a high-priced restaurant famous for cooking rare Soul Beast ingredients.
Of course, it wasn't just Ye Guyi attending the feast.
Under Ye Guyi's strong insistence that an apology needed witnesses, Gu Yuena, Lan Susu, and Lan Luoluo also joined in legitimately.
"Owner, bring us one of everything you have that's the most expensive and delicious."
Ye Guyi held the menu and spoke with grand bravado, as if she wasn't there to eat, but to act on behalf of heaven to punish this wealthy and heartless fellow, Caelus.
Caelus just smiled and let her be.
He could afford this little bit of money, even if he was using Her Highness's money.
Interestingly, just as they were about to enter the restaurant, a sneaky figure approached from a corner not far away.
"Boss, Boss."
Zhou Sichen rubbed his hands together, his face covered in a fawning smile.
"What a coincidence, you guys are here to eat too? Oh, it's no fun for so few people to eat together. How about... counting me in?"
He had already caught wind of the news that Caelus was treating and had specifically staked out this spot just so he could shamelessly leech off this big meal.
"Do you think it's appropriate to bring another man when eating with a group of beautiful girls?"
Caelus gave him an annoyed glare.
"I think it's very appropriate. We're all classmates, Class Monitor, you can't favor one over the other."
Zhou Sichen said with a grin.
"I don't care what you think, I care what I think. Scram."
Caelus made a move as if to kick him, and Zhou Sichen flinched, vanishing in an instant.
Only a sentence filled with grief and indignation was left in the air:
"Class Monitor, you value girls over friends!"
Caelus shook his head speechlessly. He really was a character, but it was quite interesting to have such a friend in academy life.
The meal was very lively.
Ye Guyi turned her indignation into appetite, showing incredible combat power.
The Lan sisters chattered away, sharing various interesting anecdotes from the academy.
Gu Yuena still didn't say much, but occasionally, when Caelus looked over, she would nod slightly or pick up her glass and take a small sip of juice.
A warm and harmonious atmosphere slowly flowed between them...
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