Chapter 2737: Transmigrated to the Noble Academy as a Special Admission Student 22

The investigation results were announced two days later; the efficiency was not bad.

The official conclusion was that a senior engineer responsible for maintaining the academy's starship combat tournament system, long dissatisfied with the academy's promotion system for technical positions and psychologically unbalanced, had tampered with the competition system to cause chaos; the engineer has now been detained immediately and will face severe legal sanctions.

This report was sent to Jin Chen's wristband.

In the afternoon, Jin Chen sat alone in the small garden near the teaching area, head down, looking at the report that seemed rigorously worded, and casually tossed it onto the nearby wooden chair.

It looked perfunctory.

Quite perfunctory.

It was a typical staff scapegoat theory.

Any engineer working at the academy with a sound mind would not use Lingyao and Lin Baiyu as a betting stake.

Jin Chen twitched the corner of his mouth, inwardly understanding.

Since it involves nobles, the matter will never be that simple; those above need to quickly give the public a 'reasonable' explanation, and a scapegoat with no complex background and purely simple motives is perfect.

【Host, found it!】

Ling Gun Gun: 【That engineer was indeed dealt with harshly, directly handed over to the Interstellar Court; he'll likely spend the rest of his life in a heavy prison, but! He and his superiors, tracing back the frontier star records, actually have some connection with the Mad Doctor.】

【Although the traces were wiped clean, I can't still be fooled!】 Ling Gun Gun hummed, at critical moments we still need to rely on the Pixiu.

Jin Chen patted its head, leaned back lazily against the chair, tilted his head slightly, propped his cheek with his hand, and lowered his gaze in thought.

Ailikè came out clean this time, but the Mad Doctor……

Jin Chen decided to do something, to probe the movements beneath the surface.

As he pondered, movement approached.

Jin Chen glanced sideways, looking toward the diagonal ahead of the path, where four people were walking side by side.

His gaze swept over; his slightly upturned peach-blossom eyes, in the sunlight, seemed to hold a hook, deep and lush, causing the four approaching people to pause in unison.

Xisi reacted the fastest, quickly bumping the warm-tempered man beside him with his elbow, making faces:

Look, it's him! Jin Chen! The special recruit who makes Baiyu and Aoyao uneasy!

Shiheng dodged his elbow, leisurely lifted his gaze, full of strong interest, sizing up the figure sitting alone in the light and shadow.

Lingyao today wore a black cold cap, its brim pressed low, shading part of his brows and eyes; thinking that Lin Baiyu was still there, his steps slowed a beat.

But in the moment of his hesitation, Lin Baiyu stepped forward first.

Lin Baiyu remained aloof as the Tian Shan snow, his stand-collar windbreaker accentuating his slender figure, his whole aura exuding a 'keep strangers away' vibe.

Only when he stood before Jin Chen did he reveal a rare gentleness.

"I formally thank you." Lin Baiyu's tone was slightly softer than usual, "I hope you can seriously consider my proposal. But before that……"

He took out a special-material card from his windbreaker pocket and held it before Jin Chen's eyes, the card's surface still retaining a trace of warmth from his fingertips.

"First, a gift for you."

Jin Chen's gaze withdrew from the Lingyao whose steps had stopped, his expression unreadable; hearing this, he lifted his eyes to Lin Baiyu and the card in his hand.

Lin Baiyu met his calm gaze, his heart inexplicably stirred, his Adam's apple rolling as if he were a bit nervous.

"You seem to be in need of money; this is merely a token of gratitude for saving my life, nothing more."

【Oh~ don't refuse it for nothing.】 Ling Gun Gun fussed.

Seeing Jin Chen reach out, Lin Baiyu's heart eased a little: "This is my secondary card with primary authorization, no spending limit; feel free to use it."

Jin Chen's hand, halfway out, paused, then quickly retracted, as if the card were hot.

This person's brain isn't right.

Who gives a gift by giving a secondary card?

"No need." Jin Chen leaned back, increasing distance, his gaze once again passing Lin Baiyu to fall on Lingyao behind him, his tone carrying a hint of something indeterminate.

"I thought Lingyao had told you."

Lin Baiyu blinked, "What?"

Jin Chen's posture was relaxed, yet his gaze locked onto Lingyao from afar: "When I intervened, it was to save him."

He then glanced back at Lin Baiyu, tone cold: "By the way, I saved you too."

Lin Baiyu stood stunned, turned sideways, and looked in astonishment at Lingyao behind him.

Lingyao stood in place, fingertips slightly curled, facing Lin Baiyu's gaze, yet not knowing what to say.

Jin Chen rose and walked straight toward Lingyao, his fingertips rubbing the earlobe hidden beneath Lingyao's cold cap.

A small, intimate gesture.

At the same time, a wooden box was shoved into Lingyao's hand.

"Today's gift; see you tonight."

Lingyao felt somewhat dazed, unconsciously gripping the small wooden box, a faint sound escaping his throat: "……hmm."

After Jin Chen's silhouette vanished at the edge of sight, the four people in the small garden fell into an eerie silence.

Lingyao and Lin Baiyu faced each other wordlessly, the atmosphere somewhat stagnant.

Xisi again jabbed Shiheng with his elbow, eyes wildly gesturing, his features almost distorted:

"What do we do?! This situation, quickly think of a solution!"

Shiheng helplessly patted his arm, signaling him to calm down.

He looked at Lin Baiyu and Lingyao, whose expressions varied, and spoke gently: "Let's go back first; some things aren't suitable to be said outside."

——

The four returned to the exclusive villa, the floor-to-ceiling windows showing a sinking sunset.

Lin Baiyu sat on the single sofa, spine straight, his expression colder than usual.

But facing Lingyao, he still suppressed those surging emotions, trying to appear calm: "You don't dislike Jin Chen."

Lingyao sat opposite him; hearing this, his beautiful eyes curved, as if unburdened, he frankly admitted: "Yes."

He looked toward Lin Baiyu, his tone trying to sound light.

"I previously had a bad attitude toward Jin Chen, possibly leaving you with some misunderstanding, but I don't dislike him now... not at all."

"Baiyu, you are a very close friend of mine, and I also don't know what to say to you about Jin Chen... I've been thinking these past days about how to tell you."

Lin Baiyu looked at him, brows slightly furrowed, unable to understand.

"Your family is different from mine; Uncle Ling wouldn't allow you..."

He suddenly stopped, feeling that with Ling Yao's intelligence, it was impossible for him not to understand the crux of this.

Immediately, Lin Baiyu looked at Ling Yao's unwavering eyes, a sudden realization flashed in his mind, and he helplessly advised, "Ah Yao, if you're just interested in Jin Chen and want to play around, there's no need to seek him out."

"He really is a promising seedling, unlike other specially recruited students; he shouldn't be... dragged into this kind of game."

Lin Baiyu always speaks straightforwardly, never beating around the bush.

He thought this was for Jin Chen's sake and also a reminder to his friend, but hearing these words, Ling Yao inexplicably found them a bit grating.

It seemed as if his feelings, which even he himself hadn't yet understood, were being belittled into frivolous play.

Ling Yao felt a bit agitated, took off his cold cap and casually placed it aside, furrowed his brows, and said, "I'm not just playing around, Baiyu; why would you think that?"

"Stop." Shi Heng intervened timely, placing a cup of richly aromatic hot chocolate in front of each of them.

Shi Heng clapped his hands, "Everyone calm down, let me speak first."