Chapter 307

At this moment, Xiyuanji Qilai had already skillfully pushed her desk over to join it with his.

Yukimura Lingyin didn't say much either, silently performing the same action.

"I'm here—!"

A high-spirited voice came from the doorway.

The three of them turned their heads to see Classmate Tengyuan Kui hugging her signature, multi-layered bento box that was always exceptionally rich in content, rushing over like a gust of wind.

Xiyuanji Qilai immediately smiled and waved at her:

"Kui-chan, come sit over here! I've already asked that classmate, and she agreed that you can move your desk over from now on."

"Great!"

Classmate Tengyuan Kui cheered, nimbly putting down her bento while simultaneously pulling a few bags of exquisite small snacks from her pocket and stuffing them into Xiyuanji Qilai's hands.

"Help me give these to her later, consider it a thank-you gift!"

Xiyuanji Qilai took them and nodded with a smile:

"Mm-hmm, leave it to me."

Natsume Chikage and Yukimura Lingyin had long since become accustomed to Classmate Tengyuan Kui's joining.

After all, everyone was a companion in the "Collection Force."

Classmate Tengyuan Kui couldn't wait to open the bento lid, first shoveling in two big mouthfuls, her cheeks bulging like a hamster's.

Suddenly, biting on the tip of her chopsticks, she remembered something and asked indistinctly:

"By the way, Natsume-kun, when is your next shogi tournament?"

"The 13th," Natsume Chikage replied.

Classmate Tengyuan Kui counted on her fingers:

"Oh, that's a Saturday."

Xiyuanji Qilai also asked in turn:

"Which round is this one?"

"The first round," Natsume Chikage said.

Xiyuanji Qilai's shoulders slumped all at once, her cheeks slightly puffed out:

"It's during class time again... I was hoping I could go to the scene to watch the match this time."

Classmate Tengyuan Kui immediately echoed, waving her chopsticks:

"Exactly! I really want to watch it live!"

Yukimura Lingyin calmly fed a small piece of tamagoyaki into her mouth and said indifferently:

"Isn't the result the same watching a recording of the match?"

"It's completely different, okay!" Classmate Tengyuan Kui made a big 'X' with her hands in front of her chest, reacting intensely.

Xiyuanji Qilai also clenched her small fists, agreeing repeatedly:

"Mm! It feels completely different!"

Yukimura Lingyin looked up at them, a hint of confusion in her eyes:

"How is it different? The content of the match won't change."

"It's the atmosphere! The atmosphere!" Classmate Tengyuan Kui was momentarily speechless, racking her brains for words.

Xiyuanji Qilai explained earnestly:

"Also, you can know the outcome immediately with a live broadcast. In ancient times, obtaining information immediately was crucially important!"

Yukimura Lingyin gently put down her chopsticks, her tone being the usual rationality:

"A shogi tournament is a tournament, and ancient times are ancient times. These two things cannot be compared."

Xiyuanji Qilai stuck out her tongue, revealing a cute smile:

"It's a metaphor—"

The relaxed and leisurely lunch time quietly flowed by amidst the girls' bickering about the "significance of live broadcasts versus recordings."

The few of them had just finished tidying up their bento boxes.

At the front door of the classroom, two familiar figures suddenly poked their heads in—Ryuto Yasui and Yua Araki.

Ryuto Yasui's gaze swept across the classroom, quickly locked onto Natsume Chikage, and he walked straight over with a rare look of seriousness on his face.

"Natsume-kun,"

"Did that Zhongdao Wushi from the baseball force come to find trouble with you this morning?"

"Eh? Found trouble?"

Classmate Tengyuan Kui paused.

Xiyuanji Qilai also instantly put away her smile, looking at Natsume Chikage with worry:

"Natsume-kun, what happened?"

Yukimura Lingyin didn't speak, but her gaze, which had originally moved away, fell back onto Natsume Chikage, her eyes containing a bit more focused scrutiny.

Seeing that they already knew, Natsume Chikage didn't hide it anymore and nodded:

"Mm, you could say that."

He was somewhat surprised:

"But Senior Yasui, how did you guys know?"

"This."

Huang Mu Jie directly lit up her own mobile phone screen.

Displayed on it was a photo circulating on the campus social software—outside the fence of the baseball field, the tall Zhongdao Wushi was pointing his baseball bat in an unfriendly manner at Natsume Chikage inside the fence.

The angle of the photo was captured just right, making the warning and provocative expression on Zhongdao Wushi's face perfectly clear.

"I saw it at noon; quite a few people have already forwarded and discussed it," Huang Mu Jie put away her phone. "If we hadn't seen this, we wouldn't have known."

Xiyuanji Qilai pursed her lips:

"Senior... can you let me see it again?"

"Here." Huang Mu Jie generously handed over the phone.

Classmate Tengyuan Kui immediately crowded nervously to Xiyuanji Qilai's side.

Yukimura Lingyin was silent for a moment, then leaned over slightly, her gaze cast toward the phone screen.

When they saw the gunpowder-filled scene in the photo, the expressions of all three girls froze slightly.

Ryuto Yasui shoved his hands into his pockets, sighed, and asked in a tone that suggested "as expected":

"Natsume-kun, that idiot Zhongdao Wushi... could it be that he came to pick a fight with you again because of Classmate Yue Dao Lin?"

Natsume Chikage nodded again:

"Yes."

"I knew it!"

Ryuto Yasui wore an "I knew it" expression, his tone laced with sarcasm:

"That guy's brain is probably stuffed with muscles. As long as it's a boy who gets close to Yue Dao Lin and makes him feel there's a 'threat,' he'll rush over like this to 'warn' them directly."

Natsume Chikage arched his eyebrows, catching the information in his words:

"Senior, you know so clearly... could it be that he has also 'warned' you?"

"Of course!"

Ryuto Yasui puffed out his chest, and a strange look of... pride, actually appeared on his face?

"No matter what, I was once a 'strong and powerful rival' in his eyes! Isn't it normal for him to come to my door?"

Huang Mu Jie to the side rolled her eyes, too lazy to mock his bizarre sense of pride.

Classmate Tengyuan Kui, however, widened her eyes, more concerned about the practical problem:

"That Zhongdao Wushi looks so fierce... after he provokes someone, does he really hit people? Senior, did he hit you at the time?"

"That, he didn't."

Ryuto Yasui waved his hand and explained:

"He's at least the number two pitcher for the baseball force now, and his goal is Koshien. Hitting a classmate openly? Once reported, the entire team could be implicated and lose their eligibility to compete."

He glanced at Natsume Chikage:

"At that time, you won't even need to make a move; the baseball force's coach and seniors will be the first ones not to let him off."

Hearing this, Classmate Tengyuan Kui was clearly relieved, patting her chest:

"Phew... that's good, that's good."

Ryuto Yasui put away his joking expression, looked at Natsume Chikage earnestly, and warned: