Chapter 68: Old Family Members

In a private room of the Danbular restaurant, Lei En and Viola sat opposite each other.

The room was semi‑open, on the second floor, with a view of the first‑floor lobby.

The restaurant's décor was elegant and exquisite; in a corner, a female musician played a keyboard organ, the graceful music echoing in the ears, complemented by soft crystal lighting that made the diners feel delighted.

Because it was late, there were few patrons.

Yet this did not affect Lei En and Viola's pleasant mood; they savored the delicacies, whispered to each other, occasionally exchanged smiles, their eyes full of tender affection.

It was Lei En's first time in such a high‑end restaurant, but he showed no sign of nervousness.

Danbular's dishes were indeed delicious, living up to their reputation and steep price, yet Lei En didn't think they were especially tasty; it wasn't the food, but his thoughts were fixed on the beauty opposite him— the Half‑elf was beautiful everywhere, each frown and smile tugged his heart, leaving him in awe.

He finally grasped the true meaning of the phrase "beauty fit for a feast."

At the same time he felt a bit smug, having finally broken Viola's mental guard with a piece of music, tearing through that thin veil and propelling their relationship forward.

From then on Lei En was less impatient, lest he cause resentment; he only needed to let things flow naturally.

A cooked duck can't possibly fly, can it?

He also enjoyed the wonderful feeling of being head‑over‑heels without yet taking the final step.

In the personal library on his phone, Lei En found a book titled "Complete Collection of Cheesy Pickup Lines"; he had once thought it useless, but now it finally came in handy.

The pickup lines that would have caused cringe in his past life were oddly fresh when used on Ai Lun E Si.

Lei En selected a few, delivered them with over‑the‑top acting, making Viola sway flirtatiously, flashing seductive glances, which he himself found quite effective.

The dinner lasted nearly two hours; Lei En ate heartily and satisfied his visual appetite as well.

Toward the end of the meal, the servers brought out dessert.

Viola, while tasting the dessert, laughed softly, "Lei En, have you spent all your years at the academy just learning these pickup lines?"

"Ha ha, the academy doesn't teach that stuff," Lei En said, a bit smug, "I'm self‑taught."

"Lei En?" a female voice suddenly sounded nearby.

Lei En stopped teasing Viola, turned his head, and saw that the speaker was the female server who had just delivered the dessert.

She was in her early twenties, wearing light makeup, with a pretty face and a pair of beautiful large eyes; now her expression was full of surprise, as if she could hardly believe what she saw, and she asked, "Excuse me, sir, may I confirm that your name is Lei En?"

"I am."

Lei En nodded, found her familiar, his mind racing, and finally recalled her identity, standing up to ask, "Daisyia, why are you here?"

The server was Lei En's classmate at Claidon Transcendent Academy, in the same class, and they had interacted often over the past three years, making her a good friend.

Daisyia, like Lei En, also came from a small countryside town; the two towns were close, so they were fairly familiar with each other.

Since Lei En's transmigration, he hadn't returned to the academy, so he couldn't recall the classmate right away.

"I'm working here," Daisyia answered instinctively, then her face turned incredulous, hands covering her mouth, exclaiming, "Goddess above, you really are Lei En! If I hadn't heard your name, I wouldn't have recognized you!"

In fact, when the dishes were served earlier, she thought the patron resembled her classmate, but Lei En's changes were so great—both his aura and appearance differed far beyond her memory.

This is Danbular, one of Longshande's top‑tier restaurants; how could a small‑town Lei En possibly afford it?

Not to mention,

The lady opposite him was enviably beautiful, with noble and elegant bearing, clearly of high‑born aristocracy and very likely a Transcendent.

Daisyia had worked at Danbular for years, meeting many beautiful ladies—Longshande's socialites and noble wives—but none matched this lady's beauty.

Many servers whispered in the back kitchen, speculating about the lady's background.

The handsome male patron was very close to the beautiful lady, clearly a couple, making Daisyia unable to believe he was her classmate.

She observed him secretly for a long time, the resemblance grew, yet she still thought it unlikely.

Until she heard Viola call Lei En's name and mention the academy, Daisyia finally couldn't hold back and asked aloud.

She didn't expect the man to truly be Lei En!

She saw Lei En stand, a head taller than her, tall and sturdy, a confident smile on his face, calling her name again, and was instantly overwhelmed with astonishment, thinking she was dreaming.

"Lei En, where have you been these past two months? How did you become like this, and grown so tall…?"

"Goddess, your change is huge; I can't believe it!"

"Are you really Lei En?"

Daisyia stammered, leaving Lei En unsure how to answer, and the scene grew awkward. Viola timely asked, "Lei En, won't you introduce yourselves?"

Lei En glanced at Viola, knowing she wasn't angry, just teasing slightly.

He sighed inwardly; given Viola's sharpness, it was clear Daisyia's excitement wasn't merely about a classmate connection—she had long harbored a crush on him.

The former Lei En seemed to have had some thoughts about Daisyia, but only in his mind, never acting on them.

There were several girls like that in the Transcendent Academy.

Sometimes Lei En even wondered if his previous self was gay?

Handsome and good‑looking, a swarm of pretty girls adored him, a girlfriend was within reach, even the chance to juggle multiple relationships, yet he died without ever holding a woman's hand.

Truly a waste of such great advantages.

Even so, his relationship with Daisyia was as pure as a blank sheet, but meeting this situation on his first date with Viola was still a bit awkward.

Lei En pretended everything was normal, introducing them, "Daisyia, this is my girlfriend Viola; Viola, this is Daisyia, my classmate from the academy."

Viola politely rose, extended her hand, and softly said, "Hello, classmate Daisyia."

She gave Lei En a discreet glance, evidently because of the "girlfriend" label, but without further comment, she accepted the role calmly.

Daisyia's gaze was unfocused until Viola reached out; she then responded nervously, "Ms. Viola, hello… I'm Daisyia, Lei En's classmate. I haven't seen Lei En in ages, so I'm excited; I hope we're not disturbing your meal."

Being that close to Viola, she felt great pressure; even as a woman, she couldn't help admiring Viola's looks, feeling a twinge of self‑consciousness.

"It's fine, we've finished our meal."

Viola said generously, "You two haven't seen each other in a long time, so you must have things to catch up on. Daisyia, nice to meet you. Lei En, I'll wait for you in the car."

With that, she left the private room.

Only after Viola's figure vanished beyond the restaurant's door did Daisyia come to herself, looked at Lei En, and hurriedly asked, "Lei En, what exactly has happened these past few months?"

"I completed the Soul Transformation ceremony and became a Transcendent," Lei En said truthfully.

"Goddess!"

Dai Xi Ya's expression froze for a moment, then she suddenly understood and said cheerfully, "No wonder you didn't return to the Academy to enroll, and you changed so much. You've finally become a Transcendent, that's great!"

Lei En nodded and asked concernedly, "And you, how are you now? Are you still at the Academy?"

Dai Xi Ya's family background is a bit poorer than Lei En's, but because she is an only daughter, her family supports her greatly, having spent almost all their savings on the Academy's tuition.

Her personality is independent and strong‑willed; not wanting her family to spend too much, she has continuously worked outside the Academy to earn money for household expenses.

The Danbular Restaurant is not far from Ke Lai Deng Academy, and with her looks, she easily qualifies to work there as a waitress.

"Yes, I'm still at the Academy," Dai Xi Ya said with a smile. "The teacher said my progress is great; after another year of training I can hold the Soul Transformation ceremony."

"I hope you succeed."

Lei En opened his Soul Eye; Dai Xi Ya's soul strength is far higher than that of ordinary people, so her chance of passing the Soul Transformation ceremony is not low.

"I'll do my best," she said. She has always been one of the Academy's top students, far more capable than Lei En's former self.

Silence fell in the private room; Dai Xi Ya's mood was complicated, looking as if she wanted to speak but held back. Lei En guessed what she wanted to ask, yet did not wish to bring it up.

"I'll go now; Viola is still waiting for me," Lei En said, still deciding to take his leave.

Dai Xi Ya's eyes dimmed briefly, and she gave a gentle nod.

Before leaving the private room, she suddenly remembered something and called out, "Lei En, your younger brother Bu Li Saite also entered the Academy this year; he came to see me once, asking about you."

"Bu Li Saite?"

Lei En stopped in his tracks; since crossing over, this is the first time he has heard news about his family.

He hasn't yet figured out how to face his family; his impressions of them are limited to memories, without deep feelings.

Lei En's former self quarreled with his father Ba De a few months ago and ran away to Longshande; at the time it may have been an impulsive decision made in anger, but it turned out to be a permanent farewell.

The reason Ba De was unwilling to support Lei En's continued enrollment was that Bu Li Saite had also reached the appropriate age; he is three years younger than Lei En, sixteen this year, just the right age to enter the Transcendent Academy.

The annual tuition at Ke Lai Deng Academy is twenty Gold Shields; Ba De cannot afford tuition for both sons, and Lei En, having achieved nothing, can only pass the opportunity to Bu Li Saite.

Twenty Gold Shields is not a large sum for Lei En now.

He sighed inwardly; after all, blood is thicker than water, and he cannot disregard his family. Having inherited this body, he must bear the corresponding responsibilities. His former self felt deep affection for his relatives, especially for his two younger brothers and a younger sister, all of whom he cherished.

Now that he has the ability, he should also lend a hand to his family.

Lei En thought for a moment, took ten Gold Shields from his wallet, and pleaded, "Dai Xi Ya, please pass this money to Bu Li Saite and tell him I'm fine. If he encounters any difficulty, write a letter to the Longshande Security Bureau Headquarters; I will receive it."

Dai Xi Ya looked at the handful of Gold Shields in her hand and asked blankly, "Security Bureau?"

"I am now a security officer," Lei En said without further explanation. "Keep the money safe and don't let anyone see it."

Ten Gold Shields is already a fortune in the eyes of ordinary people; he trusts Dai Xi Ya's character, yet cannot guarantee that others who see it won't have ulterior motives.

"Rest assured, I will definitely give the money to Bu Li Saite," Dai Xi Ya promised solemnly, carefully hiding the Gold Shields close to her body.

Lei En nodded, said nothing more, and took his leave from her.