Evil Dragon Chapter 68: Extra 2-1: Fiancé

Chapter 68: Extra 2-1: Fiancé

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Aika

 

As Lin Nuo entered the tiered classroom, he saw Martin waving at him, “Over here! Over here!”

With his backpack on, Lin Nuo walked over, smiling, “This spot again, nice.”

For students like Lin Nuo, who planned to slack off for the entire class and were determined not to be seen by the teacher, the last row in the corner was the best spot in the tiered classroom. Many others had similar thoughts to Lin Nuo, making this spot particularly popular. Using a backpack to save a seat was out of the question; one had to physically secure the spot.

Fortunately, Martin always arrived unusually early, and once seated, he hardly moved. Basically, no one could beat him to it. After settling into his seat, Lin Nuo took out his laptop, placed the thick “Money, Banking, and Financial Markets” textbook to the side, and then opened his notebook, casually doodling with a ballpoint pen.

For Lin Nuo, choosing this school and major was not his wish at all. His only hobby was drawing. His family owned a moderately-sized company, and with his parents gone, his grandfather, well into his seventies, now managed the business. When his grandfather earnestly asked him if he could at least get a diploma from the School of Management, understand basic financial statements, and help share some of the workload, the usually soft-hearted Lin Nuo agreed.

Upon actually starting to study, Lin Nuo realized that he could only barely graduate by coasting along. He found the content the teachers covered completely uninteresting, even uncomfortable to listen to. It was only thanks to his naturally obedient nature, never engaging in any rebellious behavior, that he managed to avoid skipping classes or falling asleep in class.

Luckily, his good friend Martin, who was the same age, genuinely enjoyed this major. He took diligent notes and even helped Lin Nuo cram during finals, allowing Lin Nuo to just barely pass without failing throughout his junior year. Naturally, Lin Nuo was deeply grateful to Martin. Despite being of similar age, Lin Nuo never took Martin’s care for granted, often expressing his gratitude with small gifts.

For some reason, every time such occasions arose, Martin would get excited and choked up, saying, “Being able to help Young Master… is my honor.”

Lin Nuo could only smile wryly and remind him, “Stop calling me Young Master. This isn’t a historical drama.”

Martin nodded, “Y-Young… Young… Lin Nuo, don’t be polite. I’ll study hard, and in return, I can still help you!”

Today, Martin, usually the most diligent and serious student, suddenly lifted his gaze from the computer screen, looked at a corner on the other side of the classroom, and softly exclaimed, “Ah.”

Huh? Lin Nuo turned to look at Martin, puzzled.

Martin lowered his head and said in a low voice, “Lin Nuo, how about we skip this class?”

Lin Nuo was a bit surprised and replied, “We have to scan codes after class for attendance; skipping would be easily noticed—oh, are you feeling unwell? Should I accompany you to the school clinic?”

Martin hesitated and shook his head, “No, I’m not uncomfortable.”

Lin Nuo frowned, “If there’s something wrong, don’t keep it to yourself. If you’re not feeling well, just speak up.”

Martin continued shaking his head, “It’s nothing, really. I just suddenly felt curious about what it’s like to skip class. Ah, the teacher is on the podium; I’m going to listen to the lecture now.”

With that, Martin genuinely focused on the big screen in front, attentively taking notes. But Lin Nuo found Martin’s reaction to be quite unusual. Did Martin see something just now?

Following Martin’s gaze, Lin Nuo looked to the other corner of the classroom. Huh, there’s someone in that seat… someone I haven’t seen before.

A remarkably good-looking person. Even though it was just a profile view, Lin Nuo internally exclaimed: What kind of celestial side profile is this? It’s even more perfect than sculpted lines! But is this person a student? An auditor? The person wore a high-collared shirt, and their hair was meticulously styled. Although they didn’t seem very old, the aura they exuded was completely different from the surrounding students.

Moreover, this person’s desk was empty. They were leaning on the desk with one elbow, supporting their chin with their hand, looking down at the entire classroom with a calm expression. For some reason, as Lin Nuo looked at the person’s side profile, his hand couldn’t help but sketch on the paper. Deep eye sockets, a prominent nose, thin lips…

In less than half a minute, a lifelike side profile emerged on the paper. Lin Nuo looked at the drawing he had made and, out of habit, glanced back at the “model.” This time, when he raised his head, he found that the person had already turned their face towards him, staring at him without blinking. Those deep black eyes, identical to the one Lin Nuo had just sketched, were perfect. But this wasn’t the time to marvel at the person’s beauty.

It was quite evident that the person had noticed Lin Nuo staring at them. Oh, how rude and embarrassing. Lin Nuo quickly lowered his head, simultaneously realizing that he had flipped over a page in his notebook—though he knew that from an entire classroom away, there was no way the person could see what he was drawing, Lin Nuo still felt a bit guilty.

Once Lin Nuo’s heartbeat returned to normal, he cautiously lifted his head, pretending to casually glance at the corner again, only to find that the seat was now empty.

Huh? Gone? There was no sound of the door opening. The classroom’s door was a heavy, old-fashioned wooden door that would inevitably make a creaking noise, so latecomers often felt a bit awkward. But just now… there was indeed no sound at all. The person disappeared from the classroom without a trace.

Lin Nuo thought that if it weren’t for the sketch left on his notebook, he would have doubted his own eyes. But this was just a minor incident, and Lin Nuo, being carefree by nature, quickly rubbed his eyes and continued happily slacking off. He didn’t notice, the expression of concern, fear, and reluctance alternating on Martin’s chubby face beside him.

***

After classes that day, Lin Nuo received a message from his grandfather, saying that a car had been sent to pick him up for dinner because there were “important guests” at home. Important guests? Normally, unless they were distant relatives or something, Lin Nuo’s grandfather rarely arranged for him to attend such gatherings. The old man knew how uncomfortable Lin Nuo felt in these situations, so he seldom insisted on him attending.

So, who could these “guests” be? Lin Nuo slung his backpack over one shoulder, glanced at his phone, and briskly headed towards the school gate.

“Ah, Lin Nuo, wait for me!” Martin, with his round face, jogged to catch up.

“Hmm?” Lin Nuo slowed down and said, “I just sent you a message. I can’t go to the field with you today; my grandfather wants me to go home quickly.”

Since starting college, Lin Nuo had accompanied Martin to the field every day, trying to help him achieve a normal weight by brisk walking and jogging.

“I know, I just… I just want to, I want to escort you…” Martin panted.

“Escort me?” Lin Nuo laughed, “Are you worried I’ll get lost in school? Or get robbed?”

What started as a joke turned serious when Martin earnestly said, “You never know!” 

As he spoke, Martin walked beside Lin Nuo, looking around vigilantly. Lin Nuo chuckled, thinking Martin might have been reading too many strange news articles lately. As Lin Nuo followed Martin’s gaze and looked around, a strange and subtle sense of discomfort welled up in him.

Why did it feel like many pairs of eyes were staring at him? Everyone around seemed to be talking and walking normally, but why did he always feel like they were secretly glancing at him? For example, that unusually tall person, almost like a gorilla… Or that person with a graceful figure and a slender waist… They seemed to be looking at their phones, but their gazes… always seemed to drift in his direction?

Ah, it must be an overactive imagination. Lin Nuo comforted himself.

After reaching the off-campus parking lot, Lin Nuo quickly spotted the usual driver assigned to his grandfather. What puzzled him, though, was that the rotund driver, after Lin Nuo got into the car, whispered something to Martin before returning to the driver’s seat.

Strange, why would the round driver communicate with Martin? Perhaps Martin’s father, who also worked in Lin Nuo’s grandfather’s company, had some personal matters for the driver to pass on?

Unperturbed, Lin Nuo continued to look down at his phone. Lin Nuo’s home was adjacent to the urban forest park, located in a separate villa area with daily security patrols and a secluded atmosphere. As Lin Nuo’s private car entered the community, he noticed the security guards standing in a row, staring intently at the vehicle.

What’s going on here? Security drill?

After returning to his standalone mansion, Lin Nuo initially thought of heading straight to the dining room. The maid informed him that his grandfather wanted him to change into different clothes and go to the study.

Huh? The study? His grandfather’s study was a place he couldn’t casually enter.

When Lin Nuo was a child, he had succumbed to curiosity when the house was empty, trying to sneak in from the balcony outside. Not only did he fail to climb in through the locked window, but he also got caught on surveillance and received a good scolding. Since then, he never dared to entertain the idea of entering the study again.

Today, why did his grandfather want him to go to the study? Could the guests have arranged this step? Lin Nuo changed into casual attire that wasn’t too disrespectful, walked through the corridor on the second floor, and knocked on the study’s door, “Grandfather, it’s me.”

“Come in,” his grandfather’s voice, though slightly aged, still retained its vigor.

Lin Nuo turned the doorknob, pushing the door open to enter the “forbidden study.” His immense curiosity led him to quickly survey the room in three seconds: …The study didn’t seem particularly different.

A dark red carpet adorned the floor, bookshelves lined both sides of the room, and rows of books extended all the way to the ceiling. In the center of the room hung an elaborate and vintage crystal chandelier. On the side near the window, there was a large wooden desk and a high-backed chair. On the side near the door, there was a separate sitting area with a circle of genuine leather sofas and a low coffee table in the middle.

Having completed his observation, Lin Nuo’s gaze quickly shifted to the sitting area. Lin Nuo’s grandfather was seated on a separate sofa, and in the seat opposite him sat a man with an upright posture, legs naturally crossed. Due to the lighting, Lin Nuo initially couldn’t see the man’s face clearly. He took two steps toward the sitting area, smiling at his grandfather, “Grandfather, I’m back.”

His grandfather nodded and stood up, patting Lin Nuo’s shoulder, “Welcome back. Let me introduce you to someone.”

The man opposite stood up in response, and his face was fully exposed to the light. Upon seeing the man’s features clearly, Lin Nuo couldn’t help but be taken aback: Wasn’t this the person he saw in class? What a coincidence!

“This is Rennes, Mr. Rennes Clément,” his grandfather introduced.

Rennes Clément? Who is the financial magnate, the Clements family? No wonder Grandpa gave him so much face, wanting to meet him alone in the study. Why would this person go to school to audit classes in monetary and banking studies? Is it so interesting? Although Lin Nuo was slightly surprised, he quickly suppressed it, not more surprised than when he saw this person in the morning. He was planning to greet this man, who had a well-proportioned figure and broad shoulders, with a professional smile when Grandpa’s words shocked him:

“Rennes is the legal heir of the Clements family, and also your—fiancé.”

*

Next, Grandpa explained a lot. For example, he told Lin Nuo that he couldn’t be considered a true human; his true form was that of a dragon. Due to the world’s thin spiritual energy, the dragon race, which feeds on spiritual energy, is currently very weak overall.

In the past, Grandpa could use his own spiritual power to protect Lin Nuo, control him to prevent him from reverting to dragon form, and conceal his identity. But as Lin Nuo’s age increased, Grandpa’s spiritual energy became insufficient, and he would inevitably revert to dragon form soon. As the world’s spiritual energy declined, the dark creatures, having absorbed enough corrupting magic, became extremely powerful. Once Lin Nuo’s true identity was discovered, the dark creatures would undoubtedly launch a surprise attack, devouring Lin Nuo who had gathered spiritual energy.

The true identity of the Clements family is, in fact, “Dark Creature Hunters.” Even before Lin Nuo was born, Rennes’ parents had arranged with Lin Nuo’s parents to marry the two children. The Clements family would eliminate the dark creatures and protect the descendants of the dragon race.

After listening to Grandpa’s story, Lin Nuo was stiff for a while, and finally, he slowly uttered, “Grandpa… is it that our family… is facing some difficulties, or perhaps, going bankrupt?”

Dragons, creatures, hunters, and arranged marriages were all too… too unbelievable! Grandpa frowned but was about to explain again when Rennes stopped him with a gesture.

Rennes looked at Grandpa and respectfully said, “Grandpa, let me explain to Lin Nuo alone. Maybe I can help him understand faster.”

Grandpa sighed, “Well, I’ll leave it to you then. Ah, my grandson, I’ll trouble you to take care of him.”

After Grandpa left the study, only Rennes and Lin Nuo remained. As soon as Grandpa left, the humble and respectful expression on Rennes’ face disappeared entirely. Rennes took two steps forward, one hand in his pocket, and an oppressive aura naturally emanated from him. He looked at Lin Nuo, who was written all over his face with “disbelief,” lips slightly curled, and slowly began to speak, “Mr. Lin Nuo, you guessed it right. Just now, your grandpa just made up a story to make it easier for you to accept. In fact, your family is indeed poorly managed and on the verge of bankruptcy. Our family is considering whether to invest in yours. After investigating, we found that your company has nothing attractive to the Clements family, except… you, with a decent appearance.”

At this point, Lin Nuo’s body trembled, his hands clenched into fists, shaking uncontrollably. This man named Rennes Clements, with an angelic face and a voice like flowing water, spoke words as if he were a devil.

Seeing Lin Nuo’s reaction, Rennes, with a faint smile, continued, “Ah, if we don’t intervene, none of your industries, your company, or your residence will be retained. You and your grandpa will have to go to the worst areas in terms of security and barely rent a bed for the night. Oh, by the way, your grandpa’s private health insurance will also be canceled. So, Mr. Lin Nuo, would you be willing to sign a private contract with me, play the role of my fiancé, and save your family’s business and your grandpa?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Title is available for faster chapter releases through paid Patreon membership. Any proceeds go to keeping the website running. Check it out HERE.