This meal, Yun Kai ate very quietly. If it were before, his body's intense hunger wouldn't have let him chew slowly; he would have devoured everything in big mouthfuls long ago.

But now, he not only forced himself to slow down, even when swallowing he tried his best to keep the sound low.

Although Yun Kai knew, whether it was his appearance or his stature, he was just like the 'half-beastman' everyone talked about, he still hoped he could be a little more elegant in front of Lin Feng, in front of his idol.

More like a human!

From the moment Lin Feng and the other two sat across from Yun Kai, he had kept his head down, almost burying his face in his food.

Because he'd faced strange looks and bullying since young, Yun Kai was even more sensitive to being watched. He could clearly feel three gazes roaming over him, observing his body and face.

Because Lin Feng had taken his side just before, Yun Kai relaxed his guard a little. He didn't know why Lin Feng's group chose to sit with him, guessing maybe they were pitying him?

It felt unfamiliar, even a little uncomfortable, yet Yun Kai didn't reject it—in fact, he rather enjoyed the experience.

"Thank you!"

Yun Kai whispered in his heart.

When the whole world shows you nothing but malice, even the tiniest bit of kindness is precious.

No matter what Lin Feng was thinking, Yun Kai was grateful.

Since kindergarten, his body's beastification had made him distinctly different from his classmates.

The difference between humans and beasts!

Don't even mention eating together; sometimes, if he accidentally came near them, his classmates would react as if they'd spotted an insect, grimacing in disgust and quickly escaping.

No one had ever eaten with him!

Even though he and Lin Feng's crew didn't exchange a word, for this moment his surroundings were no longer empty space; he didn't feel that different from other normal students.

With the attention of the entire student body, a lunch that should have only taken ten minutes stretched to half an hour for Lin Feng and company. They had finished eating, but showed no intention of leaving.

"Why aren't they leaving?"

Yun Kai gripped his chopsticks. The once-delicious roast meat now tasted like wax in his mouth.

He'd deliberately slowed his eating, but so had Lin Feng's group, seemingly matching his pace. Yet after half an hour, Lin Feng and the others were done, still not leaving. If it was just pity, did they really need to stay this long?

A sense of unease began to spread in Yun Kai's heart, but he still didn't dare lift his head.

"What are Lin Feng and them doing? Why are they staring at the half-beastman?"

"Look at their eyes. Maybe they want to beat him up?"

"Doubt it—if they wanted to fight, they wouldn't have stood up for him earlier. Besides, Lin Feng may be ruthless in fights, but he's never bullied the weak."

"True enough. Lin Feng may be a little withdrawn, but his character is solid."

"So, what do you think's going on? Can't be that they need something from him, right?"

Faintly, he heard classmates discussing nearby, making Yun Kai even more uneasy.

He kept his head down in silence, until ten minutes later his meal was finished, his plate empty. Yet Lin Feng's group still didn't get up, so finally Yun Kai timidly raised his head just a little, as if awaiting a doomsday verdict.

Yun Kai lifted his head very, very slowly, like a slow-motion movie shot. From the corner of his eye, he caught Lin Feng and his two friends staring right at him.

Their eyes met for a brief moment, startling Yun Kai—he instinctively looked down again, but soon managed to look up once more.

"What's with their stare?"

Yun Kai's brown pupils shrank slightly with nerves; his heart trembled. He was surprised to find that Lin Feng's gaze was calm—those deep black eyes held no hint of strangeness, disgust, or disdain.

Since childhood, even his birth parents—no matter how well they tried to hide it—Yun Kai could always detect that faint, almost imperceptible oddness in their eyes. No one's gaze had ever been as calm as Lin Feng's.

So calm it was as if the hair on his body had vanished, his twisted bones straightened, and his pupils were normal again...

For the first time since he could remember, he felt there was nothing different about himself.

"Hi, I'm Lin Feng."

Seeing Yun Kai raise his head, Lin Feng—who'd silently waited so long—gave a small smile and reached out his right hand.

Lin Feng's gesture stunned Yun Kai. His body stiffened, blood seemed to stop flowing—he was both shocked and fearful. He couldn't believe Lin Feng actually wanted to shake his hand?

"Whoa!"

The students watching burst into surprised exclamations, even more amazed.

At Jiangxin First Middle School, Lin Feng was the only student ever to make it onto the Glory Rookie Rankings. He'd already endorsed commercials while still in high school, a genius who reached the Eighth Rank of Body Cultivation and managed to defeat Martial Artists with only the Twenty-First Form of the Thirty-Six Body Refining Techniques. Though he hadn't yet refined a Demon Spirit, out of three hundred thousand students, he was already recognized as number one.

Everyone knew that once he refined an Advanced Demon Spirit, Lin Feng would become the star of every club, a Glory Professional Player, maybe even an All-Star.

So many wanted to cozy up to him but had no way; besides Gao Hai and Yang Fan, Lin Feng had never taken the initiative to befriend anyone else. Yet the half-beastman everyone discriminated against and excluded was now given this honor?

Yun Kai could feel the shock and even jealousy radiating from the students all around, making him more uneasy.

He was afraid this was just a joke!

What if he reached out, only to become the butt of a cruel joke?

Because of his low self-esteem, his fear, Yun Kai still couldn't bring himself to extend his hand.

He knew his hesitation might embarrass Lin Feng.

He guessed Lin Feng would soon draw his hand back, maybe get annoyed and mock or even hit him. But unexpectedly, Lin Feng's face and eyes remained unchanged from start to finish, just as calm as before.

"Hi, I'm Lin Feng."

Lin Feng held out his hand again, repeating himself. He knew all about Yun Kai's deep inferiority and timidity.

A child who'd been seen as a monster since birth, subjected to bullying and humiliation, would react to sudden kindness, not with gratitude at first, but surprise—and fear.

It was hard for Lin Feng to imagine that a six foot three giant could look so cowering, and yet mixed with that fear, there was a sliver of hope. It made Lin Feng's heart ache a little.

Originally, recruiting Yun Kai into the Martial Arts Club had been—for Lin Feng—only about the club's growth.

There was no doubt: for a big family whose ancestors included an Extraordinary Powerhouse, even if weakened over the years, their power and heritage outranked normal families by far.

If that family discovered Yun Kai had inherited his Extraordinary Ancestor's gifts—a prodigy with Ancestral Demonization—then for a fading, post-glory clan, the meaning was obvious.

Yun Kai would receive the family's full support and training.

The heights Yun Kai could reach would inspire awe in everyone.

In Lin Feng's view, even Ye Qiu, blessed with incredible talent, might not be Yun Kai's equal in the future.

Lin Feng needed to test Yun Kai's temperament and loyalty, maybe for a year or two, before guiding his gift's awakening step by step.

But in this moment, Lin Feng abandoned his original plan.

Even if Yun Kai became a rival one day, he now decided to awaken Yun Kai's abilities right away, because those expectant yet wounded eyes were just too heart-wrenching.

Three months before the college entrance exams, because of Ya Ge, Lin Feng himself had been pitied and mocked by many classmates—he understood all too well that it could turn someone reclusive, depressed, even obsessive. The world itself seemed grayer.

So he could acutely feel Yun Kai's pain.

For Yun Kai, discrimination, hatred, even abuse followed his every step, became his daily norm. As an 'outsider' in everyone's eyes, compared to Lin Feng, his whole world was almost pitch-black.

"Hi, my name's Lin Feng."

Lin Feng said it a third time, his voice sincere, tinged with sympathy.

And just then, maybe moved by Lin Feng's emotion, Yun Kai was finally touched. After much hesitation, his arm—hidden under the table—slowly rose.

It was a beast's claw.

Dry golden fur covered it, knuckles grossly twisted, dark red nails emanating the scent of blood, enough to instill fear. The beastly paw contrasted starkly with Lin Feng's long, pale human hand.

If he was in a state of Demon Transformation, this beastly right hand would be perfectly normal—even desirable to some. Sadly, Yun Kai was not transformed, so everyone shunned and despised him.

"Don't worry, Lin Feng means well! Didn't you hear everyone say? He never bullies the weak—he even defended me earlier, he's asked me three times now, maybe he's getting impatient. I can't turn down his kindness; even if this is just a joke, so what!"

He worked up all his courage, repeating it in his heart, but Yun Kai still didn't dare meet Lin Feng's eyes—his right hand trembled, its twisted fingers stiff. When his hand was only two or three centimeters from Lin Feng's, he faltered.

"Hi, my name's Lin Feng." Lin Feng took the initiative and grasped Yun Kai's hand first. The fur-covered palm was damp—clearly Yun Kai was extremely nervous.

Feeling Lin Feng's friendly touch, Yun Kai finally relaxed; since Lin Feng really shook his hand, this couldn't be a prank.

Those who truly hate him, who'd want to mess with him, would never make any contact with him.

No matter how unbothered he could act against disgust and abuse, Yun Kai's eyes grew red and wet now, tears spilling out.

"Y-you, hi, I-I'm Yun Kai." The low growl sounded fierce, but stuttered with weakness, his voice revealing his lingering self-doubt and anxiety.

"Hi, I'm Gao Hai!"

When Lin Feng let go, Gao Hai offered his right hand.

Lin Feng had already explained what Ancestral Demonization was—how rare and powerful. At this moment, that terrifying appearance actually made Gao Hai envious.

"H-hi, I'm Yun Kai."

This time Yun Kai looked right at Gao Hai, much bolder now. Though he found Gao Hai's eyes a bit strange, it clearly wasn't rejection. So he didn't hesitate, and after shaking hands with Gao Hai, Yang Fan offered his hand: "Hi, I'm Yang Fan."

"Hi, I'm Yun Kai."

This time, Yun Kai didn't stutter. He completely let down his guard, his tense body relaxing. Even his fierce-looking face showed a hint of a smile—a stiff, barely-there curve at the edge of his lips.

It was the first smile he'd ever given anyone since he'd become aware.

Ugly, painful to see, yet heartbreaking.

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