The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix’s Novels Also Desires Happiness - Chapter 282



60. The lesson that people learn from the past is that they learn nothing at all.

“Long time no see, Mu En.”

As soon as he stepped out of the clock tower, Mu En saw a lively girl leaning against a tree not far away.

The girl’s features looked somewhat familiar; she was wearing a third-year uniform, seemingly waiting specifically for Mu En.

“Senior Fanny?”

Recognizing the girl’s identity, Mu En curiously asked, “What are you doing here?”

“I came to congratulate you.”

Senior Fanny smiled, “To be honest, I was quite surprised when you suddenly made it onto this list. I still feel like it was just yesterday when you scored eighty on the Introduction to Magic exam. I was thinking of asking you if you had any secrets to your rapid progress.”

“No, I should be the one congratulating you, Senior.”

Mu En clicked his tongue and said, “I didn’t expect you to be so amazing.”

Fanny Sawyer.

A few months ago, the third-year senior who once wanted to invite Mu En to join the Magic Painting Society was also the first name on this list.

From the fact that she could stand boldly in such a conspicuous position, it seemed that her spot was hardly contested by anyone.

“How about it, regretting it yet?”

Senior Fanny playfully winked:

“I heard that Anna Carlin dropped out. Why not reconsider joining my club?”

“Forget it, thank you for your kind offer, Senior Fanny.”

Mu En smiled and politely declined:

“I really don’t have time to join any clubs lately, and I haven’t actually withdrawn from the Ancient Potions Society yet.”

“Oh? So, does that mean Mu En has become the president of the Ancient Potions Society? How interesting! I didn’t know Mu En was so knowledgeable about potion-making.”

“Come on, I still can’t even distinguish the most basic potions. I just…”

Mu En looked into the distance, a gentle expression appearing on her face:

“I just don’t want that place to disappear.”

“I see…”

Senior Fanny gazed at Mu En, somewhat dazed.

Under the warm winter sun, Mu En Campbell’s handsome profile was bathed in a faint halo, outlining sharp yet incredibly soft lines.

Although she believed she was indifferent to the son of the duke, she had to admit that, in terms of appearance, he certainly deserved the admiration of so many first-year girls.

Click.

Huh?

What sound was that?

As if she suddenly heard something, Mu En frowned and turned her gaze towards Senior Fanny.

But she still looked as usual,

“Actually, I was just joking earlier. I can’t invite you to join the Magic Painting Society now because I’ve already withdrawn from it,” Fanny said with a smile.

“Withdrawn? Why?”

“Because I joined another club.”

“What kind of club could possibly attract Senior Fanny’s attention?” Mu En asked, slightly surprised.

“Well…”

Fanny’s gaze suddenly became a bit evasive:

“Strictly speaking, I’m also one of the founders of that club, though I’m not the president… But as for what club it is… it’s a bit inconvenient to tell you, Mu En.”

“Inconvenient?”

Mu En was puzzled.

Is there really some secret club in the academy?

And with Senior Fanny’s excellence, how could she not be the president of a club she founded?

Crack, crack.

“…By the way, Senior Fanny.”

Mu En’s gaze swept around, taking in the bare trees, walls, flowerbeds, and the still lush shrubs, and she said seemingly casually,

“Where are those three little girls who used to follow you around?”

“Are you talking about Emma and the others?”

“Yeah, I actually wanted to meet them.”

The cold winter wind blew gently, and Mu En heard the rustling of leaves.

“They were supporting me during the exams, so I wanted to thank them in person,” Mu En smiled.

The rustling of the leaves grew more urgent…

“Uh… those three are a bit timid, so they probably wouldn’t dare to meet you.”

“Hmm? Am I that scary?”

“No, I think it’s for other reasons…”

For some reason, Senior Fanny seemed hesitant.

“Is that so?”

Mu En seemed oblivious to her unusual behavior, casually walking in, then passing by her, seemingly wandering over to the patch of… densely shrub-covered area blanketed in white snow behind her.

“Well, it can’t be helped. Since they don’t want to meet, I’ll just have to… take the initiative!”

Mu En suddenly quickened her movements, her figure almost turning into a shadow, and in the moment Senior Fanny hadn’t reacted, she thrust her hand into the bushes, pulling out what was hidden among the foliage…

A rabbit.

Huh?

Mu En stared at the cute little white rabbit in her hand, still munching on leaves, dumbfounded.

It’s not what I thought; it’s a rabbit?

Her gaze swept over the name tag on the rabbit’s neck, listening to the crunching sounds it made while chewing, and the corners of Mu En’s mouth twitched fiercely.

Damn, who the hell raises such a normal rabbit in the academy?

Isn’t it said that the top two favorite pets in the academy are the Kursus Serpent and the Cerberus?

“Hmm? Mu En, what are you doing?”

Senior Fanny blinked, curiously asking from the side.

“Sorry, I misread it.”

Mu En set the rabbit down and awkwardly shifted the topic:

“It’s getting late, so I’m heading back to the dorm.”

“Perfect, I’m going that way too. Shall we go together?”

“Of course.”

The two left together.

This area returned to silence.

Then, not long after, right where Fanny had just stood, the tree she had leaned against suddenly twisted in a strange manner.

The realistic disguise props faded away, and the large tree fell limply, revealing three girls who were stacked together like a game of Jenga.

“Phew, that was close.”

The girl on top placed her small hand over her eyes, gazing into the distance at the disappearing figure of Mu En, and let out a long sigh.

“I almost got found out.”

“Wah…”

The two girls below swayed and let out a mournful cry.

“Since they’ve left, can we come down now? Emma, you’re so heavy.”

“Heavy? It’s because you two don’t exercise enough! I’ve said it before, if we want to promote our great club and organization, physical strength is essential!”

The girl with twin tails, Emma, jumped down from above, waving her small hand as the cute little white rabbit darted into her arms, nuzzling against her chest with great spirit.

“Mu Mu, you were a great help this time.”

Emma stroked the rabbit’s ears.

“So, did it succeed?”

At this moment, the other two girls also leaned in with anxious expressions.

“Don’t worry, with me in action, it’s definitely a success.”

Emma spread her fingers slightly, and a clear image blossomed from her palm.

Memory magic.

And the person in the image was, of course… Mu En.

“Hmph, my memory magic has been honed through relentless practice, and now I can capture a hundred images per second! In the entire academy, no one can match my speed!”

Emma said proudly.

And it wasn’t just about speed; the images she captured, whether in lighting or composition, were nothing short of perfect, highlighting the handsome and striking features of the blonde man in the picture to the fullest.

It even seemed to exude a charm that surpassed the real person.

“That’s amazing!”

Alva exclaimed with a clenched fist, “With these photos, we can go lure… no, I mean attract new members!”

“Exactly, it’s just a bit of a pity…”

Amy sighed regretfully, “If it weren’t for Sister Fanny covering for us, we would definitely have been found out. How else could we be missing photos?”

“About that…”

Alva turned her head, looking at Emma with confusion:

“Since Classmate Mu En wants to meet us voluntarily, why don’t we get his consent and take the photos openly?”

“Idiot!”

Emma tapped Alva’s head, exasperated:

“How can taking photos openly compare to sneaking around…? The effect of capturing moments perfectly requires spontaneity!

Moreover, as dedicated fans, shouldn’t we be quietly supporting him from the shadows? If we stand right in front of him, how are we any different from those shameless vixens who want to curry favor because of his status?”

“I see…”

The two looked at Emma with admiration: “This awareness, as expected of you, President.”

“Hmph, let’s set aside such trivial matters for now. Speaking of which, we have something more important to do!”

A glint flashed in Emma’s eyes as she asked:

“Have the betting odds come out?”

“They’re out!”

“How much?”

“Twenty to one.”

“Again, twenty to one?”

Emma gritted her teeth, “Those guys really look down on people too much.”

Clearly, the last time they lost, each of them wanted to jump off the rooftop, yet this time they still haven’t learned their lesson!

“Bet! We’re betting too!”

“How much?”

From noble mtl dot com

“Everything! Pocket money! Living expenses! Savings! Including the membership fees we were planning to use for expanding the club!”

“But that includes the portion Sister Fanny saved…”

“Bet it too!”

Emma stood tall and proud, declaring:

“In our Mu En Campbell true love fan underground support group, I am the president!”

……

“Huh? The newspaper is out so soon.”

Ariel, who was preparing to practice today back in the dorm, suddenly stopped in her tracks and reached out to grab the newspaper that had fallen from the sky after a bird swooped by.

“Truly worthy of that green-haired guy from the press club, but this time he’s giving out newspapers for free. Has he changed his ways?”

Ariel opened the newspaper, and as expected, the most prominent section reported on today’s events in the auditorium regarding the slots to the Holy City.

However, the coverage of the top six candidates was merely brief, with most of the space devoted to analyzing and speculating why Mu En Campbell was selected and whether he could withstand the subsequent challenges.

Ariel quickly scanned through, pursing her lips:

“It seems that the vast majority of people feel the same way I do—thinking Mu En Campbell is doomed this time.”

This conclusion wasn’t drawn from her subjective dislike for the guy but rather from a perfectly normal analytical perspective.

After all, if a slacker in class suddenly aced a test, it might come as a surprise, but if the weakest bean sprout in the class suddenly knocked out the notorious school bully, along with a group of bullies, that would be utterly impossible.

Learning can be done secretly, but getting stronger must involve a process, right? Ariel herself had climbed to the top of her grade step by step.

Mu En Campbell still sleeps every day; he can’t possibly be training in his dreams.

“Well, has the betting begun again? Regarding whether Mu En Campbell can last until the end, the odds… twenty to one?”

Ariel’s breath suddenly became heavier.

“No, no, I’m using Lia’s money right now; how can I use it for something like this?”

Ariel shook her head, extinguishing the inappropriate thoughts, tossed the newspaper aside, and walked toward the dormitory.

But as she walked, her steps halted, her gaze struggling as she bit her lip.

“But… I also want to pay Lia back as soon as possible.”

“With the results seeming so certain this time, it should be fine, right?”

“I’ll just bet a little, just a little…”