The Master's Mask Unveiled Again-Chapter 1010 - 1009: You All Benefited from Lu Mian’s Glory

Chapter 1010: Chapter 1009: You All Benefited from Lu Mian’s Glory

The second day of military training passed quickly.

On the third day, Lu Mian returned to the dormitory early in the morning to grab something. Two of her three roommates were already fully dressed and ready to head out.

The only one still lazing around in bed was Wang Shiwei, who hadn’t even bothered to change into her military training uniform.

Seeing Lu Mian finally return, Wang Shiwei quickly got up and sidled up to her with a flattering tone, "Mianmian, you’re finally back. You didn’t show up for military training yesterday. Where did you go?"

They still didn’t know about the earth-shattering changes that had taken place at the Chixia Sect. All they knew was that Lu Mian had skipped a day of training, and even the instructors hadn’t pried into it. Coming and going as she pleased like this made Wang Shiwei green with envy.

Lu Mian replied nonchalantly with a simple, "Had something to do," clearly not inclined to elaborate.

Wang Shiwei wasn’t genuinely curious; she just continued, "Mianmian, since you and the new instructor are, you know, close—such a perfect couple—do me a favor and ask him for leave on my behalf? I’m not feeling too well today and don’t want to go to training."

Lu Mian cast a sideways glance at her, eyeing her lively demeanor and healthy complexion—she didn’t look unwell in the slightest.

Shu Shu, standing nearby, shook her head helplessly, "Wang Shiwei, you just want to slack off, don’t you? If you want to skive off, don’t make things hard for Mianmian, okay?"

"It’s not exactly hard for her, is it? They’re so close it’s just a matter of one sentence! Why can’t I just ask Mianmian to deliver a message for me?"

Shu Shu was about to retort, but Lu Mian raised a hand and shot a cold look at Wang Shiwei.

"One sentence wouldn’t be hard," Lu Mian paused momentarily, "but I don’t want to say it."

Wang Shiwei was left speechless, staring at Lu Mian with wide eyes, utterly at a loss for words.

They were roommates, after all—how could Lu Mian refuse her like this?

It wasn’t even a big deal. Was it really that hard to help her out with such a small favor?

Fuming, she plopped down heavily on her bed, pulling out her phone in frustration to send a message to Qiao Yaning.

[Ningning, you see her? She’s such a snob!]

Qiao Yaning, tired of Wang Shiwei’s two-faced antics, picked up her phone and waved it in front of Lu Mian. "Wang Shiwei just called you a snob."

Though Qiao Yaning and Lu Mian still had unresolved tension between them and usually didn’t talk much, the fact that Qiao Yaning chose to show her the private message still surprised Lu Mian a little.

The girl nodded and let out a cold laugh. "I’ll just take it as a compliment."

Shu Shu struggled not to burst out laughing on the side.

Wang Shiwei’s face turned crimson. She flung her phone onto the bed and buried her head under the covers, consumed by both shame and anger.

This year’s military training at Qing University indeed had its fair share of hiccups. Jing Pei had specifically called the instructors together for a short group meeting with the assembled squads.

First, he clarified that the remaining training would proceed as usual.

Second, he announced that the quality of military training accommodations, meals at the cafeteria, and overall student treatment would be significantly improved.

This was directly related to everyone’s personal interests, and the announcement was met with cheers and excitement.

One particularly curious student raised a hand and asked, "Mr. Jing, why’s our treatment so much better this year? I’ve heard students in previous years constantly complained that military training at the Chixia Sect was the toughest they’d ever experienced!"

Jing Pei chuckled heartily, "You all should thank Lu Mian. Let’s just say it pays to have a classmate like her around."

His words made it perfectly clear—the upgraded treatment this year was entirely thanks to Lu Mian.

Excitement flooded the training ground as countless grateful gazes turned toward the Applied Physics class.

The students in the Applied Physics class couldn’t have looked prouder. One by one, they straightened their backs, as if to say: Lu Mian, our department’s pride!

Meanwhile, things weren’t quite as cheerful in the Elite Class.

Several students began murmuring questions among themselves, "Weren’t we told that the instructors only gave us special treatment because of Yutian?"

"So what’s going on now?"

"Come to think of it, the instructor didn’t seem that friendly to Yutian that one time either..."

Among the group of guys around her, Lu Yutian heard the whispers and couldn’t help but lower her head in embarrassment.

Hidden in her sleeves, her fists were clenched tightly.

Her hatred for the name Lu Mian reached an extreme.

She’d already asked Xiaoyang about it—her grandfather’s eyesight surgery hadn’t yet wrapped up, and he wasn’t paying any attention to her situation here. Her family hadn’t reached out to the Chixia Sect at all.

So Jing Pei wasn’t lying—this was all thanks to Lu Mian.

She should have seen this coming.

This time, she had no choice but to accept her bad luck. On Chixia Sect’s turf, there was little she could do.

But once she got back to Qing University, she swore she’d make Lu Mian pay.

——

The days of military training went by one after another. Though all the students were training in shaded areas, they still ended up visibly darker, to varying degrees.

Only Lu Mian, with her naturally untannable skin, remained the radiant, glowing beauty of the group.

As the military training at the Chixia Sect approached its end, Lu Mian and Xiao Qimo still hadn’t taken the opportunity to properly soak in the scenery. They chose a breezy evening to take a leisurely stroll, hand in hand.

The atmosphere in the Chixia Sect had improved noticeably over the last few days. Those disciples no longer dared bully the girls, mostly because they had lost their backers and didn’t dare act up anymore.

Shui Yanmeng’s health was steadily improving. After each day of training, Sui Yuan would return to her room to keep her mother company.

All of the maternal love she had lacked over the years was now being lovingly given back to Sui Yuan, just as she had always wished for.

Meanwhile, Lu Mian could clearly sense that the once-introverted Little Baldy was gradually opening up. She now laughed freely, looked forward to her hair growing out, enjoyed twirling around in dresses, and began embracing the simple joys that a girl her age deserved.

As for Jing Heng and the others, rumor had it that Xi Mei was battling postpartum depression, often losing touch with reality and breaking down hysterically, reducing herself to a shadow of her former self.

Hong Junhua, as an elderly man, couldn’t handle the hardships of imprisonment and had grown frail and lifeless.

Jing Heng had been definitively convicted of various unsavory crimes, as well as numerous other dark dealings. A prison sentence was inevitable.

In any case, none of them would ever return to disturb Sui Yuan’s peaceful life.

As for Old Jing, he had reverted to his carefree, worldly ways. From time to time, he would teach his granddaughter Sui Yuan how to play chess or go into town to buy knick-knacks and trinkets that little girls would fancy, bringing them back as gifts for her.

The wounds brought to Yuanyuan by her original family were gradually being healed by her mother, her older brother, and her grandfather.

To Lu Mian, everything had been worth it.

Walking along, Lu Mian’s mind began to wander, reflecting on recent events.

Noticing her distraction, Xiao Qimo gently pinched her fingers. "Here you are walking with me, and yet you’re thinking about someone else."

Lu Mian stuck out her tongue and said, "I just wish for the Chixia Sect to become a better place."

"It will," Xiao Qimo nodded. "After you return to school, what are your plans?"

"Study," Lu Mian said.

Xiao Qimo didn’t quite believe Lu Mian was one to focus solely on academics. "And aside from studying?"