Chapter 5: Imperial Court Academy

"I'm fine. I've thought it through. I can't let this matter affect my City Exam preparation. I'll head back to rest now," Su Ming replied calmly before standing up and heading back to his room. He needed rest to sort through everything on his mind.

As Su Ming ascended the stairs, Su Yuan and Zhao Ning exchanged a glance, worry evident in their eyes.

---

The Next Morning

In front of Mient Intermediate Academy, located in District 13, a black hover car smoothly pulled into the school's spacious concrete driveway.

Seated inside, Su Ming peered through the car window at the imposing stone gate constructed from teal-colored stone. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself.

"We're here, son," Su Yuan said hesitantly, glancing at Su Ming as if he wanted to say more but held back.

"Got it, Father," Su Ming replied as he opened the car door and stepped out, walking toward the school.

He had barely taken a few steps when he noticed Su Yuan following him, rubbing his hands nervously and wearing a fawning smile.

"Father, is there something else?" Su Ming asked, confused.

"Are you sure you'll be okay? Do you want me to walk you in? I always used to walk you in," Su Yuan asked, his smile almost pleading.

Hearing this, Su Ming's lips twitched involuntarily.

What the hell? This little fatty wasn't just a shut-in; he was a mama's boy too!

Pressing a hand to his forehead, Su Ming sighed and said, "No, Father, I can handle it."

"Really? Are you sure?" Su Yuan asked again, clearly unconvinced, as if sending Su Ming to school was akin to sending him into battle.

"I'm sure, Father," Su Ming replied, his tone firm.

"Alright, alright then," Su Yuan relented reluctantly. "But if anything happens, call me immediately, okay?"

"Understood," Su Ming said, nodding as he turned and walked toward the school.

Su Yuan remained standing by the car, watching Su Ming until he disappeared inside the school gate.

---

Inside the school grounds, Su Ming navigated toward the classroom building using his memory. As he walked, he took in his surroundings.

The campus was enormous, with neatly arranged teaching buildings and perfectly paved concrete roads. To his right, in the distance, he spotted a massive circular sports field.

The school seemed well-equipped, but one thing was glaringly apparent—there wasn't a single real plant in sight. Every tree, shrub, and flower was an artificial replica.

As Su Ming made his way toward the teaching building, some students walking nearby noticed him and began whispering.

"Isn't that Su Ming, the guy who tried to hang himself recently?"

"Yeah, it's him. I can't believe he's back at school already."

"Ha! Honestly, did he really think he had a chance with Lin Chuyu? What a joke."

Su Ming was keenly aware of the pointing and whispering around him, but he remained unfazed, his expression calm and unbothered.

Soon, he reached his classroom door, which was slightly ajar. As he approached, he overheard the ongoing chatter inside.

"Do you think Su Ming, that fatty, will come back to school?"

"No way. He's probably transferred by now. Honestly, just look at him. What was he even thinking?"

Creak.

Su Ming pushed open the door and stepped inside. The previously bustling and noisy classroom fell silent as all eyes turned toward him.

"Holy crap, he actually came back," someone muttered.

"Shh, don't say anything. Don't want to trigger him again," another whispered.

Most of the students quickly quieted down, though a few sneered openly.

"Honestly, who can he blame but himself for being so fragile?" one boy muttered mockingly.

"Cut it out," another student hissed.

Su Ming met their gazes without flinching and calmly walked to his seat, sitting down as if nothing had happened.

The students exchanged glances, feeling a strange unease. Something about Su Ming seemed different, but none of them could quite put their finger on it.

---

Three boys, dressed in the school's blue-and-white uniforms and sporting streaks of yellow, green, and red in their hair, approached Su Ming's desk.

Su Ming looked up at them, his expression unreadable. These three were Cheng Ran, Wang Chi, and Qin Lei, known by their nicknames Yellow, Green, and Red due to their hair streaks.

They were Su Ming's dormmates. According to his memories, their relationship had been decent, largely because the original Su Ming, despite being a recluse, was generous with his snacks and other treats.

"Dude, you're amazing! You're a celebrity now—you actually had the guts to confess to Lin Chuyu," Yellow said with a grin.

"Yeah, seriously impressive!" Green and Red added, giving Su Ming a thumbs up.

"It's nothing. Let's not talk about that anymore," Su Ming replied, clearly uninterested in continuing the conversation.

Yellow glanced around before leaning in close and whispering to Su Ming, "By the way, you've pissed off some big shots. Lin Chuyu's fans in the Mecha Class—Zhang Tai, the self-proclaimed 'King of the Class,' and the class monitor, Li Fubai—are out to get you. They've already said they're going to teach you a lesson. Be careful, man."

Hearing this, Su Ming sighed softly. Great, more trouble.

Just then, their teacher, Tang Yan, entered the classroom through the back door. Spotting Yellow and the others gathered around Su Ming, he frowned.

"Get back to your seats!" Tang Yan barked.

The trio scrambled back to their desks, and the classroom quieted once more.

Tang Yan walked over to Su Ming and asked with genuine concern, "Su Ming, how are you feeling? Better now?"

"I'm fine. Thank you for asking," Su Ming replied with a nod.

"Good. Don't let what happened bother you," Tang Yan said, patting Su Ming's shoulder reassuringly.

Tang Yan genuinely cared about Su Ming. After all, Su Ming, while not an outstanding student, had always been well-behaved and never caused trouble. What had happened recently wasn't all that unusual for teenagers—it was just unfortunate that Su Ming hadn't been able to handle the embarrassment.

After a brief exchange, Tang Yan walked to the podium and addressed the class sternly.

"Recently, our class has experienced some... incidents. But that's all in the past. From now on, I don't want to hear any more discussions about it. 

"Your focus should be on the upcoming City Exam. We're only 30 days away. Let me remind you—this exam is critical. It will shape your future. I hope every one of you gives it your all and leaves no room for regret. If any of you manage to get into the Imperial Court Military Academy, you'll bring great honor to our school. Your name will even be engraved on our Wall of Glory!"

"Ha, like that's going to happen," one student muttered, earning a round of laughs and sighs from the class.

Hearing Tang Yan's words, Su Ming furrowed his brow. His memories of the Imperial Court Military Academy were clear—it was one of the most prestigious institutions in the Old Federation.