C64 He Tried to Add Him as a Friend

Life unfolded with serene predictability for Lee Yu, who had settled back into his role as a senior member of the household. He spent the majority of his time in the Otherworld, undisturbed by anyone.

Within the Qing family, most were aware that an outsider had claimed one of their coveted seed spots. A minority harbored some discontent, yet none could pin any blame on Lee Yu.

The lakeside area was designated off-limits, with entry typically restricted. Lee Yu seldom ventured out, adhering to the martial arts principle that coveting too much was to be avoided. Having mastered a couple of techniques in hand-to-hand combat, light footwork, and weaponry, he chose not to pursue further disciplines.

Consequently, Lee Yu's days revolved around the lake. When weariness set in, he'd indulge in a leisurely fishing session, finding contentment in the simplicity of his routine.

"The depth of your cultivation is truly remarkable, Young Master! Your progress in martial arts is astounding!" Cui exclaimed, her eyes wide with admiration as she watched the water's surface.

At that moment, Lee Yu, in his billowing robe, stood atop a water plant no larger than a palm, its slender branches barely the width of a finger. Yet, they wobbled under his weight, not from the plant's strength, but from Lee Yu's mastery of making the heavy feel light.

"This sensation is incredible!" Lee Yu marveled, his body gliding forward as he began to sprint across the water's surface.

This feat, reminiscent of the lightness techniques seen on television, was extraordinary because it was Lee Yu himself performing the act.

He landed gracefully on the constructed walkway over the lake, making his way along the corridor towards the pavilion.

Cui, trailing behind, gazed at the ground in astonishment. The wooden path bore no trace of moisture from his passage.

Elsewhere, surrounded by the grandeur of the palace, Qing Heng, the County Duke, was swamped with daily affairs. This place served as his office for the better part of the year.

"Excellent. Anqi has advanced to the Seventh Grade, and she's closing in on the Sixth Grade," Qing Heng remarked, setting aside the documents with a nod of approval.

He was confident that Qing Anqi would likely achieve the Third Grade, a significant boon for the Qing family. Another set of documents detailed Lee Yu's recent actions and included assessments from various individuals.

"Seventh Grade?"

Qing Heng was taken aback. If his memory served him right, Lee Yu had never ventured outside of the Qing's domain. The documents corroborated this, showing that solely through the cultivation resources provided by the Qing's, Lee Yu had managed to reach this impressive level.

"Such an impressive spiritual energy conversion rate!" Qing Heng swiftly worked out the absorption rates from the resources listed in the documents. The near-perfect scores narrowed his eyes, and after a moment, he mused, "If only he were a Qing's disciple."

"Qing Yi, the martial arts competition for the Hundred Clans Assembly is coming up soon, isn't it?" Qing Heng drummed his fingers thoughtfully. "Let's switch one of our candidates for Lee Yu. Actually, let's have all the promising ones participate."

"Understood!" Qing Yi, concealed in the shadows, responded.

...

Having set his mimesis puppet to absorb spiritual energy, Lee Yu, with nothing else to do, returned to Blue Star.

He had barely settled in when his phone buzzed to life.

"Ding! Ding! Yu, could you pick up some things for me? I need them. Don't worry if you're busy, though."

It was a message from Huang Xiu, accompanied by a screenshot listing twenty to thirty items.

"Got it, on my way!"

Lee Yu's fingers danced across his phone screen. He pondered for a moment, realizing the clothes from the Qing's resembled ancient attire on Blue Star. With Hanfu currently trending in China, he decided to forgo changing and head out as he was.

First stop: the grocery store.

Huang Xiu's list was a mixed bag, and Lee Yu had to hustle, visiting several stores before acquiring most of the items. A few elusive ones, however, remained out of reach.

"Young man, you might want to check the mall; there are plenty of shops there!" suggested the taxi driver helpfully.

"Sounds like a plan," Lee Yu agreed, finding the advice quite reasonable.

He'd make one last attempt at the mall. If he still came up empty-handed, he'd have to let Huang Xiu find another way, perhaps asking a classmate to buy an extra share for her.

With his plan in place, Lee Yu closed his eyes to rest for the remainder of the ride.

Upon arrival, he paid the fare, stepped out of the taxi, and as he turned around, his gaze was met with bewilderment.

Everywhere, men and women were clad in Hanfu, their traditional garments. Had it not been for the distinctly modern architecture surrounding them, Lee Yu might have wondered if he'd somehow slipped into another time.

"Let's make this quick, grab what we need, and head back," Lee Yu murmured to himself before seamlessly merging with the crowd and heading into the shopping mall.

"Ling'er, check it out! That guy is so handsome!"

A girl with fiery red sleeves excitedly tugged at her friend's hand, pointing towards Lee Yu's retreating figure.

Unaware of the attention, Lee Yu continued on, while the armored man behind him, feeling the girls' gaze, turned and offered them a smile.

"Are you messing with me?" Ling'er's eyes narrowed as she saw the man, not because he was unattractive, but rather the significant age gap between them.

She estimated that even their combined ages didn't match up to his.

"Since when did you start liking older guys?" she asked, half in jest.

"It's not him! I meant the one who was just in front of him, but got blocked!" The girl with red sleeves flushed with embarrassment and hastily clarified.

"But there's only a woman in front. Where's the handsome guy?"

"...He was there a second ago."

Meanwhile, Lee Yu, oblivious to the scene unfolding behind him, deftly navigated through the crowd using his lightness skill. His movements were so smooth and precise that many didn't even notice someone had passed by them.

"Excuse me, do you carry this item?" Lee Yu inquired at each store, showing them the list of items he hadn't been able to find online.

"Sorry, we don't have that here."

"We only have this one."

"Alright, I'll take some of these, thank you!"

After several inquiries, Lee Yu finally managed to find everything he needed, though he was slightly irked to discover that the last store he visited had all the items on Huang Xiu's list.

"At least I found everything," Lee Yu sighed, shaking his head at the challenge.

"Ling'er, look! There's the handsome guy I was telling you about!" The girl with the red sleeves called out, spotting the elusive Lee Yu the moment she reached the upper floor. Her excitement was palpable.

Finally, she could vindicate herself.

Down in the plaza, Ling'er had remained skeptical. She had scoured the crowd back and forth twice, yet had failed to catch even a glimpse of Lee Yu.

She had resigned herself to the situation. As things wrapped up, the downstairs bathroom was so overcrowded that, by chance, she caught a glimpse of Lee Yu on the top floor.

Ling Er's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, there's actually a handsome guy up there!"

Her vantage point offered a perfect view of Lee Yu's profile.

Lee Yu had scored three Purification Pills, and thanks to their effects, his physical condition had improved dramatically. Most notably, he had become significantly more attractive.

He was also dressed in a custom outfit from Qing's, designed not only for ease during martial arts practice but also to accentuate his new, handsome features.

"Should I go up and add him as a friend?" her best friend teased with a playful raise of her eyebrows.