A Lesson?
Chloe found it amusing.
What right did this unfamiliar young man have to lecture her subordinate?
But when Chloe raised her eyes and her gaze fell upon Feng Xi and Anderson's faces, the words caught in her throat for a moment.
She arched an eyebrow at Anderson and asked, "He says he wants to discipline you. What do you think?"
Anderson simply said two words in a flat tone: "Unacceptable."
His eyes traced over Chloe's figure, then shifted to the surly Feng Xi beside him, declaring with unwavering loyalty:
"I am the Young Lady's man. Any punishment or hardship I face should be meted out by the Young Lady herself. No one else has the right to discipline me."
As those words left his lips, the smile on Chloe's face finally became genuine.
She nodded slightly: "Well said."
Then, Chloe looked towards Feng Xi with an apologetic smile: "Did you hear that? I have no intention of disciplining my subordinate for now. You may leave."
Feng Xi remained rooted, his brow furrowed with barely contained fury:
"What about the injuries I sustained?"
Chloe spread her hands, scarcely believing her ears:
"Young Sir, that was within the arena at the Joint Military Academy Competition. As long as no one dies, injuries are fair game. With today's medical technology, as long as you're still breathing, the treatment chamber can pull you back from the jaws of death."
"There are many who get injured in the arena. Should we settle scores outside after every match?"
What happens in the arena stays in the arena.
That's an unwritten rule of the Joint Military Academy Competition.
Victory is decided by strength, grievances are settled through strength.
Chloe shook her head: "If you continue acting this way, I might start looking down on you."
Hearing those words, a hint of panic flickered in Feng Xi's eyes.
He glared fiercely at Anderson before addressing Chloe:
"My apologies. Lanxicha Military Academy has just joined the competition, so we were unfamiliar with the rules. It won't happen again."
Chloe answered with a lazy murmur.
She couldn't care less about Lanxicha Military Academy. The Joint Military Academy Competition was nearly over, and The No.1 Military Academy was sure to claim the championship.
After the next match, it was unlikely she would cross paths with Feng Xi again for a long time.
For those she had no connection with, Chloe didn't want to waste too much time on them.
As they reached an impasse, hushed whispers arose from nearby.
"Well, isn't this lively?"
Daniel's clear voice sounded from behind Lanxicha Military Academy.
Upon hearing it, Chloe instinctively looked up to see Daniel, Qin Huaibei, and Katherine approaching with trays in hand, fake smiles plastered on their faces.
Daniel rushed over, slamming his tray onto the table before looking up at Feng Xi:
"We meet again. But The No.1 Military Academy and Lanxicha Military Academy are sort of friends now, right? How could you greet Chloe without greeting us?"
"Indeed," Qin Huaibei said, seating himself beside Chloe as he looked up with a gentle, courteous smile. "We were waiting over there for quite a while, hoping Lanxicha Military Academy would chat with us too."
Katherine's silver-white eyes exuded gentle warmth as she sighed: "It's a pity you seem only interested in Chloe. We're truly saddened."
Feng Xi: "..."
A bunch of drama queens.
But things had reached this point, and it would seem odd not to play along.
Especially with the sidelong glances being thrown their way by those dining in the cafeteria.
Besides the academy members, various staff from the ship were also present, eagerly watching the spectacle unfold with eyes wider than copper bells.
Feng Xi had no choice but to force out a smile: "Not at all. We were simply engrossed in conversation with Lady Chloe and forgot there were others to greet."
"Ah, I see," Daniel said, stuffing a piece of beef into his mouth before continuing. "Well, since that's the case, I have some questions for you as well."
Feng Xi: "...Go ahead."
Daniel asked excitedly: "What's your take on defeating Sasley Military Academy?"
At this, Feng Xi was rendered speechless.
The main Sasley Military Academy squad was dining not far from them, and Daniel had made no attempt to lower his voice, ensuring they heard every word.
More and more onlookers gathered around.
Fuen slammed his fork onto the table with a dull thud.
Feng Xi: "..."
It was true that he held no respect for Sasley Military Academy - or anyone besides Chloe, for that matter.
But that didn't mean he dared to provoke Sasley without restraint.
After all, Sasley was an esteemed military academy of the Elven race, no matter what.
Feng Xi felt a headache coming on. He closed his eyes and tried to backpedal:
"Sasley Military Academy's defeat this time was likely a fluke. To have maintained a foothold among the four major academies, Sasley could never be a pushover. I believe in the next match, Sasley Military Academy will showcase abilities far superior to their previous performance."
As his words trailed off, the palpable hostility from Sasley Military Academy seemed to dissipate.
But The No.1 Military Academy had spent twenty years mastering the art of fanning flames, and their formidable strength meant they feared no academy's threats.
Almost as soon as Lanxicha Military Academy finished speaking, Qin Huaibei chimed in:
"That's not necessarily true. Sasley Military Academy has been at the bottom for several rounds. Even without Lanxicha Military Academy, they would have ultimately fallen to the other academies."
Pausing, Qin Huaibei looked at Feng Xi with an encouraging, gentle gaze:
"Don't sell yourselves short. Lanxicha has the strength to achieve this."
As he spoke, Qin Huaibei even gave them a thumbs up.
Words of encouragement, indeed.
Feng Xi: "..."
He felt he could no longer remain there, lest he meet an untimely demise.
After stammering a few more words, he hurriedly fled the cafeteria.
Seeing him leave, Qin Huaibei no longer concealed his disdain, letting out a short, mocking laugh.
Daniel said bluntly: "With just that pathetic display, he dares act wild in front of us."
Chloe said wearily, "Really, you two went too far. Feng Xi just wanted me to discipline Anderson."
Upon hearing this, Daniel scoffed: "Don't pretend to be a saint with me."
"If you didn't want us giving Lanxicha a hard time, why didn't you speak up earlier?"
Hearing this, Chloe didn't get angry. She simply smiled and took a bite of her food.
On the other side, Qin Huaibei glanced at Anderson and murmured:
"How dare an outsider presume to reprimand one of The No.1 Military Academy?"
