The Beloved Guide Was Forced in a Love-Rival Shura Field - Chapter 7

The Empire’s First Military Academy, a floating steel megacity suspended above the capital’s nebulae, radiated a cold, merciless gleam from every inch of its metal.

Ning Ning stood beneath the imposing school gates, gazing up at the enormous emblem formed entirely of pure energy. A wave of dizziness washed over him.

He should never have come to a place like this.

【Host, perk up! This is the Empire’s First Military Academy, the alma mater of the protagonist shou, Gu Qingfeng! Our mission here is to trip him up and keep him from graduating smoothly!】 System 89’s voice was bursting with enthusiasm.

Before Ning Ning could even argue back, a tidal wave of cheers erupted from the assembly square.

He looked around blankly, only to see on the highest platform a figure in a perfectly tailored marshal’s uniform, sharp as an unsheathed blade, instantly seizing the attention of all.

It was Xiao Lin.

What was he doing here?!

Ning Ning’s heart stuttered violently, his first instinct to shrink into the shadows of the crowd.

But it was too late.

Xiao Lin’s wolf-green eyes, like a top-tier tracking system, pierced through the masses and locked unerringly onto him. That gaze no longer carried the clumsy gentleness of last night—it was nothing but raw, consuming possessiveness, with the satisfaction of prey finally cornered.

“I am your chief instructor for the next four years—Xiao Lin.”

His voice, transmitted clearly across the square by amplification equipment, was cold, domineering, brooking no argument.

Ning Ning’s limbs turned icy, his mind going blank.

【It’s over, 89. I want to apply for immediate withdrawal. You can have this damn blessing, do you want it?!】

【Don’t be scared, Host! Remember our mission!】

Before he could recover from this massive blow, the host introduced the next guest with even greater fervor.

“At the same time, we are greatly honored to welcome the Empire’s Second Prince, His Highness Gu Qingfeng, who will serve as our academy’s special mental power instructor!”

Ning Ning whipped his head around, struck as if by lightning.

Gu Qingfeng, dressed in the white uniform of an instructor, walked gracefully onto the platform, positioning himself not too close yet not too far from Xiao Lin. He wore the same warm and flawless smile, and when his deep black eyes fell on Ning Ning, a ripple of tenderness seemed to bloom there. But behind that smile flickered the sharp glint of a strategist’s chess piece sliding neatly into place.

Ning Ning: “…”

He wanted to die on the spot. One was a devil of an instructor, the other a smiling tiger of a mentor—he couldn’t last a second in this academy!

The moment the opening ceremony ended, Ning Ning buried his head and tried to slip away. But amid the milling chaos, a voice cut sharply into his ears.

“Ning Ning. Come to my office.”

It was Xiao Lin. He had already descended from the platform, his tall figure looming just a few people away, eyes fixed unwaveringly on him.

The words weren’t loud, but they were enough for all the eavesdropping freshmen nearby. In an instant, countless curious, jealous, and probing gazes zeroed in on Ning Ning.

As his scalp tingled and his legs froze, another warm voice interjected, blocking Xiao Lin’s oppressive force like a timely spring breeze.

“Marshal, being this impatient might frighten our junior.”

Gu Qingfeng approached with a smile, subtly positioning himself in front of Ning Ning, shielding him from Xiao Lin’s invasive gaze.

“According to academy regulations, before freshmen are assigned to divisions, they must undergo a full evaluation by the instructor team. Ning Ning is a B-rank guide with a frail constitution—he cannot withstand your… ‘special care.’ As chief instructor, you wouldn’t knowingly break the rules, would you?”

His words were impeccable, spoken gently, yet cutting like a blade of silk. In one breath, he painted Xiao Lin as a rough, terrifying tyrant, while casting himself as the gentle protector of the weak.

Xiao Lin’s jawline clenched into a line of steel.

Just one night, and this cunning fox was already using such tricks to win over his little rabbit.

His icy gaze burned past Gu Qingfeng’s shoulder, pinning the slender figure behind him. The words squeezed through his teeth: “He’s my guide. How I take care of him is none of the Second Prince’s concern.”

“Oh?” Gu Qingfeng chuckled lightly, though his eyes were cold. “So the Marshal intends to declare a nonexistent ownership in public? That would hardly be proper.”

The air crackled like live electricity.

Caught between them, Ning Ning wished he could disappear. Finally, the frantic director of academics rushed in to smooth things over, and Ning Ning was whisked away by a robot, practically fleeing to the dorms.

The dormitory was a top-tier two-person suite. When he pushed the door open, a sunny-looking boy poked his head out.

“You must be Ning Ning? I’m your roommate, Lin Yuan!”

The boy’s eyes widened at the sight of him—far more breathtaking in person than any hologram. His cheeks flushed. “Wow… rumors are flying everywhere outside, saying Marshal Xiao Lin and the Second Prince almost had a psychic showdown over you in the square! Is it true?!”

At the mention of those names, Ning Ning’s head throbbed. He waved his hands frantically. “No, no, they were just… discussing official matters.”

Lin Yuan blinked at him, his face screaming ‘Yeah, right.’

The next morning, the first class was Xiao Lin’s hellish physical training.

On the training grounds, every freshman was drenched in sweat in gray uniforms. Only Ning Ning, delicate wrists and ankles exposed, looked like he was wearing some kind of high-end custom attire, his skin so pale it dazzled the eye.

【89, I’m starting.】 Ning Ning muttered internally.

【Go, Host! Our goal is to make him hate you—make him think you’re a useless, delicate burden!】

During the 5km run, Ning Ning deliberately dragged himself at the back, panting heavily.

Scaling the thirty-meter vertical wall, he leaned into weakness to the extreme. Halfway up, his hand “slipped,” and with a soft gasp, he fell.

He had calculated it: the ground was cushioned, the worst he’d get was a bruise—just enough to make Xiao Lin think he was worthless.

But at that exact moment, a hot-headed red-haired sentinel, Lu Ming—one of Xiao Lin’s diehard fans in the original novel—lost his footing in his eagerness to impress, about to tumble down as well!

In reflex, Ning Ning kicked off a nearby metal rod mid-air.

“Boom—ka-dunk!”

With a metallic roar, the rod flipped 180 degrees, triggering a hidden mechanism. A foothold snapped out beneath Lu Ming’s feet.

Then, like dominoes, more footholds unfolded across the wall, forming a perfect zigzag staircase straight to the top!

Lu Ming, shocked beyond words, landed on one just in time, saving himself from disaster.

Meanwhile, Ning Ning fell gracefully onto the cushion, his knees adorably scraped red. Raising misty violet eyes, he looked dazed and innocent at the entire field.

Everyone froze.

No one had ever known this wall even had an “easy mode”!

High above, Xiao Lin’s pupils constricted. His sharp gaze swept from the newly revealed staircase back to the boy sitting there, on the verge of tears.

He’s not weak… He’s helping others in a way no one could predict.

Lu Ming leapt down, rushing to him, face flushed. This notoriously brash S-rank sentinel now stammered like a schoolboy: “Th-thank you! You saved me! How did you know about the mechanism? You’re amazing!”

Ning Ning: “???”

【Ding! Host’s actions evaluated as ‘self-sacrificing’ and ‘ingeniously resourceful.’ Crisis perfectly resolved! S-rank sentinel Lu Ming’s loyalty +50! General freshman favorability +10! Congratulations, Host—you’ve messed it up again!】

Ning Ning looked at Lu Ming’s starry-eyed admiration, the surrounding respect, and Xiao Lin’s deepening, penetrating gaze, and screamed silently inside.

【I just wanted to fake a fall, damn it! System, be a human for once!】

That afternoon was Gu Qingfeng’s mental guidance class.

The classroom was calm and elegant, filled with soothing incense. Ning Ning slumped in a corner seat, his body still aching from Xiao Lin’s torture earlier.

“Ning Ning, are you okay? Marshal Xiao Lin didn’t do anything to you, right?” Lin Yuan whispered, his eyes shining with gossip. “The way the atmosphere froze on the training ground this morning—I could feel it fifty meters away!”

“I’m fine,” Ning Ning muttered weakly.

“No way! The academy forums are exploding! Headlines everywhere: ‘Shocking! The Empire’s Twin Stars Turn Against Each Other for Love—Who Will Claim the Gorgeous Guide?’ There’s even a betting pool about who you’ll choose!”

Ning Ning: “…” His blood pressure spiked.

【Host, this is our chance!】 System 89 piped up. 【When Gu Qingfeng teaches, deliberately release chaotic mental energy. Disrupt his class! Turn his proudest teaching moment into a disaster!】

【Denied.】 Ning Ning shot back, deadpan. 【You forget how many sentinels are sitting here? If I mess around, their spirit beasts will tear me apart.】

Just then, the door slid open. Gu Qingfeng entered, clad once again in white, warm and refined. His gaze swept the room, inevitably settling on Ning Ning. His smile deepened.

“Mental guidance is essentially resonance and direction,” Gu Qingfeng’s gentle voice carried a natural calm. “It requires deep focus and trust. Today, we’ll practice simple sensory connection.”

He walked down the aisle, finally stopping at Ning Ning’s desk—just as expected.

“Ning Ning, after this morning’s training, your mental sea must be unstable. If you don’t mind, may I use you for a demonstration? It will help everyone understand more intuitively.”

Polite, unpressuring, yet leaving no room for refusal.

Every gaze in the room fell on him, burning hot.

Scalp prickling, Ning Ning nodded stiffly.

Gu Qingfeng smiled in satisfaction, reaching out, fingertips nearing his forehead.

“Relax. Don’t resist.”

His mental tendrils entered gently, like a trickle of water.

But the instant they touched—everything went wrong.

The sleeping moon rabbit in Ning Ning’s mental sea stirred, releasing an irresistible, honey-sweet aura of allure.

That intoxicating aura surged through the link, flooding into Gu Qingfeng.

His smile froze instantly.

His breath caught. A vision flashed before his eyes—silver-haired Ning Ning in chains, violet eyes brimming with tears, lips parted in helpless invitation…

A soul-deep madness rose in him, a need to own him completely, to make him cry only for him.

Snap!

Gu Qingfeng severed the link, veins bulging on his hand, his face pale from the effort of suppressing desire.

Ning Ning flinched, blinking in confusion.

“D-Doctor? Did I… do something wrong?”

Gu Qingfeng looked at him deeply. His usual gentle eyes now roiled with unfathomable shadows.

After a long moment, he curved his lips again, voice hoarse beneath its warmth.

“No. You did… very well.”

So well, he almost lost control.

By the time the day ended, Ning Ning dragged his exhausted body back to the dorm.

His terminal blinked with two new messages—both arriving at once.

【Xiao Lin: 19:00. My office. Make up for the training you failed today.】

【Gu Qingfeng: 19:00. My lab. Your mental fluctuations are abnormal—you require a thorough examination.】

Staring at the twin orders on his screen, Ning Ning felt his vision go black.

This life… was unbearable.

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