Chapter 13.1

Entrance Exam (1)

When Kong He’an saw Gu Mingyuan’s back, he was shocked. According to logic, Gu Mingyuan wouldn’t be back until tomorrow morning at the earliest.

This dragon always acted decisively and efficiently, completing tasks within the designated time. Unless it was an emergency, he never worked overtime, maintaining a habit of going to bed and waking up early for many years.

But at this moment, Kong He’an could be sure that Gu Mingyuan had worked through the night and hurried back. He didn’t have a proper rest at all.

And his guess was correct.

Due to the lack of proper rest, Gu Mingyuan seemed even more intimidating. Although he appeared expressionless, it gave the impression that he was on the verge of losing his patience and breathing fire at any moment.

The little crocodile was almost scared to tears upon their first encounter. He didn’t know what to do with the arm he had around Mu Le’s neck, unsure whether to put it down or keep it there. He almost wanted to escape from the situation by detaching his arm like a cicada shedding its skin.

Mu Le, on the other hand, didn’t find Gu Mingyuan particularly fierce. She hadn’t seen her own male caretaker for over two days, so meeting him suddenly brought a pleasant surprise. She happily told Erte, “Little cro… Erte, my guardian is here, so let’s go home for now.”

Erte quickly withdrew his hand and said in a barely audible voice, almost inaudible even to Mu Le standing beside him, “Unc… Uncle, hello…”

Gu Mingyuan responded with a grunt, then bent down and lifted Mu Le up from the ground.

Mu Le obediently sat in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder.

She couldn’t help but feel a little emotional and wondered, “Why do I suddenly feel like I’ve been thinking about him even though I didn’t have much of a feeling before?”

The mighty man seemed tired. Was his work really so exhausting? Mu Le began to reflect on whether she ate too much, causing the caretaker to work hard just to support her.

Gu Mingyuan carried Mu Le and as they passed by Kong He’an, he slowed down and whispered, “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” Kong He’an’s expression couldn’t hide his surprise. “Are you okay? Is it difficult to deal with those old-fashioned folks?”

“I’m fine,” Gu Mingyuan replied.

“Are you really okay?” Kong He’an said. “If you’re fine, I’ll head back. My little troublemaker will start school the day after tomorrow, and he hasn’t finished his homework yet.”

Upon hearing this, Mu Le couldn’t help but smile secretly. It was a bit too relatable. So, procrastination exists in the animal world too.

Gu Mingyuan nodded and said to Kong He’an, “Thank you for your hard work.”

Kong He’an playfully hooked his finger around Mu Le’s small hand and smiled, “You’re welcome. Little one, are you okay? I see you came out alone… Has anyone been bullying you at school?”

“No,” Mu Le shook her head in confusion. “They’re all afraid of me.”

Kong He’an paused for a moment, looking at Gu Mingyuan’s slight change in expression. He pinched Mu Le’s cheek and asked her, “How is school?”

Mu Le hugged Gu Mingyuan’s neck and whispered, “First grade is so silly. I want to be in third grade.”

She had just come to this conclusion after coming out. The reason why the kids were so noisy and some were crying was simply because they had just started elementary school. By the time they reached third grade, everyone would be more familiar with each other, and it wouldn’t be so bothersome.

Besides, she didn’t care if they formed groups now. After all, no one dared to talk to her anyway.

However, she did feel a little reluctant to leave Erte. That kid, despite being overly outgoing, was quite cute. She never expected that she would have a day where she found a crocodile cute in her lifetime.

Mu Le’s thoughts circled around, and Gu Mingyuan nodded, telling her, “Hmm. There will be an entrance test tomorrow. If you do well, you can skip a grade.”

That’s how it worked in the world of the beastmen.

The children varied greatly in size and development, and on the second day of the school year, a new entrance test would be conducted.

As for why it wasn’t done on the first day or before the start of the school year… that was because they had to collect the previous year’s assignments. Regardless of whether one could skip a grade or not, the previous assignments still had to be completed and submitted to the original class.

Mu Le was unaware of this.

At noon that day, Gu Mingyuan accompanied her for lunch.

Although fatigue was evident on his face, he still maintained a straight posture, and every move he made exuded an imposing aura.

While eating, Mu Le chewed on her chopsticks as she stared at his profile for a few seconds.

The beastman was really handsome. He also seemed a bit fierce. No wonder everyone was afraid of him.

In those few seconds, Gu Mingyuan turned his head and looked at her. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m looking at you,” Mu Le replied straightforwardly. “I missed you.”

Children with a sweet mouth were more endearing.

Whether it was her imagination or not, she felt that Gu Mingyuan had become slightly gentler. He extended his large hand and gently touched her face, saying almost solemnly, “I’m back.”

Mu Le couldn’t help but hug his arm instinctively.

Gu Mingyuan pushed the steamed egg in front of Mu Le and discreetly moved the spicy dish a little further away.

Mu Le: “…”

Return my feelings and the delicious food to me.

The beastman mercilessly rearranged the dishes and sternly told Mu Le, “Eat your meal obediently.”

Mu Le: whimper whimper whimper

She lowered her head and obediently took a few bites of the steamed egg.

Suddenly, she heard Gu Mingyuan’s voice in her ear, sounding very casual and even a bit lazy.

But Mu Le felt that this moment was extremely dangerous.