LRAB Chapter 7 First Meeting with Nono
Chapter 7 First Meeting with Nono
They walked out of the mall carrying large and small bags. Nuonuo threw the things into the back seat and then drove Lu Mingfei to a Western restaurant.
The restaurant is located on the top floor of a high-rise building, offering a superb view overlooking the entire city. The décor is elegant, the lighting is soft, and each table is adorned with flowers and candles, while waiters in tuxedos move about quietly.
Lu Mingfei felt even more uncomfortable. He had never been to such a high-class restaurant in his life.
Nono, however, acted as if she were at home, walking naturally to the window seat and taking the menu from the waiter.
"What do you want to eat?" she asked Lu Mingfei.
Looking at the menu, which was entirely in English and he couldn't understand a single word, Lu Mingfei could only bite the bullet and say, "You...you order, I'm fine with anything."
Nono glanced at him, said nothing, and told the waiter a few dishes.
The wait for the food was quiet. Lu Mingfei looked out the window; the city stretched out below him, a constant flow of traffic, people like ants. From this perspective, the city where he had lived for eighteen years seemed strange and insignificant.
"Are you nervous?" Nono suddenly asked.
Lu Mingfei turned his head: "A little."
"That's normal." Nono picked up her water glass and took a sip. "I was nervous the first time I went to Kassel too. That place... is definitely different from a regular university."
"How is it different?" Lu Mingfei asked.
Nono thought for a moment: "Let me put it this way, in a regular university, you learn knowledge; in Kassel, you learn how to live—how to live in a reality where dragons still exist and hybrids must hide in the world."
Lu Mingfei's heart skipped a beat. The words "dragon race" and "hybrid" sounded strangely real coming from Nono's mouth.
"My parents..." he hesitated before starting, "What do they do in Kassel?"
Nono's expression shifted subtly: "Professor Lu Lincheng is a member of the academy's board of directors and the head of the Siberian Research Institute. Your mother, Ms. Qiao Weini..." She paused, "was once one of the academy's most outstanding alchemists."
"once?"
"She passed away," Nono said bluntly, "when you were very young."
Lu Mingfei gripped his water glass tightly. He knew about this; his uncle and aunt had told him that his mother had passed away shortly after his birth. But every time he heard it, his heart still ached.
"How did he die?" he asked.
Nono was silent for a few seconds: "I don't know the specifics either. The academy's records only say 'sacrificed during a mission,' the details are classified."
Sacrificed in the line of duty? Lu Mingfei was stunned. He thought his mother had died of illness, but Nuonuo said she "sacrificed in the line of duty"?
"What mission?" he pressed.
Nono shook her head: "I really don't know. With my access, I can't access that level of classified information."
Lu Mingfei lowered his head, looking at the swaying water in the glass. His father had never told him any of this. Every time they talked on the phone, his father would always say, "I'm busy with research," "Everything is fine," "Take care of yourself," and never mention how his mother died.
"Your father rarely comes back to China to see you, right?" Nono asked.
Lu Mingfei nodded.
"He's looking into the cause of your mother's death," Nono said softly, but every word struck Lu Mingfei's heart. "Or rather, he's looking for a way to bring her back to life."
Lu Mingfei suddenly looked up: "Resurrected?"
Seeing his shocked expression, Nono sighed, "It seems you don't know anything. Well, sometimes the less you know, the safer you are."
"Tell me," Lu Mingfei's voice trembled slightly, "Nono, tell me everything you know."
Nono met his gaze for a few seconds, then finally shook her head: "All I can tell you is that your father's obsession with your mother runs very deep, so deep that... he might do something dangerous. And you, Lu Mingfei, are the key to his plan."
"What plan?" Lu Mingfei pressed.
"I don't know the specific details," Nono said, "but Professor Schneider privately warned me that the process of bringing you back to Kassel could be dangerous, and I should be extra careful."
Danger? Lu Mingfei was stunned. He was just an ordinary high school graduate, why would he be in danger?
"Because you, brother, have never been an ordinary person." Lu Mingze's voice echoed in his mind, tinged with a cold laugh. "Many people want you, brother. Some want to protect you, some want to use you, and some... want to kill you."
Lu Mingfei's face turned pale.
Nono noticed his change and waved her hand in front of him: "Hey, are you okay? You look terrible."
Lu Mingfei snapped out of his daze and forced a smile: "N-nothing."
"Don't overthink it," Nono said. "Once we get to Kassel, the principal will be there, the professors will be there, and..." She paused, "and I'll be there too. No one can easily touch you."
The words were spoken casually, but Lu Mingfei sensed a certain promise in them.
He looked at her, the red-haired girl he had known for less than three hours, the incredibly beautiful senior, the one who said she would "protect" him.
Suddenly, a part of my heart softened.
The dishes arrived, exquisitely plated, emitting an enticing aroma. Nuonuo picked up her knife and fork, her movements elegant and practiced. Lu Mingfei tried to imitate her, but his movements were somewhat clumsy.
"Take your time, there's no rush," Nono said. "You'll have to learn all of this when you get to Kassel."
"Do we have to learn everything?" Lu Mingfei asked, puzzled.
"Table manners, social dancing, wine tasting, horseback riding, fencing..." Nono rattled off a string of terms. "Kassel is ostensibly a university, but it's actually... a prestigious school? Or rather, a training base for mixed-race elites? In short, there's a lot you'll have to learn."
Lu Mingfei felt a chill run down his spine. He thought going to university meant attending classes, taking exams, and writing papers. How could there be so much other nonsense?
"Why... do I need to learn these things?" he asked.
Nono cut off a piece of steak, put it in her mouth, chewed and swallowed before saying, "Because most mixed-race people come from ancient families, they receive this kind of education from a young age. If you don't, you will be ostracized. And one of Kassel's tasks is to enable mixed-race people from different backgrounds to communicate on an equal footing."
"Including people like me... from ordinary families?" Lu Mingfei asked.
Nono laughed: "Lu Mingfei, you're not from an ordinary family. Your father is a school board member, your mother is a legendary alchemist, and you have one of the oldest bloodlines flowing through your veins. You just don't know it yourself."
The oldest bloodline? Lu Mingfei recalled the fragmented scenes in his dream, and those golden eyes.
He looked down at his hands, where bluish veins were faintly visible beneath the skin. Was the blood flowing in them really different from others?
After finishing her meal, Nono checked her watch: "It's almost time, let's go to the airport. Professor Schneider should already be waiting for us there."
They got back into the car, and Nuonuo drove towards the airport. The two barely spoke the rest of the way; Lu Mingfei watched the scenery rushing past the window, his mind a jumble of thoughts.
There was too much information; he needed time to process it.
As the car pulled into the airport's private helipad, Lu Mingfei saw a silver-gray private jet parked on the runway. Several people were standing next to the plane, one of whom was Professor Schneider, who had appeared in the light screen.
He was dressed in a black suit, impeccably groomed even in the sweltering heat. An oxygen mask covered his face, revealing only a half-face as cold and sculpted as a stone statue. His sharp gaze swept over Lu Mingfei, who felt as if he were being X-rayed.
"Lu Mingfei?" Schneider's voice was deep and hoarse, sounding somewhat distorted through the oxygen mask.
"Yes, it's me," Lu Mingfei said nervously.
Schneider nodded, then turned to Nono: "Everything went smoothly?"
"Successfully," Nono said. "No trace of anyone following us."
"Very good." Schneider turned and walked towards the boarding stairs. "Get on the plane, we'll take off immediately."
Lu Mingfei followed Nuonuo onto the plane. The cabin interior was more luxurious than he had imagined, with leather seats, solid wood trim, and a small bar. A flight attendant in uniform greeted them with a smile.
"Sit anywhere," Nono said, and sat down by the window.
Lu Mingfei sat down opposite her and fastened his seatbelt. Professor Schneider sat in the front row, looking down at a document.
The engines started, the plane slowly taxied, then accelerated and took off. A feeling of weightlessness washed over him, and Lu Mingfei instinctively grabbed the handrail.
"Is this your first time flying?" Nono asked.
"This is my first time flying on a private jet," Lu Mingfei said honestly.
Nono smiled: "You'll get used to it."
The plane climbed into the stratosphere and flew smoothly. The flight attendants brought drinks and snacks, and Lu Ming insisted on taking a glass of orange juice, sipping it slowly.
The sky outside the window gradually darkened, and the setting sun dyed the clouds golden red, as beautiful as an oil painting.