It’s normal to have skills in Wangwang, right?

Chapter 414 An Unglamorous Gift, Conflict

Atobe Keigo's room at the training camp was a standard double room, but it felt exceptionally different because of his presence.

Even though it's just a temporary place to stay, the room is kept almost impossibly clean.

The dark blue curtains were neatly tied on both sides, the bed was made without a single wrinkle, and the items on the desk were arranged in an orderly manner according to frequency of use and aesthetics.

The steam in the bathroom hadn't completely dissipated, carrying a refreshing rose scent. Atobe wore a silk robe, his purplish-gray hair was half-dry, and a few water droplets still clung to the ends.

He casually dried his hair with a towel as he walked towards his desk, preparing to change into casual clothes.

Then, his gaze fell on the dark blue gift box on the table.

The wrapping paper gleamed delicately under the indoor lights, and the silver-gray ribbon was still tied meticulously. This was the "gift" that Liu Lingyin had "reluctantly" given him in front of the main building.

Atobe's lips curled into a slight smile. He didn't really care about any "benefits"; the fact that Liu Lingyin remembered to bring him a gift was already...quite lavish.

He reached out, his long, slender fingers deftly untying the delicate ribbon knot. The wrapping paper was carefully removed, revealing a plain white cardboard box inside. The moment the lid was opened—

Atobe froze completely.

Those usually sharp and composed phoenix eyes suddenly narrowed the moment they saw the contents of the box.

He didn't even realize that his hair was standing on end, goosebumps were sprouting on his arms, and a chill, a mixture of shock and instinctive resistance, was running down his back.

Inside the box, an exquisitely crafted crystal bottle stood quietly on a black velvet liner. The bottle was cut into multifaceted shapes, refracting the light with a ruby-like luster, and filled with a dark red liquid, mysterious and luxurious—perfectly in line with his aesthetic.

If it weren't for that thing lying on the inside of the box lid.

A spider with a dark purple metallic sheen lay sprawled on the inside of the box lid, its eight legs spread out in an almost resigned posture.

It wasn't huge, but its outstretched legs covered a considerable area. What was most chilling was that it wasn't a static specimen—Atobe's proud dynamic vision clearly captured the spider's body rising and falling gently with its extremely subtle breathing. Even its tiny, almost negligible head had two black eyes, the size of sesame seeds, lazily staring at him, half-open.

In an instant, Atobe Keigo, the emperor of Hyotei Academy and a seasoned tennis player, almost instinctively took two big steps back, and even considered hiding behind the rock-solid, silent Kabaji in a rather unrefined manner.

But that's too unglamorous!

His strong mental fortitude and pride firmly suppressed this humiliating impulse. His face inevitably paled for a moment, and he held his breath slightly.

A low growl, forced through clenched teeth, erupted from the room:

"Liu, Ling, Yin—you unglamorous woman!!!"

His voice was a mixture of lingering anger and a sense of being tricked.

He had given and received countless gifts—precious, rare, incredibly creative… but he had never encountered one that came with a live arthropod! Especially such a large spider with such a bizarre color!

The bottle of red perfume shimmered alluringly under the light, but at this moment, due to his "intimate contact" with the purple spider, Atobe completely lost any desire to appreciate it.

The purple spider on the box lid seemed to sense that the person opening the box was not only not approaching, but was also subtly emanating an aura of "resistance." It moved its foremost leg very slightly and reluctantly, and slowly pulled out a folded card with a simple pattern from under its body.

It used its leg (or rather, its foreleg) to rather "laboriously" lift the card and "hand" it towards Atobe. (???)_/

Seeing that Atobe remained frozen in place, showing no intention of taking the card, the purple spider's two tiny eyes rolled almost imperceptibly (if spiders could make that expression). It lazily swung its leg holding the card, the movement small but the intention clear: Look here, two-legged creature, the master left a message.

After making this "hint," it seemed to have exhausted all its strength. The entire spider flattened out completely with a "thud," its eyes closed, as if to say, "Take it or leave it, I'm going to sleep, don't bother me." It even gave one the vague impression that it might have made a very faint, snoring "Z~Z~" sound.

As Atobe looked at this creature whose behavior was completely beyond the scope of an ordinary spider, and even exuded a strange "human" laziness, the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Produced by Liu Lingyin, it is indeed a... "extraordinary" product.

Strangely, precisely because this spider behaved so "bizarrely," Atobe's initial instinctive dread and slight fear of arthropods were replaced by a sense of absurdity and intense curiosity.

Regardless of the fact that it is a spider, its smooth purple carapace, evenly distributed legs, and almost symmetrical shape when flattened out, possess a unique, cold and mysterious beauty under the light, like a piece of metal art.

However, while the aesthetic appeal is undeniable, overcoming the psychological hurdle isn't so easy. Atobe Keigo resolutely refused to touch the card that the spider had handled.

“Birch Field.” His voice was still a little tense.

The tall boy who had been standing silently behind him like a shadow immediately stepped forward, extended two fingers, and with extremely steady and precise movements, pinched the edge of the card that had not been touched by the spider, pulling it out from the purple spider's "hand" (leg), and then respectfully handed it to Atobe.

Atobe then took it and unfolded it.

The card bore Liu Lingyin's elegant yet graceful handwriting:

【?)?hi~ Xiao Jing:

This perfume was specially blended for you in France.

Don't you like roses? This fragrance is based on Damask rose, mixed with Bulgarian white rose and a touch of bitter orange blossom oil, with cedarwood and amber added to balance the middle and base notes.

It also contains several Chinese herbal extracts that can regulate blood and qi and soothe nerves (don't worry, they are completely blended into the fragrance and have no medicinal taste).

Spraying a little on your body regularly not only gives you a sophisticated and unique scent, but also refreshes your mind. Adding a few drops to your bathwater can promote circulation and make your skin more moisturized – you'll definitely love it!

Remember not to pour too much at once! Otherwise, it will run out quickly.

——Liu Lingyin (＾－＾)V】

As his gaze swept over the words "You'll definitely like it," Atobe's tightly clenched lips couldn't help but curl upwards in an extremely subtle way. Although the way the gift was given was extremely unpretentious, the thoughtfulness and consideration... showed that she did have some good taste.

"uh-huh!"

He gave a haughty snort, as if refuting something to the air.

"What haven't I seen? Why would I particularly like this little bottle of perfume?"

Even so, his hand had already reached out uncontrollably and with unusual gentleness towards the red crystal bottle in the box. His movements paused as his fingertips touched the cool, smooth surface of the bottle—he suddenly remembered that this bottle had just been in the same box as the purple spider!

Atobe immediately withdrew his hand as if he had been burned, then grabbed the perfume bottle with lightning speed and rushed into the suite's bathroom.

Turn on the tap and rinse the bottle carefully with running warm water. Squeeze on some hand soap and rub it repeatedly. Then, carefully wipe it with a soft towel until it shines, leaving no water stains or fingerprints.

After doing all this, he felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders and solemnly placed the perfume bottle on the dry, clean towel on the sink, examining it for a moment.

Yes, it is indeed gorgeous. Then I took it back to my room, intending to find a safe and conspicuous place to display it.

At this moment, Kabaji, who had been holding the card box, silently turned the card over and held it up to Atobe's eyes again.

A light yellow sticky note was attached to the back, with another slightly hastily written, seemingly hastily added message:

[PS: Little Purple is a medicinal spider, very docile, and I keep it very clean. Its whole body is regularly fumigated with special herbs.]

Even if you come into contact with it, it will only bring benefits, not harm.

When you're feeling tired or have muscle soreness, let it crawl all over you (of course, only if it's awake and willing). Its effects on improving blood circulation, relieving pain, and soothing nerves are even better than the best massage therapist!

Of course, you have to dare to do it, hahaha...?(???????)?

By the way, during these training days, if you hear that Kirihara Akaya gets into conflicts with people (especially those from Fudomine) in the cafeteria... please ask Kabaji to temporarily leave Komurasaki at the stairwell of your training floor for one night. She'll find a place to stay on her own; she's not scary (probably).

Upon reading the first part of the explanation about the "medicinal spider" and "promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis," Atobe subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief; at least this thing wasn't an ordinary, potentially poisonous spider. But then, his brows furrowed tightly, his gaze fixed on the last sentence.

Kirihara Akaya? Cafeteria conflict? Fudomine? Stairwell?

These keywords, strung together, are very clearly targeted.

Liu Lingyin wouldn't make such a specific and strange request without a reason. She deliberately conveyed this message in this subtle way, ensuring he would notice it, within the gift she was giving as a "benefit," indicating that she considered this matter important, and perhaps even... had a certain urgency that was inconvenient to state openly.

Considering her sudden appearance at the training base today, and her apparent conversation with Sanada and Yanagi from Rikkai University earlier...

Atobe's gaze deepened and sharpened. He recalled encountering Liu Lingyin in front of the main building earlier; although she was smiling, there seemed to be a subtle, almost imperceptible seriousness between her brows. At the time, he had dismissed it as an illusion, but now it seemed that was not the case.

“Kabachi,” Atobe turned to his most loyal companion, his voice regaining its usual calm and decisiveness.

"Keep this note safe. Also, keep an eye on the cafeteria, especially on Kirihara Akaya from Rikkai University, and... Fudomine and the others."

“Usu”

Kabaji silently and carefully put the card and note into his pocket.

Atobe looked again at the gorgeous red perfume bottle on the table, and then glanced at the purple spider "Little Purple" inside the box, which was still flattened like a pancake and seemed to be sleeping soundly.

Liu Lingyin, you made a special trip here, both to issue a warning and to send "helpers"... what exactly did you foresee?

Night gradually enveloped the training base.

What Liu Lingyin and Sanada didn't expect was that this day was the same night that Kirihara Akaya fell down the building in the original storyline.

After leaving the training ground, Genichiro Sanada and Renji Yanagi did not go directly to the cafeteria. They first returned to their dormitory room assigned by Rikkai University, quickly washed away their sweat and fatigue, and changed into clean and tidy casual clothes.

Sanada meticulously buttoned the top button of his shirt in front of the mirror, his brows slightly furrowed. Liu Lingyin's words weighed heavily on his heart.

The stairs... an accident... He couldn't imagine his junior, who was always full of energy and seemed to be running forever, falling down the stairs and getting injured.

That would not only be a blow to Kirimoto himself, but also to the entire Rikkai University team—it is absolutely unacceptable for a key player to be injured in such a completely avoidable accident on the eve of the National Tournament.

"We must strengthen Akaya's security awareness," Sanada said in a deep voice to Yanagi Renji, who was organizing data books, his tone resolute and leaving no room for doubt.

Liu Lian'er nodded calmly.

The two reached a consensus to find Kirihara during dinner and conduct a serious lecture on stairwell safety.

They walked toward the canteen in the last rays of the evening light. It was a spacious and bright building, already filled with the aroma of food, and warm light shone from the windows. However, before they even got close, they sensed that something was amiss.

A group of contestants from other groups had gathered at the entrance of the cafeteria, whispering and peering inside. A heated argument could be faintly heard coming from within.

Sanada and Yanagi Renji exchanged a glance, a sense of foreboding rising within them simultaneously. They quickened their pace and pushed open the glass door of the cafeteria.

The sight inside made both of them instantly grim.

The athletes from Coach Ryuzaki's team all stopped what they were doing and turned their gazes to a certain spot.

Kamio Akira of Fudomine, the boy known for his speed and equally impetuous nature, was now flushed red, his chest heaving violently. He suddenly lunged forward, knocking Kirihara to the ground, his hands gripping Kirihara Akaya's collar tightly, pinning him firmly to the ground. Kirihara was half-lying on the ground, his seaweed-like black hair slightly disheveled, his face showing surprise and a hint of defiance.

"You bastard! Say that again and see what happens!" Kamio's voice was distorted with excitement, and his eyes seemed to be spitting fire.

"Why are you angry! I was just asking how Tachibana is doing!" Kirihara Akaya glanced at Kamio speechlessly.

Seeing the escalating tension between the two, the players from Fudomine and Seigaku quickly stepped forward to intervene. Some worked together to pull Kamio away from Kirihara Akaya, while others helped Kirihara up.

"Aka!" Sanada's low shout exploded like thunder in the noisy cafeteria.

The cold anger and absolute authority contained in that voice instantly silenced the entire cafeteria.