Chapter 310: Chapter 310: Top Scorer

She stopped abruptly and looked at Lana, who was already watching her closely.

’If I push any further, I might faint from exhaustion.’ Layla thought, realizing she had reached her limit.

She straightened and spoke firmly, “I won’t continue. I’m stopping here.”

Lana nodded in understanding and glanced at Layla again.

“If you feel like you don’t even have enough strength to return to camp,” she added calmly,

“I can give you some recovery talismans.”

With that, she took a few out and held them out to Layla.

Layla hesitated, her fingers hovering in the air. Lana couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I promised to help you,” she said lightly. “And when I make a promise, I see it through to the end.”

Layla’s eyes brimmed with emotion as she looked at Lana.

She nodded silently, accepted the talismans, and soon left.

Lana, on the other hand, continued hunting for the rest of the night.

She followed a strict routine, sleeping through the day and waking at night to hunt relentlessly. By the end, her efforts paid off.

She emerged victorious.

Lana had accumulated a staggering one thousand points.

When the others learned of her score, disbelief rippled through the group.

Until now, most people struggled to even reach five hundred points.

Even Quinn, the top scorer before Lana, had only managed eight hundred.

A two-hundred-point gap stood between them, an absurd difference that left many speechless.

In the end, Quinn accepted his defeat with grace.

He walked up to Lana, smiling as he shook her hand.

“You’re truly a talented person.” he said sincerely.

Lana chuckled. “What can I do?” she replied playfully.

“Even the doctors wanted to name me ’talented’”

Quinn laughed along, but instead of letting go of her hand, he held on.

Lana raised a brow. “If we’ve already shaken hands,” she teased, “isn’t it time for you to let go?”

Quinn’s expression grew serious. “There’s something I want to say first.”

Lana tried to pull her hand back. “Say it after you let go.”

Instead, Quinn leaned closer and lowered his voice. “I like you.”

Lana froze, her mind going blank.

She never expected those words from him. Richard and Wade liking her because of her looks made sense, but Quinn was different.

He had never been the type to care about appearances. The realization stunned her.

She quickly recovered and smiled gently. “I like you too,” she replied, “but only as a friend.”

Quinn studied her face carefully before nodding. “I already know you don’t have feelings for me.” he said calmly.

“I just wanted you to know that from now on, I’ll be on your side.”

Confidence gleamed in his eyes, and for a moment, Lana felt dazed. ’He’s just like Lucian,’ she realized suddenly.

The familiarity unsettled her.

For an instant, she even wanted to tell him the truth, to treat him gently, but she stopped herself.

’I can’t accept him just because he reminds me of someone else.’

She shook her head and took a step back, creating distance.

Quinn chuckled softly, as if he understood.

Nearby, Fay, Betty, Layla, Richard, and Wade had witnessed everything.

They couldn’t help but give Quinn a thumbs-up. Richard muttered under his breath,

“There was already enough competition, and now even the top scorer joined in. This is becoming a joke.”

Wade crossed his arms and scoffed lightly. “Lana is really lucky, being loved by so many people.”

Layla rolled her eyes. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think the great Wade was jealous.”

Wade chuckled. “So what if I am?”

Betty frowned slightly. “From what I know, Wade, you have loving parents.”

Wade laughed. “I do,” he agreed, though a flicker passed through his eyes.

Just as they continued chatting, someone murmured quietly, “That guy is definitely done for.”

Layla turned toward the voice, confusion flickering across her face.

Betty subtly motioned with her eyes, signaling everyone to look in a certain direction.

When they followed her gaze, they saw Axel standing at a distance, staring straight at Quinn and Lana.

His eyes burned with murderous fury.

The moment they noticed him, everyone instinctively lowered their heads.

At the same time, a single thought echoed among them. ’If anyone’s done for… it’s whoever made Axel this angry.’

Wade swallowed hard and muttered under his breath, “Why is Axel so furious?”

After all, even if he was a professor, he had no right to interfere in someone’s personal life.

The moment those words were spoken, Richard rolled his eyes dramatically.

“And that,” he added dryly, “is exactly why I always wonder why Wade keeps getting punished. He practically volunteers to land himself in trouble.”

Then he turned toward Wade and continued in a tone that sounded far too agreeable to be innocent.

“Honestly, there’s a high chance Axel already adopted Lana as his goddaughter.”

The instant those words left his mouth, everyone stared at Richard with widened eyes.

None of them had ever heard such gossip before.

A heavy pause followed as they waited for him to elaborate, half-expecting something explosive.

Instead, Richard pressed his lips together and deliberately said nothing more.

Seeing this, Richard quickly waved her hand dismissively.

“That’s just a rumor,” she cut in. “No one knows how true it is.”

At those words, everyone let out a collective sigh and looked away, interest fading immediately.

Axel, however, had been watching silently.

When he noticed how much attention Lana seemed to have gathered, his expression shifted subtly.

He restrained himself, knowing full well that he couldn’t lash out here.

After mentally dismissing everyone else, his gaze landed squarely on Lana.

A soft smile curved his lips as he reached out and patted her head. “You did well.”

Lana looked up at him, her chin lifting slightly in pride. “Of course,” she replied confidently.

“I’m the best.” Then, as if remembering something, her voice softened.

She glanced away briefly before lowering her tone. “Thank you… for the food.”

Axel’s smile grew gentler. “It was nothing.” After a brief pause, his expression turned serious.

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