“I don’t really know why.”
The little girl with aqua-blue short hair shrugged helplessly.
“You came back just a few days ago, right? Anyway, it seems like you did something big, bringing Shen Ning along… or rather, Shen Ning brought you back. Then you two had some kind of earth-shattering clash inside, and just when you finally woke up, I hadn’t even returned to the dorm yet, and you guys left again, taking some huge airplane. And now, tonight, you rushed back in a flurry, telling me there’s some unbelievably dark and bone-chilling story to tell.”
“That’s right.” Xu Chuyao said seriously, “I just felt I neglected you too much during that time, so as soon as I came back, I wanted to tell you a story, you love listening to stories the most.”
“I don’t!”
Mi Xiaolu pulled up her small quilt, casually reached under her pillow, and pulled out a pair of earplugs, stuffing them into her ears. “Especially when I’m about to sleep!”
“Don’t be so dismissive. Maybe you’ll get interested after hearing a few sentences… What’s that? Soundproof earplugs? Huh?”
It really seemed she didn’t want to listen.
Xu Chuyao turned off the light, pulled up her quilt, closed her eyes, and had her first good sleep since the Crystal Explosion incident.
“How exactly did you find out?”
After returning to school, Yao Yao had many things to do and many people to see. According to the basic rules of this world, it wasn’t about who arrived first or the urgency of matters, but rather about the other party’s treasure power and status.
So, the first person Xu Chuyao met was Minister Long Junlong, whose portrait hung on the wall of the office building’s conference room a video conference.
Because she “accidentally” uncovered a major case while tracking the Clown Gang Leader, Long Jun was rewarded, though to avoid suspicion, he didn’t appear at the hearing.
He was in a pretty good mood lately but was very curious about one thing: “Such a complicated incident, how did you accurately find the key issue?”
In a maze with ten routes, she just happened to find the only correct path.
“Very simple. At first, I didn’t expect the problem to be so big.” Xu Chuyao shrugged her small shoulders. “That day, Professor Swina came to school and took Shen Ning away, acting all strange with me. I dislike him, so I thought of digging up dirt on him for fun. Then I wanted to bring Shen Ning back, so I also looked into the research institute’s dirty secrets. That’s how it ended up like this.”
That actually sounded quite reasonable.
Long Jun laughed helplessly, “I knew from the start you were taking personal revenge.”
After clearing up his doubts, he brought good news to Xu Chuyao. Because of her outstanding performance in this incident, Yao Yao’s reputation soared. No one saw the Crisis Response Team as a ragtag group anymore, and in a while, they would get a brand-new organizational structure.
Simply put, it meant merit-based promotion.
“Since that’s the case, I guess you understand that official positions are just about the right word from above. Your own strength is the foundation. If your strength is too weak… by the way, what rank are you now?”
“Second Rank Haofeng.”
“Ahem, cough, wow!”
Long Jun was smoking a cigar and coughed several times when he heard that.
“I remember you just… wait, your registration info, I remember you’re only two months older than Shen Ning.”
Without your girlfriend, would you be about to break the fastest Third Rank record? And even with Shen Ning, the second-fastest in history is solid.
“It’s like this. Actually, I’m also a peerless genius when it comes to cultivation.” Xu Chuyao spread her small hands. “It’s just that my talent was overshadowed by my brilliance.”
The light of wisdom was too dazzling, overshadowing other brilliance. But the entire starry sky shines at the same time. Yao Yao was such an all-around prodigy.
The video conference ended, and after leaving the conference room, Xu Chuyao went upstairs to the Principal’s office.
Principal Lü didn’t say anything when she came in, just stood nearby scrutinizing her in every possible angle, looking left, right, changing perspectives like he’d never seen her before.
Xu Chuyao blinked, “What’s wrong, Principal?”
“Nothing, I’m just thinking.” Principal Lü wore a contemplative expression. “How come I never heard of someone like you a few years ago?”
Strictly speaking, Yao Yao wasn’t entirely unknown; it’s just that her reputation in the school was basically tied to her appearance. But in the past few months, well, first she was firmly established as a near-demon level genius, and on closer inspection, she also hid cultivation talent inside.
“That’s called laying a solid foundation and waiting for the right moment to burst forth. It’s normal. Like Shen Ning, she also appeared out of nowhere recently.”
“That’s not true. Shen Ning has been watched since entering school, with various weekly observations and evaluations.”
“From another angle, I’ve always been quite famous in school.”
“I know you were famous before too, but a few years ago, what the students talked about regarding you was…” Principal Lü gestured, “your outstanding appearance.”
“Your figure.” Xu Chuyao said seriously. “In theory classes, Teacher Hu explained that the First Rank period is when a person’s body and Spirit Power grow together during puberty. I became known for my figure years ago, which was a foreshadowing of my future Spirit Power talent.”
Actually, figure and Spirit Power talent weren’t necessarily linked, but Principal Lü didn’t say that out loud; he was just purely amazed.
How did our Academy end up with a little genius like you?
“I heard from Teacher Yu a little about what happened in Freiden Free City.”
Principal Lü spoke as he gestured for Xu Chuyao to sit down.
“Let’s talk about something serious. We should have prepared earlier, but since Shen Ning was suddenly taken away, we had to delay a bit. Now that she’s back, it’s time to put it on the schedule.”
As he spoke, he handed something to Xu Chuyao.
“An invitation letter.”
“A friendly exchange between Spirit Power academies, inviting representatives from other schools to visit and exchange.”
Principal Lü briefly explained it was a tradition. Whenever an academy produced a genius student or had academic progress, they would invite other schools for visits and exchanges. The event wasn’t long, about a week, and not many people would come, usually one teacher leading five or six students from each school.
Recently, Shengling Academy and Center City had many commendable things the first city to completely defeat the Clown Gang, the record-breaking Three-Stage Spirit Power User, and the talented girl who repeatedly dealt big losses to the Ahab Financial Group and the Rockmorgan Family.
“When is it roughly?” Xu Chuyao just asked and quickly found the date at the bottom of the invitation letter. “Oh, next week… but honestly, why are you telling me this?”
Yao Yao briefly thought she’d become some kind of school leader. Even with Luo Kangsheng gone, she wasn’t going to become the grade head.
“Because we believe that when they come, half are coming to see Shen Ning, half are coming to see you, and of course many are coming to see both.” Principal Lü said, “I just hope you don’t take her to play the Recluse Game.”
Xu Chuyao made an OK sign to show she’d cooperate.
“Also, you did great in Freiden Free City, and the Academy’s reputation has soared because of that. I should be holding a celebration banquet for you all, but since it has to be kept confidential, I can only congratulate you verbally here.”
Most students at Shengling Academy didn’t know what had happened, and barely anyone noticed Shen Ning had been away for a while.
“That’s fine, I’m not really asking for any celebration.” Xu Chuyao rubbed her small hands. “But aren’t there any rewards or something?”
Principal Lü rolled his eyes, “What rewards do you want? Doesn’t the school give you everything you ask for anyway?”
Since the kids got official positions, all purchases had to go through public accounts. What exactly they were used for, no one knew, but on the school’s financial records, Chocolate Milk had made outstanding contributions in fighting the Clown Gang’s evil forces.
“So stingy.”
That was what Yao Yao said outside the office building after leaving.
In short, the elders were seen; it was time to find her secret companions. Before that, she’d bring her girlfriend along.
What’s ordinary and natural, after all?
“What language is this song?”
The first noon after returning to the Academy, listening to Broken Shadow’s daily music time, Shen Ning was a little curious.
“Sakura language.” The Sexually Repressed Shadow helped answer. “Definitely taught by Yao Yao.”
What does the song’s lyrics mean?
“It basically expresses the wish to become human.” The Sexually Repressed Shadow shrugged its shadow on the wall. “It wants to become human. That’s a good thing.”
Sexual Repression had reason to say that. Among the three existing reflections, it felt that apart from itself, the other two didn’t quite seem human.
Broken Shadow finished singing the song, then sighed.
“Just singing casually.” It said, “I miss Yao Yao.”
“Yao Yao only left last night, just half a day ago. Why are you so clingy?” Sexual Repression snorted lightly. “Besides, Yao Yao is someone you can see whenever you want.”
Just then, the dorm door was knocked loudly.
Shen Ning froze.
“Coming.”
“I heard,” the sweet soft voice of a bold girl came from behind the door, “Hurry and pack up. I’ll take you somewhere to find two people the big shots who saved you this time.”
The girl got up and sat at the edge of the bed, putting on her shoes, casually catching a gust of wind to pull the curtains open, and the afternoon sunlight instantly lit up the room.
Usually, the curtains were closed to maintain darkness, giving the reflections a place to dwell in the shadows, but now that they were going out, there was no need.
“What else can I say?” The Sexually Repressed Shadow shrugged. “She really spoils you.”
If she wants to see you, then she really does.
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