“Welcome, welcome, a very warm welcome to everyone.”
“Welcome to Center City, welcome to Shengling Academy.”
“Your arrival has added a touch of spring to this season.”
Today the school was bustling, even more so than on the day of the ranking conference.
There were fewer people than that day, but people from different places had distinct styles, making the atmosphere feel very international.
In the girls’ dormitory, Xu Chuyao rested her chin in her hands, staring absentmindedly at the pineapple juice on the table.
“Xiaolu, what do you think it means that Shen Ning gave me this drink?”
“I don’t know,” Mi Xiaolu replied, sitting on the small bed beside her. “I don’t know much about how you girls are, but you always like to replenish your blood sugar when you exercise.”
“Are you saying that by giving me this, she’s hinting that I want to exercise again recently?” Xu Chuyao caught the key point.
“Yes, but it feels a little strange,” Mi Xiaolu said. “If she wanted to exercise, she could have just done it with you directly. Why bother hinting?”
It was like how Shen Ning never asked Xiaolu for permission when she wanted to use this dorm room.
“Ah, then you’re wrong. Shen Ning didn’t approach me directly. On the surface, she didn’t ask, but in reality, she gave everything she was supposed to.”
Yao Yao was a principled villainess; if you wanted to ‘exercise’ with her, you had to pay enough villain points any less wouldn’t do.
Buzz, buzz, buzz, the phone rang.
“Hey, Head Teacher, what’s up?”
“Where are you? An external school representative group is looking for you, says they know you.”
“External school representative group?”
Ten minutes later, dressed neatly, Xu Chuyao arrived at the library and saw a blonde loli dressed in a British noble uniform.
“Betty? What are you doing here…”
“Yes, that’s right, didn’t expect it, huh?”
Miss Holmes puffed up her chest, ready to accept amazement from the busty girl, but instead heard her say:
“Aren’t you 24 already? You’ve been held back four years?”
“I’m a teacher! You dumb busty girl!”
Betty was so angry she wanted to jump up and kick the other’s knee.
“Alright, alright, Holmes Teacher, welcome all the way here. But why are you looking for me now?”
Xu Chuyao was still thinking about those bottles of pineapple juice, feeling a bit dazed.
Knock knock knock, knock knock.
The library attendant lightly knocked on the door: “Xu Chuyao, you have an honored guest. Teacher Yu asked me to remind you, the first open class is about to start.”
“All right, thanks, I’ll be right there.”
Betty responded, then gave Xu Chuyao a wink: “I’ll find you after school… no, you find me. We need a quiet place to talk.”
After saying that, she clicked her heels and left. Outside the library, five students from the Royal Academy waited for her.
“Greetings, Teacher Betty. The open class is about to start.”
“They’re from that class those two girls are in.”
“Do you really think someone can reach third tier in their third year?”
Xu Chuyao peeked out from behind the door, watching them walk further away toward the teaching building.
Teachers, huh.
No, if I’m here watching them mess around, I might as well go too.
The open class of Shengling Academy was held in a large auditorium. The teacher used a microphone, broadcasting through four speakers to create a surround sound effect.
Students had microphones on their desks too, but only a few were actually connected.
“We’ve added a new course on aerodynamics… Xu Chuyao, are you interested?”
“Sorry, I’m almost third tier, I won’t need it soon.”
As Principal Lü predicted, the visiting teachers and students were deeply shocked by this conversation.
Their school was still teaching first tier techniques on how to use physical strength advantages, how to apply force with elbows and waist, but here you’re teaching elemental skills already?
“Teacher Betty, do they really…”
“Fake,” Betty said, crossing her arms and explaining to her students, “Except for two third-year girls, Shengling Academy is like other academies; they don’t specifically train these things. Mingyu’s just showing you.”
Since her seat was in the back row, Lu was sitting on the desk to get a better view of the stage.
As for Shen Ning, many visiting teachers and students were observing her—the third-tier spiritual force user rewriting history records. She was expressionless, no matter how animated the teacher was on stage, her face showed no approval or recognition. A true model student.
She even gave off an aura of unspoken authority.
In fact, Shen Ning was in a state of barely contained anger because—
“See? That British girl came again, flying thousands of miles to find Yao Yao,” the Sexually Repressed Shadow whispered in her ear. “You think there’s nothing wrong with them? I don’t believe it.”
The Broken Shadow argued back, “She’s part of the representative group, the team leader from that academy. She’s here for legitimate reasons, just work.”
“Really? With so many teachers in the school, why did she have to come? Didn’t she apply herself?”
“Not necessarily.”
“Maybe yes, maybe no.”
As the two reflections debated, Shen Ning fluctuated between anger and calm, eventually only giving fifty villain points for the entire class.
Hearing the system prompt, Xu Chuyao felt inexplicably confused.
Yao Yao really didn’t provoke you this time. So strange… wait, last time was just as weird when points started piling up, and then suddenly I got exposed.
“Are you okay?”
Mi Xiaolu noticed her roommate suddenly becoming tense and uneasy, her shoulders tightly pressed together.
“Nothing, I just suddenly understood the meaning behind the pineapple juice.”
After the open class ended, the morning session was dismissed early, and Xu Chuyao walked out of the auditorium.
She found Shen Ning waiting right at the door.
“Not today!”
“What’s not today?”
“Yao Yao said no, so no! Whether you want to or not!”
The three voices came respectively from Xu Chuyao, Shen Ning herself, and Shen Ning’s Milky Ning Reflection.
Shen Ning shook her head, ignoring the chatter, and asked first, “That short woman who came from far away, was she looking for you?”
“Yes,” Xu Chuyao slapped her palm, “You reminded me, I almost forgot. I have to find a quiet place to talk with her.”
Her girlfriend’s honesty left Shen Ning momentarily speechless.
Xu Chuyao took a few steps, then looked back at the girl.
“Do you want to come with me?”
Because they couldn’t find a suitable place quickly there were people everywhere visiting, even the small corridor after class was crowded they decided to take her to the Special Group’s activity room.
“Your guess was correct. After the hearing, Monrose’s subordinates took action. They found many partners to jointly plan a new research project.”
So it really was serious.
The Sexually Repressed Shadow hummed softly, the fire-starting words useless now.
The Broken Shadow seemed somewhat pleased.
“To maintain secrecy, Monrose’s subordinates found many collaborators, even splitting less important tasks to different people. But frankly, his secrecy measures are only symbolic,” Betty said. “Look, I have to keep this matter confidential. You need to show some discretion; don’t blab. You know that feeling.”
As for how she knew so much, it was because the Holmes family had some enterprises and received related orders.
Xu Chuyao suddenly said, “I thought about how you owe me that one time.”
Betty was slightly taken aback. “I thought coming here to tell you this was me paying back a bet.”
“That’s impossible. What you said doesn’t matter much. I already knew he would make a move. Aside from confirming my correctness, what practical help does your info offer?”
Betty was speechless.
She thought answering was important, but obviously others didn’t see it that way.
“What do you want me to do?”
Xu Chuyao glanced around and lowered her voice: “Help me get some X Crystal.”
“What?”
Betty almost jumped out of her chair at that.
Seeing her reaction, Xu Chuyao quickly corrected herself: “Forget it, forget it. Just help provide the info. We’ll get it ourselves. That should be fine.”
“It’s not about whether it’s okay or not, the point is… what do you want X Crystal for?”
“That stuff hasn’t done anything good lately. People who use it either conduct evil human experiments or are clowns committing crazy suicide attacks. You’re a youthful student, putting so much effort into getting that thing… Surely you must have a simple wish?”
Xu Chuyao pointed in Shen Ning’s direction and said softly:
“You attended the hearing, so you must understand the situation and know her a little. That child’s been lonely since she was young. It’s rare for her to have familiar elders, all locked inside the crystal. If we get some X Crystal back, she can see her family from time to time, a small comfort.”
The girl said nothing, only quietly sitting there, looking very serious.
“Ah, this…” Betty was flustered. “Oh no, I…”
Crap, that wish is really simple. The child misses her family what could be wrong with that?
After a fierce internal struggle, Miss Holmes sighed heavily.
“All right, all right, I’ll help you. Just don’t use it for bad things.”
“No problem,” Xu Chuyao promised without hesitation.
She just wanted Shen Ning and Flower to see their families, then research the stone person network along the way.
“Betty’s a good person,” the Sexually Repressed Shadow said, “I’ve decided not to use her as a firestarter reason for three days.”
The Broken Shadow: “How about a week?”
“No, no. After a week she’ll be gone.”