“You said that gradually letting go of love will take you further,
so why bother trying to change the time that’s already passed?
You use your fingertips to stop me from saying goodbye,
imagining you by my side before it’s completely lost~”
The young girl frowned slightly: “How about switching to a sweeter song?
Don’t be so sad.”
She was still thinking about the time when they were both on stage singing together during the Fourth Stage.
“Why rush?” Xu Chuyao rolled her eyes. “I haven’t even started singing yet.”
It turned out the broken shadow was the one singing, and it was already noon.
For someone so oblivious to the atmosphere, the other two shadows showed some modesty.
The oppressed shadow said, “What are you doing? Can’t you take a day off?”
The sweet Ning shadow replied, “I feel like I wouldn’t do something like that, right?”
The broken shadow remained silent and continued singing:
“You said that gradually letting go of love will take you further,
perhaps fate only allowed us to meet, only to fall in love~
Only after this season’s autumn leaves fall do I realize
how to pick up these fragments of happiness.”
Fortunately, Xu Chuyao had been picking songs in her mind for a while,
and just as the broken shadow finished singing, she started the prelude,
not letting Shen Ning’s ears get filled with the wrong tune.
After a few emememem~ sounds, the bold girl gently started singing:
“I’m searching for a place to lean on, and an embrace small—”
“Where’s Shen Cha?”
“Don’t know.”
“Then where’s Xu Chuyao?”
“Don’t know either.”
Mi Xiaolu put down her pudding jelly and offered an idea to Form Teacher Yu Jing, who was questioning her:
“But I think, as long as you find either one of them, you’ll find the other too.”
Yu Jing’s eyelids twitched, deciding to keep making phone calls until someone picked up.
Why won’t these two kids answer their phones?
Here’s the thing: Shen Ning, as a phone novice, wasn’t used to various notifications, so her phone was always on silent mode.
When she could answer calls, it was by pure chance only when she happened to be looking at the phone during an incoming call.
As for Xu Chuyao, the beautiful girl who loved sleeping in, she was also always on silent.
But she was slightly better than Shen Ning because she used her phone more frequently and liked to glance at it whenever possible.
However, both girls were busy practicing their singing now, so they had no time to check their phones.
“My lashes are long, irresistibly charming,
I slowed my pace, feeling like I was drunk from howling.
Finally found the beautiful tacit understanding,
a lifetime of warmth.”
The first round of singing ended here, but the second round had to add a line:
“I will love you forever, until old age.”
Xu Chuyao taught her friend line by line how to sing this song properly.
No need to try too hard, but a little practice was necessary.
Shen Ning thought for a moment, her red eyes shifting: “What’s the last line? I didn’t catch it.”
“I will love you forever… What? You little rascal!” Xu Chuyao snapped back, raising her tiny pink fists to punch her. “Playing tricks on me, huh!”
Shen Ning dared not hit back, dodging while saying, “Phone, phone, someone’s calling.”
“Still trying to cheat!”
She got hit by several little punches.
“No, really, there’s a call coming.”
Shen Ning wasn’t afraid of being hit. Her girlfriend’s soft fists didn’t hurt, but she was worried about missing something important.
Xu Chuyao picked up her phone and saw that Form Teacher Yu Jing had called several times just now, so she quickly called back.
“Hello? Class teacher, what’s the matter?”
“Is Shen Ning with you? Come over to the large conference room in the office building. You’ve been here before.”
Xu Chuyao put down the phone, and Shen Ning looked at her with wide eyes: “What happened?”
“I don’t know, but we have to go.”
When they arrived at the conference room, they realized the situation was unusual.
Only Form Teacher Yu Jing and Form Teacher Cheng Chen, both senior teachers, stood guard outside the door.
Inside the conference room were Principal Lü and several school leaders, plus one outsider.
Professor Swina.
Xu Chuyao’s mood sank slightly.
Besides those present, several important figures appeared on the video conference screen, including Minister Long Jun of the City Security Department.
But this time, he was not the highest-ranking official; next to him was a stern woman whose screen presence was about the same size.
“What’s the matter? Another attack on Ji 2?”
Relying on the fact she was still a kid, Xu Chuyao asked as soon as she entered.
Long Jun introduced her: “This is the Chief of the Crisis Response Team, a student of Shengling Academy, Xu Chuyao. She was involved in the previous…”
“I know,” the stern woman interrupted, “the girlfriend of Shen Ning in the broadcast.”
This emphasis on identity made Xu Chuyao realize something.
“Xu Chuyao is very talented as well,” Principal Lü stepped in to smooth things over and explain their presence.
“Professor Swina here represents the Rockmorgan Family and has requested Shen Ning be recalled.”
Ji 2—
That voice came from Shen Ning herself, which made the stern woman’s expression of displeasure fade silently.
Geniuses always come with some privileges.
Principal Lü cleared his throat: “Now that everyone is here, we can discuss.
Of course, on behalf of the Academy, I express our disagreement.
As for the reasons, you should have already seen everything the school has done today.”
He started and never paused, continuing to explain:
“Shen Ning is not alone. She has teachers to support her, teammates who cooperate wholeheartedly, close friends, and a lifelong beloved. You have all seen the confidential files regarding the parking lot incident and understand the full situation. This was her opportunity to advance to the Third Stage. Without these spiritual bonds, she wouldn’t be who she is now.”
“So I believe she should continue living her life here at the Academy to fully develop her potential and realize her talents. Perhaps her own spiritual power is more valuable than the research value the Rockmorgan Family sees.”
Well said, Principal!
Xu Chuyao couldn’t help but give him a thumbs up in her heart.
Good grief, today he was decisively firm instead of his usual compromising self.
Long Jun nodded in agreement, but the stern woman remained expressionless, looking at someone else in the room.
Principal Lü sat down as Swina stood.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve just received instructions from the research institute and permission from Young Master Edward.
I will now show you some of our findings.
One video comes from the Yaha Financial Group, handed over by the family—a piece of internal footage from the Yaha Tower Battle.”
“Wait a moment!”
The stern woman immediately interrupted: “Internal footage of the Yaha Tower is classified information.”
She didn’t waste words but shot a side glance at the two young girls in the conference room.
Or rather, one young girl and one older girl.
Xu Chuyao wasn’t convinced: “Fine, but Shen Ning herself is involved. She can’t watch?”
“Some things are not meant for your age group,” the stern woman said without even looking at the tall, black-haired, well-endowed girl.
The video angle didn’t clearly show, but it probably wasn’t a flattering shot of her chest.
“Fine, if we can’t watch, then let’s go, Shen Cha.”
Xu Chuyao pulled Shen Ning outside, found two chairs, and they sat down.
“This Swina fellow is disgusting.
Such a good day, and he comes to talk about this.
Never had a good day, and can’t bear to see others happy…”
Xu Chuyao kept ranting while one hand clutched her arm tightly, glancing at the nervous and uneasy look on the girl’s face.
She remembered how Shen Ning was always scared of such things.
At the end of last semester, Ruan Ming could single-handedly kill seven or eight Clown Gang members who fled in terror, but back at the Academy, Shen Ning was still full of worries and fear.
Even seeing the bullying Doctor Hai Yingna made her anxious and uneasy.
Perhaps what Shen Ning feared most was this day—when the Rockmorgan Family’s people would come to snatch away everything she currently had.
“Don’t be afraid. They won’t take me away.”
Xu Chuyao grabbed Shen Ning’s trembling hand and lifted her proud chest, making herself appear full of confidence.
“Even if they find a reason to take you away today, I’ll get you back quickly.”
Shen Ning lowered her head and softly asked, “Really?”
“Of course.”
Chuyao had long said she’d be a lifetime villain for her, and no one could take her away.
During the meeting, as the video played, everyone’s expressions grew serious.
The footage of the Yaha Tower Battle shown by Swina was only a small part, and the clips seemed deliberately edited to hide some details.
Still, the information was immense.
The Clown Gang had produced an X Crystal, fiercely throwing it to the ground.
As the crystal’s light illuminated the tower, ordinary people exposed to its radiation mutated into monsters with mineral-covered heads.
The following clips showed some of their battle scenes—rough and primitive attacks but overwhelming in number.
Under continuous attrition, the Academy students died en masse in these assaults.
The footage was short and repeated several times. Long Jun was the first to spot the issue.
“Their attacks have a pattern.”
Once they confirmed it was a war of attrition, they maintained a steady rhythm of waves attacking in groups,
making the students’ large-area AOE attacks ineffective.
Despite the numerous mutants, there was no crowding during their assaults.
“Another thing—did you notice this?” Swina paused the video at one point.
“A student from Shengling Academy threw a punch at a mutant right in front.
The punch’s force was strong, likely one of his own techniques.
After that, all the mutants deliberately avoided that move, including those out of view or farther away who couldn’t see what happened.”
Principal Lü understood as well: “They can communicate with each other.”
“Exactly. This is part of our findings—a unique resonance between X Crystals that allows them to exchange information.”
“What does this have to do with Shen Ning?” Principal Lü asked.
Swina smiled and pulled up a second video with the remote.
An SUV was driving on the road but suddenly braked hard because a white-haired girl appeared and blocked the way.
“A few days ago, Miss Xu Chuyao led a team to Yaha City for guidance work.
On the way to visit the Yaha Tower, she was suddenly stopped by Miss Shen Ning,” Swina explained.
“This footage is from the dashcam. According to the Academy leadership present, Shen Ning was behaving abnormally, chasing after and hugging Miss Xu, pleading with her not to go there.”
Long Jun recalled the explanation Xu Chuyao gave him and twitched his eyelid.
The stern woman spoke up: “You mean Shen Ning can also resonate with the crystal products?”
“Very likely.”
Swina put down the remote and bowed politely to everyone present.
“So I said from the start, you’ve misunderstood.
The family doesn’t see Miss Shen Ning as a research subject but wants her to participate in this project as a sort of translator.”
“Also, we fully respect Miss Shen Ning’s rights as a person and acknowledge the significance of school life to her.
This recall is only temporary—ranging from one or two weeks to several months at most.”