"So, you need to rank at the top in the upcoming test?" Bai Qinyue asked, adjusting her glasses. "And in the meantime, you also have to represent the academy? But will they let you choose the categories you're actually good at?"
Hua Rong nodded. "Yeah, they will. I had the same concern, so I asked Teacher Jiayi. She said I can choose the activities I'm best at, but I have to submit an application and wait for approval first."
Fang Xue, lying on her back with her head dangling off the edge of the bed, groaned dramatically. "Ugh, this place is so boring! Let's go outside."
Hua Rong sighed. "I can't. You know I have to use my points to leave the dorms, and I don't have enough."
Fang Xue sat up, pouting. "Oh, come on, Hua Rong. The boys in this academy are too prideful. They glance at me once and then avoid eye contact like I'm about to chase them down. And the only thing they seem interested in is fighting."
At that moment, an idea sparked in Hua Rong's mind, and she shot up from her seat. "I know someone who can lend me points!" Without another word, she sprinted out of the room.
"Hey! Wait for us!" Bai Qinyue and Fang Xue hurried after her.
But as they get out of to Hua Rong's dorm room, Fang Xue suddenly halts, her gaze locking onto the door, Xu Lingwei. Her eyes widened in realization before she let out a dramatic gasp.
"HUA RONG!" she shrieked, grabbing her friend's arm. "You're with him?!"
Hua Rong's expression froze. "What? No! You're misunderstanding!"
Fang Xue's expression turned to tease. "No, Hua Rong, please tell me you're doing him."
"What?! NO!"
"Why no?"
"XUE!" Hua Rong hissed, smacking her on the shoulder.
Fang Xue smirked. "Oh, come on, not this time! Just date him already."
Before Hua Rong could retort, a voice interrupted them.
"Who's dating whom?"
All three girls turned their heads sharply. Standing by the alley, Wuhao Li raised an eyebrow at their commotion.
Hua Rong felt her heart stop. Fang Xue's eyes widened in surprise. Neither knew what to say.
Then, Bai Qinyue, ever the composed one, adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat. "She's a boys' love fan. She was just asking if any of you were dating each other." She pointed at Fang Xue and gave Wuhao Li a completely straight-faced look
A heavy silence settled between them.
Hua Rong stiffened, feeling the weight of Wuhao Li's gaze. Fang Xue and Bai Qinyue stood beside her, both avoiding eye contact with him, pretending as if nothing had just happened. Wuhao Li, on the other hand, had a completely blank face—his eyes flickering between them, clearly confused but too polite to ask.
Then, after a long pause, he finally spoke.
"Well, I came to see you."
Hua Rong blinked. "Me?"
"Because of you, I can finally imagine something worth drawing," he continued.
Hua Rong hesitated. There was something oddly serious about the way he said it. She wasn't sure if she should feel flattered or concerned.
"Oh… that's… good?" she muttered, trying to keep her voice neutral. The urge to escape grew stronger, so she quickly grabbed Fang Xue's hand. "Anyway, you should focus on your work, and we'll—"
Before she could take a step, Wuhao Li's voice stopped her.
"But I need my art to be here while I draw."
Hua Rong froze. Her fingers tightened around Fang Xue's wrist. Slowly, she turned back to him, processing what he had just said.
"Wait… what?"
Wuhao Li looked at her, completely serious. "Are you not going to help me?"
Hua Rong stared at him, her mind screaming for a way out. Bai Qinyue and Fang Xue remained quiet, tactfully staying out of the conversation, but she could feel the weight of their silent curiosity.
Damn it
The cafeteria was quieter than usual, the usual crowd missing since it was the weekend. A few students sat at tables, chatting lazily over their meals, while others scrolled through their watches or worked on assignments. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and warm pastries lingered in the air, mixing with the faint hum of the vending machines.
Hua Rong walked in, her eyes scanning the room until she spotted Bai Xinchen sitting near the window, engaged in conversation with someone. Without hesitation, she strode over and called out, "Bai Xinchen!"
Bai Xinchen glanced up at her, pausing mid-conversation. The person he was speaking with turned slightly but didn't fully acknowledge her presence. Hua Rong didn't bother with pleasantries and got straight to the point.
"I need your points to go outside. Since you're planning to represent the academy at another school, I doubt you'll be needing—"
Bai Xinchen cut her off mid-sentence. "Fine, take it. No need for explanations."
Pulling up his watch, he asked, "How many points?"
"For an hour, it's 1,000 points. I need 6,000."
Without hesitation, he entered her roll number. "Eighteen, right?"
"Yeah."
A second later, a notification popped up on Hua Rong's watch. She glanced at the screen, then did a double take. "Wait, this is 10,000! I only asked for 6,000."
Bai Xinchen leaned back, completely unconcerned. "Just take it, Hua Rong. Enjoy yourself."
Hua Rong frowned slightly. "You sound like my mother. Every time I ask her for money, she gives me extra and says, 'Go, Rong, and enjoy.'"
At that, the person beside Bai Xinchen finally turned toward her, an amused smile on their face. Bai Xinchen let out a chuckle and gestured between them. "He's my cousin."
Hua Rong let out a small oh of understanding before shaking her head and stuffing her watch into her pocket. "Whatever. Let's go."
Across the cafeteria, Feng Xue and Bai Qinyue were checking out the menu at the vending machines when they heard her voice. They turned around just as Hua Rong reached them, their eyes immediately landing on her outfit—a loose berry-colored pair of shorts stopping just above her knees and a peach-colored short-sleeve top with white stripes.
Feng Xue raised an eyebrow. "You're planning to go outside… looking like that?"
Hua Rong blinked, glancing down at herself. "What's wrong with it?"
Bai Qinyue pushed up her glasses with a knowing smirk. "She's got a point."
Feng Xue sighed dramatically. "Fine, we'll go shopping first. We'll find you something decent to wear, then we'll hit the café."
At that, Hua Rong's face lit up with a bright grin. "Sounds like a plan!
As they approached the academy's entrance, Hua Rong's gaze landed on a familiar figure standing near the security checkpoint. Shen Yiren was dressed in a light, flowy sundress, a rare departure from her usual sharp, stylish outfits. The soft fabric swayed gently with the breeze, making her look almost ethereal—but the cold expression on her face shattered any illusion of gentleness.
"Shen Yiren!" Feng Xue called out loudly, drawing attention.
Shen Yiren, who had been giving her details to the security officer, paused for a fraction of a second but didn't turn toward them. Instead, she crossed her arms, her stance stiff but unreadable, and acted as if she hadn't heard them.
As they moved closer, Feng Xue leaned in slightly and murmured, "Look at her ignoring us. What is she even doing here?"
At that, Shen Yiren finally turned to face them, her gaze sharp but lacking its usual hostility. "I'm not here to cause trouble for you people," she said coolly, then added, "I'm here to meet my brother."
Without waiting for a response, she walked past them, her heels clicking softly against the pavement.
Feng Xue scoffed, crossing her arms. "Brother? Since when does that witch have a brother?" she muttered before adding with a smirk, "Then her brother must be a wizard."
Bai Qinyue shook her head at the remark, but Hua Rong barely reacted. Instead, she found herself wondering about the change in Shen Yiren. Normally, she never missed a chance to make snide remarks or drag Hua Rong down, yet today… she hadn't even bothered.
Something felt off.