Sitting in the last row of the large lecture hall, staring at the string of [Corruption Value] above the girl’s head, Fang Wei felt a bit dead inside.
No, seriously, are all magical girls this fragile?
They should really go next door to a cultivation novel and train their Dao Heart.
Sure, fantasy heroines can be sensitive with just a touch—oh oh oh—but their psychological resilience is top-notch.
Only the so-called “Sword Heart Clarity” tends to shatter all over the place.
He looked again.
A bunch of boys and girls were feeding Qiqiancao snacks, crowding her desk so tightly not even water could get through.
Confirmed.
This little girl was pampered to the heavens.
No wonder she’s so fragile.
“Xiaocao, Xiaocao, want some chocolate? Ah—”
“I have potato chips here!”
“Xiaocao likes Lemon Tea, right?”
Most of the feeders were girls; the boys, being shy, only dared to sneak glances.
The bolder ones were blocked outside the circle.
Looking at their blissful faces, maybe watching a beautiful girl eat snacks is a kind of enjoyment, too?
Well, anyway, Vita Lemon Tea really is delicious.
The girl with the Vita Lemon Tea was generous, sharing a pack with everyone.
Fang Wei shamelessly squeezed in and scored a box for himself.
Sipping his Lemon Tea, he kept an eye on the numbers above Qiqiancao’s head.
[Corruption Value +1]
[Corruption Value -1]
It fluctuated up and down like an EKG within a certain range.
Who understands, sisters, why does being happily fed snacks cause Corruption Value to rise?
Could it be that being cared for by others is actually stressful for Qiqiancao? No way—are these the troubles of a beautiful girl?
“Hey, bro, you moved pretty fast just now.”
The boy who’d given Fang Wei information earlier came over proactively, looking amused.
“How so?”
“You really are new here, huh? Corner encounters, asking for directions, all sorts of random meetings happen on Qiqiancao at least ten times a month. That trick doesn’t work anymore.”
The boy propped his chin up, helpless.
“Better to honestly join the feeding group, at least you’ll become familiar faces.”
It was clear that a few boys who’d been preparing to “coincidentally meet” at the door earlier had now joined the feeding crowd, but were blocked outside, unable to offer anything.
Fang Wei had another question.
“I saw in a post that some people spontaneously formed a Knights group. What’s that about?”
“It’s just the Fan Club. They have internal rules: everyone can only treat Qiqiancao as a Little Auspicious Beast. Dating is strictly forbidden, or you’ll be kicked out of the Fan Club.”
The boy rolled his eyes, looking disdainful.
He pointed at a tall boy deeper in the crowd, who was sharing small cookies with everyone.
“That’s him—Fan Club leader Wang Huan. He made those rules. But in my opinion, the no-dating rule is just for others. He probably wants to make moves himself while tripping up others.”
Brother, you’re a beacon of clarity in the world.
Fang Wei looked at the boy with respect, then glanced at the Fan Club leader.
[Corruption Value 37%]
“Does Qiqiancao herself know she has a Fan Club?”
“She knows a little, but not about the rules. Everyone said they wanted to create a pure environment for her, so the Fan Club formed on its own.”
Got it.
These people treat Qiqiancao like a mascot.
A wall of people is too hard to break through.
Fang Wei couldn’t approach Qiqiancao, which was already far off from his original plan.
He could only bury his head on the desk and wait for a chance.
The bell for the previous class rang, and the frenzied Knights finally scattered.
Two girls remained beside Qiqiancao, chatting and laughing.
Fang Wei dozed a little, pondering his next move.
Back in his school days, there were also popular girls in his class, but Fang Wei never even bothered to look.
Same now.
He wasn’t looking at Qiqiancao—he was looking at the ten million that could change his life!
At first, he was thinking about how to approach when the girl was alone, but his mind quickly drifted to how he’d squander the ten million.
This voyeuristic time didn’t last long before four teachers entered the classroom, breaking the peace.
It seemed to be a school-organized class observation.
The four carried notebooks, bypassed the students, and sat in the last row.
On the podium, the water-class old man’s Corruption Value began to rise sharply.
He’s doomed—not even a lesson plan prepared.
Of course, he wasn’t the only one suffering.
Seeing the four observing teachers, Fang Wei shrank his neck like an ostrich, heart pounding.
Because he saw Xia Yuanhua.
No one told him Xia Yuanhua was a university teacher?!
At 24, sis, you’re about the same age as some college students. What kind of connections got you in? I thought you were a pure corporate drone.
Running into the big sister during class was not what Fang Wei wanted.
Fortunately, his seat was tucked away, so Xia Yuanhua didn’t notice him.
Ah, I dropped my air.
Let me pick it up.
Taking advantage of bending over, Fang Wei’s eyes swept over the four formally dressed teachers.
The other three had Corruption Values around 40%; Xia Yuanhua was at 69%, up four points from last night.
He could pretty much guess why.
Psychologists always tell depressed patients to stay away from triggers, or no matter how much you treat, it’s just a band-aid.
Whether for work reasons or family background, Xia Yuanhua’s ten million was going to take a long journey to reach.
But look at that slim, well-dressed big sister in a suit, wearing a serious expression as she took notes while listening.
She looked so dedicated.
Nothing like the wild woman from last night who fused souls with him in a moment of madness.
Mm, usually the more serious and responsible a person is, the more easily they’re hurt inside.
“Bro, you’ve got guts, not running away.”
The boy spoke to him again.
“Didn’t you see all those guys hitting on girls ran off as soon as class started? Even the Dean showed up and you still dared to sit here?”
“You mean the young-looking big sister in the middle? She doesn’t seem like a big boss to me.”
“The one on the left.”
Fang Wei nodded like pounding garlic.
“Then who’s the one in the middle?”
The boy looked at him blankly.
Bro, are you so desperate you’re even asking about teachers now?
“I’ll only say this once—she has the same surname as our Secretary.”
Well, that’s not surprising.
He’d already guessed Xia Yuanhua wasn’t from an ordinary family.
She lived in that shabby building, probably because she quarreled with her family and moved out, not wanting to be found.
Xia Yuanhua’s task was temporarily on hold.
Since the mission item was the Undying Totem, further action would have to be considered carefully.
Fang Wei refocused on Qiqiancao.
The little girl stretched out her hand with a pained expression, indicating a stomachache and asking to go to the infirmary.
At that moment, Si Chen sent him a message.
[There’s a magic beast near the development zone. Remember to keep watch for magical girls]
As expected of a magical girl—ditching class to fight monsters.
Fang Wei raised his hand, too.
If Qiqiancao was skipping class to save the world, there was no reason for him to stay either.
“Teacher, I think I have a fever!”
When the water-class teacher’s Corruption Value hit[48%]and he glared at Fang Wei with a venomous look, Fang Wei had already slipped out of the classroom.
Behind him, Xia Yuanhua stopped writing.
The familiar boy had appeared out of nowhere and left just as quietly.
It was as if he was deliberately trying to get her attention.
“Professor Wang, is that student from your class?”
“Ah?”
Professor Wang, next to her, hesitated before answering guiltily.
“Yes…?”
So, not really.
Xia Yuanhua fiddled with her pen, a small, satisfied smile playing on her lips.