After asking around, Fang Miaoging ultimately only gleaned information about the girl that was already common knowledge.
She was from Yunshang Province, a strong contender for the strongest freshman in a decade, an A-rank super genius.
Beyond these facts, she couldn’t even uncover a name, age, or even an address.
Ultimately, Fang Miaoging had to return, feeling somewhat deflated, yet her heart harbored no significant sense of loss.
‘The monk may flee, but the temple remains.’
An A-rank freshman was destined to become a prominent figure in the school, and investigating her would be a simple matter.
Huang Xiu was oblivious to Fang Miaoging’s thoughts.
However, she knew with absolute certainty that she could hide the truth for a while, but not forever.
‘Huang Xiu’—that name itself was the biggest bombshell.
No one was a fool (well, except Shi Lei), especially not Fang Miaoging, a mathematical genius. The moment she saw that name, her identity would undoubtedly be exposed.
‘What was I thinking back then, agreeing to Mom’s choice of Huang Xiu and… well, Huang Xiu? Wasn’t this just a real-life act of burying one’s ears while stealing a bell?’
Huang Xiu followed Yun Ning back to the group, a wry smile touching her face.
She had chosen the name, and she should bear the risks. There was nothing to complain about.
Yet, a peculiar, subtle anticipation stirred within her heart.
****
Yun Ning, looking at the latest text message on his phone, turned to Huang Xiu and Wen Erya.
‘The school has sent word. We are to return to campus. All Touchpoints have now been handed over to the teachers for processing.’
‘The school has dispatched vehicles; they should arrive in about half an hour.’
‘So, it’s over then?’
Huang Xiu murmured, turning to gaze at the urban village Touchpoint, which lay less than five meters before her.
Outside the Touchpoint, a cacophony of human voices swelled, but inside, it was utterly deserted, save for the ethereal white mist that drifted and swirled autonomously.
It was as if two distinct worlds existed within.
Recalling the mission, she still felt a sense of disorientation.
The initial blur, the fear and unease of parachuting from high above the city, the enemy encounter that forced a landing, the exhilarating rush of cutting down foes…
…and then the chilling realization that retreat was impossible, coupled with a tense trepidation.
Barely an hour had passed, yet it felt interminably long and so intensely packed that she felt as if much more time had elapsed.
‘Indeed, it’s over!’ Yun Ning said, his eyes narrowing. ‘What did you two think of this operation?’
‘A strong start, a weak finish,’ Huang Xiu declared. Wen Erya nodded in agreement.
Although they had completed their primary task in the Misty Zone, they were merely a step away from slaying that General-rank Dragon Abomination.
To claim they felt no regret or disappointment would be a lie.
‘That’s why we still need to become stronger!’ Yun Ning clenched his fist.
If only he could have been a little stronger, a little faster, able to eliminate that General-rank Dragon Abomination sooner.
Then perhaps the subsequent events might never have transpired.
****
Upon returning to school, students could either wait for the school bus or find their own way back.
However, this choice was clearly aimed at the third-year Senior Male Students.
After all, first-year students like Huang Xiu hadn’t even figured out where the school was located.
While Yun Ning and his group knew the way, without a car, it was all for naught.
In the end, only a handful of third-year Senior Male Students had vehicles.
Everyone else followed the logistics personnel to a temporary rest point they had arranged near the Touchpoint.
There, they could rest and clean their bodies.
Having just endured a fierce battle, almost no one was clean.
Even Huang Xiu, who hadn’t engaged in close combat at all, inevitably got her clothes and shoes dirty during the operation.
Her clothes were manageable; they could be washed and worn again. But her shoes…
She gazed at the yellow mud stains on her white sneakers and the shallow indentations etched by the corrosive blood of the Dragon Abomination.
Huang Xiu was instantly incensed.
She had rather liked and cherished these shoes, after all.
She pouted, a hint of displeasure in her voice. ‘Darn it, these shoes aren’t even a month old!’
‘Senior Male Student Yun!’ She tugged at Yun Ning’s sleeve. ‘Can battle damage be reimbursed?’
‘Reimbursed? Yes, equipment damaged during emergency operations like this can all be reimbursed…’
Yun Ning briefly explained the reimbursement process to Huang Xiu.
Seeing this, Ying Zhiyu and several other nearby freshmen also perked up their ears.
The reimbursement process was surprisingly straightforward.
One simply had to submit a claim through the school’s academic system and turn in the damaged items.
An AI system would determine the reimbursement standards for the entire process.
As long as no false claims were made, it would generally be processed quickly.
Huang Xiu also breathed a sigh of relief. After all, as a good student and a well-behaved girl, how could she possibly engage in over-reporting or making false claims?
The group rested for about forty minutes in the room prepared by the logistics personnel.
Just then, the school bus finally arrived.
Huang Xiu first peered out, and only after realizing it wasn’t the same bus that had picked them up at Tiandu Station that day did she relax, then followed Yun Ning onto a vehicle.
As the vehicle started moving, the Touchpoint receded further and further into the distance.
Huang Xiu suddenly asked, a worried frown on her face, ‘What about the residents inside?’
Their original plan was to first eliminate the monsters, and if that failed, then organize an evacuation.
But now, the first step of elimination hadn’t been completed, and the second step of evacuation seemed to have been directly abandoned.
‘Don’t worry,’ Yun Ning said.
Yun Ning pulled a pair of headphones from his pants pocket. ‘Teacher Xu Gaoxuan has intervened; there won’t be any issues.’
‘Oh,’ Huang Xiu nodded, yet in her mind’s eye, she saw the house-sized colossal claw.
Teacher Xu Gaoxuan’s ability seemed to be related to Yun Ning’s.
But could soft, formless clouds truly contend with a Dragon Abomination of that immense size?
However, Teacher Xu Gaoxuan also had two reinforcements by his side, which somewhat alleviated her inner anxieties.
Perhaps considering the students’ exhaustion after the major battle, the bus drove remarkably smoothly, so much so that not even a single bump was felt.
The air conditioning inside the bus was set to the most comfortable temperature, and each seat was equipped with a blanket, water, and some bread.
Initially, some freshmen, still in the throes of post-combat exhilaration, whispered or ate their snacks.
But gradually, after an unknown snore broke the silence, the chatter diminished, until it vanished entirely.
Instantaneously, the bus fell into a profound quiet.
Only the brilliant sun poured into the vehicle, casting golden shafts of light that announced it was still merely morning.
Huang Xiu hadn’t felt sleepy at first.
Yet, suddenly enveloped in this tranquil, comfortable environment, surrounded by soft snores…
…the fatigue accumulated during the battle erupted all at once.
Her eyelids felt as heavy as lead weights, and drowsiness washed over her like a tide.
Curling her small body into the seat, she drifted into an unwitting slumber.
A faint, adorable snore emanated from the back row, piercing through the English audio in his headphones, though it remained inconspicuous amidst the foreign words.
Nevertheless, Yun Ning heard it. He removed his headphones and turned his head.
Noticing Huang Xiu hadn’t covered herself with a blanket, he was about to ask Ying Zhiyu, who sat beside her, to do so.
However, Ying Zhiyu had also fallen asleep.
With a sigh, he rose and walked to the back row, covering both Huang Xiu and Ying Zhiyu with blankets.
Returning to his seat, he sat down.
Wen Erya, seated by the window and scrolling through videos, suddenly chuckled. ‘How thoughtful!’
‘As a Senior Male Student, it’s my duty,’ Yun Ning lightly said, putting his headphones back on, and continued studying English.
‘Is that so?’ Wen Erya nodded, then secretly added another thought to herself:
‘That’s good then.’
****
The Touchpoint incident, it seemed, was merely a fleeting phenomenon.
It had appeared abruptly, stirring the minds of many, yet in a blink, it vanished from the students’ world once more.
Only the freshmen remained caught in a state of anxiety, weighing gains against losses.
The senior students and school authorities had long since detached themselves from its impact, resuming their pending tasks.
Or perhaps, they had simply grown accustomed to the ‘routine’ of Touchpoints appearing periodically and requiring their attention.
Thus, once dealt with, life immediately reverted to normal campus routines.
Things were as they were meant to be.
The emergence of a Touchpoint incident wouldn’t suddenly grant them a few days off or necessitate special courses.
Everything continued to progress systematically.
The freshman ceremony, which had been abruptly interrupted, was rescheduled for the afternoon. The moment she received the new notification, Huang Xiu, who had just finished eating and was lying on her bed, rubbing her round belly, felt utterly numb.
‘This morning, I charged into hordes of monsters, going in and out seven times, yet this afternoon you expect me to attend the freshman ceremony?’
Huang Xiu, barefoot, stomped on the bed, flailing wildly with ‘turtle fists,’ her face a mask of displeasure. ‘This is truly humiliating! At the very least, I should get a day off to recover!’
Click!
The door suddenly swung open.
‘Sister Xiu Xiu, are you coming or not? The freshman ceremony is about to begin soon!’ Ying Zhiyu walked in, her tone bright and cheerful.
At that moment, Huang Xiu was standing on one leg, arms outstretched, striking a pose like a great roc spreading its wings.
‘Sorry!’ Ying Zhiyu’s words were cut short as a pillow smacked her squarely in the face.
‘Ow!’
She whimpered, stumbling back a few steps.
She immediately tried to push the door open and flee, but it was too late; Huang Xiu launched herself forward, dragging her back inside.
The next second, with a resounding bang, the door slammed shut.
Dust dislodged from the doorframe, sprinkling onto Jia Qianrou, who was waiting just outside.
‘I told you to knock first!’ Jia Qianrou said, gently brushing the dust from Huang Xiu’s head, her face a picture of exasperation.
Ying Zhiyu was a kind, innocent, and adorable girl, but she sorely lacked a sense of boundaries.
Even if they were all girls, everyone needed their own space.
Meanwhile, inside the room, Huang Xiu looked at Ying Zhiyu, who was cowering and trembling in the corner, with a look of profound relief.
‘Thank goodness!’
Becoming a girl had countless disadvantages.
But now, thanks to Ying Zhiyu, she finally understood one benefit of being a girl!
It meant she could act without restraint when dealing with other girls.
‘Fighting magic with magic—Dad truly didn’t lie to me,’ Huang Xiu said with a smile, walking towards Ying Zhiyu.
‘Next time, remember to knock, A-Yu!’ she instructed.
‘Aargh!’ A tragic scream echoed, and half a minute later, the door was pushed open once more.
Huang Xiu strode confidently ahead, chest puffed out, while behind her, Ying Zhiyu followed, head bowed, resembling a meek little daughter-in-law.
She beckoned to Jia Qianrou, and the three of them walked towards the auditorium.
However, even after walking for a while, Ying Zhiyu still lagged behind, silent and utterly devoid of her previous vibrancy.
Huang Xiu was instantly speechless.
‘I only flicked your forehead twice! There’s no need to be this scared!’
‘If I hurt you…’ She rubbed her head.
‘Then I’m truly sorry. My apologies.’
Despite not having done anything truly excessive, her lingering male mindset still prompted her to apologize first.