Volume One, Chapter 32: The School Year Begins

Chi Xingwan was a transfer student. Since there were no spare beds available in the girls’ dormitory of the Department of Taoist Studies, the school arranged for her to stay in another department’s dorm.

Her three roommates were all sophomores from the Chemistry Department, and even in the same class.

When Chi Xingwan arrived at the dormitory with her luggage, two of her roommates had already returned.

Xu Mingyue and Wen Jing were not natives of Yanjing. They had returned to school several days before the start of the term and had already cleaned the dormitory.

Seeing a stranger walk in, they immediately guessed she was their new roommate.

Xu Mingyue warmly introduced herself. She was lively and outgoing, leaving a good impression on Chi Xingwan from their very first meeting.

Wen Jing, true to her name, was quiet and a bit shy. Although she spoke little, she radiated friendliness toward Chi Xingwan.

Chi Xingwan pulled Dada out of her backpack. Before she could say a word, Xu Mingyue exclaimed with delight, “What a beautiful parrot!”

“This is my pet. She’s very attached to me. I hope you don’t mind if I keep her in the dorm? Don’t worry, she’s very well-behaved and clean.”

Dada’s round, bright eyes were irresistibly cute. She looked at Xu Mingyue and Wen Jing and called out, “Sister, sister!”

Xu Mingyue was utterly charmed. She reached out and stroked Dada from head to tail. “I don’t mind at all; let’s keep her.”

Wen Jing nodded, indicating she had no objections either. So Dada was allowed to stay for now.

Near noon, Chu Fangfei came by. She was a year older than Chi Xingwan and a junior in the Department of Taoist Studies.

She and Xu Mingyue hit it off instantly.

After Chi Xingwan fed Dada, the four of them went together to the cafeteria for lunch.

Xiao Jin entered the cafeteria, arm in arm with Chi Yueyao, complaining all the way: “Grandma is just too much. If she’d just said a word, I wouldn’t have to attend military training. But no, she even told the counselor to keep a close eye on me so I couldn’t slack off. Yueyao, look at me—my skin’s all tanned now.”

She was a freshman at Yanjing University this year and had just finished a two-week military training three days prior.

Chi Yueyao replied, “You’re in great shape. Take care of your skin for a month or two and you’ll be fair and beautiful again. Walking with you will make me look better, too.”

Xiao Jin was delighted by the compliment, unable to stop smiling—right up until she spotted Chi Xingwan walking by with her tray.

“What is she doing here?” Xiao Jin’s previously improved mood soured again.

Chi Yueyao was also surprised to see Chi Xingwan. The Yanjing University campus was closed to outsiders; only teachers and students could enter.

“She did say she was going to school, but I never thought she’d end up at Yanjing University. What a coincidence.”

Xiao Jin immediately started imagining things. Chi Xingwan grew up in the mountains and never even took the college entrance exam. If she got into Yanjing University, it had to be through connections, and it certainly wasn’t the Chi family’s doing.

It wasn’t that Xiao Jin was aware of the Chi family’s attitude toward Chi Xingwan—Yanjing University was a top school, and the Chi family simply didn’t have the power to pull those kinds of strings.

So, the only person who could’ve gotten Chi Xingwan into Yanjing University was the Xiao family—her grandmother.

Xiao Jin was nearly in tears with frustration. That was her own grandmother, who wouldn’t even get her out of military training but was willing to use her influence to get a country bumpkin into school.

Fuming, she got up and marched over to Chi Xingwan. “What are you doing here?”

Chi Xingwan had already noticed Xiao Jin and Chi Yueyao. She was always one to avoid trouble if possible, so she’d planned to ignore them. She hadn’t expected Xiao Jin to come over to cause trouble.

Setting down her chopsticks, Chi Xingwan looked up and met Xiao Jin’s gaze. “Miss Xiao, is there something you need?”

Polite but distant, her tone left Xiao Jin at a loss for words.

Chu Fangfei, oblivious to Xiao Jin’s intentions, thought she was an acquaintance and pulled her over to sit down. “You must be my sister’s friend. Come, don’t be shy—try these snacks I ordered. Are you a freshman?”

“…Yes,” Xiao Jin replied, a little dazed and following Chu Fangfei’s lead without thinking.

“Military training is tough, especially in the summer heat. After my own training, I was almost ruined. My senior saw me and shouted, ‘Where did this old witch come from?’ I was so angry I chased him all over the place.”

For a moment, Xiao Jin forgot whom she was dealing with and began complaining to Chu Fangfei.

“Sister, what’s your major?” Xiao Jin was the kind to act out at home but be polite to outsiders.

From a distance, Chi Yueyao watched, initially thinking Xiao Jin would seize the chance to mock Chi Xingwan. Instead, to her surprise, Xiao Jin was chatting with her.

Her heart sank—Xiao Jin was the Xiao family member she was closest to. She’d given up hope of marrying Xiao Yue, but that didn’t mean she wanted to sever ties with the Xiao family. Xiao Jin was easy to sway; she couldn’t let Chi Xingwan win her over.

Chi Yueyao quickly walked over, just in time to hear Chu Fangfei’s reply.

Chu Fangfei pointed at Chi Xingwan and then at herself. “We’re both in the same department, Taoist Studies. I’m a junior, and Xingwan is a sophomore.”

Xiao Jin and Chi Yueyao were both taken aback; they never expected Chi Xingwan would be in the Department of Taoist Studies.

The Department of Taoist Studies held a very special, almost mysterious, status at Yanjing University.

Its teaching building was exclusive—outsiders weren’t allowed in. The school leaders treated both faculty and students from the department with exceptional respect, even deference.

By rights, such privilege would suggest influential connections, but the department’s students came from all over the country. Some were from wealthy families, but many came from poor mountain villages. Where would connections come into play?

There had even been attempts by second-generation elites to use influence to enter the department, but they were coldly refused. Xiao Jin herself knew that even the Xiao family couldn’t get someone into Taoist Studies.

Moreover, the department had no fixed admission standards and didn’t rely on entrance exam scores. There had been transfer students before—Chi Xingwan wasn’t the first.

Realizing that Chi Xingwan hadn’t relied on her grandmother’s influence to enter Yanjing University, Xiao Jin’s anger quickly dissipated. In fact, after chatting with Chu Fangfei, she found herself much friendlier toward Chi Xingwan.

Noticing Xiao Jin’s change in attitude, Chi Yueyao hurriedly said, “Jin, didn’t you say you wanted to buy cosmetics after lunch? Let’s go.”

Xiao Jin remembered her errands, exchanged contact information with Chu Fangfei, and left with Chi Yueyao.

Watching them leave, Chu Fangfei suddenly asked, “I forgot to ask—how are you related to her?”

Chi Xingwan replied calmly, “She’s my fiancé’s cousin.”

“What?”

Not just Chu Fangfei, but Xu Mingyue and Wen Jing were both astonished.

Xu Mingyue asked, “Xingwan, you’re engaged at such a young age?”

“It was arranged when we were children.”

Chu Fangfei nodded in understanding. Although modern times valued romantic freedom, in the occult world, if two children met their fated partners early on, families often arranged engagements.

Xu Mingyue and Wen Jing thought it over and found it unsurprising. Judging by Chi Xingwan’s bearing and her belongings, it was clear she was from an extraordinary background. For the wealthy to arrange marriages from childhood was perfectly normal.