April sat next to Xu Ling, seemingly oblivious to her teacher's gritted teeth. She also lowered her head, focusing her attention on the task at hand.
It's okay, she's used to the teacher's occasional eccentricities, she can just ignore it!
April stared intently at the cauldron in front of her, which was being licked by the small flame.
Unlike Xu Ling, who had just begun to learn about herbs, Cersei, who had been following her for almost a year, had already started researching how to make new potions.
As the saying goes, like teacher, like student. Unbeknownst to her, April, subtly influenced by Cersei, began to share the same ideas as Cersei.
What's the point of making old, unchanging potions?
Creating new types of medicine is the best! The most fulfilling!
Before her eyes lay the fruits of her labor over this period of time!
Using swampy alfalfa that even dogs wouldn't bother with, along with some cheap hemostatic herbs, April looked at the liquid bubbling and gurgling in the crucible with excitement in her eyes.
Occasionally, she would stir it with a stirring stick, afraid that the reaction wouldn't be complete.
Time passed second by second, and just when April felt it was almost done cooking, Cersei returned to normal.
With her arms crossed, Cersei sat lazily in a chair to the side, watching April carefully ladle out the dark, murky potion.
"Teacher, would you like to give it a try?"
April held the small bowl, barely full of the new hemostatic medicine, and looked at Cersei with expectant eyes.
As a good student who respects her teacher, April felt that whatever was good should be given to her teacher to try first!
Cersei: ......
The pitch-black liquid was steaming, and upon closer inspection, a faint blue hue seemed to flash by.
This doesn't look like something a human would drink at all!
Even though it was a gift from her beloved student, Cecily politely declined. She ruthlessly moved her chair back, immediately distancing herself from April.
"No, thank you, Lily. Why don't you let Lingling try some? She's been here for so long, she should try something good!"
When she said "okay," Cersei emphasized it.
Xu Ling: ······
She looked up abruptly, and the ominous potion immediately filled her vision. It was so close that Xu Ling could even smell the somewhat nauseating odor emanating from it…
"Lingling, have a taste!" April's expectant voice suddenly rang in her ears.
At this moment, April was full of enthusiasm, completely unlike her usual self, and this was the most frightening thing about her!
A profound saying suddenly popped into Xu Ling's mind: "Unsolicited kindness is either a sham or a theft!"
Xu Ling is not afraid of death, but she is afraid of living a life worse than death!
If she were to take this medicine, the consequences would be no different from being worse than death!
Swallowing nervously, Xu Ling cautiously raised her index finger, tapped it on the small bowl, and gently pushed it away. "Thank you, I'm not hungry yet."
Her irrelevant answer clearly shows how terrified Xu Ling was!
"Won't you... try some?" April asked pitifully.
Xu Ling: ······
She simply didn't have the courage to say "okay"!
Silence instantly filled the room. Xu Ling remained silent, and Cecilia sat far away without saying a word, which only highlighted the lively atmosphere outside where Fei Er and the others were having a great time.
The sounds of Abao's cacophony laughter, combined with Blake's haughty meows, drifted into the room through the slightly ajar door.
April continued, "Are you really not going to try it? Really not going to try it?"
Despite her repeated inquiries, the two people inside seemed to have gone deaf at that moment.
No one answered; silence answered everything.
April hung her head in frustration, looking somewhat sad, but she quickly regained her composure.
Forget it, she'll just go find her most loyal partner!
April turned around, carrying the medicine bowl, and walked towards the door. "Abao!! Come quick, there's something good to drink!"
The sound of Ah Bao's loud laughter outside the door stopped abruptly, as if someone had suddenly been choked.
Just as Xu Ling thought that A Bao had already fled in a panic, she saw April open the half-closed door, and a familiar black figure immediately stopped on April's shoulder.
Ah Bao didn't run away?!
Xu Ling's eyes widened in surprise.
However, what happened next was even more surprising.
Just then, Abao, who had just settled on April's shoulder, stretched his neck without the slightest hesitation and pecked at the bowl of dark liquid with his sharp beak almost impatiently.
Xu Ling: ······
She rubbed her eyes in disbelief, and in that instant, the amount of medicine in the small bowl had decreased by more than half.
When Xu Ling looked closely, the small bowl was completely empty, not a drop was left!
At this moment, Abao happily cackled twice, nuzzled April's neck contentedly, and then immediately spread its wings and flew away without any hesitation.
"Do you understand now? That's why I raise Blake, and Lily raises Abao..."
Suddenly, Xu Ling heard her teacher's gentle voice explaining something. She turned her head and saw that, without her noticing, Cecilia had quietly moved to her side and was now whispering something in her ear.
"Luckily you already have one, otherwise I would have had to find one for you too." Seeing Xu Ling looking over, Cersei couldn't help but sigh.
However, Cecilia was still somewhat dissatisfied with the fur color of the talking cat beside Xu Ling.
"Sigh, but why isn't it black?" she couldn't help but mutter to herself.
Witches, according to tradition, should keep small, all-black animals!
"What?" The teacher's voice was so soft that Xu Ling didn't hear the last sentence at all.
Before Cersei could answer, April returned with an empty bowl. "What are you talking about?"
As she asked the question, she skillfully sat down next to Xu Ling, her gaze shifting curiously from her teacher to Xu Ling.
Having spent nearly a month with Xu Ling, and given that Xu Ling had nowhere to stay and had practically shared a bed with April during that time, their relationship could be described as progressing by leaps and bounds.
April is no longer the same as when we first met, when she was noticeably reserved and timid in front of Xu Ling. She is now able to converse with her quite familiarly.
Cecily calmly met April's gaze. Seeing her curiosity, she simply waved her index finger back and forth in front of them. "Nothing. By the way, April, how are your preparations for the start of school?"
"School starts?" Xu Ling suddenly interjected, her expression somewhat surprised. "What school starts?"
Sersi replied casually, "Of course it's because Phil Academy is starting! In about two weeks, Lil will be a second-year student!"
Xu Ling: ······
Oh no! She's so engrossed in learning to read this month that she's completely forgotten she's supposed to go to Phil Academy!!!
What do we do now?!
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