Chapter 45
On the way to the cafeteria, Mo Xuanji saw an ancient tree towering into the sky.
The trunk seemed thick enough for six people to embrace, its crown stretching freely into the sky, its emerald green leaves covering the entire sky. Vines entwined the trunk, extending from the roots, then looping around the upper branches and cascading down. The tips of the tender green vines brushed the ground, making a subtle sound.
The appearance of this tree is different from any species I have seen before. Even the system doesn’t know what kind of tree it is.
"What kind of tree is this?" Mo Xuanji asked softly.
"Are you asking about this tree? It's said to be the only ancient dragon vine tree in the world. It was planted here when the school was first established." Wilde rubbed his chin and said with emotion, "This tree is over 3,000 years old."
"The only one, no other of the same race?"
Wilde shook his head. “Perhaps?”
Wouldn't that be very lonely? Mo Xuanji thought so but didn't say it out loud.
A breeze blew, and the vines and branches swayed gently, making a rustling sound in the treetops.
Perhaps it was fate that brought people together, as Mo Xuanji ran into Zhu Changan again in the cafeteria. He was carrying a large plate of food and looking for a table.
"Xuanji, there's a senior here too? Great, we meet again! Let's share a table."
"good."
"Huh? Where's Junior Ji?" Wilde looked around but couldn't see Ji Sheng.
"I'm here," Ji Sheng's muffled voice came from behind Zhu Chang'an. Zhu Chang'an chuckled and turned around, only to see a palm-sized sunflower slowly peeking out from under his hood.
"It's too crowded here. The delicate little flowers will really be squeezed into juice." Ji Sheng said while using the vines to wipe his tears.
“Hahahahahahahaha…”
Zhu Changan placed the plate on the table. "Speaking of which, Ji Sheng, are you going to transform back into human form here?"
"Of course not."
"Can I eat in this state?" Mo Xuanji was a little curious.
"Of course," the sunflower said, growing slightly larger. Under the curious and shocked gazes of the three, it walked over to the plate and wrapped its roots around a chicken wing. A flash of green light flashed, and in the blink of an eye, the wing was reduced to just two bones.
"So awesome!" Zhu Changan applauded repeatedly.
"It's just that the taste isn't as good as the spiritual soil." Sunflower twisted her body and turned to the next target.
Zhu Chang'an's stomach seemed to growl. He chuckled and began his inhalation spree. When Mo Xuanji finished her portion, Zhu Chang'an also put down his chopsticks, still unsatisfied.
Mo Xuanji stared at the shiny plate in front of him, wanting to speak but stopping himself. If he remembered correctly, the food was piled high like a mountain at first, right? Sure enough, he had underestimated Zhu Octopus's speed at finishing his meal.
After finishing his meal, Wilde left. After all, as the club president, he still had to take care of some of the club's affairs. But before leaving, Wilde suddenly hooked his arm around Mo Xuanji's shoulder and said in a low, mysterious voice, "Junior, I told you before..."
"that?"
"Yes, that. Don't forget it." Wilde reminded again and again.
"good."
After he left, Zhu Changan came over curiously: "Xuanji, what is that?"
"...Nothing." Better not to say it for now, it's a bit embarrassing. They'll see it soon anyway. With that thought, Mo Xuanji silently put the plate into the recycling bin.
After packing up, Zhu Changan took his friends on a tour of the club area. Although there were still a lot of people in the afternoon, there were already many familiar faces among them.
After signing up for a club, what do you do when you're bored? Of course, you should find some fun. Don't be fooled by the popularity of some clubs, as they're scrambling to sign up. Unaware of the situation, some naive individuals are tricked into filling out the application form, only to discover that the entire group is just there for the fun, with them being the only real one.
They all have black consciences.
The fun gene always exists in every student, even Zhu Changan, a guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes, has joined in the fun.
The morning's tricks had already been performed, so continuing them wasn't very effective. So, to attract traffic, everyone improvised some mini-games, each using their best treasures as prizes.
After a round of this, there were things like darts piercing balloons but with super powers, ring tossing where the grand prize was the Dean's photo album—the Dean, who was unaware and working diligently, sneezed loudly, and a blindfolded game of tag in ancient costumes. It was a complete breakdown of etiquette and music...
Mo Xuanji passed by and was amazed. Mo Xuanji clapped wildly in his heart.
"These are just flowers for you city people to play with." The country bumpkin sighed with deep emotion.
Zhu Changan went to try a circle, although unfortunately he didn't get the photo album, but he did come back with a big white goose pillow.
By the way, the neck of this big white goose is really long. Zhu Changan carried it upside down on his shoulder. It was already bent, but the orange-yellow beak of the goose still faintly touched the ground.
Ji Sheng tried to straighten himself up: "Alright, my demon body is not even as long as a goose's neck."
"Hahahahahahaha." Zhu Changan laughed.
Time passed slowly in the joyful atmosphere, and by the time Mo Xuanji reacted, it was already dark.
As if someone had knocked over dominoes, the street lights lit up one after another.
Suddenly, a brilliant golden streak shot straight up into the sky in the distance. When it reached a certain height, it exploded with a loud bang. Amidst the dazzling fireworks, a line of striking golden text lingered for a long time, sustained by the energy: Congratulations to Penglai Academy on its 3,000th anniversary!
This firework seemed to have turned on a switch. Suddenly, countless streams of light shot up into the sky from all over the campus. Along with the sound, fireworks of brilliant colors and various shapes bloomed in the night sky.
Cheers broke out from the crowd.
"How beautiful!" Zhu Changan shouted excitedly, pointing his finger somewhere: "Look, that firework is actually in the shape of a dragon!"
"Hmm? Where?" Mo Xuanji looked in the direction Zhu Changan pointed.
Fireworks always have a short lifespan. When he finally discovered the dragon, most of its body had already disappeared. Mo Xuanji didn't see the dragon in its entirety, but fortunately, he caught one last glimpse.
Mo Xuanji's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
"Come on, let's go to the playground. The school anniversary party is about to begin! Xuan...Xuan Ji? Why do you look so ugly? Are you not feeling well?" Zhu Changan was startled and quickly reached out to support him.
"I'm fine." Mo Xuanji shook his head and covered his chest with lingering fear.
This color combination and this height really gave him a sense of déjà vu. Could he have really developed PTSD from the shock? For a moment, his entire body went cold. Mo Xuanji couldn't help but question his life.
"If you're not feeling well, why don't we find a place to rest?" Ji Sheng asked worriedly.
"I'm fine." Mo Xuanji lowered her hand. The feeling had come and gone quickly, like some kind of hallucination. "Maybe I'm just too tired today. Let's go to the playground."
Zhu Changan just noticed something, but his friend didn't want to say it, so he had to pretend that he didn't notice it.
He once again revealed his carefree smile, chuckled as he put his arm around Mo Xuanji's shoulders, and picked up Ji Sheng who was about to say something: "Then let's go. I heard there will be a lot of exciting programs."
The school's open-air playground is vast, apparently enough to accommodate the entire school population. A large stage has been built on one side, and the school, with its deep pockets, even provided night-shining pearls for illumination. Someone tried to count them, but lost patience halfway through. It wasn't that they didn't want to count; they simply couldn't.
When Mo Xuanji and the other two arrived at the playground, the opening ceremony had just ended.
The first program is the chorus that has remained unchanged for a century.
"Let's sit here." Ji Sheng chose a place with few people but a great view. Mo Xuanji silently gave him a thumbs-up.
Not long after sitting down, Mo Xuanji saw Wilde not far away. Their eyes met, and Wilde winked at him.
"I'll be leaving for a while." He looked back into Zhu Changan's eyes, feeling somewhat guilty. Even with Ji Sheng around, Mo Xuanji still felt guilty for abandoning a young child.
"You'll be able to see me soon." He added at the end.
Zhu Changan then felt relieved and said with a smile, "Okay."
Although Ji Sheng was curious, he didn't ask any more questions.
Mo Xuanji never lies to his friends. If he says he'll see her soon, then he'll definitely see her soon.
So, after a few performances, a figure that was extremely familiar to Ji Sheng and Zhu Changan appeared on the big stage.
The stage was dark, with only a spotlight shining on the center.
Mo Xuanji gently pushed aside the red curtain and walked out from behind it into the spotlight. He was still wearing the same outfit he wore during the day, except for a magician's hat and an exquisite dark cloak.
On stage, Mo Xuanji was a completely different person than usual. A carefree smile played across his face, and amid the audience's screams, he gently raised an index finger to his lips. The skin beneath the half-glove was even more noticeable against the black and white backdrop.
The golden glasses chain swayed gently with his movements.
"Shh." The sound was not loud, but it reached the ears of everyone present.
Zhu Changan's jaw dropped. He and Ji Sheng exchanged a glance, each seeing shock in the other's eyes: Is this Xuanji?
The Mo Xuanji whose smile is always like the sun rising from the west?
"Could it be that Xuan Ji has been possessed by some strange creature? Although she is very cool, I still choose to like the cold and stern-faced Xuan Ji!" Ji Sheng turned into a screaming little flower on the spot.
"So, that's what you're referring to." Zhu Changan scratched his head and realized it belatedly.
The audience was silent for a few seconds before bursts of screams broke out again.
People who don't usually smile have the most lethal smile. Didn't you see that Liuhe, who had always adhered to the principle of playing dead and not communicating, was still lured out by the cool guy's smile?
Mo Xuanji's smile on the stage was so alluring. However, only he knew that it wasn't because he wanted to keep smiling, but because the muscles on his face had become stiff.
The sky is falling, the wind is blowing and the rain is pouring, the sky is dark and pitch black... and so on, these are all descriptions of his current spiritual world.
In his sea of consciousness, the reliable system held up a glow stick and cheered him on frantically: "That's right, stay calm, kid, you're the best! Daddy is cheering for you!"
Despite the groundhog screaming inside, Mo Xuanji bowed and saluted, imitating Oscar Wilde. Then, a vibrant red rose appeared in her hand.
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