Just as he reached the academy gates, a familiar pink-blue figure rushed over. Wang Dong wore a brand-new white school uniform and seemed little changed from a month ago. Her pink-blue short hair had grown slightly longer, while her lively eyes carried a little more vitality. "Lin Yuan! You finally came back! I waited for you all day yesterday!"
Lin Yuan smiled and sidestepped her bear hug, then lightly flicked her forehead. "What's the rush? There are still two days before registration closes." Even so, seeing the undisguised anticipation in Wang Dong's eyes warmed his heart. This sharp-tongued but soft-hearted deskmate had truly taken waiting for his return to heart.
Wang Dong rubbed her forehead but, unlike usual, did not retort. Instead, she leaned closer and studied Lin Yuan curiously. "Where did you go during the break? I feel like... you're different again." She could not pinpoint exactly what had changed. She only felt that Lin Yuan's aura had become steadier. Even the sheen on his silver-white hair ribbon beneath the sunlight seemed to carry a more restrained sharpness than before.
"I went somewhere I could cultivate in peace." Lin Yuan glossed over it vaguely, his gaze sweeping over the bulletin board by the gates. The preliminary arrangements for the advancement assessment had been posted there. "By the way, did Teacher Zhou look for us? Has there been any news about the class assessment?"
At the mention of the assessment, Wang Dong immediately put away her playful expression and pulled Lin Yuan toward the teaching building. "Teacher Zhou asked about you yesterday! She said the class assessment would not be announced until three days after school started, but it definitely wouldn't be easy. She told us to prepare in advance. Oh, and Yu Hao came back a while ago too."