Pretending Not to Know

He wasn't worried about her abilities.

He was worried about something else.

Will she find it difficult to adjust?

Will I be able to make friends?

Did anyone talk to her?

Did you have a good lunch?

These thoughts, like a swarm of uninvited flies, buzzed around in his mind all day long, and he couldn't get rid of them.

He found it somewhat absurd.

It's unbelievable that a former pope, Level 99 Limit Douluo, would be so preoccupied with trivial matters like a six-year-old child going to school.

But he still came.

I left the Research Institute half an hour early, then went home to change into some inconspicuous clothes, and finally took a horse-drawn carriage to the academy gate.

The school bell rang, signaling the end of the school term.

After about half a cup of tea's time, students began to come out of the teaching building.

First came a few scattered individuals, carrying schoolbags and hurrying along.

Then came groups of two or three people walking together, chatting and laughing.

Then came the peak of the crowd, with people pouring out from several exits of the teaching building at the same time and converging on the school gate.

The first to leave the school were a few children from the junior class, around twelve or thirteen years old.

As they passed by Qian Xunji, one of the boys, who had a watermelon-shaped haircut, looked up at him and was then pulled away by his companions.

Next were the students in the intermediate and advanced classes, ranging in age from ten to fifteen or sixteen.

As they walked out of the school gate, their eyes were invariably drawn to the horse-drawn carriage at the entrance.

As the girls from the advanced classes walked by, their eyes swept back and forth between the carriage and Qian Xunji twice.

They walked a few steps away, then huddled together and began to whisper among themselves.

Quiet discussions like this spread at the school gate. Most people just felt that the carriage and the people next to it looked unusual, but a few more knowledgeable students recognized the insignia of the Spirit Hall's high-ranking officials, and some even vaguely guessed Qian Xunji's identity.

Qian Xunji sensed those gazes, but he ignored them.

Instead, he focused his gaze on the school gate, scanning the faces of each student who came out before looking away.

"No."

"No, not either."

Still no.

Sitting in the driver's seat, She Long said, "Your Majesty, why hasn't Miss come out yet?"

"Let's wait a little longer."

Dugu Bo leaned against the wheel and yawned. "It's normal for girls to dawdle a little after school."

The student flow gradually thinned out, and the school gate became quiet, with only a few late-leaving students slowly strolling out.

Just then, several girls walked over from the direction of the teaching building.

Qian Renxue walked in the very middle.

Her disguise remained unchanged; she still looked like a pretty, dark-haired girl.

Although she was disguised, Qian Xunji recognized her at a glance.

It wasn't because of her appearance, but because of her temperament and the familiar feeling she evoked, plus the shared Angel Martial Soul.

Five girls walked out of the school building.

Xu Huanhuan was getting into the conversation, and her voice was a few decibels louder than usual.

"... And then, did you see Teacher Zhao's expression?"

"I've known him for so long, and this is the first time I've seen him with such an expression. He definitely didn't expect Lin Xue to be so amazing."

Chu Xuan said, "Teacher Zhao has seen it all, but the way Gu Beichen looks when Teacher Zhao scolds him is really funny."

Xu Huanhuan laughed so hard she clung to Qian Renxue's arm, "Hahaha, in a little while I..."

Xu Huanhuan paused mid-sentence, glancing ahead before suddenly stopping.

Chu Xuan met her gaze and saw the carriage at the door, then the man standing next to it. He was involuntarily attracted, and his heart fluttered.

"That man is so handsome, he has such a great presence."

"Hey, isn't that the Spirit Hall's carriage? Why is it parked at the school gate?"

Xu Huanhuan said, "What's the big deal? Our academy was originally founded by the Spirit Hall, so it's normal to see Spirit Hall carriages parked at the school gate."

"Last month, five or six cars suddenly stopped, don't you remember?"

"That's true, but I've never seen that man before."

Xu Huanhuan looked at Qian Xunji's face and felt a strange sense of familiarity.

"It's him. I remember now, that person... was the previous pope."

Gu Xiaoman turned her head, "The previous pope?"

"You've seen it?"

Xu Huanhuan nodded. "I saw it once when I was little, when my grandfather took me to the Pope's wedding."

"I was very young then, about four or five years old, and I was sitting in the very back."

"But I remember the image of him walking through the middle of the hall."

Chu Xuan was silent for a moment, then sighed jokingly, "Ugh, those damn rich people."

Xu Huanhuan came from the Xu Family of the Star Luo Empire. A family that could attend the Pope's wedding— Chu Xuan had a vague idea of what level of family that was.

But Xu Huanhuan never mentioned her family, wore her usual school uniform, ate in the cafeteria with everyone, and copied notes from Gu Xiaoman's notebook.

Apart from the occasional mention of "my grandfather took me to such and such a place," there's absolutely no indication that she comes from a prominent family.

This is why Chu Xuan was willing to tease her— Xu Huanhuan never took it seriously.

Unbeknownst to them, their daughter was standing nearby, discussing the objects.

Gu Xiaoman noticed Qian Xunji's gaze and whispered, "He's looking at us."

"They're really watching, what should we do?"

Qian Renxue said in a low voice, "Let's hurry up and go."

Now she is Lin Xue, an ordinary student who has nothing to do with him.

If Qian Xunji were to expose him in public, not only would everything be for naught, but he might also lose all impression of him.

The group quickly disappeared around the street corner.

Qian Xunji followed Lin Xue's gaze with a look of confusion on his face.

Dugu Bo, who was standing to the side, asked, "Dean, why are you staring at that young girl?"

"You scared them all away. If they keep watching, I might have to take action."

Qian Xunji withdrew his gaze. "That girl's aura is very familiar."

Just as he was puzzled, Ci Xue walked out of the academy and came to Qian Xunji.

She Long spoke first, "Where is Miss? I haven't seen her."

After a moment of silence, Ci Xue Qian Renxue that she had used Disguise Soul Bone and the alias Lin Xue to enroll in the school, only wanting to be an ordinary student. She also specifically conveyed, "Miss told you not to come pick her up anymore; she will go back on her own."

Upon hearing this, he finally confirmed that the girl from earlier was indeed Qian Renxue.

She was only a few meters away from him, yet she treated him like a stranger.

He felt depressed for a moment.

After a long silence, Qian Xunji said quickly, "Alright, let's go back."

evening--

Qian Renxue was walking home. Tonight, Xu Huanhuan had taken her to South City Bistro for dinner, saying it was to celebrate "Lin Xue Xue's successful first day of school".

So this is what making friends is like: no need for calculation or weighing the pros and cons, it's just one person asking another if they want to go together, and the other person saying "okay".

This feeling is relaxing and joyful.

At this time, the lanterns at the entrance of the grocery store were still lit.

Qian Renxue walked to the door and looked down at herself.

She still looks like Lin Xue, and her maternal grandparents have never seen her like this before.

She smiled and a bold idea formed in her mind.