The May sunset streamed through the window and fell across the desk in Dormitory 403.
The dried daisies in the vase lay in a patch of honey-colored light, utterly lifeless. A gentle breeze stirred the fine branches outside, and the sunlight in the room trembled with them, like plump, juicy Firefly Bugs.
Fat Cat Tuantuan watched the shifting patches of light on the desk. His claws slid out, drew back, then slid out again. He looked ready to pounce.
Fatty Xin stared anxiously at the cat on his belly, torn between protecting his robe and risking a scratch.
Everyone else in the dormitory stared at some tiny task before them with intense concentration. Ever since Zheng Qing had brought up Lin Guo's Black Goat, the mood had gone cold again. It made the young scholarship student wonder whether someone had cursed him to kill every conversation.
A hunter team that had won a championship had spent an entire week searching a limited area for one Black Goat.
And they still hadn't found him.
Every member of the You Zui Hunter Team felt ashamed.
Especially when they watched the hope in Lin Guo's eyes turn to disappointment, again and again.
Whoosh!
Tuantuan finally gave up watching. He pushed off with all four paws, leaped onto the desk, and began chasing the playful patches of light. His pounces were tiny, but his weight still made the sturdy wooden desk wobble a few times. Several people looked over.
Xiao Xiao finally seemed to shake off his earlier dejection.
He sighed, opened a drawer, took out a ribbon-tied Parchment Scroll, and held it beneath the young scholarship student's nose.
"Nearly forgot," the Doctor muttered, pulling the ribbon off the Parchment Scroll. "Here, sign this for me."
"What is it?"
"A report, and an application