Over the next few days, Zheng Qing obediently restricted his movements to the dormitory, classrooms, and library. Apart from the cafeteria and Feiyuan, where he did morning exercises, he did not even go to Pedestrian Street anymore.
He borrowed the Shaman Magic Grand Dictionary Jiang Yu had recommended from the library the very next day, then personally concocted a small bottle of Moonlight Magic Essential Oil.
Whether the potion's effects were exceptionally good or for some other reason, from that night onward, the young publicly funded student never again suffered any aftereffects from the Transformation Spell.
That gradually made him let down his guard.
To the point where he had the leisure to pay attention to the various things happening around the academy.
"Are you planning to attend that weekend gathering Xu Qingmu mentioned before?" Around noon on Saturday, Zheng Qing lay lazily in the dormitory, looking at Dr. Xiao sitting ramrod-straight at his desk, when he suddenly remembered something.
Xu Qingmu was a freshman from the Class of '09. He had crossed paths with Zheng Qing once in the library a few days ago and had left a deep impression on him.
"Perhaps."
Xiao Xiao neither confirmed nor denied it. Holding a piece of silk cloth, he carefully polished his Bamboo Slip Spellbook. Zheng Qing felt that in just a month or so, the doctor had practically polished a patina into that bamboo.
Several little elves landed on Zheng Qing's shoulder. The wizard tilted his head, letting them fuss about in his ear canal with tiny tweezers, while he considered his words. "I feel like the atmosphere around the academy has been a little strange lately... When finals are still months away, and no one seems particularly interested in gossip... what do you think everyone is doing?"
"What are