Four azure fox tails unfurled softly.
The Senior Councilor of the Under the Moon Council transformed into a hazy ball of blue light and vanished into the night. Zheng Qing didn't know where she had gone. Perhaps she had returned to the laboratory to check her materials, perhaps she had gone to the lounge for drinking tea, or perhaps she had simply turned invisible where she stood.
In any case, just as she had emphasized beforehand, she had "left first."
No one thought her action discourteous. As the most distinguished and closely watched guest at the ball, she had the right and freedom to be a little willful.
That left the young publicly funded student alone to face the heavy pressure descending upon him from every direction at the ball—though of course, he deserved it. Although the commotion had been slight, the departure of Qingqiu Mansion's mistress still drew many curious gazes.
This was a ball, not Starry Sky Academy's unrestricted arena. No one would brazenly rush over, grab the boy by the collar, and ask whether he had angered Councilwoman Su into leaving. All the guests merely whispered among themselves, peering furtively at the wizard standing alone with polite, restrained looks.
One sheep, two sheep, three sheep.
Following Su Shijun's instructions before she left, Zheng Qing silently counted one hundred sheep in his heart. Sure enough, as time passed, those sneaking glances finally stopped clinging to him. Su Shijun's presence was certainly welcomed by all, but titles like "Senior Councilor," "Archwizard," and "the number one beauty" also weighed on everyone's hearts like slabs of stone, making it difficult for these young wizards to truly relax and dance or socialize. With Su Shijun's departure, more and more people gradually turned their attention back to the ball, and the atmosphere on