Before lunch.
When Zheng Qing arrived at the Dean's Office of Jiuyou Academy, Jiang Yu was nowhere to be seen.
Old Yao sat behind his broad desk, handling a thick stack of documents. Several bright red Quill Pens fluttered and danced beside him like lively little sprites.
"Mm, you came at just the right time. Jiang Yu just left," Old Yao said with a chuckle without looking up.
Not at all.
Zheng Qing twitched the corner of his mouth, unable to understand what the old man was so pleased about.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, he habitually cast several Soul Protection Magic spells on himself to prevent the Legendary Wizard across from him from "accidentally" overhearing his inner grumbling—though if the old man behind the desk deliberately listened in on his thoughts, Zheng Qing's current abilities definitely would not be enough to stop him. Aside from silently reciting a few Rootless Curses like may eavesdroppers die miserable deaths, he could only hope for the other man's flimsy sense of morality and lack of curiosity about the world.
"I originally called you two here today to remind you about your Graduation Theses."
As he spoke, Old Yao waved a hand. The bright red Quill Pens lined up neatly and hopped back into the penholder at the corner of the desk one after another. Then, as if they had grown wings, the documents on the desk whooshed through the air in an elegant arc and landed on the other side.
The professor then leaned back comfortably in his chair, picked up his pipe, and put it in his mouth. His voice immediately became muffled. "...But Jiang Yu said she already discussed it with you. I looked over her Thesis Proposal. The topic is excellent, profound, and sharply framed. I hear