Volume One, Chapter 122: A Nocturnal Conversation

After a dreamless night, Mo De woke up feeling refreshed. Following a quick shower and drying his hair, he headed toward the cafeteria for breakfast.

As he pushed open his door, he noticed Mu Qing emerging from the room next door, looking like she had barely woken up.

"Morning... *yawn*..." Mu Qing greeted him while stretching.

Before Mo De could respond, the door across the hall opened, and another figure stepped out.

"Morning, Su!" Mu Qing, still half-asleep, called out to Su Ziwen.

Mo De was stunned. How did this woman become so familiar with Su Ziwen?

"Good morning, Sister Qing." Su Ziwen offered Mu Qing a faint smile, nodded in greeting to Mo De, and went to knock on Ivanotti’s door.

"When I went to look for Moon last night, this child stopped me in the hallway, so we chatted for a bit," Mu Qing explained to the dumbfounded Mo De, lifting her sunglasses to rub her eyes.

"You two... what did you talk about?" Mo De stammered.

"Just some girl talk. None of your business, you silly man," Mu Qing teased after putting her sunglasses back on. "Anyway, remember to call me 'Sister' in front of Su." After patting his shoulder, she stretched lazily and turned to wake up Chen Yue.

"Morning, Senior Mo!" Ivanotti, having stepped out of her room, spotted Mo De standing in the hallway and waved.

"Morning..." Mo De, still reeling in confusion, replied sluggishly.

"Let’s go, Senior. We should meet up with Senior Jiuchuan and head to breakfast," she urged.

"Thanks for yesterday," Su Ziwen said suddenly while Ivanotti was busy calling for Yu Jiuchuan.

Mo De blinked, then realized the class monitor was referring to her motion sickness incident.

"It was nothing, really. It was all thanks to Teacher Chen Yue in the end," Mo De replied, scratching his head.

"I’ve already thanked Teacher Chen, and I ran into Sister Qing on my way back," Su Ziwen said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"So you’ve already met..." Mo De didn't know what else to say.

"Sister Qing is actually quite nice, though she does have a penchant for mischief." Recalling their conversation from the night before, Su Ziwen’s gaze flickered away from Mo De.

"That's just how she is—always looking for trouble," Mo De muttered helplessly.

"You should show Sister Qing more respect. Don't be so informal," Su Ziwen frowned, feeling Mo De’s attitude toward her was too casual.

"No, that person..."

"Call her Sister Qing properly. Stop calling her 'that person'."

Unable to win against the earnest Su Ziwen, Mo De raised his hands in surrender.

"Let's go." Seeing Xiao Feng and Yu Jiuchuan approaching, Su Ziwen called out to the speechless Mo De, and the group set off for the cafeteria.

The girl’s steps were light and nimble, as if she had cast off a heavy burden. After their chat last night, Su Ziwen had finally let her guard down, believing that this mysterious woman meant her no harm. It was just that the distance between her and Sister Qing felt a little... too close.

Walking behind Mo De and the others, Su Ziwen stepped out of the reception building and into the warmth of the morning sun. *Oh well, why dwell on it? As long as everyone is safe, that’s all that matters.*

Watching the person ahead chatting and laughing with Xiao Feng and Senior Jiuchuan, Su Ziwen quickened her pace to catch up, walking side-by-side with them toward the cafeteria bathed in the morning glow.

***

After breakfast, the thirty-three winter camp students gathered outside and were led by their teachers to a massive building on the west campus.

"The 'Hall of Anomalies' at the Third University of Ability is world-class. It combines the most advanced theoretical knowledge and simulation technology with abundant energy ores and array formations to create training environments for almost any attribute..." A representative from the Hall guided the group of forty on a tour.

The interior was divided into countless sections, each door marked with signs detailing the environmental characteristics and the nature of the sub-particles within.

"By the way, every training room is equipped with protective barriers, so you are free to practice as you wish. Just be mindful not to disturb others," the representative said, bowing to Chu Fengyi before taking his leave.

"For the next week, you may choose which rooms to enter for your daily practice to experience how your internal sub-particles react to different extreme environments. Every afternoon, the university will host specialized lectures on various ability attributes, which you are welcome to attend," Chen Yue said, mass-distributing the digital schedule.

"I hope you all cherish this time. Even the university's own students have to pay a significant fee to use a treasure like the Hall of Anomalies," Chu Fengyi said, standing before the group and scanning their faces. "You now have the perfect training grounds, access to a vast ocean of knowledge, and the freedom to choose. How you spend these seven days is entirely up to you."

"Self-discipline and planning are the biggest differences between high school and university. Here, no one will force you to study or train. Everything is laid out before you—whether you take it or not is entirely your own choice."

Chu Fengyi’s voice wasn't loud, but it resonated in the heart of every student.

Without the "death stare" of a homeroom teacher, without the stress of piles of textbooks, without the forced morning runs—how much could they gain from this treasure trove on their own?

"Does anyone have any questions?" Chu Fengyi asked, pleased by the contemplative silence.

Seeing a hand go up, she said gently, "Student Yu Jiuchuan, what is your question?"

"Is the central campus library open to us?" Yu Jiuchuan asked, meeting Chu Fengyi’s eyes steadily without a hint of shyness.

"Of course. With this, you can use most of the public facilities on campus," Chu Fengyi replied with a smile, tapping the wristband on her arm.

"Understood." Yu Jiuchuan nodded softly, a flicker of excitement in her eyes.

Compared to the lectures, she was far more interested in the knowledge hidden within that library.