Chapter 262: The Transfer Student
Because her situation was special, Xu Zhi did not need to attend classes immediately. Thus, she spent the entire week at home rapidly studying the foundational knowledge she had missed.
In addition, she applied for a basic “literacy” course for Qi Yanxin. Being illiterate in the lower districts hadn’t mattered much—most people there were. But now that Qi Yanxin had come to the upper districts, she could no longer remain unable to read a single word.
Moreover, once Xu Zhi began attending school, Qi Yanxin, as an ordinary person, wouldn’t be able to wander freely around the Inner Academy, nor could she easily go out to find work. Letting her idle at home all day would likely drive her restless. It was better to let her learn something.
Qi Yanxin had no objections—if anything, she felt flattered. In this world, it was common knowledge that knowledge was the most precious thing of all.
Now she not only no longer had to work day and night, but could even study for free. Naturally, she had no aversion to learning.
Although Xu Zhi had missed a considerable amount of foundational material, her ability to absorb knowledge was astonishingly fast. A single week wasn’t enough to completely master everything, but she had at least grasped most of the content for the first few courses on her schedule.
She had also visited the infirmary. They conducted a simple physical examination and, based on her previous medical records, prescribed medication, and current recovery status, adjusted her prescriptions accordingly.
Xu Zhi’s guess had been correct. The Light Institute no longer intended to dig deeper into her affairs, so the infirmary’s examination truly was just medical treatment.
Before classes began, Xu Zhi even browsed the academy forum. It wasn’t that she was gossiping—well, perhaps a little—but mainly she wanted to get a sense of the information flow and atmosphere among students.
As for the extensive discussions about her on the forum, she saw them all but didn’t pay much attention.
She only felt that such discussions would grow more frequent in the future. After all, she had no intention of hiding her brilliance. This was only the beginning.
These people didn’t even really know her yet.
Before going to bed, Xu Zhi reviewed the Inner Academy’s regulations once more. Only then did she finally lie down to rest. She hadn’t slept properly for days, racing to absorb knowledge. Her mind was still sharp, but her body was reaching its limit.
She woke early the next morning.
The Light Institute’s schedule wasn’t overly packed. There was only one class in the morning—Extraordinary Circuits at nine o’clock, lasting two hours until eleven.
In the afternoon, there were two more classes, each also two hours long.
The Special Recruitment Class consisted entirely of specially admitted students. Some were admitted due to their “status,” others for unique extraordinary abilities or exceptionally high talent. In short, the class included both noble heirs of distinguished background and gifted extraordinary prodigies. It had always been the most distinctive class within the Inner Academy.
But no matter how eye-catching previous students had been, none compared to today.
Before class even began, students had arrived earlier than usual at Classroom 302 in Building A, a tiered lecture hall. Beyond the class itself, many gazes lingered from the corridor and nearby classrooms. Clearly, they were all waiting for the transfer student rumored to begin attending classes today.
They wanted to see what this transfer student looked like—and just who she was.
From the moment she entered the teaching building, Xu Zhi sensed the lively atmosphere. However, the Inner Academy had many students. Those who came to watch weren’t limited to first-years; some were upperclassmen. Even within the same year, there were plenty of unfamiliar faces, let alone students of different grades.
Thus, before entering the classroom, although her refined features drew some attention, her identity as the “transfer student” did not yet cause any commotion.
But the moment she confirmed the room and stepped inside, things changed.
The Special Recruitment Class was small, and students were already familiar with one another’s faces. The instant Xu Zhi—an unfamiliar presence—entered, the previously noisy classroom fell into a subtle silence.
Wearing glasses, Xu Zhi slightly concealed the natural coldness of her gray eyes. The chain draped beside her face lent her a faintly vintage, scholarly air. Combined with her recent recovery from illness, she appeared somewhat frail and gentle.
A polite, faint smile rested on her lips as she swept her gaze casually across the room. Seeing that most seats were empty, she chose a vacant seat near the front and moved to sit down.
Clearly, she had no intention of introducing herself to her new classmates. As for the curious gazes clinging to her, Xu Zhi ignored them all.
Had she not experienced what she did in Cloud City, such an environment—filled with probing and scrutinizing looks—might have made her uncomfortable. But she had once faced the countless eyes of that Archbishop. Compared to that, her classmates’ gazes felt almost friendly.
Although Xu Zhi sat down as if no one else existed, her friendly expression, slender frame, and current gentle demeanor prevented others from seeing her as arrogant. At most, they thought perhaps the new student was simply shy.
Not long after she sat down, a girl moved into the seat beside her.
The girl had shoulder-length short hair—messy and fluffy—and a strikingly vivid red color. Even her pupils shimmered faintly red. Yet this red was entirely different from that of the Cup attribute. The aura around her radiated sunlight and vigorous vitality. Rather than Cup, she felt more like an exuberant manifestation of Heart.
“Hey, are you Xu Zhi?”
The girl leaned in familiarly, directly breaching the usual social distance between strangers.
Xu Zhi felt a flicker of displeasure but did not show it. Maintaining her polite smile, she nodded.
Their exchange was clearly overheard by others. When Xu Zhi confirmed that she was indeed the transfer student, she distinctly felt most of the gazes upon her shift into curiosity and surprise.
No one had expected that the genius transfer student who had instantly dominated the rankings would look so… gentle and delicate.
She didn’t seem particularly imposing.
Whispers rippled through the classroom. Xu Zhi paid them little mind. The red-haired girl, now certain, excitedly asked, “How old are you this year?”
Xu Zhi recalled the forum threads speculating about her age. If the forum hadn’t required real-name registration, she might have placed a bet herself.
It wasn’t something worth hiding. “Eighteen,” she replied calmly. “Almost nineteen.”
“So young?!”
The red-haired girl failed to control her volume. Xu Zhi’s brows knit slightly. Her patience was thinning. While she intended to embody the Lamp attribute’s demeanor, she didn’t intend to torment herself in the process.
She raised her head and met the girl’s gaze. Though her lips still curved in a faint smile and her tone wasn’t harsh—almost even measured—she said, “Could you lower your voice?”
“You’re a bit loud.”
For some reason, the red-haired girl suddenly felt uneasy. She couldn’t pinpoint why. Through the lenses, Xu Zhi’s gray eyes appeared calm. Yet when that gaze settled on her, she felt a chill run down her spine.
“…Oh. Sorry.” She instinctively lowered her voice.
“And also—we’re not that familiar,” Xu Zhi continued gently. “Could you sit a little farther away?”
Her tone sounded like a polite request, but the red-haired girl didn’t feel it was a request at all.
It felt like an order.
Get away.
