The outside world was too dangerous, so I hurriedly brought Mei’er back to the apartment.
“You two are back! Let’s eat!” As soon as I pushed the door open, Sister Lin’s voice reached my ears.
I glanced over and saw that Sister Lin and the others were already seated at the dining table, starting their meal.
“Got it!” I responded, pulling Mei’er to the table.
The moment I sat down, Tang Shuyao turned to me and said, “Narcissist, today’s the weekend—an odd-numbered day, which means it’s your turn to cook. But you ran off!”
She was right. Since it was the weekend, I should have been the one cooking. However, my encounter with that sword-wielding young man had delayed me.
I could only smile apologetically. “I’ll handle the cooking tomorrow and the day after, then.”
“At least you have some conscience!” Tang Shuyao nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer.
Since I was in the wrong, I didn’t argue further. After finishing the meal, I retreated to my bedroom.
Only after lying down did my muscles finally relax completely. The pressure that sword-wielding young man had exerted on me was overwhelming—he could have killed me in an instant. Maybe even less than a second.
And what was with that black mist and those blood-red eyes? I’d encountered them twice now. Though they only appeared for a split second each time, the sheer terror they instilled in me was indescribable.
I was certain I’d never seen anything like it before. If it was an illusion, it felt far too real.
Activating my Purple-Gold Enchanting Eyes today had also drained a lot of my mental energy. I had no motivation to cultivate, so I decided to sleep early.
Before long, I drifted into a deep slumber…
“Xia Tian! Xia Tian, wake up!” Sister Lin’s voice suddenly pulled me from sleep, but I was too exhausted to move.
Groggily, I mumbled, “I don’t have class this morning… Let me sleep a little longer…”
“Today’s the Freshman Meetup event! Everyone has to attend the assembly!” she said, yanking the blanket off me.
Freshman Meetup? Hearing those words, I immediately jolted awake, sitting up to stare at her. “Are you serious?”
“Didn’t you get the university’s text message?” Sister Lin asked, puzzled.
That only confused me more. “Text message? What text message?”
“Forget the message—just hurry up! I heard the students from other universities are already here!” she urged anxiously.
“Fine!” I agreed and started getting dressed. Seeing this, Sister Lin quickly left my room.
Once I was ready, I stepped out and saw that Sister Lin and the others were already prepared, standing by the door to leave.
“Can I at least brush my teeth?” I asked tentatively.
But Sister Lin grabbed my arm. “No time! We’re late!”
“Mei’er and Wang Ziyan are coming with us?” I suddenly noticed that both Mei’er and Wang Ziyan were dressed neatly, ready to join us.
Wang Ziyan rolled her eyes. “Shenghua has so many students—who’s going to notice if we don’t belong?”
“Where’s Qin Mengdie?” I looked around but didn’t see her.
Tang Shuyao said proudly, “Sister Mengdie is representing our freshman class in the speech! She’s already at the venue!”
“Enough talking—I’ll drive us there. Hurry, or we’ll be in trouble for being late!” Sister Lin, looking frantic, herded us into her car.
“Sis, can you slow down? I feel sick…” Sister Lin drove like a maniac, and with the roads empty, she even started drifting, making me dizzy.
Tang Shuyao also looked queasy. “Yeah, Sister Mengxin, slow down! I’m about to throw up, just like this narcissist!”
But Sister Lin ignored us, speeding up even more.
Seeing how uncomfortable I was, Mei’er tightly grasped my hand. The moment she did, I immediately felt better and stopped complaining.
Though the venue was quite far, Sister Lin’s driving got us there in no time.
As soon as the car stopped, I jumped out for fresh air—though Beijing’s air wasn’t exactly refreshing…
The event was set up in a large square, and by the time we arrived, it was already packed.
We quickly found seats and sat down.
Just then, a portly middle-aged man stepped onto the stage.
“First, let’s give a warm welcome to our fellow students from Korea, Japan, America, and Thailand, as well as our prestigious domestic guests from Tsinghua and Peking University!”
As soon as he finished, thunderous applause erupted—far louder than anything I’d heard back at Third High School.
“Shenghua University, founded decades ago, has earned great prestige both domestically and internationally. This year, after discussions with the board, we’ve organized a freshman social exchange event…”
The portly man was likely Shenghua’s president. His long-winded speech soon had me yawning.
“…Now, let’s welcome our freshman representative, Qin Mengdie, to deliver her speech!”
After the president stepped down, Qin Mengdie walked gracefully onto the stage. Before she even spoke, the crowd erupted.
“Mengdie! Mengdie! I love you!”
“Beauty, let’s be friends!”
“Step away from the mic—come to me instead!”
The commotion was anything but dignified for university students, but Qin Mengdie’s beauty had that effect.
“Quiet…” Qin Mengdie’s calm voice, amplified by the speakers, reached every corner of the venue.
The moment she spoke, silence fell.
If it hadn’t been Qin Mengdie speaking, no one would have paid such rapt attention to such a clichéd speech.
This so-called “Freshman Meetup” seemed more like an international freshman assembly.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
As Qin Mengdie finished, the crowd burst into applause, some even whistling.
“Next, let’s welcome the freshman representative from Japan!” After a bow, she left the stage.
Soon, a nearly six-foot-tall Japanese student stepped up, greeting the audience in stiff Mandarin: “Hello, everyone. I am Miyagi Sawano from Japan…”
The moment he introduced himself, boos erupted. The Japanese representative smirked and continued his speech, though the noise made it hard to hear.
I wasn’t paying much attention anyway.
“Everyone, please quiet down!” Another voice suddenly cut through. I looked up to see Lin Youchen stepping onto the stage.
“Sawano-kun!” The Japanese student brightened upon seeing Lin Youchen.
So Lin Youchen knew him? Well, given that he grew up in Japan, it made sense.
“Lin Youchen! Lin Youchen!”
“My idol! I finally see him in person!”
The moment Lin Youchen appeared, the female students went wild, as if starved for affection.
“Tch. What a show-off,” Tang Shuyao muttered disdainfully.
“My companions and I came to your country primarily to study its culture,” Miyagi Sawano continued. “However, I personally am more interested in your martial arts. I wonder how they compare to our karate.”
“Karate? Are you joking?” A voice from the Taekwondo section interrupted as a student stood up, looking at Miyagi Sawano provocatively. “Our Taekwondo is the strongest!”
“Childish exercise routines, and you dare call them national arts? Thai boxing is the most lethal combat skill!” A Thai student also rose, speaking in broken Chinese.
Only the American section remained silent, watching the spectacle unfold.
Seeing this, I couldn’t help but grin. This “Freshman Meetup” was going to be anything but peaceful!