In the afternoon, the students were gathering in groups of twos and threes to take commemorative photos, but Li Qian was in no mood for it.

What Tu Jiaojiao said during lunch, combined with Teacher Chu Xiran’s advice, had still affected him to some extent.

The class president’s excuse had been clumsy. He had reason to suspect that she wasn’t applying to Shazhou Beast Taming University for the scholarship at all.

’That was hardly any money.’

He had a strong feeling that she was, in all likelihood, doing it for him.

"Tonight, I heard there’s a class dinner at Juyuan Restaurant by the east gate. Are you going?" Fatty An asked, clapping Li Qian on the shoulder just as he was lost in thought.

Li Qian snapped back to his senses and shook his head without a second thought. "I’m not going. It’s just eating and drinking—nothing interesting. I have something to do in a bit, so I’m heading back to the Cultivation Base."

Li Qian had heard of Juyuan Restaurant. In the area around the school’s east gate, it was considered a rather high-end place.

Of course, Li Qian’s reluctance to attend had nothing to do with how upscale the place was; he simply didn’t want to deal with all the socializing.

He could foresee that if he went, he’d be bombarded with flattery and create a commotion, which would be endlessly tiresome.

"I heard a lot of our classmates aren’t going. It probably won’t be much fun, so I guess I won’t go either," Fatty An said sheepishly, pursing his lips after hearing Li Qian’s response.

Li Qian knew what he was thinking with a single glance and said with a smile, "Don’t let me influence you. Go have a good time. After all, it’s the last dinner everyone will have together—a final farewell to our three years here."

He knew Fatty An actually wanted to go—it was, after all, another chance for him to show off in front of everyone. So, he continued trying to convince him. "Besides, what if the class president, Tu Jiaojiao, is there? You might be able to leave a lasting impression on her. It’d be a real shame to miss that."

Fatty An’s expression turned conflicted as he heard this, and he began to hesitate.

Li Qian walked over, smiled faintly, and patted his shoulder. "Go on. Stop hesitating. This isn’t like the Young Master An I know!"

After sending Fatty An on his way, Li Qian, who had no intention of joining the festivities, wandered around for a bit before leaving the school gates, planning to hail a cab back to the Cultivation Base.

Just then, not far from the school gate, two figures caught his attention.

Or, to be more precise, it was very likely that these two figures were intentionally waiting for him to come out.

’They know me well enough, I suppose. They know I don’t like crowds.’

"What a coincidence!" Li Qian said with an awkward laugh, looking at Li Lanying and Tu Jiaojiao standing right in front of him.

To ease the slightly awkward atmosphere, he quickly added, "I heard there’s a class dinner tonight. I take it you two aren’t planning to go?"

"You aren’t planning to go either," Li Lanying said, speaking first as she walked over with natural grace.

The smile didn’t leave Li Qian’s face as he repeated his perfunctory excuse. "I have some things to take care of at the Cultivation Base..."

"We have things to do, too," Tu Jiaojiao said, equally dismissive. She walked over to stand opposite Li Qian, sizing him up with a leisurely gaze.

Li Qian felt a flicker of nervousness under her direct stare.

’Right now, he really couldn’t figure out his class president at all.’

Fortunately, Li Lanying was quite tactful. Seeing the awkwardness, she interjected, "Oh, right, Li Qian! See you at Shazhou Beast Taming University!"

"Uh, you two..." Li Qian was stunned for a moment. He quickly understood, his brows furrowing as he struggled to find a response.

In this situation, combined with Li Lanying’s words, their choice was self-evident.

At first, Li Qian was completely baffled, but he soon came to terms with it.

’Why overthink it? We’re all adults now. Whatever they choose is their business.’

’Worst case, once we’re at Shazhou Beast Taming University, I can look out for them a bit, within my means.’

’As for anything else—whether the two of them have other motives—I’ll just not think about it for now. I’ll assume they don’t. They haven’t said anything, after all, right?’

"Alright then, see you at Shazhou Beast Taming University!" Having sorted out his thoughts, Li Qian smiled faintly, feeling much more at ease.

But on the way back, he couldn’t help but mutter to himself, "How is there another one..."

Poor Fatty An, though. With both beauties absent, his grandstanding would lose much of its fun.

The next day, Li Qian sought out Professor Yan and tried to persuade him. "Professor Yan, honestly, I don’t need protection anymore. You should go take care of your own business. Continuing to stay here with me is really a waste of your time."

Without pausing, he continued, "I’ll also be leaving Lingshui City soon for a trip."

"The places I’m going are all big cities, so safety definitely won’t be an issue."

"Besides, you just obtained the evolutionary cultivation method for the Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon. Don’t you want to test it out?"

Evidently, Li Qian’s words struck a chord with Professor Yan.

A conflicted look appeared on his face. After a moment of thought, he replied, "Uh, wait a minute. I have to ask the university for their opinion..."

「Three days later」

Professor Yan appeared before Li Qian, his face beaming with delight. "This is a single-use Suicide Bombing Robot developed through the painstaking, collective research of our university’s Mechanical Element professors. It’s extremely valuable. After you press this red button, the robot will activate. Its explosion is equivalent to a full-power strike from an Emperor-level Pet Beast. I hope you use it with caution."

Professor Yan handed a basketball-sized, milky-white sphere to Li Qian.

Li Qian took the sphere and gave it a simple inspection.

The most conspicuous feature on the sphere was a dark red button in the center.

After storing the sphere in his Crystal Necklace, Li Qian looked at Professor Yan.

Since he had been given such a life-saving item, the result of the discussion was self-evident.

Sure enough, in the next moment, he announced his departure. "Well then, Student Li Qian, I look forward to your arrival at Shazhou Beast Taming University soon."

Li Qian chuckled and shook Professor Yan’s hand, making a promise. "I’ll definitely be there before the semester starts!"

Professor Yan’s departure was definitely a good thing for Li Qian. With him around, he had to be cautious with some of his research, afraid of exposing his Golden Finger.

With him gone, Li Qian could conduct his research without restraint, free from any worries.

The day after Professor Yan left, Li Qian went to find his father, Li Chengyang, and his mother, Han Yuqing. "Dad, Mom, I’m planning to go on a long trip."

"Son, where are you planning to go?" his mother, Han Yuqing, asked with concern, as if she had already expected this.

Li Qian didn’t hide anything and directly stated his itinerary. "First, I’m going to visit Mu Qianqian and her family. I mainly want to see the Mysterious Forest Secret Realm. After that, I’ll make a trip to Zhonghai City!"

"You’re going so far away," his mother, Han Yuqing, said, a hint of worry appearing in her eyes.

"Don’t you worry. Xiaotian has grown up; he knows how to take care of himself." His father, Li Chengyang, patted his mother’s shoulder to comfort her, then turned to Li Qian. "Xiaotian, as your parents, we may not have great abilities to shield you from the wind and rain, but we will always worry about you and have you in our thoughts. So, no matter what happens, remember that you can always call us."

"I won’t say any more sentimental stuff. Just remember to work hard and make a name for yourself!"

Hearing this, Li Qian chuckled and offered his own encouragement. "You two work hard, too, and give me a little brother or sister!"

"You have no shame! Get going!" his mother, Han Yuqing, waved her hand and scolded him with a laugh, dispelling some of the sorrow of parting.