“Then how did you think of the Contract Cotton Bug?” Qiao Sang asked.
“I wanted to evolve it into the Baxe Butterfly, super pretty,” Fang Sisi replied, pulling out her phone to search for pictures of the Baxe Butterfly to show Qiao Sang.
“I know, but to evolve into the Baxe Butterfly, you have to take it to the Beilun area, right?” Qiao Sang said.
The Beilun area was quite far from their home in Yuhua. Currently, five evolutionary forms of the Cotton Bug were known, with the Baxe Butterfly requiring a specific environment for evolution. The Beilun area was that necessary environment.
“No need, I specifically asked a breeder. As long as it stays in a below -40℃ environment for an hour, it's fine. I’ll hire an Ice-type beast to create the environment,” Fang Sisi explained.
Seeing that Fang Sisi had everything figured out, Qiao Sang nodded and asked the unavoidable question after the high school entrance exam, “How did you do this time?”
Fang Sisi shrugged and said, “304 points. I can only go to a vocational school now.”
Before Qiao Sang could think of how to comfort her, Fang Sisi turned the question back, “How about you?”
“359 points,” Qiao Sang replied.
“Really?” Fang Sisi’s eyes widened in surprise.
“When the results come out, I’ll show you the report card,” Qiao Sang smiled.
Before Fang Sisi could respond, a sudden commotion erupted in the classroom.
It turned out that Qin Shou had come in with his Raosu.
When Qiao Sang entered with her Fire Tooth Dog, everyone chose to keep their distance. Everyone knew Fire-type beasts didn’t have the best temper, so it was better to stay away. But they were unfamiliar with Raosu; they only knew it was a rare beast from another country, which was enough to excite them.
Qiao Sang looked over and saw that Qin Shou was surrounded tightly by a crowd. Forget Raosu, even Qin Shou himself was blocked off completely.
Even Guo Lin, who had been making snide comments before, ran over, “Shou Ge! Show me!”
This commotion lasted for more than ten minutes. It was only when the homeroom teacher came in that everyone calmed down and returned to their seats.
It was only then that Qiao Sang could clearly see what Raosu looked like.
About 80 centimeters tall, it had two bull-like horns on its head and a pair of light red eyes adorned with fin-like patterns that looked like eyeshadow. It was trembling slightly in Qin Shou's arms, looking as if it had just been startled by everyone.
The homeroom teacher began to hand out report cards.
"Where's Xie Jiayi?" Qiao Sang asked.
Xie Jiayi was Fang Sisi's deskmate, who had wanted everyone to take the exam for Haomu Beastmaster School together.
Fang Sisi glanced at the empty seat in front and whispered, “You weren't here the day of the Mind Domain awakening. Xie Jiayi's Mind Domain awakening failed.”
Qiao Sang was taken aback and fell silent.
Every year, only 73% of students successfully awaken their Mind Domains during the high school entrance exam. With 27% failing, it wouldn’t be surprising if a few in their class didn’t succeed. Both of Xie Jiayi’s parents were Beast Masters, so her chances of awakening should have been high, and failing would surely hit her hard.
But sometimes reality is just so unpredictable. For instance, Dai Shushu’s child was an ordinary person but managed to self-awaken, while Xie Jiayi, as the child of Beast Masters, failed her awakening.
Quickly, the homeroom teacher called out Qiao Sang’s name.
As she went up to collect her report card, she pulled a little too hard and couldn’t rip it from the teacher’s hands.
Qiao Sang raised her head, puzzled, and looked at the homeroom teacher.
The teacher was grinning widely, his wig trembling with his laughter. He then positioned Qiao Sang to face her classmates and declared loudly, “I have an announcement! Our classmate Qiao Sang has diligently studied! She has achieved a great result and got into Holy Water Middle School!”
Upon hearing this, the whole class was in shock.
Diligently studied? The Qiao Sang who usually slept in class, failed tests, and had been taking leave often?
They had never expected anything from Qiao Sang.
Moreover, Holy Water Middle School? Who? The one who often ranked third from the bottom in class?!
Qiao Sang: “???”
…Qingcheng Gardens.
Qiao Sang returned home, feeling physically and mentally exhausted. Her mother was humming a tune in her room.
Qiao Sang opened the door to her mother’s room and saw the bed and floor scattered with clothes, bags, and shoes.
“You're back! Perfect timing, help me see which outfit looks good,” her mother smiled.
“Mom, is something going on?” Qiao Sang forgot her original reason for coming in while looking at the scene.
“Get out, get out, nothing unseemly! Didn’t you get into Holy Water Middle School? I invited some people to Wu Jing Hotel for a celebration. You tell me which dress looks good to wear,” her mother explained.
“...Mom.”
“How is that not enough? It’s not every day we have such a proud moment, so of course, we need a celebration. Oh, I still need to get a banner; what should we write on it?” her mother continued, trying on clothes in front of the mirror.
Qiao Sang felt helpless but had an answer in her heart. Still, she confirmed, “You told my homeroom teacher about me getting into Holy Water Middle School?”
“Of course! I had to call and thank your homeroom teacher for his efforts in raising your scores during the final stretch. I invited him to the celebration the day after tomorrow,” her mother admitted.
What could Qiao Sang say? As long as her mother was happy.
But wow, her efficiency was really fast. It felt like she had called everyone they knew…
For the next period, Qiao Sang helped her mother pick out clothes. After half a day of matching, they finally settled on a dress that matched the color of her Fire Tooth Dog’s fur.
In the afternoon, her mother went for beauty treatments while Qiao Sang took her report card and rode the subway to Holy Water Middle School to confirm her enrollment.
Now, her admission to Holy Water Middle School was officially confirmed.
…
…
June 26.
Wu Jing Hotel.
“Qiao Sang, come here. This is your Aunt Pingping; she used to hold you when you were little,” her mother, dressed in a red dress with her hair beautifully styled, waved over to Qiao Sang.
“Hello, Auntie,” Qiao Sang greeted politely.
Qiao Sang’s outfit was the same as usual, but her Fire Tooth Dog was dressed up.
Its flame-like fur had been well-groomed, and a black bowtie was stylishly adorned around its neck, completed with matching black sunglasses on its face, giving it a very dapper appearance.
“Qiao Sang has grown so big,” Aunt Pingping said, her eyes unable to resist looking at the Fire Tooth Dog.
Before they could chat much, Qiao Sang’s mother had already pulled her to another table, where there were acquaintances of Qiao Sang.
“Hello, teacher,” Qiao Sang greeted cheerfully.
“Qiao Sang! I knew you were a studious one since the first time I met you. Out of all the students I've taught, you were the only one who self-awakened. You didn’t let me down; you got into the best high school in Hanggang!” the homeroom teacher said, standing up with a smile.
Before Qiao Sang could respond, her mother chimed in, “Not at all! It’s all thanks to you, teacher. A short while ago, she even scored zero. If you hadn’t persisted in teaching her, how could she have done so well in the high school entrance exam?”
“Not at all; it’s all her own hard work that got her here.”
“Please, don’t be modest. If you hadn’t been strict, how would she have made it?”
“Don’t say that; she has been taking leave for almost two weeks now. How could I have kept track of her studies?”
Suddenly, the air went quiet.
After a few moments, Qiao Sang's mother looked at her and asked, “Leave… for two weeks?”
Qiao Sang: “…!”
Oh no, she had completely forgotten about that!
(End of Chapter)