"Your next task requires you to find some time to visit the relevant department and have a chat with your Big Black Cat about its experiences during the transcendence process from the two-dimensional world... I’ll send you a list of relevant questions. This is part of the thesis foundation, so make sure to do it promptly."

"Of course, I know the Two-Dimensional Evolution Lab has more detailed data, and the relevant department must have more comprehensive survey materials, but for this kind of thing, asking the person involved might get more subtle and richer information. Also, neither the Two-Dimensional Evolution Lab nor the relevant department will provide your thesis with the most complete original materials, considering safety."

"Don’t worry, Old Yao will talk to the department, allowing you to chat with the Shadow Cat... Isn’t Baoyangzi your professor now as well? You can go directly to him to discuss."

"That cat is different from you; it’s very smart. If it asks for benefits, you can promise to let it be named as the second author of your thesis. In a way, it’s acknowledgment of its independence, which will surely tempt it."

"Me? I’ll just be the corresponding author."

After leaving Old Yao’s office, Su Shijun didn’t disappear immediately but walked openly on campus with Zheng Qing, tirelessly reminding him of some details related to the thesis.

Had it been in her lab or another office, Zheng Qing would have listened intently and possibly pulled out a notebook like Xiao Xiao or Xin Fat Man to carefully record everything.

But right now.

He just wanted to shrink into the shadow beneath his feet.

Noontime is the lunch rush hour, and the campus was bustling with students; more than one person saw him walking with Su Shijun. The sharp, blazing looks from all directions made Zheng Qing feel like he was walking on coals, each step burning him to the point of grimacing.

"Straighten up, you look like a baboon right now," the slightly displeased voice of the witch came from his ear: "Or do you think walking with me is embarrassing?"

"No, no, of course not."

Zheng Qing immediately recalled the etiquette training he received before Christmas at Greenhill Mansion, lifted his head, straightened his chest, maintained a modest smile, tried to ignore the arrow-like gazes falling from the sky, and explained in a small voice, "I just didn’t know... I mean, I haven’t had lunch yet..."

"So you want to invite me for lunch?"

Su Shijun brushed the hair hanging by her cheeks and smiled slightly: "If time permits, I wouldn’t mind accepting your invitation, but unfortunately, the lab occupies most of my time, plus..."

She glanced behind them, a trace of pleasant helplessness appearing on her face.

Zheng Qing held his breath, unsure whether to exhale or inhale. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Inhaling because her previous rhetorical question almost scared him to death; he couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have lunch with Su Shijun under everyone’s gaze, many people would love to see him make a fool of himself in that situation.

Exhaling gave him great relief because of her subsequent denial.

He followed the witch’s gaze, instantly feeling uneasy, because a large group of young wizards had somehow gathered behind them, mostly witches but a few warlocks as well, looking quite handsome—those daring to follow Su Shijun under broad daylight are somewhat confident in themselves.

Except for one particular individual.

Most of these followers held magic books, feather pens, or various strange little gifts, seemingly just wanting to get Su Shijun’s autograph.

Seeing the witch turn back, the crowd emitted a slightly suppressed chorus of joyous voices, with several girls even clutching their chests as if about to faint, whereas the few boys measured Zheng Qing with scrutinizing looks, and he noticed someone’s hand was repeatedly stroking the spine of a magic book, making him feel something was amiss.

"If there’s nothing else..." he lowered his voice and cautiously glanced at the witch beside him.

The sunlight landed from the side, rendering her hair with a beautiful hue, inexplicably reminding Zheng Qing of the term "gelatinous fresh orange," causing him to swallow unconsciously and forget what he intended to say next.

"There’s nothing much else to worry about."

The witch adjusted her exquisite frameless gold-rimmed glasses, looking at Zheng Qing with a querying look: "There is one thing I’m curious about... Why do you have Fox Five going to the entrance of San You Bookstore daily to knock on that 528 Hz tuning fork?"

As soon as this question was uttered, the sweet and sour "gelatinous fresh orange" instantly turned into "frozen ice cubes," pouring down on him and sobering Zheng Qing significantly.

Zheng Qing felt if he walked a few more steps with this Big Fox next to him, he might have a heart attack.

"Do... no... tuning fork... why..." he stammered, unable to form a complete sentence for a while. For a time, he wasn’t even sure whether lying or speaking the truth was more difficult in front of a Big Wizard.

"Is it your new way of contacting your gentleman?" the witch looked at him with a half-smile.

"Ah, yes, it’s like that." Zheng Qing stammered, nodding, meanwhile doing his best to clear any distracting thoughts from his mind, hoping the residual effects of the soul guard magic cast on him in Old Yao’s office were still lingering.

"You sneaky thing."

Su Shijun snorted softly, paused, and suddenly disappeared amidst the swirling cloak and fragrant breeze, leaving only a lingering echo in the air: "Remember to chat with it!"

Zheng Qing, quick-eyed and swift-handed, barely activated multiple invisibility talismans at the same moment the witch beside him disappeared, tiptoed away secretly.

Those trailing behind them not far away let out sighs and complaints in vain.

He intended to prepare several Nightmare Dolls before sleep tonight, Zheng Qing thought to himself, not even daring to go to the dining hall, but went straight back to the dormitory.

Thank heavens, Xin Fat Man was in the dormitory.

He wouldn’t starve to death.

"... Some professors truly know how to scare people," Zheng Qing said ambiguously as he gnawed on the salty meat sandwich provided by the Fat Wizard: "They never straightforwardly tell you what’s wrong, instead they’ll use expressions like ’British vassal’ or ’Yingzhou ventriloquism’ to make you scare yourself..."

"If you do not wrong during the day, you won’t be afraid of ghosts knocking at night." The Fat Wizard lazily looked at the note in his hand, barely lifting his head, seemingly deep in thought: "But this personal nature hunting competition you mentioned... seems like an interesting affair."

"You can discuss it with the doctor and add it to this semester’s training plan for the Absolution Hunting Team," Zheng Qing referred to the hunting competition organized by the Starry Sky Hunting Team, which Jiang Hua had mentioned several times: "But when signing up, absolutely don’t mention my name... Just pretend you heard about it. Avoid causing other trouble."

Thinking about the word "trouble," he involuntarily thought of the need to deal with that Shadow Cat again for his thesis, couldn’t help but sigh heavily—his time spent with the shadow cat before the division last semester was not particularly harmonious or enjoyable.