"Xia Mi?" Chu Zihang repeated the name, tasting its familiarity on his tongue as memories slowly surfaced from the depths of his mind.
"I think... you used to be a cheerleader for the school's basketball team," he said slowly, fragments of recollection assembling themselves into a clearer picture. "You were there during games, cheering us on. I remember you being quite spirited about it."
The memory was frustratingly vague, like trying to focus on something glimpsed through frosted glass. He should remember more clearly—his memory was typically excellent, especially for faces and significant events. Yet everything connected to this girl seemed wrapped in an odd haze that made details slip away even as he grasped for them.
Xia Mi's eyes widened with genuine surprise. She hadn't expected him to recall even that much. When she'd left Shilan Middle School, she had carefully sealed everyone's memories of her presence there—a necessary precaution to maintain her cover. The fact that Chu Zihang could pierce through that supernatural obfuscation, even partially, was both intriguing and concerning.
Why can he break through the seal? she wondered, studying his face with new interest. What makes him different?
"That's exactly right, senior brother!" she replied with practiced cheerfulness, stepping closer and tilting her head with the kind of innocent charm that had disarmed countless people over the centuries. "I used to cheer for your basketball team all the time! You were quite the star player, if I recall correctly."
Chu Zihang felt heat creep up his neck at her proximity and animated expression. Despite his usual composure around the opposite sex, something about Xia Mi's direct attention made him unexpectedly flustered.
"I... that is..." He took a deliberate step backward, creating more comfortable distance between them. "Where did you transfer to after leaving Shilan? I remember you disappearing rather suddenly."
The question carried genuine curiosity tinged with confusion. His memories of her departure were even hazier than those of her presence—one day she'd been there, the next she was simply gone, as if she'd never existed at all.
"I transferred to Beijing University Affiliated High School," Xia Mi replied smoothly, having prepared this cover story long ago. "And at the beginning of next semester, I'll be attending a preparatory program jointly established by Beijing University and a private American institution."
"Oh? What's the name of this American school? I'm actually studying in the United States myself now."
"It's called Cassel College," Xia Mi said with a playful smile, as if sharing a delightful secret. "You probably haven't heard of it, senior brother—it's quite exclusive and maintains a very low profile."
Chu Zihang's expression shifted dramatically, his casual interest transforming into sharp focus. "Cassel College? Are you certain?"
"What's wrong, senior brother? Is there something problematic about Cassel College?" Xia Mi asked, though her innocent tone carried undertones of calculation. She'd expected this reaction, had in fact been counting on it.
"There's nothing problematic about it," Chu Zihang replied slowly, his mind racing through implications. "It's just that Cassel College is exactly where I'm currently enrolled."
The revelation hit him like a physical blow. If Xia Mi was attending Cassel's preparatory program, that meant she was almost certainly a mixed-blood—someone with draconic heritage. The coincidence was too staggering to be mere chance, yet the alternative explanations were equally disturbing.
"Senior brother, we're destined to meet!" Xia Mi exclaimed with apparently spontaneous delight, clapping her hands together and practically bouncing on her toes. Her enthusiasm drew curious glances from passing spectators, but she seemed oblivious to the attention.
"So you're here watching the game tonight as well?" Chu Zihang asked, still processing the cosmic odds of their encounter.
"Actually," Xia Mi's expression turned slightly embarrassed, "I'm here working a part-time job to earn tuition money. Even with the preparatory program's assistance, international education is quite expensive."
That explanation genuinely surprised him. Based on Finger's descriptions, Cassel College students typically came from wealthy, influential families. The idea of someone needing to work part-time jobs to afford attendance was almost unprecedented.
"You're working to pay for school?" he asked, a note of concern creeping into his voice.
"That's right, senior brother," Xia Mi replied with rueful self-deprecation. "Your junior sister is quite poor. I have to earn money however I can to afford my education."
The admission stirred something protective in Chu Zihang's chest. Here was someone facing genuine financial hardship while pursuing the same dangerous education he'd been offered freely. It seemed fundamentally unfair.
"I see," he said thoughtfully, already considering whether he might be able to help somehow. His stepfather's resources could easily—
"Oh no, Finger!" The memory of his abandoned companion struck like lightning.
"Junior sister, please wait here—I'll be right back!" he called over his shoulder, already sprinting toward the restrooms.
Behind him, Xia Mi watched his retreating figure with an expression that shifted from amused to intensely focused.
"Senior brother," she murmured to herself, "I didn't expect we would meet again quite like this. But now... now I'm even more interested in you than before."
Her original attraction to Chu Zihang had been purely professional—she'd detected Odin's Nibelungen mark upon him and had infiltrated Shilan Middle School to investigate its significance. But his ability to pierce her memory seals suggested depths she hadn't anticipated. This chance encounter might prove far more valuable than simple surveillance.
Several minutes later, Chu Zihang returned with Finger trailing behind him, the information broker's legs slightly unsteady and his expression carrying the particular resentment of someone who'd suffered prolonged indignity.
"Junior sister, I apologize for the delay," Chu Zihang said, his usual taciturn nature seemingly abandoned in favor of unusual talkativeness. "I had to rescue this guy from a rather pressing bathroom emergency."
For reasons he couldn't explain, conversation felt easier around Xia Mi than it typically did with strangers. Perhaps their shared school history created a foundation of familiarity that bypassed his normal social awkwardness.
"It's perfectly fine, senior brother," Xia Mi replied sweetly, her hands clasped behind her back in a pose of innocent patience.
"Junior sister?" Finger's voice dripped with wounded accusation as he studied the scene before him. "Ah, Chu Zihang, I see why you took so long to rescue me from my dire circumstances! Here I was, suffering in indignity, while you were out here chatting with a beautiful girl!"
His theatrical outrage would have been more convincing if his eyes weren't already calculating how to turn this development to his advantage.
"I usually see you as such a serious, dedicated person," Finger continued with exaggerated disappointment. "But I never expected you to be the type who abandons friends for romantic opportunities!"
The accusation made Chu Zihang's face flush with embarrassment and annoyance. "Don't be ridiculous! This is Xia Mi, my junior from Shilan Middle School and a future freshman in Cassel College's preparatory program. I was simply being polite to a fellow student."
"Oh!" Finger's entire demeanor transformed instantly, resentment melting away as his information broker instincts engaged. A new Cassel student represented potential profit and useful connections.
"My deepest apologies, junior sister!" He executed an elaborate bow that was only slightly undermined by his still-shaky legs. "I'm also a student at Cassel College—you can call me Finger! Welcome to our distinguished institution!"
"Hello, Senior Brother Finger," Xia Mi replied graciously, apparently charmed by his sudden change in attitude.
"Hello, hello indeed!" Finger nodded enthusiastically, his earlier dignity completely abandoned in favor of obsequious friendliness.
"I wonder what year Senior Brother Finger is in?" Xia Mi asked with innocent curiosity.
The question struck Finger like a physical blow, his animated expression freezing mid-gesture.
"Don't worry about him," Chu Zihang interjected with barely concealed amusement. "He's been held back so many times that even he's lost count of which year he's supposed to be in."
"What kind of words are those?" Finger's voice cracked with wounded pride, his volume rising to attract attention from nearby spectators. "You can insult my appearance, my personality, even my dubious financial practices—but you cannot insult my academic dignity!"
His righteous indignation was so perfectly performed that Xia Mi couldn't suppress a delighted laugh, the sound bright and musical in the arena's echoing space.
"Junior sister, please don't laugh at my expense," Finger pleaded, his defiance immediately deflating into pathetic vulnerability. "My dignity has suffered enough trauma for one evening."
"I'm sorry, Senior Brother Finger," Xia Mi apologized with genuine warmth. "I didn't mean to laugh at you—your reaction was just so... authentic."
"Well, I suppose I have failed multiple grades," Finger admitted with the air of someone confessing to capital crimes. "Repeatedly. With stunning consistency."
"Son, why did it take you so long to use the bathroom?"
Su Xiaoyan's voice cut through their conversation as she approached with obvious maternal concern. She'd grown worried when her boy and his friend had disappeared for an extended period, imagining everything from food poisoning to terrorist incidents.
"Oh my, what a lovely young lady!" Su Xiaoyan's attention immediately shifted to Xia Mi, her expression transforming from worry to delighted interest.
"Mom, this is my former classmate from Shilan Middle School," Chu Zihang explained with resigned acceptance of the inevitable. "She's now enrolled in Cassel College's preparatory program."
"Shilan Middle School and Cassel College?" Su Xiaoyan's eyes lit up with the particular gleam of mothers detecting romantic potential. She immediately took Xia Mi's hands in both of hers, studying the girl's face with obvious approval.
"Oh my dear, you and my Zihang are absolutely destined for each other! Same school, same university program—it's practically written in the stars!"
The matchmaking assessment was delivered with such enthusiasm that both Chu Zihang and Xia Mi found themselves blushing, though for different reasons.
"Xia Mi, you probably haven't had dinner yet, have you?" Su Xiaoyan continued without waiting for an answer. "Why don't you join us? I've made reservations at a wonderful restaurant—my treat, of course!"
She was already guiding Xia Mi toward the exit, her grip gentle but inexorable.
"Auntie, I'm very grateful, but I still have work to finish here," Xia Mi protested politely. "If I leave without permission, my supervisor will dock my pay, and I really can't afford that."
"Nonsense! Zihang will handle everything with your supervisor," Su Xiaoyan declared with the confidence of someone accustomed to solving problems through direct action. "Won't you, son?"
She fixed Chu Zihang with a look that clearly communicated the consequences of disappointing her in this matter.
Chu Zihang found himself trapped between his mother's expectations and his complete ignorance of Xia Mi's employment situation. "I... would be happy to help, but I don't actually know who your supervisor is or where to find them."
"Oh, that's easy enough to solve," Xia Mi said, taking pity on his obvious distress. "My supervisor is managing the merchandise booth near Section 12. I can show you the way."
Twenty minutes later, after Chu Zihang had successfully negotiated Xia Mi's release from work duties (along with payment for her evening's efforts), the expanded group followed Su Xiaoyan through Beijing's bustling streets toward the upscale restaurant she'd booked for their post-game celebration.
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