"The final competition even has Princess Tianjiang attending, I really wish I could see that outstanding female genius of the past two hundred years with my own eyes."
"They say she was born with double Spiritual Roots, and many masters predict her achievents at the age of 25 may surpass those of Xuan Nv, surely making her the strongest human on Earth for the next fifty years, bar none."
"Did you guys even get the point? The first prize is to beco the closed-door disciple of Fang Family's second elder, it's literally a chance to skyrocket to success."
"Shut the hell up, I'm seriously regretting it now!"
...
Liu Qianqian looked down at the restless students below and knocked on the desk again, speaking up, "Even if those goals are too far from us, it's still a matter of pride to be able to compete for the school's honor in our district."
"Class monitor, with our diocre University, the ones who could probably make it to the district competition from our school would be just over a dozen people, and most of them are from the Cultivation System, which has nothing to do with us."
"Exactly, in our class, it's only you, our class monitor, and the vice monitor who have a chance. The rest of us are definitely cannon fodder."
"Alright, let's not get hung up on that for now. Those things are next month," Liu Qianqian continued, "Recently, due to various competitions being scheduled tightly, following the Alchemist finals we'll have the annual competition between the Cultivation System departnts of various colleges.
Because the school feels the students are under too much pressure, they've decided to organize an outing to relax and unwind the day after tomorrow, in preparation for all the upcoming events."
"Damn! Class monitor, finally so good news!"
"What, just two days? That's not enough!"
"Where's the destination, class monitor? Is it really a trip with all the departnts across the whole school?"
"The outing location is at Jiulong Mountain, and this ti it's the whole school going, whether it's the Cultivation System or the Arts departnt, all departnts are involved," Liu Qianqian said.
Upon hearing that the Cultivation System was also going on the outing, most of the students in the class showed an annoyed expression.
"I don't really like going with that arrogant bunch from the Cultivation System, but since the girls from the Arts departnt are going too, it's bearable."
"Damn it, I'm so sick of those Cultivation System assholes acting all high and mighty every day. They're just naturally able to cultivate, shit, if I was born with cultivation ability, I'd definitely be stronger than them."
"Exactly, a bunch of good-for-nothings. Given such power and not cultivating earnestly to contribute to human society, all they think about is acting cool and flirting, so annoying."
"Okay, okay, quit being bitter. The world is just unfair, there's nothing you can do about it."
After so noise and commotion in the class, Liu Qianqian stepped down from the podium.
Fang Ren then looked at Liu Qianqian, who was slightly hanging her head, and felt that she must have sothing on her mind.
Normally, whenever Liu Qianqian stood up to announce things, she would always have a smile on her face, but this ti, she didn't smile from beginning to end, and there was a slight frown between her brows.
Having spent three years together, he knew Liu Qianqian well. If she had a smile on her face, it ant her mood was average; if her face was beaming and her eyes sparkled, it ant she was truly happy; and if she had no smile at all, her mood was low.
Even if she was enraged or angry, all she would show on her face was a slight furrow of the brows or an expressionless face.
As the announcent of the activity ca to an end, Liu Qianqian quickly grabbed so things and exchanged a few words with Li Xinyue, then left the classroom by herself. As she left, she was already on her phone making a call.
Fang Ren wanted to go up and ask her what was going on, but their relationship was rather awkward at the mont, plus, he was about to marry Sister Hui Qing, and it wouldn't be good if he caused any misunderstanding.
After shooting the breeze with two rich kids in the class, Fang Ren couldn't wait to run ho. He hadn't been staying in the dorms for many days, and the label of "prioritizing romance over friendship" had been stamped on him again.
"No, I forgot the box in the lab."
He had barely run down the stairs when Fang Ren realized that the small box he usually carried with him had been left in the lab. Because he had nearly fainted from diarrhea, followed by announcing things in the class, he had completely forgotten about his belongings.
Turning around, he ran back to the fourth-floor laboratory. Just as he got to the stairs, he heard the angry voice of a familiar girl.
"Do you even consider your daughter? A reproductive tool! You're treating like nothing but a reproductive tool!"
The voice was unusually angry, interspersed with a hint of grievance and unwillingness. It was not hard to discern that she had been crying.
Fang Ren cautiously peeked around the corner, only to find that it was Liu Qianqian, who had just left the classroom.
She was holding her phone, tears glistening as they fell, one hand clenched into a fist and trembling by the edge of her dress. Fang Ren had never seen Liu Qianqian like this.
As Liu Qianqian's voice fell, so words ca through the phone. Because he was so distance away, the sound was very faint.
But thanks to the White Elixer, Fang Ren's body had undergone so changes, and he could pick up so of the conversation.
It was the voice of a middle-aged woman, "Qianqian, your mother isn't pressuring you. Everything I do is for your own good. In this large family, you are just a weak girl without cultivation abilities. If you cannot contribute to the family, you'll be kicked out and despised by others.
Do you understand?"
"I don't understand! I'd rather be kicked out! I refuse to use my body to exchange for any benefits for the family!" Liu Qianqian cried out.
"Why can't you be sensible! Everything you have, including your life, is given by the family. Also, if you're not marrying Fang Lizhong, who else would you marry? Choosing an ordinary person would just be a waste of what you have!
It's given to you by the family; you have no right to decide!" The woman on the phone's tone beca much harsher.
"So in the end, aren't you just looking to use what's on to have a child that can bring benefits to you? Doesn't that just make a reproductive tool?"
"Since you were born with this, your fate has been destined."
"I don't want this thing! You can just dig it out of my body!" Liu Qianqian said, her face streaming with more and more tears.
"What are you babbling about? How can you take away sothing that's innate, like the Spiritual Root? Qian Qian, you should see having this ability as an honor. Your child will be excellent, and you must have a child with soone powerful enough; otherwise, you're wasting your child's whole life.
Didn't your parents give you your life? Do you want to make them live in pain?"
"..."
Liu Qianqian fell silent, biting down hard on her silver teeth, her nostrils flaring with the sound of sniffling.
The grace of being raised, the gift of life; these were the reasons she could not rebel against.
"Qian Qian, listen to mom, stop ssing around outside, and co back. Your child will make a na for themself across the entire planet, their talent may even be the highest since the beginning of the Cultivation Era, and their potential will be boundless."
"All you care about is having children... You never ask if I'm willing, what I'm interested in, nor have you ever asked if there's a boy I like..."
As Liu Qianqian spoke, she collapsed weakly onto her knees in the hallway.
"Those are all distractions. You say you want to be the top Alchemist this ti, but that's simply impossible. Just be obedient and co back. Later on, you will feel that everything mom and dad did was for your own good."
"I'll do it... I'll take first place!" Liu Qianqian said through clenched teeth.
"Why must you be so stubborn?"
"You promised , as long as I take first place as an Alchemist, you would grant the freedom to love."
"That's not freedom! It's just a detour you want to take at this age! We're trying to correct you!"
"I don't want to hear this. Since you said it, if I do it, then you have no other reason to force , right?"
"You... alright, it was your grandfather who made that statent. If you take first place, proving that your talent in Alchemy is enough to surpass many geniuses, the family will naturally grant you freedom of love."
Crack—
Liu Qianqian threw her phone to the ground, supporting herself on the floor as she knelt, tears incessantly falling onto the tiles of the hallway, her delicate and tender body trembling with grievance.
"I will... I definitely will..."
Her mouth kept stubbornly repeating the mantra, like a dragonfly that wanted to fly even with broken wings.
Fang Ren, hidden around the corner, after hearing this part of the conversation, felt incredibly conflicted; he never imagined that Liu Qianqian's parents could be so cruel, and he never thought that her desperate studying was actually a battle for her own marital freedom.
No freedom to love...
Was that why he was rejected?
A tumult rose in Fang Ren's heart, but those things had beco the past; impossible ant impossible.
What he could do now... he didn't even know how to comfort her if he stepped out.
The relationship was too awkward.
To go, or to see her?
A simple choice had suddenly beco so difficult.
Was his love for Mu Huanqing not deep enough, or was his obsession with Liu Qianqian too strong?
Or is it... the allure of the unattainable?
Just go, help her quietly.
Stop thinking about those things, you don't want to beco a scumbag...
Rustle rustle—
Fang Ren imdiately turned to head downstairs, but his clothes brushed against the wall.
In the silent hallway, where she was quietly crying, even the gentle rubbing of clothes against the wall sounded loud.
"Who's there?"
Liu Qianqian suddenly stood up from the ground, wiped the tears from her face, and ran down the hallway.
Fang Ren quickened his pace to go down, but his mind was in such turmoil that his left foot tripped over his right, and he tumbled down in the stairwell.
Liu Qianqian's figure------had already reached the staircase.
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