I'll Be Watching You

Jialesi, Sword Flower University. The three radiant stars were gradually sinking in the west. A young professor was walking peacefully along the campus path, but the moment he caught sight of a youthful, gorgeous female student heading straight toward him, he immediately pivoted, quickening his pace to make an escape. "Professor Libluomu..." "Miss Servi," the young professor stopped and sighed helplessly. "I have to admit, your sincerity has truly moved me. After all, if you keep pestering me like this, my reputation will be completely ruined. Even my stiff, stern father went out of his way to warn me not to do anything that might damage Sword Flower University's reputation—such as entangling myself with a female student." Sonia's eyes lit up. "Then—" "But I truly don't have the authority to change the host at the last minute. Either you disappear entirely, and if I can't find anyone half an hour before the gala begins, I'll activate the emergency contingency—the cost being that you'll have to take a disciplinary warning." Libluomu continued, "Or you can go straight to the headmaster. As long as you can get her permission, the school rules can naturally make an exception for you and relieve you of your hosting duties, even without you offering a single 'suitable reason.'" Sonia shook her head repeatedly. "The headmaster keeps to herself, and she's a Four-Winged Legend—I wouldn't dare approach her. If I make her angry, not even Professor Trozan could protect me." "Then you aren't afraid of angering me?" Sonia clamped a hand over her mouth at once, but her voice still slipped out through her fingers: "Because you're just a Two-Winged alchemist who specializes in academic theory and research. Even if I offend you, it doesn't really matter—it won't hurt my interests." Having said that, Sonia looked pitifully at Libluomu. "Professor, I really can't help it. Those are my true thoughts. I can't lie." Libluomu's face stiffened with fury. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Thank you very much for your honesty, Miss Servi. You've helped me realize my true worth in the eyes of ordinary students. Truly illuminating. "However, since you don't dare seek out the headmaster, you're left with only two choices: fulfill your duties, or take a warning. It's almost dinner time. Please make up your mind as soon as possible. I'll be waiting backstage at the gala for your arrival." Watching Libluomu walk away, Sonia felt utterly helpless. She wanted to call out the Watcher to brainstorm a solution, but remembering that today was also the Watcher's day of action, she abandoned any thought of disturbing him. She wondered whether the Watcher had caught the scent of free air by now... Sighing and sulking, Sonia returned to her dorm room. Just then, Lois, Adele, and Ingrid returned from dinner. Seeing Sonia, Lois was shocked. "Why are you still here? The people from Truth University have already reached the campus gates! Why haven't you changed into your gown and put on your makeup yet?" "I don't want to go." "What kind of childish tantrum are you throwing? If you fail to show up, you're not just damaging your own face—you're hurting Professor Trozan's face and Sword Flower University's face! Don't think you can do whatever you please just because you're a swordsmanship genius!" Lois was astounded. Living under the same roof, the roommates naturally knew that Sonia had been acting very strangely over the past few days, but they hadn't expected it to reach such an extreme. This was a joint gala between two universities! A joint gala was far more than a simple evening party. Under the gaze of the stars, both universities would send out exceptional students for friendly exhibition matches where strikes stopped short of injury. It was essentially the warm-up for the annual Jialesi Intercollegiate League, allowing schools to learn the rosters of opposing competition teams and gauge their rivals' strength. Granted, in modern society, combat sorcerers were no longer as vital as they once were. Production sorcerers had gradually gained more say, and universities had reduced combat-oriented courses while introducing numerous production-focused disciplines. Students were also far more enthusiastic about researching sorcery spirits, miracles, and sorcery factions with productive value. Even so, sorcerers skilled in combat still enjoyed the lion's share of resources, and those who mastered combat commanded the greatest respect! This was not because people feared a sorcerer's capacity for violence, but because for a sorcerer, combat prowess equated to potential! The more proficient a sorcerer was in battle, the more they could harvest in the Void Realm, the further they could venture, and the higher their ceiling! Among One-Wing Sorcerers, production specialists even outnumbered combat sorcerers. Yet by Two Wings, the number of combat sorcerers overwhelmingly eclipsed that of production sorcerers. And upon reaching Three Wings, even a sorcerer devoted entirely to production was bound to possess a flawless combat system; otherwise, they couldn't possibly survive or venture through the Void Realm! To encourage sorcerer apprentices to hone their combat strength, the Jialesi Intercollegiate League was born. Now in its 167th year, it had long become the highest-rated broadcast in Jialesi and even across the entire Starry Country! For a sorcerer apprentice, competing and placing in the Intercollegiate League was the fastest shortcut to making a name for oneself and rising above the crowd! As an outpost skirmish before the league, the status of this joint gala naturally rose in kind. Furthermore, with Truth University as their counterpart this time, there was absolutely no room for carelessness! And yet, seeing Sonia still sprawled lazily across her desk without moving, Lois realized this village girl was genuinely serious—something was really wrong. "Adele, go search her wardrobe and find the gown tailored by the university. Ingrid, hold her still. I'll do her makeup." "On it!" "Got it." Adele and Ingrid sprang into action. Sonia allowed them to fuss over her without putting up the slightest resistance. In truth, she was still torn inside. She simply couldn't tell which was worse: speaking the truth at the gala, or taking a school disciplinary warning. If a school warning yielded a return of -100, then attending the gala had a payoff ranging anywhere from 0 to -1,000. Perhaps Sonia might keep things within reasonable bounds and carry out her duties as host flawlessly. But it was just as likely that she would spout reckless truths, offending every professor from both Sword Flower and Truth University in turn, becoming the most villainous student in history. "Isn't this the opportunity you've been dreaming of for so long?" Lois asked, puzzled, as she applied false eyelashes to Sonia. "Two months ago, we signed up together and stood out among over a hundred female apprentices. In the end, you beat me and the other upperclassmen in the final audition, fighting so hard to seize this chance. "You know as well as I do that hosts for the League are usually chosen from gala hosts. That's why you and I took this opportunity so seriously. If you could really become a host for this year's League, that credential alone would qualify you to apply as a host for any broadcasting station, not to mention the exposure of appearing before millions across the country... There's no sweeter shortcut than this! "Even though you're Professor Trozan's research apprentice now, you don't just want to be a sword sorcerer sweating through bitter training every day, do you?" "What's wrong with being a sword sorcerer?" Ingrid grumbled. "For you, Ingrid, it's great, of course. You aren't good at socializing, and you hate the spotlight. Being a sword sorcerer is indeed your most comfortable and joyful path," Lois said while applying eye makeup to Sonia. "But Sonia, like me, you're not the pure, simple type. "Dazzling, the center of attention, surrounded by crowds, famous under the starry sky..." As Lois spoke, the corners of her lips curled up slightly. "First make a name in school, then star in screen dramas, release music records... just like Daedalose, becoming the brightest, most glittering star beneath the starry sky." Sonia blurted out, "How did you know my favorite is Daedalose?" Lois retorted, "Who doesn't love Daedalose?" Daedalose Siva, the most renowned actress in the Starry Country. She had starred in screen dramas since her teens, producing hit after classic hit. Series like *The Return of the Empress*, *Magnificent Rebellion*, and *Never Apologize to Strangers* were rebroadcast year after year. To date, she had won the Holy Grail Best Actress award five times and was hailed as the "Most Beautiful Woman Under the Starry Sky." Moreover, she was a formidable sorcerer. Last year, news of her reaching the Three-Winged Sanctuary set off celebrations across all of Jialesi. Wealthy nobles had even squandered fortunes hiring sorcerers to launch fireworks continuously into the sky for three days straight. During that time, whenever Jialesi residents stepped outside and looked up, they could see the blazing words: *Congratulations to Daedalose on Her Promotion to Sanctuary.* To Sonia, Daedalose was undoubtedly the most cherished aspiration of her childhood. When she was little, her only recreation besides studying had been watching the Meteor Channel. Seeing Daedalose radiate brilliance in her dramas, watching her take the stage to receive awards, watching her sing before crowds—that longing had provided Sonia with boundless drive. Back then, she hadn't dared dream of becoming like her idol, but she knew that if she didn't study her hardest, she wouldn't even have a chance of coming anywhere near the beauty on the light screen. Lois was right. Sonia truly wasn't content with merely being a sword sorcerer. Power was important, but power wasn't her everything. It wasn't even her goal—just her tool. Though she was no longer a child, Sonia's desires remained just as shallow: she wanted to step inside that light screen. She wanted to be a screen star, she wanted to sing, she wanted to shine brilliantly, and she wanted to bask in the envy and admiration of countless strangers... She wanted to become the one others looked up to. Sonia took a deep breath. "Thank you, Lois." "You've gotten a lot more direct lately. Honestly, it's a little gross," Lois teased with a grin. "But why are you trying so hard to persuade me?" Sonia asked. "Seeing me miss this chance, shouldn't you be secretly gloating and then mocking me to all our classmates?" Ingrid's lip twitched, while Adele snorted and clamped a hand over her mouth, laughing uncontrollably. Lois flushed slightly with embarrassment and curled her lip. "I would never... Didn't you mock me openly and subtly everywhere after you won the audition?" Suddenly diving into dredging up old scores, Lois quietly tallied her ammunition, preparing to cite even older grievances the instant Sonia tried to argue back— "Because only by belittling you did I have the confidence to stand on equal footing with you." The moment the words left her mouth, even Sonia froze. The dormitory plunged into an eerie silence. For a moment, Lois was completely thrown, at a loss for how to react. In her daze, she blurted out the grievance she had prepared in her mind: "Y-You even seduced my admirer..." "Because I wanted to catch your attention. I wanted you to look at me, and I wanted to keep competing with you. If even you went off to date someone, I'd be lonely." Lois stared, utterly flabbergasted. "I... I'm sorry, I..." Lois didn't even know why she was apologizing. "Then why were you so hostile to me when school first started? I clearly wanted to be friends with you. If you hadn't repeatedly rejected my good intentions, I wouldn't have..." "Because you were born a noble into a wealthy family, well-fed and well-clothed from childhood, with a wonderful upbringing. But I'm just a wild girl from a tiny village. I had nothing. I envied you so much that it made me feel inferior. Back then, your kindness felt like charity to me. To protect what little dignity I had left, I could only fall back on my sole defense mechanism: stubborn defiance." At this point, all hope died within Sonia. It was excruciatingly humiliating—she hadn't felt this mortified even when she wet the bed as a little girl. Sword Flower University had no place left for her. Right now, she wished she could hoist a train onto her shoulders and flee straight back to her hometown. This definitely wasn't her true feelings! It was the Watcher controlling her mouth! It didn't count! This absolutely did not count! After a long silence, Lois suddenly spoke: "Alright. Put on your dress. There's no time to eat—we're heading straight to the gala." Sonia was pulled out of the dormitory. As they headed down the stairs, Lois suddenly leaned in close and whispered a single sentence. "I'll be watching you."