NOVEL WEB chapter 121
Chapter 46: Invitation
The next morning, at dawn.
When Mu En awoke from his dreams, he saw Senior Anna still sitting by the window, her profile framed by the swaying blue curtains, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed out at the scenery.
The thin morning sun streamed in through the window, casting a jade-like glow on her fair cheek.
In that moment, the allure faded, and sitting in the light, she appeared so pure.
Mu En found himself momentarily unable to look away.
“Awake?”
His soul was gently pulled back by her soft greeting, and Mu En snapped back to reality, seeing his senior looking at him with a warm smile.
“How do you feel?”
“I… feel great, I’ve never felt this good, my mind feels so light…”
Mu En instinctively replied, then suddenly remembered: “About yesterday’s potion…”
“It was a sleeping potion that would help you get a good night’s rest. No matter what, maintaining a good state before the exam is the most important thing, isn’t it?”
“I see…”
Mu En realized, a bitter smile creeping onto his face.
Unknowingly, he had become a bit enchanted.
After all, no matter how resilient his mental strength was, this intense study schedule of only two hours of sleep a month would inevitably lead to a significant accumulation of fatigue without him even realizing it.
If it weren’t for the senior sister forcibly using a potion to make him rest for a night, and incidentally waking him up, even if he had an extra night to review, he probably wouldn’t have done well on this exam.
For any exam, one’s state of mind is also a crucial factor.
“So, senior sister, have you been here all along?”
Looking at Anna, who still sat in that position as if she had never left, Mu En couldn’t help but ask.
“How could that be?”
Anna shot him a glance, full of charm.
“I have my own things to do, you know. It’s just that you slept for too long, junior.”
“But…”
Suddenly, Anna crossed her arms, leaning forward slightly, a teasing smile playing at the corners of her mouth:
“Are you saying that you really want me to keep you company while you sleep?”
“Well… since you’ve said it, senior sister.”
Mu En straightened his back instantly, speaking with righteous indignation:
“Then I suppose this junior can make a sacrifice.”
“Hehe, saying that with a flushed face doesn’t carry much weight, does it, junior~”
Anna giggled, clearly delighted, then shifted her tone:
“While you were sleeping, I made a little change for you. You won’t blame me, will you?”
“A little change?”
Mu En was still confused when he saw Anna hand over a cute makeup mirror.
He took the mirror and looked into it, instantly stunned.
The person in the mirror had neatly styled, short golden hair that was even more striking than the morning sun outside, and the stubble on his jaw had been shaved clean, highlighting his original fair and handsome features.
“This… was done by you, senior sister?”
“Is there anyone else here besides me?”
Anna let out a gentle sigh:
“Seeing you like that yesterday, I couldn’t help but tidy you up a bit. You won’t blame me, will you?”
“N-no, I won’t.”
Mu En twirled a lock of short hair, moving it gently, somewhat shocked as he said:
“I just didn’t expect that you would cut hair, and… your skills are so good. I almost thought it was done by some professional master.”
“Hehe, you still know how to flatter me, junior.”
Anna covered her mouth and laughed:
“However, in reality, I haven’t helped anyone with their hair for a long time. Back when I was at the orphanage, I used to do it quite often.”
“The orphanage?”
Mu En keenly caught that word.
“Casually probing into a woman’s past isn’t a good habit, you know, junior.”
Anna extended her finger and gently flicked Mu En’s forehead.
“Exams are coming up soon. Aren’t you going to prepare?”
“Ah, right!”
Mu En suddenly realized, quickly checking the time and discovering there was only about an hour left until the exam.
“Did I really sleep for almost fifteen hours?”
Mu En calculated the time briefly, understanding why the senior had said he had slept too long.
Sleeping for fifteen hours—surely even a pig wouldn’t sleep that long.
“I clearly wanted to review the material one more time before the exam, but now there’s no time.”
Mu En let out a bitter laugh and quickly turned to bid farewell to the senior:
“Well then, senior, I’ll be on my way.”
“Be careful on the way, and good luck.”
“Mm, I will.”
As Mu En prepared to leave, he instinctively took one last glance at the door.
In the empty potion classroom, the senior leaned against the wall alone, turning her head to look out at the even emptier outside. The blue curtains cast a cold shadow over her, making her look… so lonely.
Mu En’s heart inexplicably fluttered:
“Senior.”
“Mm?”
“About what you mentioned earlier.”
Mu En turned around and said earnestly:
“I want to join the Ancient Potion Society.”
“Oh? Bringing this up all of a sudden?”
Anna raised her eyebrows in surprise, then smiled gently:
“Has the junior finally taken an interest in ancient potions?”
“Mm, I suppose so.”
Mu En said seriously.
But that was actually a lie.
In fact, he wasn’t that interested in potions at all.
Even for Mu En, who had a strong desire for power, potions were a subject that had a wide range of applicability but offered little help in terms of strength, making it completely unworthy of time spent on it.
However…
Mu En suddenly remembered that yesterday, the senior had already finished giving him his last lesson.
In other words, the bond between teacher and student had come to an end.
But Mu En didn’t want his connection with the senior to disappear so easily; he needed something new to bridge himself and the senior.
So, whether it was potions, magic, or magical paintings, no matter what club it was, Mu En would join.
“Alright.”
Anna looked at Mu En, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and smiled gently:
“Welcome to join us, junior.”
So Mu En smiled too:
“Is there any joining procedure?”
“In a small club like mine, there aren’t so many formalities. Just remember to come by every once in a while; I’m basically here in the afternoons.”
“I see.”
Mu En nodded:
“Then I’ll go take the exam first. See you later, senior.”
“Mm, see you later.”
“Ah, right.”
Mu En remembered something else, but this matter felt a bit shy to bring up.
“Um… senior, do you have time on the open day?”
Although St. Maria Academy was under closed management, there were three days of free time after each month’s exams, referred to as the open day.
This was when students returned home to recharge, as well as a carnival day for some students who felt cooped up in the academy.
It was said that the commercial street outside the academy was only open for these three days each month, yet it made a fortune, and even the hotels on the street required reservations a month in advance.
“Open day, huh?”
Anna thought for a moment, “I have something to do on the first day, but I’m free the other times.”
“Then…”
Mu En took a deep breath and asked:
“How about going out for a stroll together on the second day, senior?”
“Oh?”
Anna was momentarily taken aback, then quickly reacted, a mischievous grin spreading across her face:
“Does that mean… you want to invite me on a date?”
“A date? That sounds quite nice.”
Mu En said with a slightly flushed face:
“But actually, I just want to repay my senior a little.”
“Repay?”
Anna twirled the ends of her hair, her gaze shifting:
“But I haven’t thought about what kind of reward I want yet.”
“This isn’t a reward.”
Mu En said seriously:
“It’s just a small token of my appreciation.”
“A token of appreciation?”
Anna paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, her brows and eyes curving like a crescent moon, “Alright, since it’s an invitation from you, I’ll go.”