The class quickly came to an end. Serie listened with great interest; Teacher Moana's voice was very pleasant to hear... Ahem... The main reason was that she lectured well.
She analyzed a plant anomaly codenamed D-725 "Thousand Blade Cherry"—from its thrilling discovery in the deep mountains of Japan, to how to contain those cherry trees whose petals were sharper than blades, to transforming its characteristics into controllable and practical technology, and even discussing the feasibility of large-scale safe cultivation—in a clear and fascinating manner.
The only thing that interfered with her AFK experience was the certain unknown campus big sister beside her, who never listened attentively, always liked to turn her body sideways, and idly twirled and played with her black curly hair with her slender fingers.
Initially, classmates looked at Claudia's intimate behavior with surprise and even gossip, but over time, everyone got used to it and tacitly assumed that Serie was under Claudia's protection.
It's even possible that the words "under protection" aren't even strong enough.
Those who could enter the Control Bureau, even if only students or interns, were elites among elites, but no matter how elite, they couldn't stop the burning gossip souls of teenagers.
Soon, all sorts of rumors were flying around.
Some said that Serie was the daughter of a prominent family in East Asia and Claudia's fiancée.
Others said that Serie was actually Jared's girlfriend, and Claudia was like, "I love my sister-in-law!"
Still others said that Claudia was bullying and threatening Serie, using her power to keep her by her side, treating her like a canary.
Hmm... compared to the others, this one was more plausible.
Claudia herself always scoffed at these rumors, not even bothering to lift an eyelid, doing as she pleased.
As for Serie... she knew nothing; she was either listening to the lecture, or AFK, or AFK listening to the lecture...
Under these circumstances, naturally, no one dared to provoke Serie, nor did anyone dare to befriend her.
Nonsense, who would dare to touch Miss Claudia's plate?
Are they tired of living?!
As soon as the class bell rang, Serie was about to take the opportunity to approach Moana for a chat.
Maybe she could indirectly glean some information about euphoria rose.
However, before her backside even left the chair, her hand was clasped by a cool yet strong hand.
"Hey, hey? What are you doing?" Serie, being delicate and soft, symbolically struggled a bit, but it was naturally in vain.
Claudia pulled her out, stating concisely: "Doctor Lynette is looking for you, now, to the Medical Department."
"Huh?" Serie was startled: "Doctor Lynette?"
Not long after, in the Medical Department, observation room.
Under the soft light, Serie sat quietly on the chair, like a precious gift waiting to be unwrapped.
The doctor unwound the white bandage wrapped around her face, circle by circle.
Circle after circle, as the last restraint was removed, the darkness before her eyes receded like a tide.
Light suddenly flooded in, causing Serie to blink rapidly a few times, unaccustomed to it. Her long, thick black eyelashes fluttered like startled butterfly wings.
A moment later, her blurry vision gradually focused.
What met her eyes was Doctor Lynette's delicate face, smiling gently.
Those cobalt blue eyes, always filled with wisdom and tolerance, were now full of relief and concern.
Not just Doctor Lynette, but Claudia, Yuki, and even Jared...
Wait, why was this guy here too?
Several pairs of eyes in the room were focused on her face, eagerly awaiting Serie's reaction.
"You all..." Serie felt a bit embarrassed by the attention and instinctively wanted to avert her gaze.
However, just as she slightly turned her head, and her eyes shifted—
Time seemed to slow down.
What was revealed before everyone was a breathtakingly beautiful face.
Her thick, raven-black curly hair flowed smoothly over her shoulders, making her skin appear even fairer and more delicate, like fine white porcelain.
The most captivating were her eyes—their shape naturally upturned with a hint of charm, the corners faintly tinged with a natural blush, like meticulously blended rouge, perfectly fusing innocence and allure.
Her eyes were a pure, deep black, currently carrying a slight discomfort from just having the bandage removed and a shyness from being stared at.
They shimmered with light, as if their shifting gaze could steal one's soul.
Her thin lips were naturally an inviting rosy red, currently slightly pursed due to nervousness.
Just this unintentional hint of shyness caused a touching blush to spread across her fair cheeks.
This body's innate charm gave any ordinary movement or expression a magic that made hearts race.
The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment.
In the silent room, everyone's average heart rate suddenly increased significantly.
"It's good that there are no after-effects," Lynette was the first to recover, her voice gentle and filled with relief.
She stepped forward and gently stroked Serie's head, her fingertips conveying a reassuring warmth.
Claudia stood by, uncharacteristically silent for a moment.
Her gaze was fixed on Serie's face.
Those green eyes, always playful and cunning, now held an unspeakable complexity of emotions deep within them—awe, possessiveness, a hint of nervousness she hadn't even noticed herself, and even... a brief moment of distraction.
She seemed to want to say something, her lips slightly parted, but she hesitated.
Perhaps Serie hadn't removed her bandage for so long that her sudden reveal momentarily deprived her of speech.
Or perhaps "Desire Amplification" was at play.
This was completely different from her usual teasing and controlling demeanor towards Serie.
"Xiaodie! That's great!" Yuki had fewer reservations; she cheered happily and gave Serie a big, enthusiastic hug, which caused Claudia's eyes to widen a few degrees.
As for Jared... he tried to maintain his composure on the surface, but his slightly reddened ears and somewhat wandering gaze betrayed him.
So why was this guy here too?
Had this guy returned from Saint Martan so quickly?
How afraid was he of that country?
Coward!
But then again.
Who would have thought that Serie's epic fall would directly abduct Hayato's two proud disciples?
When Hayato, who was still cleaning up the mess in Japan, returned to headquarters and saw his carefully cultivated cabbages being affectionate with Serie... just thinking about that scene made one's lips curl up involuntarily.
One can only say, don't underestimate the charm of an A-rank witch!
Hayato, you'd better come back soon, otherwise the entire Control Bureau will be captivated by my charm!
At that time...
Hehehe!
Serie maintained the appearance of a shy and lovely little white flower on the surface, her eyes downcast, her long eyelashes concealing the fleeting cunning and smugness in her eyes, while her heart had long transformed into a cackling villain.
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