After the banquet was finished, we all headed back to the dorms together. I quickly convinced Qing Yue that it was too late, and we still had school tomorrow, so the 'torture' session could be saved for another day.

Luckily, during the meal, no further talk of marriage came up. I expected the sisters to stay behind at the Yu manor for the night, but apparently they didn't want to listen to their parents nag them about the engagement, so...

I parted ways with the girls and headed in the direction of the boys' dorms...not. After making sure I was safely out of their sight, I changed directions and headed towards the school administrative building. It was just a bet, but right now was a great time to meet the principal secretly. Of course, I didn't know if he was still here or not, but...

The door to the Administrative Campus was usually locked, but not today. I felt a grin creep up my face.

"Kukuku...That sly old bastard..."

I pushed open the door lightly and slipped inside. Recalling where the principal's office was from the last time Tang Jia Yi had accompanied me here, I followed the same twists and turns.

Eventually, I arrived before the massive white double doors. I pushed it slightly, and as expected, it was also open.

"Oh? What brings you here today?" a familiar old bearded man asked as I swung open the doors.

*****

- Meanwhile, The Girls' Dormitories -

(Qing Yue's Perspective)

Four girls were currently in one of the elevators of the girls' dormitories - Yu An Xue, Yu An Yan, Feng Mian, and I. Coinidentally, all four of our dorms were on the same floor - the topmost and 30th one.

In order to accommodate the large number of students attending this school, from years 1 through 6, such a tall apartment was needed to act as a dorm. I looked at the girls surrounding me, and furrowed my brows.

...How was I going to compete with these goddess-level beauties?

They were more developed than me in every way - figure, personality, and even strength! There's no man who wouldn't fall for them. But if Big Brother Xuan Kai does end up falling in love with them, I have to at least make sure one thing...

The elevators swung open, and a loud ding signaled that we had arrived at our destination floor. The four of us piled out, but just as we were about to say our farewells, I blurted out, "Wait, everyone. Can we talk for a little?"

The three of them all looked at me with puzzled expressions.

"Um...I have something to ask you guys, that's all," I explained hurriedly.

"Something...to ask...us?" Yu An Xue echoed.

I nodded my head twice. "Yep! Come come, we can talk in my room," I said, pulling on her arm. The other two soon followed.

I opened the door to my dorm after unlocking the magic array lock. "Ta-da! Welcome to Qing Yue's dormitory!!" I beamed happily.

"Woah..." Feng Mian mused, eyes scanning around the room. "This was even more pink and cute than I was expecting."

"Hehe~I'll take that as a compliment!" I replied.

My room was filled with pink - it was my favorite color! Pink walls, pink ceilings, and just cute and comfortable in general. Thanks to me being from one of the Four Great Families of Shenzhen, the school gave me a lot more freedom in customizing my room and such.

To be honest, this was a feature that could be given to every single student, since rooms could easily be reset to the default layout with a Time Element spell, but the school decided to consider this an exclusive privilege to those from one of the Four Great Families of Shenzhen.

"Come sit!" I said, beckoning them to come over to the couch (yes, it was pink).

The three girls obediently sat down. "So? What is it you need to ask us?" Yu An Yan asked. The other two's eyes were asking the same question. Well, there's no point in beating around the bush, so...

I took a deep breath. "I'll be straight with you: Do you guys...really like Big Brother Xuan Kai?"

*****

- At The Same Time, Principal's Office -

(Xuan Kai's Perspective)

"Oh? What brings you here?" Song Qian Long asked this obvious question.

Song Qian Long - known as the Dragon of Shenzhen, famed for his unbeatable strength in the entire city. A late Golden Monarch stage, said to be just one step away from a Holy Emperor. He was also the founder and principal of Shenzhen Magic High School. This wasn't surprising, as the stronger you were in your cultivation, the longer you could live. But come to think of it, this guy must be nearing 200 years of age, considering this school was founded quite some time ago.

"Kukuku...the main entrance door and this one were both unlocked," I remarked, a grin on my face. "Enough acting. You knew I was going to come today."

He smiled. "There's no escaping your eyes, huh?"

My grin disappeared and I took on a serious tone. "I'm going to get straight to the point. Why did you change the Advancement Exams this year?"

The smile on his face faded as well. "There is...a certain powerhouse that has taken a notice to you."

I narrowed my eyes. "Does he...know about my secret?"

Song Qian Long looked troubled, but under my menacing gaze, he at last sighed and nodded. "I do not know how he figured it out, but..."

"Who is this person?" I asked.

"...The principal of Shanghai Magic Academy - Liu Jian."

My eyes widened. The Shanghai Magic Academy was known as the best magic high school on the planet. From what I know, it adopted a similar class system to Shenzhen Magic High school - 4 classes in every year, ranked A to D. But the cruel thing was...even the Class D students there were stronger than our Class A ones.

That was the strength of the Magic Capital. Truly, worthy of its title as the best magic high school. But...how did its principal find out about me?

"...That doesn't make any sense," I muttered to myself. "We don't have any sort of connection..."

"Er...if I may add, he was the one who proposed this change to the exams this year. The Advancement Exams at Shanghai Magic Academy have always been this way, after all," Song Qian Long explained. "Also, he will be one of the judges on the day of the exam..."

Shit...this was getting more and more complicated. The only people who knew about my secret were the four girls, myself, and...the man before me.

"I know what you are thinking right now, but I can safely say that no one leaked the information," Song Qian Long said, as if reading my mind.

"Kuku...and how do I know you are telling the truth?" I replied menacingly, killing intent dripping in my voice. I glared at him with venom.

But he didn't even flinch. Instead, he answered me calmly. "I do not have any proof to back my statement up, but...I can only hope you trust me."

I stared at him for a while longer, then sighed. "You didn't even flinch when I looked at you with killing intent. That's more than enough to prove your honesty. Besides - if you really wanted to leak my information, you would've done so a long time ago."

He had known about my secret from the moment I used my powers in the Magic Training Room, just never told me about that fact until much later. He had plenty of opportunities to spread the word about me. And also...I didn't believe he would mean me harm. Call it instinct.

Song Qian Long smiled. "You can use Psychic Magic just to be safe, you know, Kai Kai?"

I flinched, but quickly came back to my senses and looked at him with hatred. "Don't...call me by that nickname."

Song Qian Long did seem fazed this time, and looked apologetic. "I-I apologize."

"...How do you even know that nickname, anyway?" I asked, and after a little thought, continued. "And also...I've been wanting to ask you this for a while now, but...just why do you care about me so much?"

Song Qian Long appeared troubled, looked away, and stared outside at the starry night sky to avoid the question.

"Tell me, please." I continued genuinely. I was grateful for his actions, but...I wasn't someone who just accepts help without knowing why that person decided to help me. Sure, some people do it simply because they are kind, but Song Qian Long's actions have long since passed that point.

The old bearded man closed his eyes, and my eyes widened in surprise as I saw a tiny tear streak out of his right eyelid.

"Xuan Kai, the truth is..." he paused, as I waited in anticipation.

"...I, Song Qian Long, am your godfather."