Chapter 767: Leisure Time During the New Semester
“Mm, all right~”
After hanging up the call with Millien, I continued the conversation with Tan Han and the others.
Although I had set visibility permissions for the earlier communication, I didn’t hold back too much in what I said.
“Xiao Han, what you just did was…”
“Oh, I asked someone to help me handle something I just did. After all, it won’t be long before what we did in the arena is going to be uploaded online at the academy, and I don’t want my normal life to be disturbed because of this,” I explained.
“I see.”
They didn’t press further. For instance, the things I mentioned afterwards seemed to be selectively ignored by them.
“By the way, where are we going next? Should we let Xiao Tan go ahead with Xiao Han first? Or what should we do?” the Store Manager inquired at that moment.
After all, they had been out of the arena for a while, but aside from walking along the street, they still didn’t have a specific destination.
“Of course, let’s go back to the bakery. During these few days of the new semester, the laboratory has no one, and I promised them to relax during this time. I’ve been busy with these things all holiday, and everyone needs a break.”
“That makes sense… but why did you choose to take a break during the new semester?”
“Well, the experiment just happened to hit a bottleneck, and I needed to look up some additional materials, plus taking a break. Those a few… probably handling some accumulated experiment by-products at the freshman market or something.”
As I chatted with them about self-generated magic and some laboratory-related topics, we flew on our brooms towards the bakery.
The Store Manager’s bakery was still in that old place. I remember it being called Xinmengli District, and my initial dormitory was also in this area. I glanced off in the distance and could only see the outline of the villa complex over there.
With the new semester starting, I guessed those guys in the dormitory were probably also gathered by now.
I wonder what they were doing.
“We’re arriving~ Haha! Yihan~ Have you kept things in order at home?” Upon reaching the place, Ying Shiqian was obviously very excited. At least being at the bakery was a bit better than being at the club recruitment location.
We had also mentioned the club recruitment earlier, but in the end, the Store Manager couldn’t bear to let Ying Shiqian return to that place.
“Huh? Ying Shiqian, weren’t you supposed to be in charge of the club recruitment? Why are you… ah… back?” Tang Yihan came out as she heard the sounds from the back area.
She was just about to say a few words to Ying Shiqian when she suddenly noticed many people had arrived at the bakery.
The Store Manager, Tan Han, Xiao You, and…
“Hi~ Senior Tang Yihan, long time no see~” I greeted warmly, as it had indeed been a while since I saw Senior Tang Yihan.
“Xiao Han? You… are also here? You’re already an assistant; you don’t have to call me senior anymore…”
“It’s fine~ Just a habit. I call Ying Shiqian the same way~ and the Store Manager is also the Store Manager,” I shrugged and smiled, indicating there was nothing wrong with it.
“Okay then~” Tang Yihan didn’t dwell too much on this matter, accepting it.
“By the way, are only you and the few remaining members left in the bakery?” I looked around and found the store was rather empty, only with neatly arranged bread and some “Tang Yihan Special” products, without seeing any other club members.
“There’s nothing we can do about that~ Our bakery is just a small club. We can’t provide good help to many members, and the club members have all left,” Ying Shiqian Senior said helplessly beside me, not knowing when she had slipped into the cashier position, lazily leaning there as if she had returned to her previous unenergetic state.
“None left at all?”
“None left wouldn’t be accurate. I’ve got an old hand like me. I can rely on the Store Manager to take care of me~ But indeed, there are still a few who haven’t left. They’re here helping out during the holiday and taking part-time jobs. Many freshmen are troubled about money, but after school starts, the Store Manager made them go back so as not to delay their class time.”
“Is that so? I’m curious as to why these few didn’t leave?”
“Mm… it’s because of you, Xiao Han~ I heard that these few are your fans, members of the support group, and there are those who stayed because of Tan Han, such as… Xiao You…”
“Oh, it seems the situation at the bakery isn’t very optimistic.”
After all, the entire club is supported solely by the Store Manager.
“Indeed not very optimistic, but… this club carries a lot of my past memories. Among so many clubs in the Witch Academy, I used to strive to get involved in them, but eventually, I realized that clubs… are just like that. Those groups draped in the guise of clubs are ultimately just tools to obtain certain interests. It’s better to return to the essence and gather people through shared interests.”
“Store Manager~ Don’t make it sound so grand~ We opened the bakery to earn funds, right? Without money, you really can’t support the operation of the club,” Ying Shiqian Senior interjected from the side.
“The bakery’s revenue has always been insufficient! And you call that earning funds?” the Store Manager retorted directly.
“But we still have other businesses…” Ying Shiqian whispered sideways, “We might not be a legitimate bakery…”
“Okay, enough bickering. Want to try this thing I made?” At this moment, Tang Yihan emerged holding her tray from the back. After all, she had been back there making it and came out to greet us.
“Get… get away from me!”
Hearing this voice, Ying Shiqian was the first to react, quickly waving her hands.
“Did Senior Tang Yihan come out with a new product?” I curiously leaned over. Now, I no longer felt frightened by Tang Yihan’s creations like I did before.
As a body cultivator, all food items are a form of practice for me.
“It’s not a new product, just donuts, the kind with frosting.” Tang Yihan shook her head, “I originally planned to restock, but seeing the current customer flow, I guess we should internalize it first.”
“As long as it’s not a new product, that’s good…” Upon hearing this, Ying Shiqian leaned in again. It seemed that even Ying Shiqian acknowledged Tang Yihan’s skills; she loved to eat as long as it wasn’t a new item.
“Thanks~”
I also picked one up; just as Tang Yihan said, it was topped with a layer of frosting. Taking a bite was very soft, accompanied by the unique aroma of baking, and the layer of frosting further enriched the taste.
“Ah~ Delicious, every bite is like the taste of funds,” Ying Shiqian exclaimed from the side.
“Then you shouldn’t eat it.” Tang Yihan remarked as she walked by.
“Hey! Don’t, don’t, don’t! Let me have another one~”
After a round of commotion, I sat to the side and felt that nostalgic sensation again.
If the bakery club were as pure as any regular baking interest club, spending every day in such an enjoyable manner would be indeed nice. I suddenly began to understand the feeling Ying Shiqian had of wanting to retire here.
Soon, the topic in the bakery shifted from donuts to an inevitable issue.
After all, the most important thing for the bakery right now was undoubtedly related to Tan Han, and it was only natural for Tang Yihan to be curious about it.
This time, it was Ying Shiqian who took the lead in explaining, as her excitement about this event hadn’t faded yet.
Listening to Ying Shiqian recounting the details of the incident, it seemed I could still hear some unrestrained bragging, expressing regret that Tang Yihan hadn’t gone along.
Although Ying Shiqian exaggerated in her speech, the recounting of the events indeed held true. I hadn’t expected something that seemed ordinary to me could become so exciting through Ying Shiqian’s words.
Perhaps this is the perspective of ordinary people viewing geniuses?
Once upon a time, I also deemed myself an ordinary person. Standing at the counter, I felt I could recall the time when I discussed the Witch Meditation Method with Ying Shiqian, speaking of the distinctions between geniuses and the mediocre…
I ended up spending a rare amount of time at the bakery as if I were a customer, chatting with them casually, holding the Box of Books and occasionally flipping through the materials Sister Bai organized for me regarding the major topic on witches.
Time passed unknowingly.
“By the way, do you really have no intention of advancing to an Extraordinary Witch? Although you say it, many seniors in the academy, years after graduation, suddenly find themselves becoming Extraordinary Witches.”
In fact, I suspect that those who advance in the latter half of life mostly still retain a considerable amount of magic source to maintain their life levels and sporadically research their topics.
They were just waiting.
Waiting for their moment of freedom, using the most foolish way to diminish the effects of the Earth Vein Shackles on themselves.
Actually, anyone could break free from the restrictions of the Earth Vein Shackles this way, but not everyone can carry the concept of advancing to the extraordinary and the study of topics throughout their life.
More ordinary people simply miss their opportunity for advancement when the shackles are gone, and once their mindset ages, they have even lost their passion to push forward.
Having the heart but lacking the strength refers to such a posture, right?
“Xiao Han~ You seem to have a strange obsession. Do you still want to help this salted fish turn over?”
“I’m just curious… In my world, advancing to the extraordinary seems just a hurdle in life. Why do so many see it as the endpoint of life?”
“So Xiao Han, you still have experienced too little~ unable to empathize with others’ lives, other people’s experiences, other people’s concepts, and other people’s thoughts. This is why I say you have a strange fixation, not just towards me, but towards yourself. What on earth propels you to advance tirelessly?” Ying Shiqian Senior lamented.
“Actually, I discovered that you understand many life principles, Ying Shiqian Senior~ it’s as if you’ve seen through the secular world and its desires at a young age…”
“Stop, stop, stop! I’m not at that point! I still have desires of the secular world!”
“Okay then~” Seeing Ying Shiqian’s expression, I could roughly guess the reason.
Probably someone she couldn’t forget from the Street of Elegance, right? But… speaking of which, I seem to have only been to the Street of Elegance once?
I had inadvertently revealed the passage and entered with Sister Bai, but before I could experience the charming characteristics there, Sister Bai had already taken me out.
Though somewhat regrettable, I would compensate for that regret through Sister Bai.
“It seems it’s getting late. Remind Tan Han to come find me after the new student enrollment ends. She won’t be granted permission for the experimental area without me. Of course, if Ying Shiqian Senior wants to progress someday, you can also come find me~”
“Sure~ We got it. Don’t forget to bring these along.”
“I’ll accept this gesture, but next time I must pay. Otherwise, you all will truly turn into a charitable bakery.” I accepted the breads Ying Shiqian pushed over. Initially, I intended to pay since I wasn’t the kind of person who would be held back by a bit of money. This small sum didn’t mean anything to me now.
However, Ying Shiqian, being in charge of the cash register, stubbornly refused, and in the end, she just gifted them to me.
“Don’t worry~ Just take it as the Store Manager’s goodwill. She feels really guilty towards you. If she knows you paid for bread from me, she might just dismiss me on the spot. Behave~ Just think of it as working towards my retirement.”
“Then thank the Store Manager for me, and also tell her not to feel guilty towards me. It’s not like she owes me anything.”
“Got it~ Take care~”
Pushing open the glass door of the bakery, I carried a basket filled with various breads, walking along the street at dusk.
“Where to next?” My gaze extended towards the distant villa dormitory area.
Though it was a question I asked myself, it seemed that the answer had already presented itself since the moment I asked.
No. 62, Building 2, Xinmengli District.
This was the location of my former villa.
I took out my room card again, casually swiped it, and the door opened.
Inside the living room, a loud discussion was taking place.
“Yay! I passed the retake!” The most excited voice was unmistakable; it belonged to Hong Chanyi, the most lively one in the dormitory.
“You passed? Is it possible that Teacher Ji gave you a boost?”
“Wait, who was the last one to come in? I think I heard the door open. Was the door not closed properly?”
“Don’t look at me; I was the first to rush into the villa!” Hong Chanyi’s voice rang out.
“I thought I closed the door.” That was Yu Yatian’s voice.
Bang—!
With the door swinging open again without restraint, my voice echoed in the space.
“Did you all even doubt that the last one didn’t close the door? Did you not think about whether I would come back? You all have truly let me down!”
“Huh?! Sister Xiao Han!”
“Uh, uh! Ah! Sister Xiao Han!”
“What a sense of ceremony! To remember to come see us on the first day of school!” Immediately, the most excited Hong Chanyi twisted and squirmed on the sofa, trying to ‘crawl’ over to me, making some odd and fervent sounds.
“I didn’t expect you all to be here~ What were you just discussing? I think I heard something about a retake? What’s going on?” I curiously walked over, finding all four of them present and openly discussing something on the sofa.
