It wasn’t surprising the middle-aged man was worried. After all, more than half the semester had already passed. Anyone transferring into this high school at this point must come from an extremely privileged background. Though No. 3 High wasn’t prestigious, it was still an official institution—transferring mid-term was notoriously difficult. And young ladies from such families usually had... difficult personalities. Take Lin Mi, for example.

Just recently, the school’s higher-ups had personally instructed him: satisfy this young lady’s every demand. Never defy her will. Those higher-ups represented the government—and when the government compromised for a single student, the implications were unsettling.

“In any case, I’ll be your homeroom teacher from now on,” Wang Chun said, rubbing his temples. Though his mind raced, his smile remained steady as he addressed Cold Night Feather. “Call me Teacher Wang if you need anything.”

Cold Night Feather sensed his reluctance. She didn’t care. Her purpose here was protecting Bai Xin. Still, she murmured, “Hello, Teacher Wang.”

“My first class is next. I’ll take you to the classroom,” Wang Chun said, heaving his slightly plump frame upright. “Your studies begin today. I hope you’ll work hard.” He headed for the door. Cold Night Feather narrowed her eyes and followed.

...

The classroom was utterly ordinary. Green chalkboards hung at both ends, beneath which a poster read: *Study hard, make progress every day*. The wall clock ticked to 7:32—pre-class chaos reigned. Students chattered freely while teachers were absent.

“Hey, Li Xiao Xiao! Did you hear?” A bespectacled girl with a mushroom cut poked the shoulder of the raven-haired beauty seated ahead. This was the same girl who’d stood beside Li Wushuang earlier.

Li Xiao Xiao tilted her head slightly right, exposing her ear. Her pale pink lips parted. “Hear what?”

The glasses girl pushed up her frames, eyes gleaming. “Just now! At the school gate—Bai Xin took down Wu Xia and Lin Zhijun single-handedly! They almost fought until the principal broke it up and dragged them to his office!”

Her plump, dark-skinned deskmate gasped. “What? But Bai Xin was always bullied by those three! How’d she flip the script?”

“No idea! They say she’s suddenly super strong—one punch KO’d both of them!”

The plump girl scoffed. Bai Xin had always been the school punching bag. Only after the glasses girl swore on her life—and pointed out the empty seats of Bai Xin, Lin Mi, Wu Xia, and Lin Zhijun—did she believe this impossible tale.

Li Xiao Xiao merely smiled faintly. “Ah. I know. I saw it live. I was the one who reported it to the principal.”

The glasses girl’s eyes widened in realization. “So it was you! Say—did you see that white-haired girl? The boys are calling her a celestial goddess descended from heaven! They claim she flew down from the sky at insane speed and landed without cracking the pavement. Who buys that?”

Li Xiao Xiao frowned, recalling the breathtaking white-haired girl who’d arrived with Bai Xin. “She exists. And she’s exactly as beautiful as they say. The most stunning woman I’ve ever seen.”

The plump girl’s jaw dropped. “Prettier than our Li Xiao Xiao?”

Li Xiao Xiao just nodded.

*Compare myself to her?* she thought. *I wouldn’t even dare.* The gap between them was cosmic.

Suddenly, a student by the window yelped: “Fatty Wang’s here!”

Instantly, the noisy classroom fell silent. Textbooks snapped open. Postures straightened. Every student morphed into a model pupil—as if the chaos had been a mirage.

The lookout boy whispered to his desk partner, confused: “Fatty Wang’s got a white-haired goddess with him! Seriously hot!”

His partner craned his neck but saw nothing. “He’s already inside. Missed it.”

The classroom door swung open. Wang Chun entered, textbooks in hand. He scanned the suddenly studious faces and nodded. “Before class starts, an announcement.”

Murmurs rippled through the room. *Was it about Bai Xin’s fight with Lin Mi’s gang?* Li Xiao Xiao glanced at the empty seat to her left.

Wang Chun rapped his books on the desk. “Quiet!”

Silence obeyed. His strict reputation kept students in line.

Satisfied, he cleared his throat. “We have a new classmate joining us today. Treat her well. No exclusion.”

Gasps erupted. A transfer student this late in the semester? But no one dared voice it aloud.

Wang Chun turned to the door. “Cold Night Feather. Come in.”

She took a deep breath and stepped inside.

A wave of awed whispers washed over the room. It wasn’t just her flawless face and figure. Rumors had spread that morning: a powerful esper had flown at blinding speed to the school gates, landing without a scratch on the pavement. That esper was a beautiful white-haired girl.

Only Li Xiao Xiao had witnessed it firsthand. Wang Chun enforced no strict arrival times, so most students arrived just before class. Li Xiao Xiao had come early due to a faulty alarm—and now felt it was fate.

Cold Night Feather wore an icy, untouchable expression. *A flower on a high peak*, the students thought. In truth, she had no interest in bonding with these sheltered teenagers. How could a forty-something veteran, hardened by life and death, befriend greenhouse blooms?

She strode to the podium. Her sharp eyes swept the desk—several white cylindrical objects lay there. Glancing at the green boards behind her and the chalk-written characters on the rear board, she deduced their purpose. With slender fingers, she plucked a piece of chalk and wrote three elegant characters on the board: **Cold Night Feather**.

“My name.” She pointed at the characters, her voice calm despite a strange flutter in her chest. She’d faced armies of demons with blood-red, gold-flecked eyes—but these children’s shy, pure gazes unsettled her differently.

Outwardly composed, inwardly flustered—like a master actor wearing a mask she’d perfected long ago.

As students studied her like a priceless artifact, she scanned the room. Only the back row had empty seats. Her eyes locked onto one beside a cool, elegant girl—clearly not an outcast. *That must be Bai Xin’s seat.*

After her minimal introduction, silence hung heavy. Wang Chun coughed. “Ahem. Perhaps share a bit more? One sentence won’t help classmates know you.”

Cold Night Feather sighed at their bewildered faces. “My interests: studying the fusion and application of power. I prefer solitude. That’s all.”

Wang Chun’s eye twitched. He opened his mouth, then closed it. “Fine. Choose a seat. All empties are in the back... Li Qiang! Move to the rear. Make space for our new friend.”

A dark-skinned boy with a buzz cut sprang up, grinning inwardly. *Free points with the goddess!*

Cold Night Feather shook her head. “No need to trouble him. I’ll take the very back.” Her gaze settled on the empty seat directly behind Bai Xin’s. “My eyesight is excellent. Front or back makes no difference.”