The next morning, in Meeting Room 106 of the First Science Building.

Luo Ling sat down slowly, carefully masking his astonishment. The girl seated directly ahead was none other than the ponytailed girl he’d met two days ago—the troublesome one his mom suspected was a Demon Hunter descendant with magic-immune constitution!

Luo Ling swallowed hard.

"Just classmates… nothing big… Stay calm, stay calm…" he murmured inwardly. But how could he feel at ease with her presence like a ticking time bomb?

At that moment, Xiao You was chatting and laughing with her roommate Ning Shuang beside her, completely unaware of Luo Ling sitting behind.

"Luo Ling, you okay? You look kinda tense," Pei Lin, his roommate, asked with concern as he settled in and adjusted his glasses. The other two roommates took their seats nearby.

"Uh… just nervous about what to say during self-intro later…" Luo Ling replied awkwardly.

It wasn’t a made-up excuse. He genuinely worried—he had little to highlight, and too many eyes made his tongue tie. Thankfully, only twenty-five classmates. He could handle this.

"Just speak your mind. No one’s laughing," Pei Lin said.

"Yeah…" Luo Ling answered with a wry smile.

Unconsciously, Luo Ling reached for his neck—only to find nothing. Right, he hadn’t brought his headphones. Wearing them during a class meeting would be rude. He’d planned to squeeze the soft padding to calm down… now impossible.

At the podium stood two men. The one with a slightly thinning hairline was homeroom teacher Xie Ling; the younger-looking one was counselor Wang Yongtao.

"So… when thanking Teacher Xie later, do we say ‘Thank you, Teacher Xie’?" Pei Lin whispered jokingly after the intro.

Luo Ling, low on laughter threshold, nearly snorted but held it in.

"Xie·Teacher? Or Xie·Xie Teacher?" Luo Ling added.

"Honestly? Fair point."

After the teachers wrapped up the College of Science and Engineering and Optoelectronics Department overview—just protocol—the student self-intros began.

"My name is Shi Wuyou. I’m from Changkong City. ‘Shi’ as in time, ‘Wuyou’ meaning carefree—like ‘without worries.’ My surname might be uncommon," Xiao You explained calmly at the podium. Not strikingly gorgeous, but noticeable enough among only five girls in class.

"…I enjoy tennis. Played with Ning Shuang and others the day before yesterday. Also, I’m into weird tales and urban legends, so I might say odd things sometimes. Hope you’ll understand…"

Whispers rippled below—most just found her distinctive. Only Luo Ling knew: she herself was an urban legend. Unaware.

"Hope we become good friends. Thank you."

Xiao You bowed slightly and returned to her seat.

Beside her sat Lan Ning Shuang, who’d introduced herself before Xiao You. Fluffy long hair curled outward at the ends. Her name sounded elegant, her demeanor quiet—but that wild-flaring hair gave off untamed energy. In a male-dominated engineering class, decent looks earned "beauty" status. Fairly, her sharp features—especially those bright, spirited eyes—and curvaceous figure had already caught many boys’ attention.

"So you like urban legends, Wuyou? I saw one last night—wanna peek?" Ning Shuang asked eagerly as Xiao You sat.

"Just a quick glance… we’re still in meeting," Xiao You murmured.

"Here: ‘The Demon on the Library Rooftop.’"

Xiao You took the phone; Ning Shuang quietly narrated. Luo Ling ignored it—it was his own anonymous post. Who’d know it better than him?

Still, he opened the thread. Comments mattered.

As expected: trolls joking, calling it fiction, diagnosing the OP with chuunibyou, even suggesting therapy.

Scanning the latest replies, his lips twitched upward slightly.

An eyewitness account—likely from last night’s guy or girl. Text-only, weak proof. Replies dripped sarcasm: "Form an expedition!" "If you vanish, I’ll trace you via net cable!" Predictable. One credible reply was enough. Now, wait for the fish to bite. Only regret: zero contracts signed last night…

"Oho~ Already checking? Got it—you’ve got a crush!" Pei Lin leaned in, nosy-neighborhood-auntie energy radiating.

"No! I just… happen to like this stuff too," Luo Ling defended. "Hey, wanna check the library rooftop tonight?"

"Hard pass. I’m a science-believing youth," Pei Lin shook his head fast. The other two roommates declined too.

Losing three potential fish left Luo Ling mildly annoyed.

Soon, Luo Ling’s turn.

"I’m Luo Ling… from Lanxi City… Hope we become friends over the next four years… Thank you!"

He hurried down, only exhaling once seated.

"Way too short, Luo Ling!" Pei Lin teased.

"Pei Lin, don’t say ‘short’—he’s a guy!" Liu Ye cracked a crude joke to lighten the mood.

*Right. My Babel Tower should be… wait, wasn’t the original version negative?* Luo Ling thought, offering only an awkward yet polite smile.

Amid the boys’ laughter, a girl’s voice cut through—

"Excuse me… are you truly from Lanxi City?" Shi Wuyou turned, meeting Luo Ling’s eyes directly.