Chapter 66: Farewell

"Thank you for your understanding."
...
"We shall take our leave."
The two Biwang birds flapped their wings and took flight, leaving the underground parking garage and quickly vanishing from sight.
"Goodbye."
Xiao Xiao watched the Biwang birds depart until they disappeared from his view, feeling a faint, indefinable wave of emotion.
However, Xiao Xiao quickly snapped back to reality. Now was not the leisurely time for sentimentality; if he didn't leave quickly and someone discovered the scene, things would become immensely troublesome.
...
Xiao Xiao later heard about the subsequent developments from Zhuge Yun.
The grim state of the underground parking garage was discovered that very afternoon by a car owner coming to retrieve his vehicle, who immediately notified the university administration.
The school's upper management was deeply shaken.
They nearly thought some violent criminals had sneaked onto campus and engaged in a massive brawl in the underground parking garage. For the next few days, the university stepped up security patrols and alert levels, and the campus atmosphere remained tense until things finally settled down and the school leaders gradually relaxed their nerves.
When Xiao Xiao heard that the administration had even reported the matter to the police, he couldn't help feeling a slight pang of guilt. However, surveillance cameras could not capture the figures of spirits, let alone the fact that he had disabled the cameras from the very beginning.
He wasn't foolish enough to commit such a rudimentary mistake.
Yet, just as Xiao Xiao had anticipated, the matter ultimately came to nothing due to a complete lack of progress.
The school had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill in silence.
"Did you know? The school spent a hefty sum installing the latest surveillance system in the newly built underground parking garage."
"Tsk, tsk."
Hearing this, Xiao Xiao just smiled and paid it no further mind.
...
The underground parking garage was located in a remote area and had little to do with the majority of students, as only a minority drove cars to campus.
Moreover, the school had reacted promptly, and the scene was quickly cordoned off.
Since the incident eventually faded into nothingness, the students paid brief attention to it before their minds were entirely consumed by the upcoming final examinations.
...
"Ding-a-ling~"
Students swarmed out of the teaching buildings, instantly imbuing even the chilly air with a bustling, warm vitality.
"Ah, the exams are finally over." Zhuge Yun stretched his back fiercely, feeling that the world was bright and his spirits were exceptionally high.
...
Zhang Bo turned his body, wanting to say something, when he was forcefully pulled back by Xiao Xiao, and Zhao Ruzheng cried out, "Boss, watch out!"
It turned out that Zhang Bo had been momentarily inattentive and had almost bumped into a nearby female student.
Realizing what happened, Zhang Bo didn't have time to say anything to Xiao Xiao and the others; he quickly turned around to apologize to the girl.
"Sor—" The words stuck in his throat, and the open, apologetic smile on Zhang Bo's face turned somewhat bizarre due to a momentary blankness.
"Su, Su Youjin?!" Zhuge Yun stepped forward with a strange expression, his voice muffled in his throat as he asked, "What's wrong..."
"Su Youjin?!"
Zhuge Yun's voice was much louder, immediately causing the surrounding people to stop in their tracks and break into whispers.
"Su Youjin?"
"That top campus belle?"
"Hey, really?"
"I've never seen her in person before."
...
The already crowded corridor became even more impassically jammed.
Fortunately, a teacher happened to pass by and dispersed the crowd.
Many people still lingered, wanting to catch another glimpse of the girl suspected to be Yenching University's legendary national treasure of a beauty, only to find that she had vanished without a trace.
Surrounded by the bustling crowd, many could only shrug regretfully and leave.
...
In a secluded grove, a group of young men and girls suddenly rushed in.
"Phew, that was close, that was close." The cute girl stuck out her tongue.
"Xiaojin, going out with you is just too dangerous." A tall girl with the aura of an aloof beauty raised her brow slightly, saying with a hint of banter.
"I'm sorry, it's all because I shouted too loudly." Zhuge Yun felt a bit guilty. Mainly, he hadn't expected to suddenly run into the legendary national treasure beauty, and being utterly shocked, he had lost control of his volume. Furthermore, he hadn't expected that other students would be so curious and enthusiastic about Su Youjin, almost trapping them in a human wall.
"Exactly, who told you to suddenly blurt it out?" The cute girl puffed out her cheeks, looking somewhat indignant.
"Still, it's a miracle you guys were able to recognize Xiaojin." A trace of surprise flickered in the tall girl's eyes.
Su Youjin was wearing a red beret pulled down low, casting shadows from her fine bangs, and the lower half of her face was mostly concealed by a large red scarf. Unless someone was very familiar with her, it would be genuinely difficult to recognize her.
"Hehe~" Zhang Bo rubbed the back of his head with a silly grin. Actually, he hadn't been sure at the time either, merely guessing. Zhuge Yun, on the other hand, must have recognized her at a single glance.
"This pair of eyes of mine is formidable." Zhuge Yun had no idea how many times he had looked at Su Youjin's photographs, and he had caught a fleeting glimpse of the beauty before, so unless Su Youjin wrapped up her entire face, she could never escape his piercing gaze.
"Oh~" Zhao Ruzheng wore a look of profound comprehension.
...
Xiao Xiao could only think that the boss relied on animal instinct, while Zhuge Yun... should one call it a man's instinct?
...
Su Youjin loosened the scarf covering the lower part of her nose, then reached up to lift the brim of her hat, revealing a pair of clear and limpid eyes. Her expression remained as aloof as ever, yet the corners of her brows and eyes softened slightly.
"Xiao Xiao, hello."
Xiao Xiao was momentarily surprised by Su Youjin's initiative in greeting him, but soon, a smile spread across his face.
"Su Youjin, hello."
He shifted his gaze slightly to meet the Eartheater perched on Su Youjin's shoulder, a gentle smile dancing in his eyes as he gave a slight nod.
Hello, Silver.
Silver remained as aloof and detached as ever, yet she lowered her defenses in front of Xiao Xiao, casting a lazy glance at him as an acknowledgment of the greeting.
Xiao Xiao looked at Su Youjin, then glanced at the Eartheater, feeling an inexplicable urge to smile. This human and this spirit were surprisingly similar in certain aspects.
"Hey~ You guys know each other?" This came from the surrounding onlookers whose jaws had dropped in unison.
"Mm." Su Youjin's reply was concise, her amber pupils reflecting a pure, limpid light.
Ignoring the accusatory stares from Zhang Bo, Zhuge Yun, and Zhao Ruzheng, as well as the astonished and amused gazes of the other two girls, Xiao Xiao very calmly provided an explanation that wasn't really much of an explanation.
"We met by chance once before."
The implication was that they weren't very close, and he hadn't deliberately kept it a secret from his brothers.
"I didn't expect to run into you again."
Xiao Xiao looked at Su Youjin; he had originally thought they would have no further intersections.
"Mm, thank you for last time. When do you have time? I'd like to treat you to a meal." Su Youjin felt a tinge of joy at encountering Xiao Xiao again. Because of what happened last time, if not for Xiao Xiao, she might no longer be around. Xiao Xiao could completely be considered her savior. As a result, she later realized that she had actually forgotten to ask Xiao Xiao for his contact information!
This made her feel very self-reproachful—to have treated her savior with such neglect!
However, the advantage of having a grandfather who was the university president was that even if she only knew a name, she could definitely track down this student.
Therefore, Su Youjin actually already had Xiao Xiao's contact information.
She had originally planned to contact Xiao Xiao after the final exams concluded.
She simply hadn't expected them to bump into each other so coincidentally.
This also made her breathe a sigh of relief, as she wasn't particularly skilled at making phone calls to people.