Vice Principal Zhongli's speech went as expected.
When Vice Principal Ningguang took the stage, the atmosphere grew even more lively. After all, she was beautiful, kind, and wealthy.
Then it was Xia Ci's turn to speak. At first, the audience didn't react much.
But when she introduced herself as Principal Xia's cousin, the way people looked at her—especially the younger female teachers—shifted. It was as if they were looking at a younger sister.
How shallow! They haven't even gotten to know my cousin properly, and they're already infatuated with him!
After the speeches, it was time to plant the tree.
Zhongli and Ningguang stepped forward, using their Geo powers to dig a hole in the ground.
Xia Zhi placed the seed in the hole, covered it with soil, and took out a bottle, pouring its golden liquid over the seed.
This was diluted [Essence of Sun and Moon].
The main reason for the dilution was that the seed was still too delicate and might not withstand the full potency of the undiluted essence.
But Zhongli and Xia Ci still couldn't help but be drawn to the diluted liquid.
It held a strange allure for divine beings.
Upstairs, Xia Zhen watched through a telescope, clicking her tongue in regret. "What a waste, cousin..."
After pouring the liquid, Xia Zhi put the bottle away.
Xia Ci stepped forward, raised her hand, and her Dendro Vision glowed.
She began to channel Dendro energy into the seed.
Of course, from Ningguang and everyone else's perspective, it looked like she was using Dendro elemental energy.
Upstairs, Xia Zhen peered through the telescope at Xia Ci and Zhongli's Visions, muttering to herself, "I should get myself a purple glass bead too..."
In just a moment, a tender sprout emerged from the soil and began to grow rapidly.
The onlookers gasped in amazement.
Most of them had never seen a Vision before, so this act of bringing life forth seemed like a divine miracle to them.
When the sprout reached the height of a person, its growth noticeably slowed.
It seemed the fertilizer had been fully absorbed.
Xia Zhi took out another bottle and poured its bright golden liquid over the sprout.
This time, it was undiluted [Essence of Sun and Moon].
Zhongli and Xia Ci's eyes were once again involuntarily drawn to the glistening golden liquid as it fell through the air.
The allure of this substance was even stronger for divine beings.
Upstairs, Xia Zhen watched through the telescope, her voice filled with anguish. "So much! Cousin, you should have given it to me! I could have brought the Sacred Sakura Tree here for you to plant. Wouldn't that be more impressive than this little tea tree?"
The sprout, now nourished, began to grow at an astonishing rate.
In the blink of an eye, the plant stretched from a person's height to the height of a two-story building.
The trunk started sprouting countless branches, which in turn began to grow countless leaves.
The leaves swayed gently in the wind, filling the air with a unique tea fragrance.
It's done.
There was still some [Essence of Sun and Moon] left in the bottle.
"Cousin, here you go."
"Thank you, cousin!"
Xia Ci had just expended a lot of divine energy and needed some replenishment. As for Zhongli, with his abundant faith power, there was no need to worry about his recovery.
Upstairs, Xia Zhen watched through the telescope, her voice tinged with envy. "There's still so much left..."
With that, the ceremony came to an end.
The crowd gazed at the suddenly grown tea tree, feeling both awe and a newfound respect for the school.
Though today was technically the official start of the school year, there were no classes.
It was Saturday, after all.
The day was primarily for the children to familiarize themselves with the school grounds.
Parents would have lunch in the cafeteria and leave in the afternoon. After that, the teachers would take their classes on a tour of the campus and play some games.
Tomorrow, they would distribute textbooks and uniforms, teach morning exercises, and introduce the students to school rules like the start and end of class bells.
Coming Monday, the real academic schedule would begin.
Ningguang called Baishi over to have someone pick the [Wisdom Tea Leaves]. These leaves would be brewed for the students tomorrow as a blessing from the school.
Xia Zhi casually plucked a leaf and popped it into his mouth to taste.
The System's voice echoed in his mind.
"[Enlightenment] effect activated. Intelligence attribute increased by 10 points."
Luck truly was a wonderful thing!
Ningguang asked with curiosity, "Mr. Xia, how does it taste?"
Xia Zhi nodded. "Not bad, kind of like mint. You should try it too."
Eating the leaf directly was fine, but if brewed, a single leaf could serve multiple people, making it more cost-effective.
Zhongli also plucked a leaf, chewing it slowly. "This is indeed extraordinary."
Randomly increasing intelligence by 1 to 10 points might not seem like much for a single person, but when applied to a group, it became significant.
The students of this school would become the future pillars of Liyue. Raising their collective intelligence, combined with overall education, would elevate the entire talent pool of Liyue.
Xia Zhi picked a few more leaves to take back for Zhu Zi and the others to brew tea and boost their brains.
He stored the leaves in his inventory and checked their properties.
[Wisdom Tea Leaf]
Quality: Gold.
Type: Consumable.
Trait: Enlightenment.
Effect: When brewed and consumed, randomly increases the drinker's Intelligence attribute by 1 to 10 points. This effect can only be activated once. Subsequent consumption will only provide an inspiration buff.
Hidden Effect: The older the tea tree, the stronger the [Enlightenment] effect.
Non-recyclable.
As expected, non-recyclable.
"Let's go, it's almost noon. Time to head to the cafeteria for lunch."
"I personally selected the chefs from various restaurants outside. They've all been vetted, so you can rest assured."
"Indeed, integrity is crucial. The most important thing in cafeteria food is safety."
"The food should taste good too."
"I'll have Xiangling give them a few days of training."
"Mmm."
By the afternoon, the once-empty campus was now filled with lively energy.
Laughter and chatter could be heard everywhere.
---
Nighttime.
Xia Zhi was once again staying in the principal's office.
Shenhe, as the principal's secretary, came to help him unwind.
The large bed in the principal's office was incredibly soft.
After some relaxation, Xia Zhi got serious with Shenhe.
"Shenhe, Ms. Ganyu's body has been acting up."
"Senior Sister?"
"To be precise, she's entering a special phase..."
Xia Zhi explained the Encyclopedia to Shenhe.
Shenhe's eyes widened in realization.
"So that's it! No wonder I felt like Senior Sister was acting a bit odd today, always spacing out. So Senior Sister is..."
"Do you remember that strange dream last week?"
"That was Senior Sister's dream?"
"Most likely."
Shenhe's expression suddenly turned somewhat peculiar.
"Boss, at that time... Senior Sister was calling out your name."
"That's the problem."
"Senior Sister is usually so busy with work, and she doesn't seem to have any close male friends..."
"So it's only natural that she'd be drawn to me."
"Is it really that simple?"
"What else could it be?"
Shenhe suddenly hugged him, her voice soft and warm.
"Playing dumb, do you really think Senior Sister is that shallow?"
"..."
Alright, Shenhe was always sharp.
She knew everything.
Xia Zhi lowered his head, their breaths mingling.
"I made Senior Sister some plain noodles this morning, with special herbs to suppress the restlessness in her body, but it wasn't very effective."
"Oh?"
"It only lasted for about an hour. At first, it was fine, but after we changed clothes at Yujing Terrace, she started looking at me oddly again."
"Was it the allure?"
"Probably. It's like someone trying to quit smoking. They might be fine at first, but if they see someone smoking or a pack of cigarettes on the table, the craving suddenly returns."
"So, if Senior Sister just avoids you, that should work?"
"That won't do. The suppression is only temporary and will gradually wear off."
Xia Zhi pondered for a moment, looking at Shenhe, hesitating to speak.
"Unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Unless we use the method you once used."
"The method I once used?"
Shenhe was momentarily stunned before realizing.
"The [Red Rope Soul Binding] technique?"
"Yes. I've studied it. It's very effective at suppressing special constitutions, whether it's your or Senior Sister's [Qilin Bloodline]..."
"No!"
Shenhe flatly refused.
"That method can't be used."
Xia Zhi fell silent.
Shenhe whispered, "Senior Sister and I are different. Back then, I was willing to sever all emotions and attachments, even if it meant losing all feeling. But Senior Sister is different... I know how terrifying that feels. Besides, Senior Sister's situation isn't really a problem. It can be easily resolved, right?"
Xia Zhi stayed silent for a moment before saying, "I understand."
Shenhe looked at him, her lips curling slightly.
"Boss."
"Yeah?"
"I'm feeling a bit jealous, you know."
And then, there was no "then."
If there was anything else to say, it was that the principal's office chair was also very soft.