Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Does This Count as Acknowledging His Status?

The vast examination hall fell deathly silent.

The examiners’ eyes were wide, their gazes fixed on the slender figure. Their minds were filled with exclamation points.

But something even more astonishing was happening.

After the eagle approached, Jiang Qingli gently stroked its feathers with her fingers. The eagle, in turn, became unbelievably docile, letting out soft coos.

And at the same time, the pollution value above the eagle’s head was plummeting.

From 85%, it dropped all the way to 20%.

The female examiners present were all at least S-Level members of the Healing System, and the males all possessed abilities of S-Level or higher.

They had participated in countless assessments of all sizes and had also proctored spiritual power exams.

In all these years, this was the first time they had ever seen a female so effortlessly control a highly polluted avian Spiritual Body!

And according to her file, it hadn’t even been a month since Jiang Qingli’s second spiritual power awakening.

Once the pollution value stabilized, the eagle Spiritual Body dissolved into a stream of particles, which spelled out the word "PASS" in large letters in the air.

The examiners glanced at each other and nodded in affirmation.

Through a screen, a candidate might be able to cheat.

But right now, they were standing no more than three meters from Jiang Qingli. She had no opportunity to cheat under their watchful eyes.

Examiner 02 glanced at Helian Sheng.

He was completely stunned, his hands by his sides clenched into tight fists. Even through his mask, they could sense his utter breakdown.

Back in the proctoring room, the examiners re-evaluated Jiang Qingli, setting her rating at S+ Level.

Throughout the entire process, Helian Sheng said nothing, a grim look fixed on his face.

After the scoring was finished, Jiang Qingli walked out of the examination hall.

As if sensing someone was staring at her, the girl kept her chin held high from start to finish, showing not a hint of timidity or fear. The hem of her dress swished as she left, as if creating its own breeze.

The assistant couldn’t help but glance at the screen again.

"What are you looking at? Haven’t you ever seen a woman before?" Helian Sheng snapped, his face dark. "Who’s next? There are only two people left, don’t waste everyone’s time!"

Just as the assistant started to move, Yuan Shimo, who had been sitting quietly to the side, spoke in a calm voice. "There’s no need to rush, Examiner Helian. We have yet to reach a consensus on your ’punishment.’"

’Is he ever going to let this go?’

’All I did was question her a bit.’

’Jiang Qingli already has her rating, does he really need to keep harping on this?’

A fire of rage ignited in Helian Sheng’s heart.

He looked over angrily, only to meet the young man’s gaze.

Light fell at his feet. Yuan Shimo’s expression was as detached as usual, but his jade-green eyes revealed an indescribable, gloomy chill, like an illusory shadow looming behind him.

Unassuming, yet patiently lying in wait, always ready to deliver a fatal blow to the arrogant when they least expect it.

On this sweltering early summer day, a sudden chill ran down Helian Sheng’s spine.

-

Jiang Qingli’s rating was a major point of interest for countless gossipmongers.

The moment her rating was publicly displayed on the screen outside the hall, a wave of gasps erupted from the candidates.

"S+? Is the screen broken? Jiang Qingli got an S+?!"

"It must be real. I heard there was an additional test, and she completed everything."

"There hasn’t been an S+ in years. If she completes missions later, her rank could go even higher..."

Above S-Level were SS and SSS Levels, which had to be earned by completing Healing System missions. S+ was already the highest theoretically assessed level, and only a handful of people had achieved it over many years.

The crowd, which had originally gathered to watch a joke unfold, had nothing left to say and could only change the subject.

Someone suddenly found it odd. "Strange, why haven’t we seen Bai Yiyi yet?"

"Yeah, she was here really early last year. Why isn’t she here now? She’s not replying to messages either..."

KNOCK, KNOCK.

After the assessments were over, there was a knock on the chief examiner’s office door.

The chief examiner put down his terminal and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Enter."

The assistant entered the office and said in a low voice, "I couldn’t get a reply from that candidate. She said she was unwell and that’s why she didn’t come today." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

The chief examiner was looking at a file and didn’t raise his head. "Have her write a report and attend the make-up exam next week."

Hearing this, the assistant’s expression turned troubled. "She said she can’t attend the make-up exam next week either. She’s hoping we can schedule another one for her next month..."

"Nonsense!" The chief examiner’s temper flared, and he slammed a hand on the desk. "What kind of illness lasts for a month? All procedures are fixed. Last year, Qin Shu had to participate even with a broken finger! Who does she think she is, that we would so casually make an exception for her?"

"But Examiner Helian was hoping you’d be flexible... The candidate is apparently his future sister-in-law."

’That Bai Yiyi again?’

The chief examiner remembered her. He recalled usually seeing her eagerly using her spiritual power to heal males all over the place. ’How come she can’t use it now?’

But regardless, there was no way the academy would change a rule that had been in place for so many years for a single female.

Recalling the recent phone call, the chief examiner said slowly, "Then the only option is to freeze her rank. It will be restored next year after she completes the assessment."

"But what about Examiner Helian..."

"Examiner Helian?" The chief examiner repeated the title, his brows arching as his voice turned cold. "Don’t call him ’examiner’ anymore."

"Helian Sheng has been officially dismissed. The announcement will be made next Monday."

After all the assessments were over, Yuan Shimo was waiting for Jiang Qingli at the entrance. The first thing he did when he saw her was report this news.

Jiang Qingli blinked, a little surprised. "So fast? I thought he’d just be suspended for a while at most."

Before the additional test, the assistant who came to inform Jiang Qingli, perhaps out of sympathy, had told her about Helian Sheng’s interference.

That was why Jiang Qingli had insisted on taking the additional test immediately.

The original owner of her body had a mediocre reputation. If rumors of cheating were to appear, it would undoubtedly cause a public uproar. The make-up exam was a week away, and in the intervening days, it was inevitable that malicious people would exaggerate the situation and brand her a cheater.

By then, even if Jiang Qingli successfully passed the assessment a week later, people would assume she had pulled strings behind the scenes during that time.

It had to be dealt with immediately to stabilize the situation.

Yuan Shimo stopped walking, an unconscious smile touching his lips. "Female master."

"Hm?" Jiang Qingli was pulled from her thoughts and looked up, a little lost.

The knuckles of the hand hanging by his side curled slightly. Yuan Shimo looked at her face, took a subtle breath, and then said in a low voice, "Female master was... amazing today."

Not expecting to hear praise from him, Jiang Qingli felt a little shy. "Actually, I was a little scared too."

It was the truth.

She still didn’t know the upper limits of her spiritual power and was afraid of making a mistake.

But thinking of the concerned gazes of her Beast Husbands and friends filled her with endless courage.

Fortunately, the final result was to her satisfaction.

Her terminal vibrated. Lin Xiyue had sent a message, inviting her to a nearby club to celebrate passing the assessment.

Jiang Qingli replied with a confirmation and asked Yuan Shimo, "Do you want to go?"

Yuan Shimo asked, "Can I?"

"Of course," Jiang Qingli’s eyes curved into a smile. "They’re bringing their Beast Husbands, too."

His pale eyelashes trembled, and Yuan Shimo felt a searing heat in his chest.

She had said "Beast Husband."

’Does this count... as her acknowledging my status?’

After replying to the message, Jiang Qingli looked up to see Yuan Shimo with his eyelashes lowered, the rims of his ears tinged with a faint red.

The girl blinked, then suddenly beckoned him over as if she had something to say.

Without hesitation, Yuan Shimo bent down slightly, bringing his ear closer.

In truth, the distance between them wasn’t great. With his hearing, Yuan Shimo could have heard anything she said, but his body unconsciously accommodated her height, moving just a little closer.

He stared straight ahead, unable to see Jiang Qingli’s face, but he could feel her warm breath.

It seemed she let out a small laugh before whispering very softly in his ear:

"Thank you, Cat Teacher."

As if ten thousand butterflies were fluttering their wings inside him, Yuan Shimo was dazed for a few seconds. He was suddenly overcome with the urge to say something to her.

The young man abruptly turned his head.

Jiang Qingli was still in the same position from speaking to him and didn’t have time to pull back.

Caught completely off guard, her lips brushed against his cheek.

In her line of sight, the young man’s eyes widened.

Jiang Qingli was a bit embarrassed. Just as she was about to speak, a gentle male voice came from behind her—

"Xiao Li, I’ve come to take you home."