An arranged marriage is impossible.

In this lifetime, it’s never going to happen.

Don’t even mention a few more highborn witches getting involved; even the current relationship between Su Shijun and Jiang Yu already has Zheng Qing at a loss on how to handle it.

So, in the end, he made no choice.

Instead, he cupped his hands and respectfully bowed in the direction of Centimeter Mountain, indicating he needed more time to think about it. Instantly, the chatter in his ears quieted down.

The elders on Centimeter Mountain were not dissatisfied either.

Geniuses, especially those who lack nothing, being a bit prideful and reserved—isn’t that normal? The experienced elders, who’ve seen countless geniuses, know best how to deal with such young people.

So, a rainbow light descended, sweeping Zheng Qing back to the shores of Crescent Lake.

The light attracted many gazes by the lake, with young wizards showing eager expressions on their faces. However, out of tradition and propriety, they maintained some aristocratic reserve and didn’t rush forward, though their curious glances were inevitable.

"That’s incredible!"

Jiang Yu looked at the warlock who had landed and sincerely praised him.

"Still far behind." Zheng Qing, recalling the starry sky he had once seen with his teacher, shook his head seriously.

Jiang Yu shook his head too. "Don’t be so modest. Being able to easily defeat Senior Tu Mountain at this stage, there are very few in the entire First University who can do the same... that’s a fact."

"There are still a few?" Zheng Qing feigned a surprised look. "I thought I would be the ’only’ one in your eyes."

A light chuckle came from the side.

"With such thick skin, no wonder you dare to have your foot in two boats!"

A slightly unfamiliar female voice suddenly interjected into their conversation. Zheng Qing blinked and only then noticed a pretty witch in a pink robe standing beside Jiang Yu, holding her arm, staring at him intently.

The warlock uneasily withdrew his gaze.

He felt the other party’s gaze was a bit piercing and wasn’t sure how to respond to her teasing remark.

"But you shouldn’t have been so... uh, so rough with Senior Tu Mountain."

Jiang Yu, without changing her expression, subtly disrupted the awkward atmosphere that had just arisen, gently criticizing the warlock. "...She probably wants to commit suicide now."

Despite her words, the witch couldn’t suppress a smile on her face.

Zheng Qing smiled sheepishly, rubbing his earlobe a bit uneasily. The little green snake, now behaving well enough, had fallen asleep again somehow, making him feel a bit guilty.

"Mainly, she’s too skilled. Other than her tails, I really don’t know what other weaknesses a fox might have." He humbly waved his hand.

"How do you know a fox’s tail is a weakness?" came the same abrupt voice from beside him.

The corner of Zheng Qing’s mouth twitched slightly.

Jiang Yu finally had no choice but to acknowledge the octopus draped over her.

"Ah, I forgot to introduce you." She flashed a standard fake smile and gave a brief introduction: "This is my childhood friend, Vivian."

"And a good friend now, from the same school as you."

The witch in the pink robe emphasized their relationship, confidently extending her hand and shaking the warlock’s, but holding on without letting go: "Vivian O’Brien, Alpha Academy third-year, nice to meet you. I saw you dancing with Yuyu at last year’s Christmas under the moon party, but she never mentioned your kind of relationship... Does Su Councilor know you came to Shanglin Garden today?"

Another question difficult to answer.

Zheng Qing managed to retract his hand with some effort, his mind flashing images of Xin Fat Man, Linda Barnes, and even Ms. Pulitzer, thinking it a shame that Vivian didn’t pursue journalism at the "Beta Town Post."

But quickly, he realized that an ancient and grand wizard family like the O’Brien Family would never allow an heir apparent to fall into gossip journalism for a living.

Moreover, the surname O’Brien immediately reminded him of a proposal he had just ’overheard’ on the Magic Stage, making his expression even more peculiar.

Jiang Yu immediately picked up on the subtle change in the warlock’s expression.

"Is something wrong?" she casually handed him a handkerchief.

"Huh? Ah, no, nothing."

Frightened by her sharpness, Zheng Qing quickly denied it, taking the handkerchief and wiping his brow before also wiping his hand, finding a suitable excuse: "I just remembered, Dylan also has O’Brien blood... but I recall, his part is Blood Race, right? I mean, your friend here..."

His expression was a bit vague, but his meaning was clear.

Anyone could tell that Miss Vivian O’Brien was a bona fide pureblood wizard, not a vampire.

Jiang Yu glanced at Vivian.

The witch in the pink robe raised her eyebrows.

"You didn’t know?" 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

She spoke with a hint of surprise: "The O’Brien family is large, not only having wizard and Blood Race branches but also zombies and ghosts... You can’t expect an ancient wizard family over a thousand years old to not have a few outliers, or rather, you can’t expect some nearly dying old folks not to seek other ways to prolong their lives. Naturally, it’s also possible the family doesn’t want to put all its eggs in one basket. Such things happen a lot with wizard families that have a bit of history."

With that, she glanced at the witch beside her.

Jiang Yu nodded subtly, her voice also soft: "Hmm, it’s certainly not uncommon. You know Alpha’s Commander? He’s the leader of the Clover hunting team... in a way, he’s my cousin... but our families don’t interact much."

Commander is a warlock with zombie blood, known for his fierce ways, leaving a very deep impression on Zheng Qing at the first school hunting party.

He never thought the Zhongshan Jiang Family would have ties with the zombies under the moon.

But considering Vivian’s explanation, it made sense to Zheng Qing.

As for why no one privately discusses this matter, it’s actually easy to understand. Just like the first time he met Thomas, Thomas reminded him with the words—talking about a wizard’s blood is considered very impolite.

After all, no one knows if, hundreds of years ago, an elderly ancestor might have done something shocking for experimental results, especially given the wizard world’s very loose management of experimental ethics back then.

A burst of chatter and applause disrupted the conversation among the three young wizards.

Looking up, Zheng Qing noticed that taking his place on the stage was the current Lei Zhe, Uncle Zhang Zhi of the Tianmen Zhang. His wide sleeves fluttered, holding the law book, looking elegant and completely different from the stereotypical image of Zhang family disciples in the eyes of the world.

Seeing Uncle Zhang Zhi, Zheng Qing suddenly remembered something else.

He scanned the lake shores and tugged on Jiang Yu’s sleeve, with a hint of confusion in his voice: "I just noticed... why haven’t I seen Sepulano?"