Being praised didn't make Vivienne smug.
Form is precise?
After last night's extra training, and with just those five minutes earlier—Milo had already walked past them three times, clearly using the excuse of "passing by" to evaluate Vivienne's mastery of the Tianxing Fall technique.
Now that she'd successfully replicated it, Milo finally nodded in satisfaction and wandered off to coach other students.
She passed.
Vivienne took the chance to ask Jan, "Class—uh, Jan, can I ask you something about the Seven Schools Trial?"
Spill the tea, class rep. She was all ears.
Jan didn't seem surprised by her question. "So the school already informed you? You agreed to participate?"
Vivienne nodded, eyes glittering with curiosity and hunger for intel.
And like a true class rep, he began patiently explaining how the trial worked—his version far more detailed than anything Vivienne had found online.
The information gap between nobles and commoners really did exist.
"Why aren't you joining?" Vivienne asked. "If you were, we could've trained together."
"…" Jan glanced at her and calmly replied, "My goals lie elsewhere. There's no need for me to participate."
Oh, come on, another cryptic answer.
Vivienne asked bluntly, "…Does joining the trial mean something?"
"Those who participate and place well often catch the attention of the military, speeding up promotions once they officially serve," Jan said. "There are also a few experimental programs, and the military tends to choose candidates from among the trial participants."
Experimental programs?
Vivienne's mind jumped to something very different: What the heck? Volunteering to be a lab rat?
Last night, she'd already messaged that smiling doctor Ian Yale to ask about the trial.
Given that Ian was part of the military and could even speak to a major general, Vivienne figured he counted as a military bigwig.
As usual, his reply was perfectly useless.
[Squinty-Eyed Doctor]: The major general is already aware. She says—good luck!
[Squinty-Eyed Doctor]: Panda dumpling cheer squad.gif
.....
Jan continued explaining
As Milo had mentioned, the few lucky students selected to participate would have to cooperate closely with students from other universities to earn glory for their school.
But in truth, even if there were only two chosen candidates, there would still be fierce competition between them.
"Most top-tier project slots only allow for one participant."
Vivienne translated this in her mind: There's only one golden lab rat spot available on the operating table.
"If an experimental program goes well, students involved are essentially guaranteed positions in action units—no need to go through the standard selection process."
…
Professor Gao Qi, their Mental Mastery teacher, continued his usual shady passive-aggressive commentary during class, occasionally singling Vivienne out—like a mosquito that wouldn't stop buzzing. Not painful, just annoying.
Possibly because she'd been sitting next to Jan Squire to maintain the "bonded pair" façade.
—They couldn't have his family investigating and discovering that, other than visiting his house, they hadn't done anything remotely couple-like.
"Everyone, look at your textbook," Gao Qi began. "Evolvers have diverged into two new biological sexes due to differing evolutionary paths. Professor Wang argues that mental strength and physical power complement one another—that is, Guides and Sentinels work together to achieve a result greater than the sum of their parts."
"From this foundation, Guides enhance mental strength, Sentinels focus on physical power, and both evolve along their specialized lines."
"But Academician Fu proposed a brand-new hypothesis: Suppose an evolver possesses the traits of a mentally dominant Guide, but trains physically… or a physically dominant Sentinel who hones their mental strength…"
"With just one person, they could achieve the effect of a bonded pair."
Vivienne looked up. This Academician Fu…
Sentinel Tony Zane muttered under his breath, "What a load of crap. You think I don't want stronger mental strength?"
Joey Yu searched for related materials online. "Tsk. Just as I thought—it's a brand-new hypothesis. Not a single published study."
"Total hot air…"
"…Following the legislative meeting, the academic world has been forced to acknowledge the possibility of dual-path evolvers," Gao Qi said smugly. "As it happens, I am one of Academician Fu's disciples. If any of you are interested, feel free to visit my office to discuss…"
Vivienne subtly curled her lip: Birds of a feather.
After class, Jan said, "I'll message you tomorrow."
He meant: about going to his house.
"Mm, see you tomorrow morning." Vivienne hadn't forgotten—this was the very excuse she'd used to get out of Milo's weekend training.
The 500,000 star credits weren't even the main point anymore. She just wanted to help her classmate resolve his family issues—a noble cause! (But yes, please transfer the funds to her new account.)
On Saturday morning, Vivienne sat in Jan Squire's fully autonomous luxury car. On the way, the two of them went over some final details of their act.
The Financial Minister's private residence was nestled in a serene garden estate. The architecture, with its classic Eastern style, was both grand and tasteful—painted eaves, koi ponds, and elegant refinement.
When they got out of the car, Vivienne and Jan exchanged a look. As planned, they committed an act their ancestors would never approve of—
—they held hands.
To be honest, Vivienne felt there were plenty of subtler, more nuanced gestures they could've used to imply a relationship.
But since the job only involved today, in front of one man, they were going in hard and direct.
"No need to be nervous," Jan reassured her. "I'll do most of the talking."
Jan's palm was warm and steady, slightly hotter than hers. Their hands only loosely intertwined—not fingers interlocked, not tightly gripped. It wouldn't look fake to onlookers.
Vivienne wasn't nervous at all. She'd once seen elementary school kids holding hands in pairs while lining up to leave campus.
Right now, she and Jan weren't much different from two elementary buddies.
It's just holding hands. It's not like we're really bonded!
She glanced at Jan's side profile—cool and composed—though the tips of his ears were slightly red.
He looked more nervous than she did.
As soon as they stepped into the grand hall—
"Young Master, welcome home." A middle-aged butler in formal attire stepped forward with a polite smile. His gaze subtly shifted toward the two students' clasped hands.
Young Master brought a girlfriend home?
Before he could say anything more, he turned his eyes to Vivienne and was momentarily stunned by her elegant appearance.
He politely asked Jan, "And this young lady is…?"