“Did you hear? Last night, the sewage pipe in one of the boys’ dormitories burst! Feces flooded the entire room!”

“I heard the poor guy who lived in that room was found this morning, totally soaked in dirty water, lying by the door. One of his hands was still holding onto the doorknob—he probably passed out from the smell before he could even open the door and crawl out.”

“Ah! No wonder I smelled that awful stench when I went downstairs from the third floor this morning. So that’s what happened.”

“Oh my god, that’s horrible, isn’t it? This is supposed to be one of the top magical academies on the continent, and their facilities are this bad?”

“Make sure to check your dorms tonight. If anything’s broken, complain immediately. We paid a hefty tuition fee to study here.”

Loewen arrived at the cafeteria early in the morning, and heared a flurry of chatter around him.

He yawned and quietly recalled the university he attended before crossing over. Even their bathrooms had once leaked.

These kids’ living conditions were already pretty good—each person had their own single room, the rooms were spacious and bright, and they had all the furniture they needed. It was nothing like the dormitory he stayed in during university, where four boys squeezed into one room with nowhere to put their things, and sometimes cockroaches scuttled across the floor at night.

“Good morning, Miss Flenqi.” Felix greeted him from the corner, flashing a smile. He looked refreshed.

Loewen casually walked over, sat next to him, and picked up his fork.

Recently, he had gotten used to eating the food Felix had fetched for him from the buffet area in the mornings.

Even though Loewen had clearly told him not to go through the trouble, Felix had always been eager, saying he just liked to quietly do things for his best friend.

Loewen couldn’t refuse the kindness, so he had gradually gotten accustomed to it, even without realizing it.

“What book are you reading today?” Felix asked.

Loewen closed the book he had just opened and displayed the cover to him.

Felix leaned in slightly and read the title aloud without missing a beat, “‘Collection and Cultivation of Rare Snowfield Potions’? Miss Flenqi, are you working hard for the track you’ve chosen?”

The warmth of Felix’s breath lightly brushed across the back of Loewen’s hand, making it slightly ticklish. Loewen calmly pushed Felix’s head back and replied in a neutral tone, “Mm... yes.”

“Miss Flenqi, you’re amazing.” Felix complimented him in a cheerful tone. His eyes seemed like clear mirrors, reflecting Loewen’s figure with perfect clarity.

Loewen couldn’t help but look at him, his face showing some confusion. “Why are you so energetic today?”

Felix’s gaze flickered for a moment before he broke into a radiant smile, “Miss Flenqi, what you said yesterday really inspired me. I think, I’ve also found my own track.”

***

As the class bell rang, the students of Crescent Class sluggishly made their way to the lecture hall, each dragging their feet to find a seat.

Today’s class was Professor Fingel’s lesson, which was known for being long-winded and dull. His tests were notoriously difficult, and after half a semester, he had solidified his spot as the “most unpopular professor among freshmen.”

The students were mentally preparing themselves for yet another tedious session filled with herbal knowledge. However, what they didn’t expect was that the teacher who entered the classroom today was not the elderly Professor Fingel, but rather a young, handsome, unfamiliar male instructor.

When he confidently stepped into the room and stood at the front, the female students in Crescent Class all had their eyes light up… including Loewen, who was dressed in women’s clothing.

But Loewen’s bright eyes weren’t due to the male instructor’s good looks; it was because of his Asian face with black hair and black eyes!

“Hello, everyone,” the young male instructor greeted, his voice calm and clear. He wore a warm smile on his graceful face. “I’m your practical teaching assistant for the Potions Class. From today on, your potion lessons will be divided into theory and practice, with Professor Fingel handling the theoretical lessons and I’ll take over the practical ones.”

He continued, “Let me introduce myself—my name is Moqian Dongfang. I graduated from Haweison Magic Academy last year, and I’m honored to come to Charles Magic Academy, the most prestigious magic school on the continent. This is my first time teaching, so I hope to work well with all of you.”

“Potion practice is a hands-on course, and there are a lot of materials to distribute before each class. Is there anyone who would like to volunteer as the class representative to help me with this task?”

“Pick me, pick me!” Loewen, who usually kept a low profile, quickly stood up. In the astonished gazes of the entire class, he eagerly volunteered.

Qixiu, who had timidly raised her hand, turned to look at Loewen, meeting his gaze with a hint of awkwardness.

Instructor Moqian smiled gently and said, “Well, it’s settled then. You two will take care of this for me from now on.”

The class then moved from the lecture hall to the potion-making room.

Loewen and Qixiu, the new class representatives, immediately got busy. They rushed around the room like two whirlwind, distributing the materials for today’s potion-making session to all the students.

Moqian Dongfang waved his wand, and the chalk flew to the blackboard, writing out the potion recipe for the day:

A packet of horse hoof shavings, three butterfly wings from the wind chime butterfly, a bottle of Full Moon Lake water, a handful of thunderstruck red tin soil—mix them in the cauldron, boil thoroughly until green smoke rises, then filter out the burnt residue at the bottom of the pot and shape it into blocks (or any shape you like)—the end result will be a happiness soap that keeps you in a cheerful mood all day.

Loewen and his partner Qixiu sat opposite each other, each holding a long wooden spoon, occasionally stirring the deep green liquid in the cauldron.

Loewen kept his eyes focused on the cauldron and the sickly green liquid at the bottom, feeling slightly nauseous.

This method was so primitive!

“Miss Flenqi, are you okay?” Qixiu noticed her partner’s frequent eye rolls and asked curiously.

“I… um… I’m fine…”

Loewen pinched his nose tightly, determined to improve this stupid and clumsy cauldron.

The fire crackled, and the green smoke rose.

Qixiu looked through the smoke, raising her eyes to glance at Loewen’s shadowy face. She softly cleared her throat and said, “This instructor is my brother.”

Loewen’s thoughts were immediately interrupted. “What? Your brother?”

“Yes.” Qixiu nodded slightly.

Loewen slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering that they shared the same surname and he hadn’t noticed it earlier.

Loewen moved to the other side of the cauldron, leaned close to Qixiu and whispered, “Does your brother speak your hometown language?”

Qixiu thought for a moment. “He speaks it a little better than I do.”

“Great!” Loewen snapped his fingers. His face lit up with excitement. He thought to himself, Next time, I’ll chat with your brother. I haven’t spoken Chinese in ages.

Qixiu lowered her head, and stirred the liquid in the cauldron for a few more moments. “Miss Flenqi, why did you want to be the class representative for this course?”

Loewen brightened up, his eyes flickering. “I plan to specialize in this course, to learn how to become a Potion Master.”

“A Potion Master?”

Qixiu seemed surprised.

Someone has already decided on their future career less than a year into their studies?

“Yes.” Loewen smiled.

Qixiu pondered for a moment. “it sounds great. My brother said that there aren’t many powerful potion masters on the continent these days.”

“Oh? Really?” Loewen eagerly chatted with Qixiu.

Meanwhile, Oran, sitting not far away, was also brewing a cauldron. A teasing smile slowly curled at the corners of his mouth as he turned to Felix beside him. “Felix, you’re my partner. Why are your eyes glued to Miss Flenqi?”