Chapter 38: My Fate is Sealed

"Everyone in our circle already knows about the feelings." Qiao Sang said, speechless.

"This isn't about enjoying it alone, right? It's better to share the joy." Fang Sisi said with a smile.

Qiao Sang couldn't hold back her laughter, "Hahaha, what you said makes sense."

"HAHAHAHA..." Fang Sisi also burst into laughter.

Although she had told many people about this, it still felt so funny every time she mentioned it.

The two of them laughed foolishly for a while. When they were tired of laughing, Qiao Sang asked, "Why doesn't the old teacher just buy a bottle of fern root gel and use it?"

Fern root gel is extracted from the fern egg pot. Every time the fern egg pot sleeps with its shell closed, a small amount of gel oozes out when it wakes up in the morning, known as fern root gel.

This gel has a miraculous effect on promoting hair growth, saving a lot of time and effort compared to hair transplantation.

"A bottle of fern root gel costs half of the old teacher's annual salary. Hair transplantation is much cheaper," Fang Sisi said.

Indeed, anything involving extraordinary creatures these days is ridiculously expensive.

Although hair is a middle-aged man's life, the old teacher has a family to support and can't afford to spend a fortune on a bottle of fern root gel for himself.

Thinking about this, Qiao Sang felt a bit sorry for the old teacher.

Mr. Ji, who teaches the third class on pet beasts and nature, loves to ask questions, especially to students with poor grades.

In the past, Qiao Sang was often called on, but since she was absent for a while, the pressure was distributed among a few students with similar rankings to hers.

"The correct answer to the second sub-question on the fill-in-the-blank section is 'Toxic Powder Jasmine.' " Mr. Ji said, raising his glasses as he spoke. "Who knows what the evolved form of Spotted Bud is in the Liao Xi region?"

Some pet beasts have fixed evolved forms, while others evolve into different forms based on different evolution materials and environments.

Spotted Bud is the latter, and it is currently known to have four different evolved forms in different environments.

The students sitting below all lowered their heads, staring intently at their test papers, afraid that a glance might accidentally meet Mr. Ji's eyes.

Qiao Sang didn't have the test paper, so she was leaning over to look at Fang Sisi's.

Mr. Ji's eyes scanned over to Qiao Sang, Fang Sisi, and the area where a group of underachievers, including Guo Linze, were sitting.

Guo Linze instantly became nervous. He had been called on to answer questions many times recently. His eyes darted around and caught sight of Qiao Sang sitting in front of him to the left.

"Qiao Sang, you don't have a test paper, right? You can use mine," Guo Linze patted Qiao Sang's shoulder and whispered.

The teacher had been talking about the test for over ten minutes. You're giving it to me now?

Qiao Sang wanted to refuse, but as she raised her head to turn, her eyes met Mr. Ji's.

"Qiao Sang, you answer this one," Mr. Ji said.

Qiao Sang: "..."

Guo Linze, you scheming guy!

"Ice Powder Jasmine," Qiao Sang stood up and answered.

Mr. Ji, seeing her answer correctly, asked, "What about in the Xi Lu region?"

"Grass Powder Jasmine," Qiao Sang replied.

"Very good, you can sit down," Mr. Ji nodded in satisfaction. "Does anyone know in which region the last form, Water Powder Jasmine, evolves?"

Qiao Sang sat down, turned around, and snatched the test paper from Guo Linze's desk, saying, "I won't be polite then."

Guo Linze was caught off guard and tried to press down on the test paper, but he missed and made a loud noise on the desk.

"Guo Linze, stand up and answer," Mr. Ji said.

Guo Linze: "..."

Soon, it was break time.

"Qiao Sang, the homeroom teacher wants to see you," the study committee member Ma Xiao said as she walked over.

What was bound to happen eventually did.

Qiao Sang put down her book and went to the office with a completely different mindset from last time.

"You've taken so many days off. Fill out the leave form," the old teacher opened a drawer and placed a leave form on the table.

Qiao Sang's eyes involuntarily looked up at the old teacher's head.

Still a wig, I wonder what's underneath...

"Qiao Sang," the old teacher called her name, his tone somewhat dangerous.

Qiao Sang quickly picked up the pen and started filling out the form.

"Is your mother okay now?" the old teacher asked.

Qiao Sang was taken aback for a moment and replied, "She's fine now."

After she finished filling out the form, the old teacher picked up a notebook from the side and placed it in front of Qiao Sang, "You've fallen behind in your studies these past few days. This is a notebook from one of my previous students. He scored 632 on the high school entrance exam. Take it and study it well."

The full score for the high school entrance exam is 650, and 632 is a very high score.

Qiao Sang remained silent for a moment but didn't refuse. This was indeed what she needed most right now.

"Thank you, teacher."

The old teacher waved his hand, indicating she could leave.

Qiao Sang couldn't describe how she felt. The old teacher might have some flaws, but who doesn't? At least he was good to his students.

Even though the reason for his hair loss was because of her, he didn't take it out on her in any way.

Qiao Sang was deeply moved and asked with concern, "Teacher, is your hair okay?"

The old teacher's expression froze, and he stood there in a daze.

After a moment, he took a deep breath and said, "Would your mother really delay you from coming to school for so long because she was sick?"

Qiao Sang: "..."

...

...

In the afternoon, after school, Qiao Sang decided to confess to her mother directly.

The consequences would be very different if she told her mother herself rather than if the old teacher did.

But when she got home, her mother hadn't returned yet.

"Fire Tooth Dog, you clean this side, and I'll clean that side," Qiao Sang handed a wet cloth to Fire Tooth Dog and pointed to the right side of the living room.

Qiao Sang had already planned out that when her mother returned and saw the clean room, the mopped floor, and the cooked meal, any anger would subside.

"Fire!"

Fire Tooth Dog responded happily, stepping on the cloth and starting to move.

Fire Tooth Dog's right paw was on the cloth, and its left paw pushed backward, causing its body to slide forward with the cloth.

"Fire."

"Fire, fire~"

It called out happily as it mopped.

Clearly, it was a physical task, but Fire Tooth Dog seemed to be playing a fun game.

What a good kid.

Qiao Sang felt gratified and started mopping the left side of the living room with a mop.

The evening light, a soft orange glow, filtered through the glass and shone on the floor, illuminating the girl and Fire Tooth Dog.

Everything was so peaceful and beautiful.

Fire Tooth Dog happily stepped on the cloth, moving faster and faster, sliding faster and faster.

"Bang!"

A loud noise shattered the peaceful moment.

Qiao Sang looked up and saw a pile of shattered porcelain next to Fire Tooth Dog.

Qiao Sang's heart skipped a beat. Without thinking, she dropped the mop, ran to Fire Tooth Dog, and picked it up to check if it was okay, worriedly asking, "Are you okay?"

"Fire!"

Fire Tooth Dog barked loudly, wagging its tail to show it was fine. It pointed to the shards of porcelain on the floor with its paw.

"Fire, fire, fire."

"Fire, fire."

"Fire, fire."

After explaining, Fire Tooth Dog felt a bit guilty, and its ears drooped.

"It's okay that the vase broke, as long as you're fine," Qiao Sang comforted Fire Tooth Dog, then looked back at the shards on the floor.

She remembered that her mother had brought this vase back from a trip to Lian Bo region, and there seemed to be a signature of a beast master her mother liked on the bottom...

"Click."

At that moment, the door opened.

Qiao Sang turned to look at her mother's face, and four words flashed in her mind.

My fate is sealed...