"So this is our bonfire party, huh?"
Gu Xiao twitched her mouth. "Isn't this a bit too formalistic?"
"Can't be helped. We can't actually start a fire in the school, right? I bet the moment we lit it, the Dean of Students would rush over with a broom."
Feng Kai shrugged. It was definitely impossible to set up such a large bonfire on school grounds, so he found a substitute.
"How much did this thing cost?"
"Thirty."
"I'd still find ten credit points too expensive."
"You can't usually buy this; I had to find someone to custom-make it."
Gu Xiao curled her lip. What normal person would create a virtual projection of a bonfire? Of course, you couldn't just buy it off the shelf.
"Come on, come on! Don't just stand there, everyone eat."
Hou Yong walked over with two skewers of roasted meat and placed them on the charcoal stove.
After everyone sat down, Hou Yong took out cups and poured beer.
"Now, you are all adults. Let me lead you in drinking this first cup. Everyone pour yourselves a drink." Hou Yong raised his glass and gestured to the students, adding at the end, "Of course, if you really can't drink, don't force yourselves. Juice or tea is fine too."
Led by Hou Yong, most students poured themselves a glass of beer.
Of course, there were some who genuinely couldn't drink and used juice instead of alcohol. Gu Xiao was one of them.
Actually, she used to be able to drink. Though she wasn't immune to getting drunk, her tolerance was quite good.
But ever since she awakened as a Professional, she seemed to have inherited Fei Xiao's constitution: collapsing upon touching alcohol and becoming rowdy.
The day Gu Xiao awakened as a Professional, Gu Zhixing originally wanted to drink to celebrate.
However, after Gu Xiao took a sip, she put on a full martial arts display, leaving Gu Zhixing completely stunned.
Although she is one soul in two bodies, when Gu Xiao got drunk, Jing Yuan, who was trying to control Gu Xiao's body, felt like he was playing *Manual Samuel*.
Her limbs and brain felt uncoordinated, and when the hallucinations appeared during her intoxication, she instinctively reacted.
Jing Yuan could only try his best to suppress it, but how should one put it? The effect was not very good.
If Gu Xiao hadn't just awakened and her strength was still weak, allowing Gu Zhixing to pin her down, their family's fast-food restaurant would have needed rebuilding.
Lu Li, sitting next to Gu Xiao, also did not drink alcohol; she poured a glass of juice instead, as she really disliked the taste of liquor.
"Cheers, let's toast."
After all the students had filled their glasses with alcohol or juice, Hou Yong raised his glass at the appropriate moment.
"Cheers!"
The students raised their glasses one after another, and their clear voices echoed across the entire sports field.
After several rounds of drinks and food, everyone gathered together in small groups.
Some sat together chatting, some played cards or chess, and others sat at the temporarily set up dining table, occasionally picking up chopsticks or meat skewers for another bite.
Sliced watermelon, oranges, peaches, and other fruits were newly placed on the table. Anyone who wanted some could come and take it.
In one corner, Gu Xiao lay on Lu Li's lap, letting Lu Li play with her hair.
"Xiao Xiao, what are you planning to do after the Professional trial ends?"
They still had about two months of vacation after the Professional trial.
"I definitely need to get my Hovercar driver's license first. Then I'll go cultivate at the home of one of Dad's old friends. Lu Li, why don't you come with me?"
Gu Xiao planned to open her third Meridian before entering Star Sea Academy. In terms of cultivation environment, the City Lord's Mansion would definitely be better.
"Me too? Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"
If it were about cultivating at Gu Xiao's house, Lu Li would definitely agree immediately.
But going to the home of Gu Xiao's father's old friend made Lu Li hesitant.
"It's fine, I'll be there. Just treat it like coming to my house."
Seeing Lu Li's concerns, Gu Xiao said with a smile.
"Holy crap! There's a ghost!"
A scream came from not far away, startling all the surrounding students.
"What's going on?"
As soon as Hou Yong heard the noise, he rushed over immediately.
Gu Xiao and Lu Li exchanged a look, then got up and walked over there as well.
"What is the matter?"
The one who screamed was Wu Liang, who had not awakened as a Professional.
"We were just playing cards. Every time we dealt, we counted exactly fifty-four cards, but when we drew the cards, there were only fifty-three."
Wu Liang held a deck of paper playing cards, his tone filled with surprise and doubt.
They felt that playing cards on a Smart Wristband wasn't grand enough, so they bought a deck of paper cards while shopping.
"Try it again."
Hou Yong was skeptical and asked them to try again.
Wu Liang didn't dilly-dally and immediately started counting the cards.
"One card, two cards, three cards..."
After counting the cards, there were indeed fifty-four cards, no mistake.
"What about when you draw them?"
Seeing that it was indeed fifty-four cards, Hou Yong continued.
Wu Liang called over Huang Yu and Guo Tao, who were playing cards with him. After shuffling the deck several times, he drew three cards from the bottom and set them aside.
Next, he divided the remaining playing cards into two piles and flipped over the top card of one pile.
Then, the three people began drawing cards.
"I have seventeen cards in my hand."
After all the cards were drawn, Wu Liang started reporting his count.
"I also have seventeen cards," Guo Tao added.
"I have sixteen cards."
After speaking, Huang Yu took out his cards and counted them one by one. There were indeed sixteen cards.
Instantly, everyone present felt a chill run down their spine.
Next, Wu Liang and the other two tried several more times, and the result was always the same: they counted fifty-four cards, but when they drew them, there were only fifty-three.
Now, everyone didn't just feel a chill; they even had the sensation that something was watching them from behind.
No one claimed that ghosts didn't exist in this world, because in this world, ghosts were a genuine reality.
"No, that can't be right. This is a school, after all. How could a ghost dare come to a place with such strong Yang Energy?"
A student with a smaller courage said with a trembling voice, "It can't really be haunted, can it?"
"Don't be afraid, everyone. I'll immediately call the Professional teacher who lives in the neighborhood behind the school."
Hou Yong was also getting worried and picked up his phone, ready to call the Professional teacher.
"Wait a moment."
Gu Xiao's voice sounded, stopping Hou Yong's movement.
"Let me see the cards."
Taking the playing cards from Wu Liang's hand, Gu Xiao began inspecting them.
Everyone present fixed their gaze on Gu Xiao. It was only then that they remembered Gu Xiao had already opened her first Meridian and was close to catching up with some of the Professional teachers at the school.
"I found it."
A moment later, Gu Xiao pulled a card out from the deck.
She first held the card up toward the crowd, then gently rubbed it between two fingers, and instantly, one card split into two.