Shi Xingwu's reaction was more like that of an old classmate reuniting after a long time.
As for Tarik, Li Xiaozhong, and even Xia Qingyu.
The three of them only showed the awkwardness of "people you thought you'd never interact with again suddenly appearing and forcing you into small talk."
According to Shi Xingwu, Tarik's transfer was so sudden that it caught everyone off guard.
However, judging by the reactions of Li Xiaozhong and Xia Qingyu, they didn't seem surprised.
Coupled with the mysterious young master Bai Yuqi had mentioned to Xia Qingtian and Gu Yaoyang before.
That young master Tarik, who was the same age as Xia Qingyu.
His appearance and disappearance in Country Z coincided perfectly with Nie Qingkong's presence.
Xia Qingtian immediately guessed it.
However, she was more interested in the reactions of Li Xiaozhong and Xia Qingyu now.
"I knew from the beginning," Xia Qingyu, who was never good at lying to Xia Qingtian, said. "He came to talk to me on his first day of transferring, some... cryptic things."
"Nie Qingkong gave me a bad feeling from the start," Li Xiaozhong also didn't want to deceive Xia Qingtian. "Although I don't know who he really is, I feel like he's hiding something."
"What did he say to you?" Xia Qingtian looked at Xia Qingyu.
"Sometimes he'd say he admired my abilities, sometimes he'd say I disappointed him, sometimes he'd say he hoped I was smarter, and sometimes he'd say I was too stupid..." Xia Qingyu paused and said, "Those few times Uncle Little got beaten up, they were all more or less related to him, right?"
"Does he have a grudge with the Miao family?" Xia Qingtian hadn't considered this. "Is he related to the Tang family?"
"Probably not..." Xia Qingyu shook her head seriously. "He's probably just... mentally unstable."
"Mm, I think so too," Li Xiaozhong nodded solemnly.
Xia Qingtian wondered what that formidable mysterious young master would think if he knew his two old classmates' evaluation of him.
Xia Qingtian, for one, found it quite amusing.
Meanwhile, after sending Lei Xirui back to where the Third Master Lei was staying, Tarik immediately rushed back to the restaurant, only to find that Xia Qingyu and her group had already left.
Sitting at the table that had been tidied up by the staff, Tarik stared at the empty seat opposite him, lost in thought.
Why.
He had clearly decided to give up on her, to let her go.
Why did she still appear before him?
Why?
The emotions he had painstakingly sealed away in a corner no one could reach were ignited by just one of her glances.
The fierce, surging, and powerful flames threatened to consume him.
Why.
He tossed and turned for her, losing sleep because of her.
Why could she act as if she barely knew him, ignoring him so completely?
Was even a glance or a greeting too much for her?
Why?
Tarik's expression was solemn, his usual calm pretense seemingly shattered.
He closed his eyes, and the more he tried to banish that vision from his mind, the clearer it became.
Damn it.
"Why the sudden visit?" a young and beautiful woman sat on the empty chair next to Tarik.
She had light blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, fair skin as smooth and soft as a porcelain doll, emerald eyes that held a smile, and long, thick eyelashes curled like tiny unfolding fans. She wore a vintage-style one-shoulder gauze dress, making her graceful and beautiful like a fairy from a fairy tale.
"Sif, are you done with your business?" Tarik heard a familiar voice, opened his eyes, and met a delicate face as exquisite as a goddess from a classical painting.
"Yes," Sif propped her chin with one hand. "I heard you spent the day with the heiress from Country Z today? How was she? Is she pretty?"
"Things that don't concern you are not worth inquiring about so much," Tarik took a deep breath, seemingly unwilling to continue the conversation.
"We've grown up together; you can't hide your thoughts from me," Sif looked at Tarik and smiled. "What's wrong? Is that heiress the woman who made you lose your soul in Country Z? Then I really want to meet her."
"Don't be so annoying," Tarik stood up. "Mind your own business when it comes to me."
With that, he turned and walked out of the restaurant.
Sif watched Tarik's retreating figure, narrowed her eyes slightly, and snapped her fingers. "Send me the surveillance footage from today."
"Yes."
As soon as he left the restaurant, Tarik received a call from his adoptive father: "Come to the lab."
"Okay, I'll be right there," Tarik replied immediately and drove straight to the lab.
Upon arriving at the lab, Tarik noticed that everyone seemed busier than usual. All the researchers were in a hurry, constantly reporting and recording updated numerical values.
Tarik found his adoptive father, who was wearing a white research coat. His salt-and-pepper hair was tied back, his handsome face showed no signs of aging, and his gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose gave him a scholarly air. His voice was steady, laced with an indescribable gentleness. "Continue monitoring, and tell everyone to be careful."
"Father," Tarik said respectfully. "What happened?"
A faint smile played on the man's lips, but the light in his eyes revealed his current good mood. "All the numerical values have reached their highest thresholds. This is unprecedented in the entire energy field. Come and see!"
Following his father's steps, Tarik walked to the observation window of the crystal and indeed saw a faint halo around the crystal.
"This is a reaction that has never occurred before. I suspect some form of energy is causing a resonant reaction in the crystal," the man said, looking intently and obsessively at the crystal. "Tarik, as long as we can find the source of the energy resonance, I believe I will soon fulfill my lifelong ambition and usher in a new revolution in global technological energy."
"Father, have any signal points of resonant energy been detected yet?" Tarik's eyes lit up; he completely understood his adoptive father's excitement.
"No discoveries have been made yet, but as long as this resonant reaction continues, we will be able to detect it," the man said confidently.
"Father, is there anything you need me to do?" Tarik asked.
"Come to my office first," the man turned and led Tarik to his office.
Seated behind the desk, the man gestured for Tarik to sit and talk.
After calming himself slightly, the man finally spoke. "How is your contact with the Lei family going?"