5: Are you free this Sunday?

“You're awesome, kid! You quietly contracted a Gold-rank bloodline beast! It really makes people jealous!” As soon as Su Ze stepped off the Arena, Wang Zi immediately came forward and hooked his arm around Su Ze's neck.

There was no jealousy in his tone, only pure envy and excitement that Su Ze had finally achieved something astonishing.

Xu Yao also walked up, but she appeared much more composed, simply saying softly, “Congratulations.”

“Easy there, Fatty. With your weight hanging on me, my neck is going to snap.” Su Ze kept patting Wang Zi's arm, feeling as if the entire weight was pressing down on him.

After Wang Zi let go, he looked at Su Ze's Void Spirit Turtle and Xu Yao's Azure Phoenix Butterfly—both enviable Gold-rank beasts.

He then glanced at his own Blazing Flame Leopard Cat, his look seeming to say, “Look at you, then look at them!”

The Blazing Flame Leopard Cat didn't indulge him, immediately leaping up gracefully and extending its sharp claws to give its master a scratched face.

It only licked its claws and raised its head in satisfaction after Wang Zi promised to add another tuna fish.

Su Ze immediately stepped forward, smiling, and used the Void Spirit Turtle's Minor Injury Healing skill to treat the scratches on his face.

Because the Blazing Flame Leopard Cat's jealous behavior was a sign of high compatibility between it and Wang Zi, although it was only a Silver grade beast, it would have excellent development in the future.

Besides the two of them, many people Su Ze didn't know also gathered around.

“As expected of the genius during the Spiritual Power talent test back then! I knew he wasn't simple—he remained silent only to shock everyone with a single feat!”

“That's right, I've been optimistic about him from the start!”

“Big Brother Su Ze, do you have a girlfriend? Little sister is very good at... things~”

...It took the group a great deal of effort to break out of the crowd's encirclement; one step later and their virtue might have been compromised.

In contrast, Lin He, who was nearby, had been choking on water and unconscious from the severe pain for a long time before a kind person picked him up and sent him to the infirmary.

“Phew... these guys, why haven't I seen them this enthusiastic before?” Su Ze gasped.

“They aren't enthusiastic about you; they're enthusiastic about your beast,” Wang Zi said, seeing through the situation clearly.

He continued to advise, “I heard my dad say that before our family became rich, he wanted to borrow a hundred yuan just to eat a full meal, but found he didn't have a single 'acquaintance'; later, when we got rich, all sorts of distant relatives popped up overnight like mushrooms after the rain.”

“Don't worry, I can tell who is sincere towards me.”

“That's good. My dad's driver is here to pick me up. I'll head out first. See you at the Beast Taming College Entrance Examination, bro!”

“See you at the College Entrance Examination!”

With their beasts, barring any accidents, they should both be able to get into a Beast Taming University.

So, after their lukewarm farewell, Wang Zi leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Don't blame your brother for not having the driver take you home today. Isn't this a chance for you to be alone with School Beauty Xu? You need to seize the opportunity!”

He then slipped into his family's extended sedan and drove away.

“This guy...”

Su Ze didn't need Wang Zi's reminder. After Wang Zi left, Su Ze immediately turned around and asked Xu Yao, who was behind him, “Want to walk home together?”

“...Ah? Okay, sure...” Xu Yao seemed slightly taken aback, but eventually agreed.

The two remained silent for a while on the road, and Su Ze racked his brain, unsure how to start a conversation.

Finally, Xu Yao spoke up: “Big Brother Su Ze, it's... been a long time since we walked home together like this.”

“Mhm...”

The rumors circulating in the school were true: Su Ze and Xu Yao were indeed childhood sweethearts, and their relationship was once so good that their parents arranged a childhood engagement for them.

But when they were twelve years old, everything changed.

In this world, Su Ze's parents and Xu Yao's parents were both researchers at the Azure Dragon Beast Taming University, one of the Five Great Beast Taming Universities of Great Xia.

Due to an accident during a secret research project, Su Ze's parents and Xu Yao's mother immediately went missing. Only Xu Yao's father, Xu Yiming, survived.

As for the cause of the accident, no one revealed anything to him, the victim's family member, and this was why he was determined to get into a Beast Taming University.

Only by getting into the Azure Dragon Beast Taming University, approaching, or even directly participating in the research, could he find out what his parents were studying back then and why they disappeared.

This accident also caused the young Su Ze at the time to believe that Xu Yiming had killed his parents, and from then on, his relationship with Xu Yao plummeted to freezing point.

However, Su Ze was still young back then, so this notion became deeply ingrained even after he grew up, causing him to stubbornly suspect Xu Yiming.

Now, as the transmigator Su Ze, standing from his own perspective, he didn't feel that Xu Yiming was very suspicious.

Because the failed experiment hadn't brought him any benefit; instead, it had restricted his career, preventing him from getting a promotion for years.

Furthermore, Xu Yiming's beloved wife also met misfortune in that accident, and he had not remarried since.

Therefore, the transmigrated Su Ze decided to mend his relationship with Xu Yao.

After all, in the original world, their relationship was extremely unusual... the kind where they could actually kiss eggs!

“After all these years, I've figured it out. I shouldn't have suspected Uncle Xu without any evidence. Please apologize to him for me.”

Since that accident, whether out of guilt or some other reason, Xu Yiming had been avoiding Su Ze, making it impossible for Su Ze to meet him and talk.

This was also one of the reasons Su Ze thought Xu Yiming felt guilty, leading him to suspect him.

But Xu Yao explained, “Big Brother Su Ze, you don't need to apologize. My dad said regarding that accident back then...”

“He feels you have the right to know the truth, but the matter is too significant. Even if he dies, he cannot reveal anything to outsiders.”

“This is why Uncle Xu has been avoiding me?”

“That's right. My dad said that whenever he sees you, he feels that his concealment wrongs you, but he has no choice...”

“In that case, I will personally test into the Azure Dragon Beast Taming University and slowly increase my worth to get closer to the truth of what happened back then!” Su Ze said, clenching his fist.

Su Ze, having inherited all the feelings and memories of the original owner, naturally inherited this mission as well.

Xu Yao echoed, “I believe in Big Brother Su Ze, you can definitely do it!”

Then, as if remembering something, she asked, “Oh, right, Big Brother Su Ze, are you free this Sunday?”

Su Ze immediately reverted to his usual playful attitude toward life, shaking his head and saying, “A whole week... isn't that a bit too long? I'm afraid my waist won't be able to handle it. How about we change it to just one day?”

Xu Yao: “???”

She then blushed and said, “What are you talking about?! I asked if you had time! After becoming a Beast Tamer, you have to register at the Beast Tamer Association before you qualify to take the Beast Taming College Entrance Examination. I haven't registered yet, so I wanted to ask you to go together. Are you coming?”

“Go? Of course I'm going! This Sunday, right? No problem!”

Today was already Friday, so Sunday was just the day after tomorrow.

The two walked together while talking until they reached an old apartment building. Xu Yao reached the third floor, walked to the door of apartment 302, and waved goodbye to Su Ze.

“Then I'll head home now. See you the day after tomorrow.”

“See you the day after tomorrow.”

Su Ze followed his memories, walked up one more floor, reached the door of apartment 402, took out his key, and pushed the door open.

This entire building consisted of faculty housing provided by the Azure Dragon Beast Taming University for professors and researchers.

As compensation for that accident, the young Su Ze not only received a large sum of money but also the permanent residency rights to this unit apartment.

Over the years, the compensation money had been nearly spent, but fortunately, he still had this unit apartment, preventing him from becoming homeless.

Su Ze flipped on the room lights, illuminating the dim apartment.

The apartment was about sixty to seventy square meters. Besides a moderate living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom, there were only two bedrooms, which was enough for Su Ze, who lived alone.

Since there wasn't much furniture or clutter, the room looked quite tidy.

The living room only contained an old television and a sofa just big enough for one person to half-recline on.

Su Ze casually tossed his backpack aside and sat on the worn-out sofa, frowning.

His parents in the original world were just ordinary, unremarkable researchers at a normal university. In this world, they had high status, but they didn't have a good ending.

“Where did my parents in this world... go?”