America: I came here to study, not to show mercy.

Chapter 180 The Test (9K)

Unlike the last time, this time the hiking trail had many exposed hillsides. Every time we climbed a section of the trail, we could see gradually lower shrubs, and the group was able to see the sun intermittently and look down at the lush forest in the distance.

After the holiday started, everyone's smiles were much more relaxed and carefree than last time.

"Sufeil..."

Leisure time always makes people sleepy. Li Xiaoen yawned, peeled an orange, cut it in half, and handed a piece to the girl sitting next to him.

It was lunchtime, a time for rest and resupply. The two sat on a shady spot on the grass, close to the sun, where they were neither as hot as the midday sun nor as damp as the deep forest.

Looking up from the camera, Suffer reached out and took the camera, putting it in her mouth. She then picked up the camera again and took several pictures of the young man. She had taken the camera after the first round of pictures taken of her, and had been taking pictures non-stop along the way with a lot of leisure.

Is this the freedom and ease one feels when out in the wilderness during a holiday?

Li Xiaoen thought to himself, ignoring Su Feier's gaze directed at the camera, and smiled as he raised his chin.

"Give me two hundred dollars for instruction, and I won't mind teaching you some shooting techniques."

"Those photos look good simply because I'm pretty, it has nothing to do with your photography skills."

With a pursed-lip gaze, Suffer denied it softly before taking a bite of the orange.

"What did you film? Don't fill up your memory in just half a day..."

With a grumble, Li Xiaoen leaned his head closer.

Sophie pressed the button, switching between photos on the camera one after another in sequence.

There are many photos, with a variety of content, even some redundancy. There are landscapes from morning to noon, gradually brightening, various small animals, various scenes of him walking, and some beautiful photos of the girl herself.

"You meticulously planned this yourself, while mine was just blurry, or perhaps just a fleeting moment of strange movement, right?"

Looking up from the camera, Li Xiaoen glanced indifferently at Su Feier and remarked, "Su Feier, you're really good at taking candid photos."

"Didn't you say that cameras are for recording life, and we shouldn't get hung up on elaborate preparations?"

Sophie chuckled.

"Forget it, that's it."

With a helpless wave of his hand, no longer dwelling on the "ugly photo" that Su Feier had deliberately taken of him, Li Xiaoen took out a few sandwiches from his backpack and handed one over.

"Eh……"

Suddenly noticing something, Li Xiaoen quickly leaned closer and looked down at the photos in the camera.

"what happened?"

Suffer asked in surprise, and carefully examined the photo of the young man taken just as Fang Qian sat down, his gaze cautiously shifting to the scenery behind him and looking elsewhere.

"What happened?"

Seeing the young man's face darken, she couldn't help but ask again, looking up at the bushes behind him, all the way to the top of the hill.

"Sufeil..."

Li Xiaoen looked at the girl with a somber expression, "I've discovered that this person is just as handsome as me..."

"..."

Startled for a moment, Suffer gritted her teeth, leaned back, and kicked at the young man.

"Just kidding, just kidding..."

Leaning back to avoid the danger, Li Xiaoen grabbed the girl's ankle and put her back on the grass, explaining with a smile, "Don't worry, if there's any real danger, even if there's only one possibility, I'll tell you in advance."

With his keen eye, he activated it every so often since arriving in this desolate wilderness. All the images and information within a 500-meter radius were imprinted in his mind. If he were to encounter any hunters illegally hunting or wild animals in the forest, he could know in advance and avoid most dangers.

Li Xiaoen gave Su Feier a reassuring look, but his smile suddenly froze, and at the same time, the smile shifted to the other person's face.

"That joke was really great..."

Smiling and nodding, Sophie's hand, which was behind the young man's waist, began to rotate.

"Let's have a sandwich."

Knowing that reaching back to pull was useless, Li Xiaoen handed over the sandwich in his hand.

After squinting at the young man for a while, Suffer rolled her eyes, let go of his hand, and took the sandwich.

For some reason, she particularly trusted the young man's words that he would tell her if there was any danger.

It was just a minor incident. After a short rest, the group got up and continued their journey, entering a deep forest in a depression.

"Sufeil..."

At one point, Li Xiaoen blinked, reached out and took the hand of the girl who was walking by the roadside taking pictures of wildflowers, and pulled her to his side.

"No way, is it another lie?"

Sophie narrowed her eyes as she looked at the young man. Seeing his calm expression, she became alert and glanced at her classmate who was still walking calmly ahead. "Did you discover something?"

“Sophie, look at these marks on the roadside…”

Li Xiaoen gestured to the damaged wildflowers and grass along the roadside, "I suspect there are other hikers ahead."

"Could these marks have been left by the students who walked in front?"

"It shouldn't be. These marks look like they were made not long ago when people were walking on this road."

Li Xiaoen shook his head, naturally unable to say that he had seen it with his Eye of Insight.

"You can even observe these details?"

Seeing the young man's expression turn strange, Sufiel took a step closer and asked, "Do you know who they are?"

"Do you really think I have superpowers?"

Li Xiaoen raised an eyebrow, and under the girl's helpless gaze, he could only shrug. "Judging from the damage to these flowers and plants, the other person should be relatively young."

Rolling her eyes, Sufiel looked back at the front of the group. Judging from the young man's expression, there were probably only people there, and it wasn't dangerous yet.

She was momentarily baffled by the young man's intellect. He excelled academically, possessed exceptional talent in shooting and combat, and his previous display of multitasking astonished her. Now, he was even observant of such details…

Sure enough, after walking two hundred meters, the group stopped in a clearing in the middle of a tall forest. As she followed the tail of the group to the clearing, she saw several mountain bikes parked ahead.

At this moment, the leader of the group's hiking activity cautiously approached a dilapidated wooden house in the middle of the open space and tentatively called out to it.

After calling out a few times, a few noisy footsteps came from inside the house, and then several young men and women wearing bicycle helmets and windbreakers came out.

Only then did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.

The captain smiled and gestured with his chin toward the boy in the lead, indicating that they should go inside.

"Hey guys, what are you doing in the house?"

"It's nothing, I just saw a dilapidated house here and wanted to go in and explore it."

Smiling, the boy raised his hand and nodded. "The weather is lovely today. Are you hiking through here?"

"Yes, this is the last activity organized by the club after the exams."

After exchanging a few pleasantries and learning the other party's identity, the captain had the idea of ​​leaving. Seeing this, Li Xiaoen hesitated for a moment, but still took the initiative to speak.

"I see that your clothes look like they've been torn by a sharp weapon. Have you run into some trouble?"

Upon hearing this, the captain, who had been turning around, froze, and everyone present frowned.

"When you rode your bike through the bushes on the way here, did you get scratched by any plant thorns?"

The man paused for a moment, looked down at his clothes, and offered a casual explanation. Unfortunately, this did not earn the captain's trust. Instead, the captain frowned and looked at the group with a scrutinizing gaze.

"What were you doing inside the house?"

The moment the words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room froze.

Noticing Suffer's gaze as she turned her head, Li Xiaoen gave her a reassuring look.

Unlike last time, this time they had the upper hand. Moreover, while the other side didn't have a gun, he did have one in his spatial storage.

After a long silence, the man slumped his shoulders in dejection.

"We just saw something flying in here, and we went in to take a look."

"If you want to see it, you can go in and see it later."

After saying that, he exchanged glances with his companions before quickly getting on his bike and leaving.

Li Xiaoen stepped forward, exchanged a glance with the captain, and then led the group of classmates slowly into the house.

Pushing open the dilapidated wooden door, which made a rustling sound, they immediately heard the flapping of wings from inside. As they entered the living room, they discovered a large bird covered in a net in a dusty corner.

The large bird has bright colors, starting as dark brown and gradually turning blackish-brown towards the bottom. It has a relatively small head and sharp, strong claws.

Is that an eagle?

Sophie opened her eyes wide in surprise.

"No, it's a golden eagle."

Li Xiaoen shook his head to explain. Seeing that several girls who felt sorry for him couldn't help but step forward to help but were scared away, he took the initiative to step forward. At the same time, he slightly parted his lips and activated his rare superpower, the "Domination Spell".

So, to everyone's astonishment, the struggling golden eagle stopped its violent movements and obediently waited for Li Xiaoen to remove the net from its body. After regaining its freedom, it did not fly away immediately, but instead rubbed its body against his leg in a submissive and ingratiating manner. Its adorable appearance made everyone laugh.

Upon arriving outside, Li Xiaoen intended to release the golden eagle. To his surprise, the eagle circled in the air once before landing steadily at his feet, eliciting gasps from the crowd.

Ignoring the reactions of others, Li Xiaoen stared into thought as he looked at the screen in front of him.

Achievement (Heroic Deeds: Promoting Good Deeds 1/10) Completed

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained: Top-tier Virtual Time Card x1, Random Item Upgrade Card x1]

【…】

Having previously activated the achievement of punishing evil, promoting good was naturally one of his childhood dreams. However, this time he was very clear that this was a decision he made after weighing the pros and cons, knowing that the other party posed no threat.

I wonder if this "smooth" and "sophisticated" attitude towards things now really matches the fearless and chivalrous spirit I had as a child?
He took a deep breath, and when he came to his senses, the group had already slowly moved forward again, and Suffer beside him was tentatively touching the golden eagle's body.

Li Xiaoen gestured, and the large bird at his feet, quite humanely, moved closer to him.

"Sean, this bird really understands human nature."

Feeling the silky smooth texture of the feathers in her hands, Sophie looked up and exclaimed, "And they look beautiful too."

"It's quite beautiful..."

Smiling and nodding, Li Xiaoen pondered for a moment, then grabbed a piece of wood from the side and handed it over. After the golden eagle took flight and landed on the wood, he turned away from Suffer's sight, parted his lips slightly, and then let it grab the wood with its claws and quickly take off into the distance.

"Sean, I really suspect you have the superpower to control animals!"

Staring blankly as the golden eagle flew away, Sophie turned back to the young man, her expression somewhat intriguing. "Last time it was a dog and a crow, and this time it's a golden eagle..."

“Mingming, this is also the first time you’ve seen this bird, yet it manages to make that golden eagle so obedient.”

"Perhaps I have the ability to make animals feel close to me?"

Li Xiaoen shrugged, not saying it outright, "Since I was little, many animals have been quite friendly to me."

"is it?"

Frowning suspiciously, Sophie was unsure how to delve deeper into the matter.

She had previously learned about the idea of ​​animals being friendly online. It's about how some individuals, through their appearance or scent, can make animals feel safe and less wary, thus making them more approachable, which outsiders perceive as a sense of closeness.

"Let's go, if we delay any longer, we'll fall behind the group."

Li Xiaoen reminded her, which brought her back to her senses, and she quickly caught up with the tail of the group.

This time, the group did not encounter any other people until they set up camp in a spacious open area at dusk.

Finally, they had a proper experience of gathering firewood. The group gathered around the fire and roasted some already-cooked chicken wings and sausages. After tasting a little, Li Xiaoen frowned and decisively chose to leave early.

After resting for a while in the tent, he concealed himself from everyone's sight, went out from behind the tent, and stepped into the forest with the help of his Eye of Insight. He found the silhouettes of several large birds in a dense thicket of bushes, including the golden eagle he had rescued that afternoon.

After using the [Domination Spell] to give instructions to each bird, and watching them flap their wings and take flight into the distance, Li Xiaoen turned and walked back.

Earlier that afternoon, he had seen the group of men and women riding mountain bikes with fire-starting tools in their backpacks. He had also seen the school hiking group making a fire in an open area. However, he was quite worried about those few who dared to illegally capture wild golden eagles.

If a fire is started in the forest and accidentally ignites, it can spread rapidly, and the birds will certainly not be able to outrun it on foot. The safest way is to let the birds search for it and then cause disturbances.

Unfortunately, it would be safer if the golden eagle could summon other wild animals in the forest, such as tigers and bears.

Li Xiaoen thought to himself, perhaps it could be said that in America, his connections in the forest were much stronger than in the city.

Feeling inexplicably strange, Li Xiaoen returned to the camp and stopped in front of his tent.

"where did you go?"

Sophie stood in front of his tent and asked in confusion.

"Take a walk around."

With a casual shrug, Li Xiaoen unzipped the tent and sat inside.

Sophie followed and sat down, scrutinizing him with a critical gaze.

"Sean, I feel like you're hiding a lot from me."

"Feel?"

Li Xiaoen raised an eyebrow. "Miss Holmes, are you jumping to conclusions this time without even any evidence?"

The two looked into each other's eyes. Sophie took a deep breath, turned around, and began to pack her sleeping bag.

It was only then that Li Xiaoen realized that Su Feier had already placed her sleeping bag there when she went out. Without paying attention, Li Xiaoen leaned against her backpack and fell into deep thought.

With the completion of a new achievement, the remaining time in the time pool has now reached 27 years, which is a small surplus for now.

Without further hesitation, Li Xiaoen devoted a year to studying French.

In the first year, he temporarily mastered basic daily communication. Li Xiaoen pondered with a slight frown, and then devoted another year to it...

It took him seven years to finally master the remaining four universal languages.

To his surprise, and also as he expected, he spent a long time learning French, but as he mastered more languages, his learning efficiency increased exponentially. In the end, he mastered Spanish completely in just one year.

Has this been the key to mastering language learning?
Even if some languages ​​have similarities in grammar and phonetic structure, it is really an exaggeration to say that you can learn them in just one year.

Li Xiaoen thought to himself that if he had a tool to see his learning talent now, his talent in language should be maxed out.

Next up is the [Random Item Upgrade Card].

Another card draw, and Li Xiaoen's heart was in his throat once again.

[Item Random Upgrade Card successfully used. Congratulations, host! Your Beginner Learning Domain Aura has been successfully upgraded to Intermediate level.]

[Intermediate Learning Domain Halo: Once activated, it ignores all obstacles, increases the host's thinking ability by 40%, and simultaneously expands into a learning domain within a ten-meter radius. Within this range, the host can choose to have the halo descend upon a target, increasing their thinking ability by 30%. Limited to fifteen people.]

"..."

Chicken ribs.

It's a pity to throw away tasteless food.

Sure enough, you can't have two lucky breaks in one day; he used up all his luck for the day by fishing in the pool in the morning.

Li Xiaoen slumped his shoulders in frustration, not dwelling on it too much. He put the system screen away and turned his attention back to the tent, where he was met with a suspicious look from Su Feier, who frowned.

"Sean, I suspect you're suffering from some kind of delusional disorder!" Sophie had already lay down in her sleeping bag, looking up at him. "Staring blankly ahead, sometimes excited, sometimes frustrated and disappointed..."

"You know I'm spacing out; I'm thinking about something."

Finding an excuse, Li Xiaoen activated his Eye of Insight and looked around the middle of the camp. There were only a few scattered figures around the campfire, and there was no threat in the area. Only then did he take off his coat, turn off the lights, and go to sleep in his sleeping bag.

It was the same tent he bought for $600 at the beginning of the semester, with a window on top. Looking at the deep sky, Li Xiaoen held the back of his head with his hands and couldn't help but take a deep breath.

The last time I looked at the sky like this was at the beginning of the semester. Back then, he was just a deliveryman, constantly threatened to be sent back by Miss Sophie. He was just an ordinary international student who was able to come here only because of the school scholarship. Now, after just one semester, his situation has undoubtedly improved a lot.

She and Suffer have not only reconciled but also established such a close relationship. She now has a million in savings, a car, a house, and has achieved academic success.

Thinking of this, Li Xiaoen was filled with emotion. He couldn't help but smile and glance at Su Feier beside him, but all he could see was a delicate back of her head, which made him pause for a moment.

"Suffolk, what's wrong?"

The girl in front of him did not respond, but turned her head to the other side, clearly still conscious.

"..."

"You don't think I didn't tell you the truth just now, do you?"

Li Xiaoen's expression turned strange, and he tentatively asked a question.

Sophie still did not react.

With a grumbling in his heart, Li Xiaoen got out of his sleeping bag, moved over to Su Feier, and bent down to look at her.

As expected, Sophie lowered her gaze expressionlessly and turned to face the other side.

Unable to resist raising his hand to his forehead, Li Xiaoen looked down at Su Feier's sleeping bag.

"Sophie, my sleeping bag is drafty, can you squeeze in with me?"

Although it was a question, Li Xiaoen didn't wait for Su Feier's reply. He unzipped the sleeping bag and, with Su Feier's prompt shoving, squeezed into the warm, cramped sleeping bag with her.

"If you insist on coming in, then I'll leave."

She murmured something to herself and was about to sit up when Li Xiaoen grabbed her and pulled her back down.

"Sufeil..."

As the girl struggled, Li Xiaoen hugged her tightly from behind, lowered his head to rest on her neck, and said in a deep voice, "I will tell you what I need to tell you, just like the previous investment and the drone incident last night. Didn't I tell you everything?"

Noticing that the girl in his arms had stopped struggling, Li Xiaoen was about to press his advantage and say something more when Su Feier turned around and looked into his eyes. Both of them could clearly feel each other's breathing.

"So, do you really have the superpower to control animals?"

Sophie frowned slightly, and her rosy lips pouted as if she were a little aggrieved.

"No, it's true that animals are friendly, just like I said before."

Li Xiaoen shook his head, both amused and exasperated. "You think I'm lying to you, but on the other hand, doesn't it mean you don't trust me?"

"..."

"It's mainly you who's been lying all along, isn't it?"

Sophie averted her gaze.

“I’ve been lying to people all along, but I haven’t lied to you about these things, yet you still don’t believe me.”

Li Xiaoen spoke slowly, emphasizing again, his gaze towards Su Feier becoming meaningful, "Besides, based on previous experience, your current aggrieved and disappointed expression is also an act, isn't it?"

"Just like last time, you want me to be honest with you, but unfortunately, I really didn't lie to you this time."

"Who knows?"

Suffer paused for a moment upon hearing this, pursed her lips, turned to look at the sky, and snorted defiantly, "Maybe you have some superpowers that you don't want to show to others, so you have to lie to people like this, pretending to be something you're not."

You were right.

Li Xiaoen was shocked. Looking at Su Feier, who no longer showed any sign of grievance, he felt a mix of emotions.

For the time being, he could be considered to have achieved a partial victory in this "war" between the two. He sighed and laughed helplessly.

"She really is the daughter of an American capitalist; she's truly ruthless and will stop at nothing to achieve her goals."

"Didn't you say you liked it?"

Her complexion returned to normal, and Suffer glanced at her casually. "What, are you having second thoughts?"

"No, I still stand by what I said: I like bad women."

Even at this point, Li Xiaoen remained unfazed and nodded in acknowledgment, "Or rather, I'm referring to you personally, not the matter at hand; I do like you."

Suffer paused for a moment upon hearing this, looked away, shifted her body in the sleeping bag, and pressed herself against the young man.

She buried her head in the young man's neck and whispered.

"Sean, love me..."

……

One by one, they pulled their clothes out of their crowded sleeping bags and tossed them carelessly onto the carpet in the tent. Li Xiaoen wrapped his arms around the girl's slender waist and couldn't help but take a deep breath.

He could at least experience it for himself. It was his first hiking trip, and he saw what was going on inside the other tents. The sleeping bag was too small, it was cold outside, and he couldn't go out.

"Sophie, it's like I've been eating your saliva all this time..."

Their lips parted briefly, and Li Xiaoen couldn't help but mutter a complaint.

"Ha ha……"

With a light chuckle, Sophie lifted her head from the young man's shoulder and neck, her eyes narrowed as she looked down at him with a hint of disdain. "Well, what can I do? You got off easy..."

His eyes narrowed slightly as he met those light blue eyes for a moment, then Li Xiaoen rubbed his hands together and lowered his head.

"Humph……"

Letting out a suppressed gasp, Suffer took a deep breath, bit her red lips, and hugged the young man's head tightly in her arms.

……

Li Xiaoen finally understood why some couples or spouses had booked double rooms with twin beds when traveling online—but this only applied to hotels.

It was already the next morning when Li Xiaoen boiled the drinking water in the cup with an automatic heating device, added some electrolytes, and then took it back to his tent.

"Sophie, are you feeling alright?"

Taking out emergency cold medicine from his backpack, Li Xiaoen sat down in front of the heavily dressed Su Feier and handed it to her, saying, "Take some medicine and drink some hot water, you'll feel much better."

The two switched sleeping bags last night. He's fine, but Suffer caught a cold.

"I feel okay, but my head hurts a little."

Holding her arms together, Sophie looked down and asked, "Was this just boiled?"

"Oh……"

Li Xiaoen nodded, picked up one of his cups and drank the water in one gulp before pouring the hot water back and forth between the two cups to quickly dissipate the heat.

"Aren't you afraid of catching something from me?"

"I'm strong, I can handle it. Besides, even if I catch a cold, I can still handle it."

Li Xiaoen shrugged, his eyes smiling as he looked at Su Feier, the two cups in his hands tilting in the air at increasingly greater heights.

"You're in big trouble if you spill hot water on me!"

Silently watching the young man's movements, Suffer leaned against his backpack.

"If they can threaten me, then things aren't too bad."

Li Xiaoen tilted his head and teased. After their night of fuss, the two chatted for a long time. During that time, Su Feier kept subtly probing him, but he brushed her off with casual remarks. Even now, with a cold, he was still a little unconvinced.

"Besides, you have to pay to see this kind of performance at the circus, but since you're a patient today, I'll treat you to it for free."

Rolling her eyes, Suffer silently watched the young man's actions without saying anything more.

After feeling that the hot water was warm enough to drink, Li Xiaoen gave it to Su Feier. Seeing that other students were getting up one after another outside the camp, Li Xiaoen decided to start packing up their tents and backpacks.

Put all the heavy items into your storage space, then unpack any bulky items and stuff them into your backpack.

"How are you feeling? Still have energy?"

Before setting off again, Li Xiaoen slung his backpack over his shoulder and asked worriedly.

Suffer glanced at the backpack on the young man, which was almost twice the size of yesterday's, pursed her lips, and looked away with her large, light blue eyes.

"Since you helped me with my backpack, you don't have to carry it."

However, as soon as she finished speaking, she felt her body suddenly lift into the air. Then, the young man bent down and lifted her legs, and she subconsciously fell onto his broad back.

Why didn't you tell me?

With a gasp, Suffer patted Li Xiaoen on the shoulder in displeasure.

"If I ask you, you'll definitely say something like... 'Okay, I'll let you off easy,' I'm sure you'll say something like that."

As she spoke, she suddenly adopted a high-pitched voice, mimicking Suffer's tone. Li Xiaoen immediately received a series of pats on the back and couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Suffer, do you remember what I said this morning?"

"I work out because of you..."

After saying that, he lifted the girl's thighs with both hands to adjust himself, and then Li Xiaoen caught up with the group that had already moved forward, steadily following at the back.

The patting on his back gradually subsided until it stopped, and then two arms reached out from behind and hugged his neck.

After walking over two low hills, seeing that Li Xiaoen's steps were steady and he maintained the same pace at a steady pace, Su Feier simply picked up her camera and started taking pictures all the way.

She was so surprised when she got tired of holding the camera that she put it on the young man's shoulder and saw that his steps had not changed at all.

"Sean, what are your plans for winter break?"

Looking around at the morning scenery of the mountains and forests, Suffer patted the shoulder of the young man beneath her.

"Winter break, didn't we already talk about that?"

The backpack in front of him was only big in appearance; Li Xiaoen had been handling it with ease so far, casually replying, "I'll go home to visit my parents, and while I'm at it, I'll refine that reasoning model, finish writing my thesis, and maybe have a get-together with my classmates."

"If I hadn't promised to come hiking with you, I would have flown home today."

As he spoke, Li Xiaoen shook his head with a sigh, "But I'm a man of my word..."

He was only halfway through his sentence when the girl behind him slapped his head repeatedly.

"There's no need to go on about his self-praise later."

Sophie rolled her eyes and looked around casually. "So you're not very busy this winter break? Do you still have time to spend with your parents?"

"I've just been typing on the keyboard, and I've been at home the whole time."

Li Xiaoen's expression turned strange. "Moreover, I've almost perfected the model during this period, and I've already started writing the introduction to the paper. On the contrary, it should be much easier than before."

"Oh, that's it..."

Nodding meaningfully, Sophie remained silent.

The second day's itinerary was much shorter, and the journey was uneventful. The group arrived at a small town near the forest at noon, where the group's bus was already waiting in the parking lot.

Having made a prior satellite phone call, Sophie's karate instructor, Amy, had already parked the car on the side of the road.

“Miss Sophie, Mr. Sean…”

Amy stepped forward and nodded respectfully.

"Go and open the door."

Ignoring the reason for Amy's sudden change in demeanor, Li Xiaoen raised his chin and, with her help, placed Suffer in the spacious back seat. Looking up, he was surprised to find a beautiful woman already sitting on the other side of the seat.

With a smile and a nod, the beautiful woman turned her head and raised her hand to touch Suffer's forehead with concern.

"Mother……"

Suffer froze when she noticed the person approaching. She looked up and couldn't help but call out softly.

"Hmm...it seems much better now."

Withdrawing his hand, Isolde nodded in relief, then looked up at the young man standing dumbfounded outside the car door, and greeted him with a smile, "Sean, come in and sit down, I'll take you home."

"Oh, please wait a moment."

Without refusing, Li Xiaoen came to his senses, nodded, turned around and first told the leader of the hiking activity, before sitting in the back seat of the car, opposite the two beauties, one tall and one short.

Last time it was a private jet with seats facing each other, this time it's a luxury car, both times it was his first time riding in them, but both times he had to silently endure the gaze of the beautiful woman to his side—the first time he was completely innocent and at ease, but this time the situation was different.

Good afternoon, Ms. Marceau.

With unreadable thoughts, Li Xiaoen took the initiative to greet him.

"Hehe, good afternoon..."

Isolde smiled and nodded, "Thanks to you this time too, for helping to take care of Sophie."

"We are friends, and this is what I should do."

"Just friends?"

Isolde tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.

"girlfriend!"

After a moment of surprise, Li Xiaoen immediately nodded in correction. Only then did Isolde nod and smile, glancing at her daughter beside her, whose gaze was lowered but whose body suddenly froze.

Her gaze shifted to her daughter's feet, where she saw Li Xiaoen silently withdraw her foot from beneath her. The young man sitting opposite her was breathing silently with his mouth slightly open, and the smile on her face gradually became meaningful.

Resting her chin on her hand, she carefully examined the handsome young man in front of her.

"Sean, I heard from Jasper that you got into Professor Sedgewick's lab, and that if you finish your project next semester, you'll have the opportunity to get him collaborations with university labs?"

"..."

He only told Sophie, so how did even her mother know?

Startled and suspicious, Li Xiaoen glanced at Su Feier. Seeing that the girl looked away, he nodded and shook his head in response.

"I think I have to say that what Professor Sedgewick told me before was only a chance."

"So, are you confident in your project?"

"some."

"Oh...that's enough."

Isolde didn't seem to care about Sean Lee's previous ambiguous statements about cooperation. Hearing Lee's affirmation of her project, she smiled and nodded, then couldn't help but ask curiously, "I don't know anything about your field of computer algorithms, Sean, could you tell me about them...?"

The two chatted idly, but Sophie, who was sitting to the side, remained silent. The car sped along and stopped in front of a private hospital near New York.

After declining Isolde's invitation to go in for the medical check-up, Sean Lee waved goodbye to them and was escorted back to school by Amy.

This is the first day of the holiday. Most of the students in the dormitory area have already left, and there are only a handful of students along the way.

So, did his first semester studying in America come to a complete end just like that?
Walking alone back to the dormitory, Li Xiaoen looked around, took a deep breath, and couldn't help but look up at the deep blue sky without a single cloud, and couldn't help but shout out.

(End of this chapter)