I, disguised as a white dragon, was supported by the state.

Does this Dr. Zhang perhaps have some peculiar fetish?

Guan's father glanced back in the direction of the Dragon Palace, and became thoughtful.

Who exactly lives in that place that would allow the youngest candidate academician of the Great Xia to lie low as a gardener?

He increasingly felt that this place didn't resemble a research center, but rather someone's palace.

More than an hour had passed by the time the group left the mountain.

During this time, Guan's father kept an eye on the "Dragon Palace" and did not see anyone enter or leave.

On the contrary, the water in Duck Claw Lake was even more blue and deep than he remembered, and the faint dampness made him feel refreshed.

He likes it here.

……

“If you like this job, do it well,” Mr. Guan advised his daughter, “but you must never do anything that violates the law or morality. Our family is not short of money, and Dad doesn’t need you to bring glory to our Guan family.”

"I understand. Aren't you going to stay a few more days?" Guan Mi asked, reluctant to leave, yet also a little impatient.

Her parents have been here for five days, and she has been staying with them the whole time.

On the one hand, she was reluctant to see her parents leave, and on the other hand, she longed to see Bailong, whom she hadn't seen for several days.

After being away for so many days, will he miss me?

She dreams about him every single day!

"Judging from how absent-minded you've been these past few days, you probably can't wait for us to leave!" Guan's mother bluntly exposed her daughter's true colors.

"No way!" Guan Mi retorted seriously. "How about we buy a house here, and you can take early retirement and come here to live out your retirement early?"

“Great, this is a good opportunity to meet your Mr. Bai.” Mrs. Guan said with a half-smile.

"Ah, no, you... what nonsense are you talking about!" Guan Mi exclaimed in shock.

She had never told her parents about "Mr. Bai," nor had Liu Chongyu mentioned it before.

"You're even talking in your sleep!" Mrs. Guan scoffed. "Tell me, who exactly is this Mr. Bai? How old is he? Where is he from? Is he your colleague, or...?"

"No," Guan Mi shook his head vigorously, "You can't guess, don't even think about it!"

"Could it be an old man?" Guan's father asked worriedly.

His wife slept with their daughter yesterday and secretly told him this secret early this morning.

She even talked in her sleep. What is her relationship with that Mr. Bai?

"Dad, it's really not what you think!" Guan Mi covered her face and said helplessly, "Don't ask anymore."

Seeing that his wife still wanted to ask, Guan's father shook his head at her, then looked at his daughter and said, "Little scatterbrain, you have to promise your father that if you fall in love, no matter what kind of person that is, you must tell us, okay?"

"Okay," Guan Mi agreed in one breath. "I'd be a dog if I couldn't do it!"

Seeing that Guan's mother was about to speak, Guan Mi suddenly said, "Mom, do you think my aunt's husband might not be human?"

Guan's mother was immediately confused: "Where did you get this uncle-in-law from?"

"My aunt's fiancé," Guan Mi said, "could it be that he's not dead, but just not human, and is hiding?"

Guan's mother was both amused and exasperated: "Have you been watching too many TV dramas?"

“Hehe,” Guan Mi chuckled, scratching his head, “I also think it’s impossible.”

Seeing her daughter use such a clumsy excuse to change the subject, Guan's mother sighed: "Little scatterbrain, you have to take good care of yourself while we're not around."

"Take this amulet with you; I got it for you at Tanzhe Temple before I came here..."

"I'll drink less cola and eat less ice cream from now on..."

Seeing her mother's eyes slightly red, Guan Mi went up and hugged her: "Mom, I will take care of myself."

"Just try not to upset your mother in the future," said Mr. Guan, a sour remark that drew hostility from both mother and daughter.

"Little scatterbrain, hurry back!" On the high-speed rail platform, Guan's parents waved to their daughter.

……

"Little scatterbrain, you're back?"

As soon as Guan Mi entered the door, he heard these words.

Looking at the white dragon lying elegantly on the sofa, and the human-like smile on the dragon's face that seemed to be cast from white jade, Guan Mi's cheeks flushed.

“Mr. Bai, my name is Guan Mi!” she emphasized.

"Isn't the nickname 'Little Confused' even cuter?" Bai Lin said with a smile.

“I’m not confused at all,” Guan Mi said seriously.

"So that's how Little Confused came about?" Bai Lin asked in surprise.

"Mr. Bai!" Guan Mi insisted.

“Yes, yes, Little Confused isn’t confused at all.” Bai Lin’s tone was tinged with amusement.

With Guan Mi not around these past few days, he suddenly felt increasingly bored.

He spends his days either eating or sleeping, and hardly plays any games.

He only found the day Guan Mi took his parents up the mountain interesting.

He had been secretly watching their conversation and found the nickname "Little Confused" particularly adorable.

How confused must one be to be given such a nickname by their parents?

He was thinking about Guan Mi after they met.

Bold, straightforward, and full of curiosity, he seems to have no misunderstandings.

Guan Mi grunted twice and got up to get the apple from the table.

She peeled the skin, but didn't give it to Bai Lin. Instead, she took a big bite herself and then stole a glance at Bai Lin's expression.

After expressing her disappointment at not seeing the apple, she cut it in half and offered the intact piece to Bai Lin's lips: "Mr. Bai, please try this apple."

Bai Lin munched on his food and asked, "Have you been cultivating diligently lately?"

“I set aside time to meditate every day, which is already quite impressive!” Guan Mi proudly raised her head.

She picked up a mineral water bottle from the table, unscrewed the cap, and manipulated the water to fly out, forming a water ring that floated in the air.

The water rings, crooked and of varying thicknesses, swayed precariously in the air, forming a heart shape.

She turned to look at Bai Lin, her face beaming with a smug look that seemed to crave praise.

"Not bad," Bai Lin praised.

"When will I grow dragon horns?" Guan Mi scratched his head and pressed his palm on the flower bud he had tied, but he couldn't find a single hard dragon horn.

In the instant she was distracted, the water ring in the air suddenly dissipated.

If Bai Lin hadn't manipulated the water ring back into the bottle, the ground would probably have been soaked.

Looking at the unharmed water bottle, Guan Mi scratched his head sheepishly.

Okay, I am a little confused.

Chapter 40: Are those dragon horns?

Bai Lin looked away.

“Your dragon horns will only grow when you can fly through the clouds and command the wind and rain,” he said. “You still have a long way to go.”

"Summoning wind and rain?" Guan Mi's eyes lit up. "Wouldn't that turn you into a dragon?"

“A pair of dragon horns is enough,” Bai Lin shook his head. “You’re human, how could you possibly become a dragon?”

Even if this world lacks spiritual energy and cannot support her cultivation of the "Dragon Transformation Technique," the dragon marrow and dragon crystals used for beginners are rare treasures that can be the most prized possessions of large sects in the entire cultivation world.

Hearing Bai Lin's words, Guan Mi was secretly disappointed, and his expression became sullen.

“When you use magic, you might see the illusion of dragon horns.” Bai Lin thought she was disappointed that she couldn’t grow dragon horns.

"Dragon horns transforming?" Guan Mi asked in surprise.

“Your current magic doesn’t rely on yourself, but on the dragon scale on your body,” Bai Lin said. “To be precise, you are using the dragon scale as a medium to borrow my power, so…”

"So that's why the illusion of dragon horns appears?" Guan Mi asked.

……

"That blurry thing on her head, is that a dragon horn?" Director Zhao asked seriously.

He was participating in a video conference at the time.

Besides him, the only other attendees were Liu Chongyu, Zhang Yu, and Lei Yao.

Guan Mi's unusual behavior had already been noticed by the others.

Some of her actions, which she thought were very discreet, could not be hidden from the eyes of the others at all.

Moreover, there are quite a few surveillance devices, both overt and covert, on Duck Head Mountain, apart from the Dragon Palace area.

Liu Chongyu and his two companions sat in their office at the foot of the mountain, giving Director Zhao a video report on their discoveries over the past few days.

The shared screen was displaying some surveillance footage.

Inside the gym, Guan Mi punched a punching bag until it shattered.

In the rain, she walked slowly, and the raindrops swirled around her without falling on her.

Inside the cafeteria, the soy milk in front of her turned into a thin stream and flew into her mouth.

And on the mountain steps, she ran and suddenly turned into a phantom...

These scenes were all captured clearly by surveillance cameras.

Zhang Yu was secretly astonished by the unchanging expressions of the others.

Judging from the angle from which those shots were taken, these images were clearly captured by cameras hidden in the shadows.

So, besides the surveillance cameras that are clearly visible, there are many more operating in secret?

These two guys seem to have known all along?

What are Dr. Zhang's thoughts?

Upon hearing Director Zhao call his name, Zhang Yu sat up straight and said, "Director Zhao is right. There is indeed a phantom of a dragon horn above her head. Judging from the images, it only appears occasionally when she displays her extraordinary abilities..."

After Zhang Yu finished speaking at length, he concluded, "Guan Mi's ability must have come from the White Dragon. Something very important must have happened when she went to the bottom of the lake with the White Dragon, allowing her to use the White Dragon's power!"

"Is she still herself now?" Director Zhao asked.

The group all looked at Zhang Yu.

Under the gaze of everyone, Zhang Yu felt his breathing become heavier.

But he also understood that among the group, he was the one who was relatively closer to Bai Long.

“Mr. Bai is very gentle most of the time, and he takes extra care of Guan Mi. I’ve noticed that Guan Mi is doing well these past few days,” Dr. Zhang said carefully, “and her consciousness should not be affected.”

"What does Xiao Liu think?" Director Zhao asked.

Liu Chongyu replied, "Guan Mi has been acting differently towards me these past few days. She seemed hesitant to speak several times. I guess she's also wondering whether to be honest. If she lost her 'self,' she wouldn't act like this."

The scene fell silent for a moment.

Lei Yao coughed lightly and said, "I think so too."

“Since everyone thinks this way, then the matter shouldn’t be too troublesome,” Director Zhao nodded. “Don’t make a fuss about this for now. Pay more attention to Mr. Bai and Guan Mi’s lives, see if they have any needs, and do your best to meet them.”

……

After the brief meeting ended, Liu Chongyu rubbed his head and sighed inwardly.

How could he not understand the hidden meaning in Director Zhao's words?

He simply wanted to show his sincerity so that Guan Mi would confess on his own initiative.

Whether this matter can be accomplished ultimately rests on his shoulders.

If there is no progress for a long time, I'm afraid I'll leave a very bad impression.

"Dr. Zhang, haven't you been researching folk legends related to dragons lately? Are there any such phenomena in them?" He turned to Zhang Yu.