NOVEL NEXT Chapter 74: Joining in the Fun
Although Lhoraine, who had become acquainted with Xanthia, knew what an interesting girl she truly was, she restrained herself from shattering the filter in Millie's mind.
And it wasn't just Millie; the less people knew about Xanthia, the more they filtered her through their own perceptions.
In everyone's eyes, good grades generally meant "studiousness," because after all, geniuses who effortlessly excel are few and far between.
Moreover, according to hearsay, Xanthia also came from a "humble background," which added another layer of mystique. Everyone believed that the poorer someone was, the more driven they were, as they had no alternative but to excel academically in order to change their fate...
This stereotypical yet classic image of "perseverance in poverty, steadfast in ambition" indeed suited her as a role model.
But if everyone knew that Xanthia's family was not actually poor at all, and she didn't study diligently but still managed to excel effortlessly, wouldn't that mess with people's mindsets?
Back when Xanthia's monthly exam results came out, her "study addict" behavior had deeply affected the mentality of the students around her, causing them great distress.
Fortunately, the seating arrangement in the class was later adjusted significantly, and now the classmates around Xanthia seemed to have "big hearts" and weren't easily affected.
Perhaps only Xenia La Sagrada, who sat directly behind Xanthia, felt somewhat psychologically inferior. However, students like Luciel, Elena, and Glen had their own pace of studying and weren't easily influenced by Xanthia.
It could be said that Teacher Emmanuel was quite skilled in arranging seats; this was probably the sharp intuition of an older generation educator.
As Lhoraine and Millie chatted while heading to the school's communal bathroom, they unexpectedly encountered Luciel returning to the dormitory after dinner, accompanied by none other than Xanthia, holding hands.
Upon Luciel's enthusiastic invitation, Xanthia had decided to venture into the legendary girls' dormitory, which was the domain of "dorm head" Luciel.
When relations were good enough, it was normal for day students to be invited by boarders to hang out in the dormitory for a while, usually for no more than ten to twenty minutes before they had to leave and prepare for evening self-study.
"Luciel, did you bring Xanthia back to the dorm to hide away?" Lhoraine greeted Luciel with a smile.
Luciel also smiled, "Yeah, Little Lhoraine, are you jealous of me?"
"I'm not jealous at all. Next time, let me bring her. Our dorm has many fans of Xanthia, right, Millie?" Lhoraine responded to Luciel while turning to Millie.
Seeing the pure and immaculate Xanthia in her blue and white school uniform right in front of her, Millie couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Such a beautiful and outstanding girl, not only would the frog boys be smitten, but the girls would also adore her!
She envied Lhoraine's close relationship with Xanthia but quickly replied, "Yes, yes, our dorm has many fans of the great goddess Xanthia. Next time, come to our dorm and play, Goddess Xanthia!"
Millie was somewhat nervous and reserved, hence she accidentally called "Xanthia, the great goddess" as "Goddess Xanthia," perhaps because it just slipped out naturally.
Xanthia, of course, smiled brightly, giving off a playful, deer-like charm.
She said, "Sure, sure! I really enjoy joining in the fun and getting to know more friends!"
There wasn't much more said between them as they soon ended the conversation, as Lhoraine and Millie still needed to hurry to the showers.
Millie's first impression of Xanthia was naturally quite favorable. She said to Lhoraine, "No wonder you like Goddess Xanthia so much. She really gives off a good vibe. Her smile is so healing. I thought she might be one of those 'silent and deep' types of top students..."
"You're getting addicted to calling her 'Goddess Xanthia,' aren't you?" Lhoraine teased, "Although she does have that aura of a genius in her studies, her personality is really fun. She's so innocent, completely without any hidden agendas, always cheerful. It's really easy and joyful to be around her."
At the same time, Xanthia smoothly followed Luciel into the legendary girls' dormitory for the first time in her life. She was a bit excited, her happiness increasing—Luciel was truly amazing!
Returning to the dormitory was akin to a queen returning to her loyal domain for Luciel. With her guidance, Xanthia encountered no obstacles along the way. The dormitory supervisor, seeing Xanthia as a pretty unfamiliar girl, made no effort to hinder them. After all, the girls' dormitory was strictly off-limits to boys.
On the other hand, the boys' dormitory was less restricted; if a girl had the courage, she could easily enter. That was the T0 version's appeal!
As the dorm head, Luciel managed their room with remarkable efficiency. It was exactly the tidy, clean, and fresh-smelling ideal girl's dormitory that Xanthia had imagined.
Of course, it was also due to Luciel's good fortune; the girls in her dormitory were all relatively diligent, clean, and listened to her.
Everyone did their daily chores properly, without slacking off, which created such a good dormitory environment through collective effort.
During military training, their dormitory had been awarded the title of "Civilized Dormitory," a benchmark and example for others. This collective sense of honor kept them maintaining high standards.
Crissante and Xenia were also roommates with Luciel, but they were probably either in the classroom by now or still outside.
Three girls were in the dormitory when Luciel returned. They greeted her as if a wife greeted her husband—an inappropriate metaphor, but it carried some truth.
Now, with Luciel's mediation and Xanthia's naturally endearing first impression, they quickly grew closer. They were all part of Luciel's "harem," and naturally, people tend to get along well when united under one person's leadership.
Next, Xanthia came to the balcony of Room 300, where the view was quite expansive. She could see the distant school cafeteria, classrooms, and the beautiful sunset and evening glow on the horizon, still as lovely as ever.
Inside the dormitory, the sounds of girls snacking and chatting filled the air, brimming with youthful energy.
Luciel joined her on the balcony and draped her arm over Xanthia's shoulder. "Xanthia, how do you like my dormitory?"
"It's really nice, Luciel. Next time, I'll take you to where I live."
"Oh? Are we going to your place? Will your parents mind?" Although Luciel was eager to visit Xanthia's home, her manners held her back; she felt it might not be appropriate to drop by unannounced.
"It's not like that. I live alone now. As for my parents... well, let's just say I don't have them," Xanthia said with a faint smile.
"Huh?" Luciel was momentarily puzzled by Xanthia's complex background.
But when she heard Xanthia casually mention not having parents, Luciel couldn't help but feel a tug at her heart. As an only child, she had been doted on by her parents from childhood. She couldn't fathom how a child without parents could manage in life.