As Ling Xi vanished from the garden, Little Flower stood frozen, shocked by her sudden disappearance. "She let me again," he muttered, his voice tinged with frustration. "Hmm... I'm gonna tell Shifu."
Meanwhile, Ling Xi found herself sneaking into the exam hall, her heart pounding with excitement. Just as she crept into the room, she was caught.
"You're late, Ling Xi," came the familiar voice of Brother Yan.
Ling Xi turned, flashing him a radiant smile. "Ah, Brother Yan! I didn't see you there!"
Brother Yan, also known as Lian Yuan, stood tall and composed. He was Ling Xi's teacher and had always treated her with a mix of fondness and patience. He adored her like a little sister, always offering advice to be more "preserved," though he never truly restricted her free-spirited nature.
"Ling Xi, what's this excuse now?" he asked, his eyes softening at the sight of her sheepish grin.
Ling Xi's smile grew nervous as she fidgeted. "I was just taking a nap after studying so hard. I was so tired, I lost track of time... that's why I'm late."
Lian Yuan let out a small sigh but couldn't help but smile. He stepped closer, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Now that you're here, take a seat with the other fairies. Just don't make a habit of it, alright?"
Ling Xi beamed back at him, relieved. "Of course, Gege. I'll be on my best behavior."
She slipped into an empty seat next to the other fairies, her mischievous nature still evident in the twinkle of her eyes.
As the exam progressed, Lian Yuan couldn't resist sneaking a glance at Ling Xi's paper. A small chuckle escaped him, but he stifled it quickly, ensuring no one noticed. He leaned back slightly, observing her antics with quiet amusement. This girl... would she ever change? he thought with a smile tugging at his lips.
Clearing his throat, he stood and addressed the room, his tone light yet authoritative. "So, Ling Xi, what is this that you're writing? What spell is this?"
Ling Xi looked up from her paper with a proud gleam in her eyes. "Ah, that one!" she exclaimed. "It's a spell to make an animal appear. I'm writing a spell to make a toad magically appear."
The entire hall burst into laughter at her answer, and Lian Yuan struggled to hold back his own chuckle. A toad, really? he thought, trying to maintain his composure.
Once the laughter died down, Lian Yuan raised an eyebrow. "And what about this one?" he asked, gesturing toward the next part of her paper.
Ling Xi grinned mischievously. "They asked us to write a spell about making a flower appear, so…" She paused dramatically before adding, "I wrote about cauliflower! My favorite vegetable!"
At that, the hall erupted into uncontrollable laughter once more. Even Lian Yuan couldn't help but let out a soft snicker, though he quickly regained his composure and silenced the room with a raised hand.
He leaned down and looked at Ling Xi, his expression unreadable. "Okay, you write whatever you like. It's your exam in the end, what can I say?"
Ling Xi's grin grew even wider, clearly pleased with the chaos she'd caused. Lian Yuan simply sighed and shook his head,
After the written portion, the real spell exam began. The task was simple for most—a test to summon fairy dust using their wands. For many, it was an easy task, but for Ling Xi... it wasn't so clear-cut.
Standing at the front of the room, Ling Xi hesitated. She glanced nervously at her wand, then at the expectant faces around her. Alright, let's do this, she thought with a deep breath.
Lian Yuan, standing off to the side, gave her an encouraging smile. "So, show us, Ling Xi. You worked hard, right?"
Ling Xi nodded, rolling up her sleeves, her face determined. She murmured the incantation under her breath, waving her wand in the air. But nothing happened.
"Hmm… second time's the charm, right?" Ling Xi muttered, giving it another try.
This time, a faint shimmer of dust appeared... but instead of the usual sparkling fairy dust, a thick puff of smoke burst from her wand, enveloping the entire room.
Everyone gasped, and then—cough, cough, cough!—the room erupted into a coughing fit as the smoke lingered.
As the smoke slowly dissipated, a small, unexpected surprise emerged. Instead of fairy dust, a pile of ashes settled on the floor, much to the horror of Ling Xi.
Her face turned a deep shade of red as she stared at the ashes in disbelief.
Lian Yuan, unable to hold back his laughter, burst into a quiet chuckle. "Okay, Ling Xi, you can come after I check it. I'll give you an hour."
Ling Xi's face turned even darker as she muttered, "I swear, I'm going to get this right next time."
As the exam ended, the fairies were dismissed to rest while Lian Yuan stayed behind to check the papers. "Alright, alright," he called out. "You can all take a break. I'll call you back once I've checked everything in about an hour or so."
Ling Xi, feeling embarrassed, watched as the other fairies filed out, some of them casting knowing glances in her direction. As they passed, they couldn't help but snicker. "Can you believe it? Ling Xi, of all people, couldn't even manage a simple fairy dust spell!" one fairy whispered.
Another chimed in, "She's always messing up, but she thinks she's so clever." The laughter echoed down the hall.
Ling Xi stood up, fists clenched, ready to give them a glare. But before she could say anything, Little Flower darted up to her side. "Don't mind them, Ling Xi. They're just jealous."
Ling Xi let out a huff, her gaze narrowing. "They'll see... next time I'll show them." Her eyes shot daggers at the retreating fairies.
Meanwhile, inside, Lian Yuan reviewed the answers with a thoughtful expression.Sir, how are her answers even remotely correct?" one of the examiners asked in disbelief, eyeing Ling Xi's paper.