A visit to Diagon Alley opened a gateway to this magical world for Zhao Lun, captivating him entirely.
He spent many hours each day delving into his studies, often staying up late for consecutive nights.
One morning, before Zhao Lun had awoken, he felt a gentle pinch on his nose, which quickly roused him from his sleep.
"Maria, stop messing around, let me sleep a little longer," Zhao Lun grasped the mischievous hand, halting her pranks.
"Heehee..." The clear, delighted laugh brought a sense of triumph, making it impossible for Zhao Lun to fall back asleep.
As Zhao Lun tried to catch her, the young girl immediately mounted her broomstick and soared high into the air, proudly flaunting her skills. From the look of her, she seemed even more adept and stable at flying now.
"Don't run!" Zhao Lun grabbed his own broomstick and chased after her.
"Wow!" Maria was startled, darting farther away, with Zhao Lun hot on her heels, playfully teasing her.
Their lighthearted antics made them forget their tiredness, and after washing up, exercising, and having breakfast, they moved on to the next part of their day.
After a while, worn out from their studies, Zhao Lun decided to put the magical books down. He stepped out of his room, grabbed his fishing rod, packed some bait, and with Maria and the pets in tow, set off in the RV towards the seaside.
The heat had been relentless recently, and the coast was the only place that offered any relief.
This time, the three ladies accompanied them, partly to look after the two of them and partly to enjoy the beach and play in the water on the beach chairs.
The beach was abundant with seashells—star-shaped, fan-shaped, conch-shaped, snail-shaped, and even round-shaped. These shells were large and vibrantly colored. Maria particularly loved collecting them.
Having had some experience with fishing to feed themselves, both Zhao Lun and Maria enjoyed the hobby, with a particular fondness for fishing by the sea.
Now, the fishing rod was no longer the simple tool it once was, but a creation of Zhao Lun's own making—elegant, functional, and much more luxurious than the market versions. Unlike their previous rudimentary rod, this one was designed specifically for sea fishing, beautifully crafted and sturdy.
Maria, seeing it, eagerly added it to her collection, often taking it out to fish during her free time.
With a cheerful mood, the two began fishing once again. Unlike their past fishing trips for sustenance, today was purely for leisure, and their approach was filled with a sense of playfulness.
Instead of using enchanted water from the Kingdom of Gods to help their catch, they simply enjoyed the scenery while fishing. If Maria spotted an attractive shell, she would dash over to collect it.
The ladies, on the other hand, opened their parasols, arranged their chairs and tables, set out cold drinks, and donned simple swimwear, stretching out lazily to enjoy the comfort of the day.
For lunch, they prepared a fresh catch from their fishing, adding the ingredients they had brought along. The afternoon was spent in relaxation, and any weariness from the past few days melted away in this peaceful atmosphere.
The next day, Zhao Lun continued his study of "History of Magic," and by noon, he had completed a thorough review using his quantum brain, though he was still left wanting more.
The book felt akin to a primary school history textbook—superficial and lacking the depth he desired to fully satisfy his thirst for magical stories.
"Little Soldier, go to the Leighton Bookstore in Diagon Alley and buy more books related to 'History of Magic,'" Zhao Lun summoned his owl, attached a note and some gold galleons, and sent it off to the store.
The books here contained knowledge visible only to wizards. When viewed, the illustrations in these books would come to life, giving the impression of a silent film. At home, Zhao Lun was the only one who could read the knowledge in these books, with Maria being the exception, as she too could see the images and enjoyed watching them daily.
After finishing "History of Magic," Zhao Lun moved on to study Adabe Wolfing's "Magical Theory" and Miranda Goshak's "Standard Spells: Beginner's Guide."
Having access to his advanced quantum brain made research incredibly convenient, allowing him to save time and simulate many aspects of his studies.
Nicole and the others resumed their daily routines, completing their work at the manor. As the CEO of their new company, Nicole delegated unnecessary tasks to her assistants, allowing her and her colleagues to enjoy a leisurely workday.
During their free time, they indulged in personal interests—namely, making movies.
Almost half a year had passed since their last film, and their next project was already in the works. With ample free time, they began shooting the sequel. Zhao Lun had written the script, continuing their first movie, "The Beauties of the Special Forces," which was then refined by the quantum brain. The storyline was coherent and challenged the actors' skills, with a more thrilling plot and explosive action sequences.
The three ladies remained the central characters.
The movie began with them discovering the remnants of a human trafficking ring. The three heroic women took immediate action, swiftly dismantling the remnants. The criminals, vicious and desperate, took hostages for one last stand, but of course, the heroines triumphed, rescuing the hostages.
The villains, driven by madness, tried to take the heroines down with them but failed—ironically, they ended up killing themselves in the process.
The true mastermind, the older brother of the criminals, decided to take matters into his own hands, aiming to teach the heroines a lesson, and the story unfolded from there.
With the filming underway, a press conference was held, officially announcing the production's start.
Although Nicole had taken over as director, the transition had little impact on the pace of production, and the filming proceeded rapidly without any concern for the quality of the film. Many of the scenes were handed over to Zhao Lun for post-production, special effects, and style adjustments, ensuring the film remained as exciting as the first.
When it came to the spotlight, Zhao Lun was no exception, though Maria had a greater love for the attention. Both of them made cameo appearances in the movie—Zhao Lun for the first time and Maria for the second. Maria's role had more screen time compared to her first, while Zhao Lun's was brief.
After indulging in their cinematic debut, Zhao Lun returned to his usual, tranquil life, reading, painting, and sometimes cooking. In his spare time, he visited the Kingdom of Gods to check on the egg that was about to hatch. He also referred to Phylda Spore's "A Thousand Magical Herbs and Aquatic Plants" to carefully select plants to be grown in the Kingdom of Gods, entrusting them to the flower fairies.
When leaving the Kingdom of Gods, Zhao Lun would practice planting in the open fields he had prepared, recording his findings in Athena's archives for Maria's later reference.
Gardening, a field requiring patience, became a surprisingly engaging subject for Zhao Lun, thanks to his previous studies of traditional Chinese medical texts.
With the aid of the enchanted spring water in the Kingdom, the magical plants were thriving. Even if the seeds were imperfect, these plants could still grow and flourish.
In the future, Zhao Lun wouldn't need to buy herbs elsewhere for his potions experiments, as he would have everything he needed from his own garden.
As time flew by, June passed, July arrived, and before long, the middle of the month came.
One day, Zhao Lun took out his wand and, following the spell from the book, cast a levitation spell on a feather.
"Leviosa!"
The tip of the wand emitted a faint, pure light as it gently touched the feather. The feather quivered slightly, lifting, but soon fell, unable to maintain its float.
Zhao Lun was undeterred. He raised his hand again, casting the spell once more, and tried again with determination.
After persistent effort, he finally succeeded, and with a satisfied grin, he dismissed the spell, allowing the experience to be stored in his quantum brain, where he reviewed the analysis and simulations.
"Another spell mastered!"
"How wonderful!"
Zhao Lun was elated, like a child celebrating his accomplishment, eager for everyone to know of his success.
He marveled at the convenience of his quantum brain. Once a spell was successfully cast, it would be recorded, allowing him to learn it more efficiently and use it as a model for other spells. It was like having an advantage over his peers.
Now, he had mastered three spells: Lumos (the Light Charm), Scourgify (the Cleaning Charm), and Leviosa (the Levitation Charm).
These spells, each progressively harder, had taken him quite some time to learn.
"Brother!" Before she even arrived, Maria's voice could be heard, and Zhao Lun immediately recognized it as her.
The young girl, wearing her new, beautiful wizard's robe and riding on her broomstick, with her long hair flowing in the wind, looked like a sprite, prompting an instinctive urge to protect and cherish her, wishing to keep her happy forever.
"Be careful! Slow down."
Seeing her reckless behavior, Zhao Lun couldn't help but feel regretful for giving her the broomstick. Without supervision, she could easily get into trouble. He wasn't afraid of the trouble itself, but he feared for Maria's safety.
"Brother, Elena and Sandy are here..."
"And there's so much food..."
"All of it's almost gone, thanks to Sandy..."
Maria flew quickly and urgently, speaking in a jumbled manner.
"Already? Didn't they say they'd arrive tomorrow?" Zhao Lun said as he hurried back to his room to change, then accompanied Maria to meet Elena and the others.
Zhao Lun was about to begin school soon, and before leaving, it was important to enjoy the lively atmosphere of the gathering.
In the manor's living room, the energy was already buzzing, and from afar, Zhao Lun could hear Sandy's voice.
Upon entering, Zhao Lun saw the ladies lounging in the cool shade, sipping juice and discussing skincare before complaining about the oppressive heat outside, which had left their skin burned.
"..."
Zhao Lun stood there, unsure of what to say.
"Allen, I heard you're going to school. I'm so happy for you, you should've done this earlier. Life without friends isn't complete. Only at school can you make friends," Elena said warmly, her eyes full of genuine joy. "But it's not too late. You can still make plenty of friends now."
Elena had always worried that Zhao Lun wouldn't attend school, and when she suddenly heard he was going, she couldn't wait to