Chapter 498: Departure
Chapter 498: Departure
"Qiao Sang has really made a name for herself. She already has three Advanced Familiars in her sophomore year, unlike your cousin, who only had his familiar evolve to Intermediate by junior year."
"Who would have thought? I even held you when you were a little kid, and now look at you."
"I remember saying when I watched TV that this kid looks just like Qiao Sang. I never imagined it was the same person. If your mom hadn't thrown this party, I wouldn't have known."
"Champion of the National School Beastmaster League, and in the Senior Division no less. Does that mean you're the best high school Beastmaster in the country?"
"I heard you're going to Supernest as an Interstellar Exchange Student. What's the school called? Is it as good as Holy Water High School?"
"I always knew you'd amount to something great. And sure enough, you did."
The relatives chattered away, one after another.
Qiao Sang collected the red envelopes, maintaining a polite smile.
In truth, apart from Third Aunt and Third Uncle, she had to rack her brain to remember the rest of the relatives.
Family relationships are a peculiar thing. Even though they might only see each other once a year, they always act as if they're on intimate terms.
If one family member achieves something notable, even distant relatives will proudly tell others, "My so-and-so is that famous person", to bask in the reflected glory.
Several waiters continuously brought dishes and drinks to the table.
As they served, they couldn't help but glance at the center of attention, curious to see the person all the reporters in the hall were trying to interview.
Unfortunately, the center of attention was surrounded by a crowd, making it impossible to see.
As time passed, the guests finally settled into their seats.
Ye Xiangting raised her wine glass and toasted each relative, chatting amicably.
Her genuine happiness was evident from the smile that never left her lips.
Qiao Sang held Fangy and ate her meal.
A cousin next to her asked, "Aren't you going to put the Blazing Star Hound back into your Beastmaster Codex?"
"Yah!"
Fangy turned its head, looking at the speaker and baring its teeth.
The cousin immediately stiffened, stood up, and said, "I need to use the bathroom."
With that, she grabbed her mobile phone and quickly left.
Qiao Sang: "..."
"Don't scare people", Qiao Sang said, gently rubbing Fangy's head.
"Fangy."
Fangy pouted.
It was just a quick flash of its teeth...
"Qiao Sang", a hoarse voice called from behind her.
Qiao Sang turned around, paused, then stood up and called, "Grandma."
The relatives at the table, who were in the middle of a conversation, fell silent.
As the most accomplished child in the Ye family, even distant relatives knew about Qiao Sang's family.
Since this feast was for the Ye family, the presence of someone from the Qiao family made the atmosphere awkward.
The old lady with white hair stared intently at her granddaughter, her expression tense.
"Can we talk over there?" the old lady asked.
Qiao Sang glanced at her mother.
She knew that if her mother hadn't informed Grandma, she wouldn't have known about the party and come.
"Sure", Qiao Sang nodded.
The two walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.
People around them watched, but no one disturbed them.
"So this is the Blazing Star Hound", the old lady said, smiling as she petted Fangy's head. "You're such a beautiful little thing."
"Yah."
Fangy closed its eyes in enjoyment.
After a moment, the old lady looked up, took out a red envelope from her bag, and handed it to Qiao Sang, somewhat awkwardly.
"Mom told me you're going to Supernest. Here, take this. There's 50,000 inside, and the password is your birthday."
Qiao Sang didn't take it, remaining calm. "No need. The money Mom gave me is enough."
To be honest, as a rational adult, she had no real issues with Grandma.
But perhaps because of her bias towards her mother, or because Grandma hadn't been around much during her upbringing, Qiao Sang couldn't help but feel distant from her.
In her previous life, her parents had divorced. As a child, she might have harbored some hopes, but as she grew older, she had become accustomed to a life without a father or Grandma.
Even without her father's side of the family, she had still managed to live a good life.
Old Lady's body stiffened, her expression somewhat forlorn. She remained silent for a couple of seconds before asking, "Did you block your dad?"
Qiao Sang replied, "Maybe. People who didn't contact me before have been reaching out recently. If their numbers were unfamiliar, I blocked them."
Old Lady's body stiffened again.
As an experienced elder, she could easily read between the lines.
She fell silent for a couple of seconds, then seemed to think of something. She pulled out her mobile phone and dialed a number.
The next moment, Qiao Sang's mobile phone vibrated in her pocket.
She pulled it out and glanced at the screen.
Caller ID: Grandma.
The phone stopped vibrating.
Qiao Sang looked up.
Old Lady smiled warmly. "Good, you didn't block me."
Qiao Sang paused, looking at her smile.
After Old Lady left, Fangy seemed to sense something and licked Qiao Sang's hand.
"Ya!"
Qiao Sang looked down and smiled. "I'm fine."
Rationally, she thought that compared to family ties, Grandma's feelings were more about guilt. If she hadn't won the National School Beastmaster League, Grandma might not have remembered her, much less contacted her at a time that wasn't New Year.
Qiao Sang looked up at her mother, who was raising a toast nearby with a smile, and walked over.
...
It was a weekend morning.
Holy Water High School had no classes.
Normally, everyone would be in their dorms, but the students were all standing in the hallway, whispering and watching the figures below.
The team sent to escort Qiao Sang to Star Harbor had arrived.
"Remember to call me when you get there", Ye Xiangting said gently to her daughter.
Qiao Sang nodded. "I will."
"Make sure to eat on time and go to bed early. You're only a sophomore, and though you've missed a lot of classes because of the matches, don't try to catch up all at once. Learning should be gradual, okay?" Ye Xiangting instructed.
"I know", Qiao Sang responded softly.
She didn't tell her mother about her plans to take the College Entrance Exam directly. It was better to wait until she passed, as the chances of failing were high. Mentioning it would only make her mother worry, and with her mother's habit of making calls, it would likely spread around, making it embarrassing if she didn't pass.
"Listen to your teachers. If the school doesn't allow you to bring your mobile phone, don't bring it. Just call me on the weekends. And make sure to take good care of Fangy and the others", Ye Xiangting continued.
Qiao Sang nodded. "Don't worry, I know."
Ye Xiangting looked at her daughter, her expression unusually gentle.
The excitement and pride had faded, replaced by worry and reluctance.
Her daughter was so young, barely into high school, yet she had to leave for such a long time... Ye Xiangting felt a deep, indescribable sadness.
Just as she was about to give more instructions, Qiao Sang said, "Mom, how about we talk while walking? You can come with me to Star Harbor."
Ye Xiangting: "..."
...
Yuhua Starport.
The place where starships docked.
As passenger starships capable of interstellar travel, these vessels were incredibly massive. Their sleek, silver-white exteriors exuded a strong sense of futuristic sci-fi, which stood out starkly against some of the buildings in the Yuhua Region.
With a lingering look of reluctance from his mother, Qiao Sang waved and stepped onto the starship.
"Two others are also going as exchange students. One boy and one girl. They’ve already arrived, and one of them you should know", said the man, who was nearly six feet three inches tall, with a short haircut and a robust build.
This was Officer Chen, assigned by the state to escort the three exchange students.
"Someone I know?" Qiao Sang thought for a moment and then asked, "Is it Tang Yi?"
Officer Chen said appreciatively, "You’re pretty good at guessing."
Well, if I know someone who’s been selected as an interstellar exchange student, it must be a rival from the National Championship. Besides me, the other one would naturally be the runner-up... Qiao Sang modestly replied, "Just a guess."
As they walked, Officer Chen continued, "We were originally supposed to depart from the Hollow Plains Starport, but considering you’re the youngest, we had them all meet here. They arrived last night, so you can chat with them later."
"Sure", Qiao Sang responded.
On the way, Fangy, nestled in Qiao Sang’s arms, curiously looked around.
Treasure Seeker also emerged, equally curious, peering about.
The starship’s cabin was designed with a fully transparent material, allowing a clear view of the outside scenery.
Several small familiars were walking around inside the starship.
An interstellar journey typically took at least a month, and familiars couldn’t stay in the Beastmaster Codex for such a long time. Therefore, the starship was designed to allow familiars to appear and move around, as long as they didn’t exceed three meters in height and four meters in length.
It was well-known that the larger a familiar, the higher its level.
Among those who could afford interstellar travel, many Beastmasters had high-level familiars. At the moment, their familiars were mostly wearing Compact Shrinking Bracelets, like Fangy.
Not everyone had bought these bracelets, but before boarding, the starport staff would provide coded Compact Shrinking Bracelets based on the familiars’ information, to be collected upon arrival at the destination.
"Inside the starship, there are separate areas for cabins, sleeping quarters, and living quarters. The state has arranged living quarters for you to ensure you have enough space to rest", Officer Chen explained as they walked. "Familiar battles are strictly prohibited on the starship, and you cannot train any offensive skills."
As he spoke, a voice called out, "Officer Chen!"
Officer Chen stopped.
Qiao Sang followed the sound and saw Tang Yi and a girl with long hair that reached her waist, wearing a leather beret. She had a delicate, fashionable appearance and was holding a cat-like familiar dressed in clothes and a hat, with green fur visible.
Tang Yi was holding a miniature version of Pare Lulu.
Almost instantly, Fangy and Pare Lulu’s eyes were filled with the desire to battle.
"Xunxun!"
Treasure Seeker stepped in front of Fangy, displaying a look of heroic determination.
Not so fast, let it get beaten up first!
Qiao Sang: "."
Fangy: "???"
(End of Chapter)
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