Chapter 74 : Store Manager A Double Joy Calls for a Grand Celebration

“What? Such important news, and you guys didn’t tell me right away?”

Finally, Xia Li managed to choke out a sentence.

From my angle, it looked like the store manager’s face was flushed with anger.

“No choice, we only just found out ourselves, And as soon as we did, we pulled Little Han into the club,” Senior Tang Yihan explained from the side.

“Exactly, exactly.”

Ying Shiqian chimed in, completely ignoring how she’d been crying and throwing a fit on the floor when she first heard the news.

“Store Manager, it’s really not a big deal. No need to make a fuss or blame the seniors.”

The atmosphere felt odd, and since Tan Han had been the center of attention, my sudden spotlight felt like a lack of tact.

I stepped forward to calm the store manager down.

“What are you saying? What kind of talk is that!”

Xia Li shattered the current mood, her firm tone barely containing her overwhelming excitement.

“No way, we have to celebrate this properly! On one hand, our club gained two new members! On the other, for Little Han’s first successful meditation!”

Store Manager Xia Li declared with unwavering resolve.

I stood to the side, my mouth twitching slightly.

How many times had the store manager called for a celebration these past few days?

Did every little reason warrant a party?

“Store Manager, if this celebration is at that same place, I’d rather pass…”

“Yeah, didn’t we just go there a few days ago?”

“You, you, you! How can you guys be like this! Fine, we’ll go somewhere else this time!”

Xia Li glared at Ying Shiqian and Tang Yihan, clearly furious that they weren’t following her lead.

But since she’d already proposed the celebration, it had to happen, so she’d just pick a different place.

Though she was annoyed, this unexpected windfall nearly knocked her out with joy.

First, there was this year’s top student.

Xia Li had been planning how to comfort this abducted prodigy, expecting her to have a lot of pride.

But Tan Han had been surprisingly calm.

After several seniors counseled her, she somehow accepted her situation.

Originally, Tan Han wasn’t even on Xia Li’s radar.

Her presence naturally sparked a frenzy among various clubs vying for her.

Her arrival even complicated the yet-to-be-finalized class assignments, with teachers competing to claim her.

Yet Tan Han remained composed, and her opinion carried weight.

Though her abduction to the academy hadn’t considered her wishes, she was now undeniably a Witch Academy freshman, so her freedom and respect had to be honored.

In the end, annoyed by the relentless recruitment from various seniors, Tan Han chose Xia Li, reasoning that since Xia Li brought her to the academy, she should take responsibility.

Many club presidents cursed Xia Li’s luck, but she didn’t care.

A win's a win, so she hurriedly brought Tan Han to the bakery to seal the deal.

Even if Tan Han regretted it later, withdrawing from the club required a process, during which Xia Li might leverage Tan Han’s reputation to recruit more members.

And now, at the bakery, she learned that the freshman part-timer she’d casually hired was a genius.

Who would believe that?

At this moment, Tan Han, shedding her previous aloofness, took the initiative to approach me.

I could see the change in her behavior and wasn’t surprised.

Her actions were clearly an attempt to build rapport.

Befriending an academic prodigy was an honor, of course.

Even if it didn’t bring tangible benefits, bragging about such a connection would be quite prestigious.

As for actual friendship.

I didn’t hold high hopes.

I knew my place and our status gap was too wide.

Such friendships rarely lasted, with the initiative lying in her hands.

To put it bluntly, maintaining such a friendship felt like charity from the one in control, which made things awkward for me.

While the store manager and the two seniors argued, Tan Han started chatting with me, and the topic quickly shifted to meditation.

“By the way, Little Han, have you been reading any books on meditation lately? Can you recommend one?”

“Books? I haven’t read many, to be honest. If I had to recommend one, I’d suggest the one I borrowed. I haven’t returned it yet, so let me grab it for you.”

I remembered the book I borrowed from the library, a common one on meditation.

It explained the basics and specifics of meditation in detail, but that was about it.

So, I took the chance to fetch the book and handed it to Tan Han, addressing her request.

“This one?”

Tan Han took it and said, slightly surprised.

“Huh, you’ve read it?”

I asked, noticing her expression.

“No, I haven’t. A senior told me this book is just a basic guide to the Witch Meditation Method, with little substance… but thanks for the recommendation. I’ll study it carefully,” Tan Han said earnestly, tucking the book away.

“Uh… well, you shouldn’t force it. The best approach is what suits you. Senior Ying Shiqian also recommended a book on the Witch Meditation Method and rituals. You could try that too.”

I said, a bit embarrassed.

I hadn’t expected my book choice to be dismissed as a basic guide with no depth.

I found it clear and understandable, unlike those cryptic tomes that felt like gibberish.

Was my comprehension really that bad?

I nearly fell into self-doubt.

To be safe, I passed along Senior Ying Shiqian’s recommendation, just to cover my bases.

Honestly, beyond learning about the Witch Meditation Method from books, my meditation success had little to do with the library’s resources.

Spirit Vision was the main reason, but sadly, I couldn’t tell anyone about it.

In a way, my Spirit Vision was my cheat code.

Unfortunately, everyone in this world who touched the transcendent had this cheat, and mine was just a bit stronger.

I needed to find a chance to visit the library and figure out what “Spirit Vision” and “Floating World” really meant.

“Come on My club members! Let’s go eat something delicious.”

With the store manager’s voice, it seemed they’d finalized the plan.

I didn’t care much.

Anywhere we went would be better than eating bread at the bakery all day.

This time, with both Tan Han and me, we had to trouble Seniors Ying Shiqian and Tang Yihan.

As for Store Manager Xia Li, her broom-riding style was too wild.

At least Tan Han made it clear she wouldn’t experience that again.