He feigned ignorance and asked, “What are these? They seem very interesting.”
Nangong Lie’s mouth stretched open, almost as if he wanted to talk…
Baili Jia Jue glanced over coldly and Nangong Lie immediately swallowed back what he was about to say. It’s just that felt indignant! He was truly dissatisfied. [When you were six years old, you already played with all kinds of armaments. Now, surprisingly, you shamelessly pretend to be a newbie!? Don’t tell me that you really couldn’t tell what those pieces of scrap iron are used for. Countless materials for you to play with are stored within the Ghost Palace, alright? !]
He had no choice but to admit that a certain Highness was really good at acting. Within that pair of deep and profound eyes was an innocence which never existed before, so that even Wei Wei, an ace secret agent, wasn’t suspicious at all as she lazily and leisurely explained, “Toys to train the hands. Just a regular armament and unfinished right now. Wait till it’s finished and I’ll give it to you.” Having spoken thus, she paused a bit, before continuing, “This can be considered compensation for having seen your body the other day.”
Nangong Lie’s mouth was filled with water which he hadn’t swallowed, but almost spurted back out, choked, and coughed. The way this eldest daughter of the Helian family behaved was….outrageous!
Within the capital, there wasn’t a single well-bred young lady from a prestigious family who would bluntly say, “saw your body” and so on. He had no choice but to say that a certain Highness’ taste was truly unique.
“I really look forward to it.” Baili Jia Jue at first was stunned. After that, he slowly smiled thinly like a devil.
Nangong Lie looked on from the side and his whole body shivered. He began to calculate how many more days the Helian family’s eldest daughter had left to live.
What he hadn’t expected was that Ah Jue really looked as if his frame of mind was a little better than before, so much so that he even gracefully helped Wei Wei select the usable scrap metal and arranged them in order.
However, this was also not so strange. His Highness’ natural disposition had always been unfathomable, such that there were times when even he couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
Wei Wei raised her eyebrows as she looked at the young man’s movements, then casually said, “You also heard what those people just said. Aren’t you afraid the thing I make will be simply unpresentable?”
“Not afraid.” His manner was as carefree as light breezes and floating clouds. A hand propped up the side of Baili Jia Jue’s face. His black hair half hung down, emanating a strong aura of scholarliness.
Wei Wei’s fingers paused and brought over the scrap iron in her hand, “This thing is no good. If I encounter something suitable in the future, I’ll make it again for you.” Since it’s someone who believed in her, she should treat him sincerely.
Baili Jia Jue had encountered countless armament experts. He naturally also knew these cold iron pieces contained imperfections, but his indolent face only appeared puzzled and disappointed.
Wei Wei knew that generally every new student who entered the academy wanted to obtain an armament that belonged only to them. However, due to the preciousness of armaments, the academy simply could not equip every new student with one. In fact, all resources were delegated to the Superior Compound.
Therefore, it’s not strange at all that the young man in front of her should want to obtain an armament.
However, Wei Wei always felt that there was something strange about him…that’s right, she remembered now!
“At the time I first saw you, didn’t you bring a bodyguard? How is it that ultimately, you’ve been reduced to a condition where you can’t even afford to buy a student’s hat?”
Nangong Lie’s shadow paused. Uh oh, it’s the end of the road. Their identities were going to be unmasked!
Baili Jia Jue’s gaze looked over to the distance and said in a very level tone, as if he was currently stating a fact, “I lost all of my qi energy. My family only helped me pay the academy’s tuition and only sent a bodyguard as a travel companion. They haven’t provided anything else.”
Having heard that, Wei Wei immediately empathized with him as someone sharing the same fate as her and rather gracefully patted his shoulder, “You shouldn’t feel too bad about it. In the future, they will definitely regret it!”
Looking at her actions, the corners of Nangong Lie’s mouth twitched a few times.
Miss Helian, the one who’s going to regret it in the future is you, alright? !
There had never been anyone who dared to pat the Third Prince’s shoulder like that. Hello, hello!
“Really?” Baili Jia Jue drew back his gaze and slightly dropped his eyes. Those eyelashes were black and soft. At first glance, they simply seemed like they belonged to an innocent beautiful young boy who had just come out into the world.
Nangong Lie’s expression as he looked from the side was positively conflicted. His acting. He totally knew how to act! How would he act when Retired Emperor found out!
Unexpectedly, Wei Wei then stroked his head. The corners of her mouth appeared to smile as she spontaneously said, “Don’t worry, with Elder Sister here to cover for you, your position will quickly be recovered!”
After Wei Wei finished speaking, Baili Jia Jue’s shoulders trembled a few times. She even thought that he was emotionally moved, so she extended her paw and stroked the top of his head a couple more times.
What she didn’t know was that Baili Jia Jue, whose back was turned around, had an evil smile on his mouth that was not a smile. He almost couldn’t hold back the delight that swelled up into his throat. Aah, this ‘little thing’, indeed, the more one looked, the more interesting she was. The more he played, the more he didn’t want to resume his identity and go to the Superior Compound…
“The teacher is coming!”
Don’t know who it was that yelled this announcement, but the entire memorial temple immediately quieted down. A teacher wearing a white colored sacred robe came in. He took an ancient scroll and genuinely started to define the first lesson.
Wei Wei wasn’t listening. Her fingers nimbly fiddled with those scrap irons. The softest echos of very rhythmic sounds could be heard. Generally, her movements were too beautiful. That’s why all of those sounds heard in one’s ears also indescribably almost felt like music.
After the instructor lectured, he then clasped his hands behind his back and looked around. When his gaze reached her, the old face’s entire body slumped as he asked, “What are you holding in your hand?”
Wei Wei wrapped things up with a ‘pah’ sound. Her expression was calm and collected as she said, “Nothing.”
For a split second, the teacher thought his vision had blurred. He took a white handkerchief and wiped his eyes a couple of times, after which he looked again at Wei Wei’s low table. Apart from a fine quality armament, there was nothing else.
Could it be that he really was mistaken?
The teacher gave his head a shake, grasped his fingers behind his back, and said in a soft voice, “Focus more. Don’t be distracted.”
Wei Wei casually ‘mm hm’ed. She waited until after the teacher left, then, as if nothing happened, continued to take out the second stack of scrap iron to play with.
During class time, that teacher strolled over to Wei Wei’s spot no less than three times, yet discovered nothing at all.
After class, only two people’s shadows remained within the hall.
Among them, one played with the scrap iron next to the low table. The appearance on his face was indifferent. However, his eyes twinkled playfully.
Nangong Lie gasped in admiration as he stroked his chin, “A girl who didn’t even have any qi, unexpectedly was able to create three armaments in the short amount of time during class. At the same time, she even frequently stuffed herself with strawberries. This is simply abnormal enough! Ah Jue, even Tu Lao, that old head, may not necessarily have reached this level, right?”
Baili Jia Jue stood up. His slender long fingers streaked across those already conceived rudimentary armaments. He thought of what ‘the little thing’ said as he smiled devilishly, “Indeed, not bad.”
“Huh? ?” Nanong Lie followed up with, “Wait, wait, when you said not bad, did you mean the armaments or the person, hmm?”
Also, what in the world was the matter with him just now? Saying that his family only helped him pay the tuition, and only sent a guard as a travel companion. Clearly, wasn’t it he, himself, who rejected having more people, finding them bothersome?
No wonder, up until now, those ministers and teachers were still impatiently waiting for a carriage sent by the royal family to come. They certainly didn’t know that this person had already arrived beforehand, and much earlier at that….