The mo was very short.
Su Shijun didn’t take long to read it.
Yet those re ten seconds gave Zheng Qing a strong sense of sudden weightlessness, as if he was walking on a path, only to step into thin air and fall straight off a cliff; it also felt like diving into a bottomless ocean, a cold and dark sensation overwheld him instantly.
The young wizard’s expression was stiff, awkwardly curling his toes inside his shoes, wishing desperately for the first ti that he possessed so advanced magic that could make him blend into the air and vanish.
Just a few minutes ago, his conversation with Su Shijun included topics such as ’children’, ’dad’, ’man of the house’, which stirred emotions and excitent. But a few minutes later, she captured a green paper crane.
This bizarre situation gave the young wizard a misplaced feeling of being caught in a compromising position.
"Great."
The owner of Greenhill Mansion unexpectedly praised the young man, her expression inscrutable: "In the Moon Council, showing emotion signals weakness; people prefer wizards who maintain absolute composure at all tis, it makes them feel reassured. Your expression now is quite comndable."
Zheng Qing wanted to pull out a smile, but he suspected the cells on his face were already frightened stiff, losing all ability to control facial muscles.
"However," the witch turned her gaze back to the piece of paper, repeating a keyword with a tone of certain suspicion: "...sending flowers?"
The male wizard finally felt a bit of vitality return to his tongue and lips: "Ah... Ha, haha... Things have been busy lately... almost forgot."
"You sent flowers to other girls? On Valentine’s Day? And noted it in a mo?"
"Friends, very good friends... Xiao Xiao told such courtesy is expected of adults." Zheng Qing didn’t hesitate and shifted the bla to the doctor, simultaneously striving to change the subject: "I’m not even sure whether to magically conjure a bouquet or buy fresh flowers... is there a place in Beta Town that sells flowers?"
"You could pick a bouquet from the garden at the Greenhill Mansion; it’s the best in Beta Town," the witch suggested calmly: "Just don’t pick Su Ya’s Seven-Color Flower... or she will curse you."
Zheng Qing suspected soone else wished to curse him.
"Can I?"
The male wizard displayed an extrely fake excitent, his voice warped to a level that embarrassed even him: "What flowers do you think I should pick?"
"You want , to help you, choose flowers for another witch?" The mansion owner’s last trace of smile vanished, staring blankly at the male wizard as if pondering whether his brain had been devoured by monsters during the winter’s hunting tasks: "I really believe now that you’ve eaten the ravens’ beans."
For a fleeting second, deep inside Zheng Qing’s heart, an extrely subtle delight arose; he thought he’d found soone capable of taking the bla. But quickly, he realized that the paper crane was born before he consud that Copper Bean; the scapegoat candidate vanished like a soap bubble in the sun, bursting.
Simultaneously, the witch’s prior rhetorical question brought a sense of familiarity.
This damned, intense deja vu.
In just a mont, he suddenly recalled a ti long ago when he asked one witch to help choose a dress for another witch; but compared to that ti, the current situation was entirely different.
"Oh, no, not really."
The male wizard, belatedly, finally realized the stupid thing he did, promptly trying to fix it: "What I an is, it’s not of trouble to you, I can solve it myself... phew..."
The young wizard sighed heavily, abandoning further struggle.
Tricks are unreliable, sincerity alone wins hearts.
It’s very unwise for a simple young wizard to be evasive and stamr before a great wizard. ’Eyes like torches’ aren’t rely adjectives for a Big Wizard, Zheng Qing knew better than to believe Su Shijun couldn’t decipher the real situation with her wit and perceptiveness.
Best to be honest, perhaps it’d ensure a proper end.
The male wizard thought sorrowfully, stealing a glance at the witch behind the desk—at this mont, she was holding a porcelain cup, sipping the warm milk inside with her head down, the pale green paper rested on the wide desk, its creases writhing seemingly trying to return to the shape of a paper crane.
He swallowed, softly yet sincerely saying: "What I an is, I wish I could say we are just friends, or that I am not as terrible as you imagine... but saying that would make seem even more hypocritical. You are very nice, truly. If you want to hit , I can completely understand."
Su Shijun set down the porcelain cup, her gaze that scrutinized the young man was intriguing.
"Never thought I’d receive a ’good person card’ in my lifeti," she said gently, picking up that green piece of paper with a flick: "...even if that was made public, who would believe it."
Zheng Qing’s eye twitched slightly, recalling the evening he was hit with a blunt object.
He felt an intense sense of guilt.
However, the witch’s next words shocked him into lifting his head.
"As for hitting you, that isn’t necessary." Su Shijun lowered her eyes, speaking casually: "For one, you’re still young, without the capability to bring sha to Qingqiu’s reputation; secondly, dostic violence violates the Wizard’s Code, I am a Big Wizard of the Alliance, an Upper House mber of the Moon Council, more reason to set a good example... would you want Dong Dong to lose his father at such a young age... hmm, if I hit you, would it stop you from sending flowers?"
No.
Zheng Qing responded sheepishly but dared not utter those two words.
He couldn’t pinpoint whether it was her use of ’young chick’ or the ntion of Poseidon and ’dostic violence’ that fueled a sudden burst of courage, but he felt an eerie atmosphere in the room during their dialogue.
Knock knock.
A few light knocks on the door interrupted the strange ambiance.
Zheng Qing breathed out deeply, feeling as if he had surfaced after diving in the deep sea. Su Shijun tapped the desk, the study door silently opened, and Greenhill Mansion’s head maid stood outside, saluted the two inside before silently entering.
"Outside are three agents from the Magic Association Investigation Bureau, claiming there’s a topic concerning the Alliance’s safety needing discussion with Master Zheng Qing," the head maid reported succinctly.
Zheng Qing was montarily dazed before recalling that the Magic Association Investigation Bureau is the formal term for the Trident Sword, so long unheard of, he didn’t imdiately rember the term.
But why is the Trident Sword looking for him?
"Trident Sword?" Su Shijun asked the question from his heart, her fingers fiddling with the paper, her brows slightly furrowed: "Early morning, why are these folks here... did they ntion what matters specifically?"
Although part of the sa Alliance, the relationship between the Trident Sword and the Moon Council remained rather delicate, and they rarely interacted privately.
"’No comnt, miss,’ that’s their reply." The head maid very thoroughly and seriously conveyed what the black-robed ones outside intended to express.
Su Shijun wound the paper into a thin strip on her finger—she didn’t seem to intend on returning it to the male wizard, naturally, Zheng Qing didn’t have the guts to ask for it back—turned to look at the male wizard, her tone carried a hint of teasing: "What have you been doing this winter besides beating a big wizard to death, to have the Trident Sword at Greenhill Mansion’s door?"
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