Early the next morning.
During the morning class.
Xiao Xiao easily noticed the ’foreign objects’ on both of Zheng Qing’s wrists.
"Weren’t you being all secretive yesterday noon, afraid soone would see your new beads?"
He pronounced the word ’soone’ especially clearly, with a hint of teasing in his voice, "...So why are you flaunting them today? What’s the story behind that new bracelet?"
Zheng Qing continued to practice ’Unard’ with his eyes closed, taking his ti, ignoring the curious baby right by his ear.
Until the morning class was over.
When the two of them strolled towards the edge of the area, Zheng Qing, worried that the short warlock might gossip in front of the Fat Wizard, humd a brief explanation about the origin of that Blue Hair Dragon Bracelet, and vaguely emphasized concepts like ’balance’.
Xiao Xiao was unimpressed with Zheng Qing’s attempt to cover up.
"If you talk about balance everywhere, the end result will only make everyone feel unbalanced. Because this world is originally driven forward by the ’high and low potential energy’ created by ’imbalance’."
He earnestly lectured the young teaching assistant, "When it cos to love... reality and love can never be balanced, balance is an ideal state in the study of magic, just like the rational man in economics, imaginable but not existent."
Zheng Qing didn’t care about his nagging.
But he did take interest in a certain word from his lecture.
"You understand economics too?"
Hearing such an un-magical word in the magical world obviously surprised him - although there are banks on Buji Island, First University has insurance, and Su Shijun once discussed Moonlight Aviation’s stock with Zheng Qing, but as a limited population society, the wizards have no incentive, nor need, to develop economics to the level of ’rational man’.
"How amusing!"
Doctor Xiao humd through his nose, glancing at Zheng Qing, "While you’re tangled with Sister Korma or the Little Mare of the Huizong Tribe, I’ve been swimming in the ocean of knowledge!"
"Don’t talk nonsense!"
Zheng Qing glared at him with so embarrassnt — only about one or two parts of the embarrassnt was due to the word ’tangled’, the other eight or nine parts were because the doctor ntioned Luna Huisu.
The Little Mare from the Huizong Tribe, who at the Shanglin Garden dance party had vowed to give him a little colt, beca extraordinarily well-behaved after entering the school, not clinging to him as Zheng Qing had imagined.
This left the many ’excuses’ and ’thods’ he had prepared beforehand all in vain, always making him feel awkward just thinking about it, even if there was no one around, his toes would curl in embarrassnt.
Especially being brought up again at the mont, it reawakened mories he had tried hard to forget.
"Tangled with whom? Who is Mr. Zha tangled with again?"
The loud voice of Xin Fat Man ca through, and as Zheng Qing turned around, he saw the soy milk, deep-fried dough sticks, and tea eggs in his hand, and pursed his lips, ultimately deciding not to bother with him.
He chose to keep the peace, and the Fat Wizard, who controlled the breakfast, ’went on’ with impunity.
"That’s why this is a ssed-up world."
Xin Fat Man shook his head, with a tone of pity, "Money always flows to those who don’t need it, love always flows to those who don’t need love, won always gather around n who don’t lack won, news always happens where it’s least wanted..."
"Has any news appeared in places where it’s least wanted?"
Zheng Qing had to interrupt Fat Man’s wild theories, took a bite of the dough stick in his hand, and the rich wheat fragrance nicely alleviated the gloom in his heart.
But Fat Wizard’s next sentence nearly choked him.
"The incident in the North District on Anti-Magic Day has been exposed by the Daily Horn Newspaper."
Seemingly aware that Zheng Qing might choke, Xin very considerately held out a steaming cup of soy milk, watching Zheng Qing sweat profusely from the heat, and comfortingly patted his shoulder, "...But the situation isn’t too bad, the report just ntioned ’Vice Dean Korma the Big Wizard and multiple people including Teaching Assistant Zheng Qing of Edge Academy were present,’ without addressing the specific role you played in this incident, so you don’t need to worry too much."
Zheng Qing, holding a hot dough stick in one hand and a steaming cup of soy milk in the other, was absolutely baffled.
Neither the Campus Newspaper nor the Beta Town Post dared to recklessly report this news, what courage does the Daily Horn have to arbitrarily voice out on this matter? Not to ntion, why is only his na ntioned in the report, while the other two parties are rely ’among others’?
Even before he could cast his suspicious gaze toward his two companions.
Xiao Xiao’s thoughtful voice rang by his ear, "Ah, so that’s it... If I’m not mistaken, you are collateral damage."
"Collateral damage?"
Zheng Qing was unfamiliar with this term and was montarily unable to react.
Because the blood was currently rushing to his stomach, his brain couldn’t keep up with the slightly erratic thinking of the Doctor - or rather, he didn’t need to, as he didn’t share the many anxieties the news had caused him.
"Yes. In theory, there’s no reason for the Daily Horn to comnt on an incident of this magnitude."
Clearly, Xiao Xiao shared a similar judgnt with Zheng Qing, but he then shifted his tone, offering a conclusion Zheng Qing hadn’t considered further, "The only possible reason is that so powerful figure put irresistible pressure, demands, or incentives on the Daily Horn, forcing them to grind their teeth and publish this report..."
"Why not go for the Campus Newspaper or the Beta Town Post? Aren’t those more influential?"
"Here’s where that term you ntioned earlier cos into play - balance."
Xiao Xiao had no qualms about using a concept he had long disdained, "Apart from the school, no one can influence the Campus Newspaper; and the Beta Town Post’s independence is not much less. So assuming there really is a powerful figure, they need to find a balance between ’influence’ and ’controllability’. The Daily Horn is just that perfect balance point. Because after exposing the big news between you and Su Councilor last year, the Daily Horn has been thriving these past few months."
Thereupon, preventing Zheng Qing from having a coback, he turned towards the Fat Wizard, "...If my deduction is correct, that article you ntioned definitely insinuates a connection between the incident in the North District and Sister Korma, am I right?"
His tone was confident.
The Fat Wizard then gave a thumbs up, "It’s not insinuating, it’s explicitly speculating that Sister Korma relied on ’summoning unknown entities to advance as a Big Wizard’, so she inevitable relied on ’illegal magic rituals’...in other words, the report speculates that the big snake was summoned by Sister, making her fully responsible for a series of accidents."
Finally, soone to take the fall for him.
Yet Zheng Qing didn’t feel much joy inside.
Because he finally recalled why the term ’collateral damage’ had sounded familiar. Just yesterday afternoon during a ’tea break’ of Art of Body Transformation, Jiang Yu had warned him about it.
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