Chapter 0602: Hidden Treasure: Bai Mengmeng!
After leaving Mentor Chi Chan's lodgings, Li Luo returned to his dormitory. Xin Fu was sleeping soundly without a care, but Bai Mengmeng seemed to be missing. Taking a quick walk, he finally discovered her small silhouette hunched over within the refining workshop.
She was in comfortable robes, but due to her slim stature, they ended up looking baggy and oversized. Her solution to this was to use a pink ribbon to secure her clothes like a belt, bringing attention to her slender waist. Bai Mengmeng was currently engrossed in some refining activity, and her platform was filled with countless materials.
"What are you doing?" Li Luo blared as he barged in, standing right beside her. From the looks of things, she wasn't actually developing new spirit liquids and purifying lights, so he felt it was okay to talk.
The focused Bai Mengmeng finally noticed that someone was beside her, and she jumped back several steps in fright. Li Luo gently grabbed her wrist, pulling her back before she collided with a pile of raw materials.
"Wh-wh-when did Leader arrive??" Bai Mengmeng stammered as her innocent face turned beet-red with embarra.s.sment.
Li Luo gracefully let her go and smiled. "Well, I've been here for a while, but seeing that you were busy, decided not to disturb you immediately."
Bai Mengmeng returned to her refining platform, pointing at the ma.s.s of materials atop it as she let out a tender and sweet smile. "Well, do you remember your request for me to refine a secret watersource or lightsource? I've been focused on experimenting on just that. The Suncreek Villa has recently regained some of its splendor in the Xia Kingdom. However, what it mostly produces is spirit liquids and tends to lack purifying lights. Thus, I wanted to develop a secret lightsource to amend this deficiency."
Li Luo was so touched by her kind actions that he was about to bawl his eyes out. "Mengmeng! You're the best!" He had never expected his offhand request to have been duly remembered by her, nor that she'd even put in immense effort to accomplish it.
"Did you buy these materials yourself?" Li Luo gestured at the pile. There were several high-grade spirit materials within, with a hefty price tag to boot.
Bai Mengmeng only nodded slightly with a nonchalant reply. "These are spirit materials that the college allows us to buy with our school points. I don't normally use them, and don't forget, I actually have quite a bit of money on hand. Sometimes, my elder sister borrows from me to get the things she needs..." A triumphant smile appeared on her face.
This was met with no surprise. With her ability to independently develop new methods of refining spirit liquids and purifying lights, Bai Mengmeng was able to acc.u.mulate ma.s.sive sums of skygold.
"Don't let my sister know that I told you this. She's actually very shy, and if she feels too embarra.s.sed, she might, uh... beat you up," Bai Mengmeng suddenly said with a bit of awkwardness on her face. A tightly kept secret had been accidentally blurted out. Li Luo grinned knowingly. With how proud Bai Doudou was, she would never tolerate someone else knowing this. The only solution and outlet for her then would be copious amounts of violence... and he may very well be beaten up indiscriminately.
"Well, you having money is your own problem. How can I accept your help in researching a secret lightsource but still expect you to pay out of your own pocket for these miscellaneous fees? You're too innocent and naive! Won't you be taken advantage of and corrupted by those unscrupulous refining houses once you graduate? They'll clean you out!" Li Luo was just getting started on his selfless tirade. "Luckily for you, you've had the fortune of meeting me, a paragon of virtue. After you graduate, the Suncreek Villa will happily fund all of your research in full! Don't worry, I would NEVER take advantage of you. I'm reliable and will definitely take good care of you. You will feel the warmth of a tight knit family when you work with me," Li Luo declared with solemnity.
Bai Mengmeng couldn't help but laugh. "Then I will have to thank you for extending this invitation to me, Leader!"
"In fact, if you ever need any materials in the future, just give me a shout. Do you know how many school points I recently earned in the mixed-level compet.i.tion? 120,000! If all of it was converted into spirit materials, you'd have enough to fund 10 years of research!"
"Wow! Leader, you are truly amazing!" Bai Mengmeng's dimpled face blossomed with a genuine smile.
"However, Leader... I can't focus on my research with you around..." Bai Mengmeng shot a glance at the materials on the platform. Although she enjoyed spending time and chatting with the charismatic Li Luo, she had too many things to settle on her plate.
Knowing that Bai Mengmeng was focused on delivering a secret lightsource for the Suncreek Villa, Li Luo had nothing else to add, so he could only sigh with sincerity. "Mengmeng, your intentions are pure and n.o.ble. For that, even I feel an impulsive urge to dedicate myself to you!"
"Leader, if you really want to do so, you'd probably have to ask Elder Sister Qing'e for permission. I don't think you can decide how your body should be used..."
Li Luo glared at her as he refuted her with vigor. "Nonsense! I'm the true house lord of House Luolan, and what I say goes. No one will ever dare to go against me. In any case, I do have things to settle, so I will take my leave. Please continue with your research." After which, he waved her goodbye and turned to leave.
Bai Mengmeng’s eyes twinkled with a hint of humor as she watched him go. Shaking her head, she turned to focus on her secret lightsource research once again.
Li Luo, on the other hand, left the dormitory and made his way to the outskirts of the college.
"Tsk tsk. No one seems to recognize that I'm the one wearing the pants when it comes to House Luolan. All of you will realize that I am the true ruler someday! Then you'll all understand how superficial you have been!" Li Luo grumbled to himself as he remembered how Bai Mengmeng had looked at him.
"Who is superficial?" At this point, a familiar voice rang out. Raising his head, three familiar figures were looking at him from beneath the shaded canopy of a tree.
The one in the middle was Jiang Qing'e, flanked by the First Princess and Yan Lingqing.
The three were enthralling beauties, and when they stood together, they attracted the gazes of every student that happened to pa.s.s by.
Li Luo, on the other hand, remained unfazed as he strode over, grinning as he replied to Jiang Qing'e's question. "I was reflecting on my achievements and realized that I couldn't get carried away even though we won this compet.i.tion. That would have been truly superficial of me.
"He's clearly full of c.r.a.p. Qing'e, my womanly intuition tells me that he was just flirting with some other girl," Yan Lingqing replied brusquely.
"Sister Lingqing, stop trying to sow dissent between us. Do you want to have a taste of my techniques??" Li Luo gloomily threatened.
Of course, Yan Lingqing was not someone cowed by mere words, only retorting with a belly full of fire. "Oh? Try it, then! If you dare to harm me, let's see who's going to run the Suncreek Villa for you!"
Li Luo was left a little speechless. It turned out he was the one being blackmailed instead! d.a.m.n it!
Jiang Qing'e held Yan Lingqing back slightly as she helplessly replied, "Could you two please stop being so childish?"
Li Luo grinned. The relaxed bickering before him was something he had missed. The Holy Grail Meet was riddled with dangers and full of strife. Compared to that, life in school was something he yearned for, allowing his tense nerves to unwind. This was the only place where he could feel the warmth of friends.h.i.+p. If House Luolan wasn't about to face a grievous crisis in two months' time, he could leisurely take things as they came.
"Sister Qing'e, let us head home," he said.
But Qing'e shook her head. "Lingqing and I will head off first. You, on the other hand, should have a stroll with Her Highness." At this point, he turned to look at the slightly beaming First Princess, and it was then that he understood why she was here. She probably needed his a.s.sistance to cure the Little Emperor as it had been almost a month since the last time he provided treatment.
"Junior Li Luo, I'm afraid I will have to trouble you yet again," she stated warmly.
Li Luo did not reject. "It is as I promised you, Your Highness."
The four thus made their way out of the college. Jiang Qing'e and Yan Lingqing headed back to House Luolan in their carriage, whereas Li Luo followed the First Princess aboard the royal carriage escorted by a regiment of dignified and fully armored soldiers.
When the two took their seats, the driver expertly guided the carriage forward quickly and smoothly.
Li Luo took a quick glimpse at the heavenly beauty before him before closing his eyes for a quick rest. But the First Princess suddenly piped up with a radiant grin adorning her scarlet lips. "Li Luo, let's speak honestly now. Did you have anything to do with the death of the crimson knight-general?"
Her sudden question took him by surprise, and his heart couldn’t help but tremble. What was he going to say?