Prejudice, Slander, and a Little Grievance

At that moment, Qian Daoliu, Qian Renxue, Golden Crocodile, Azure Luan, and the others all turned their attention toward Bai Wanwan and Guangling.

Their expressions were all different.

Qian Daoliu's expression and gaze did not change, remaining as calm as ever, though his eyes subtly flicked toward the Papal Hall.

So she had someone she liked.

That was perfectly normal.

Bai Wanwan was only eighteen now, at an age when she was still inexperienced in matters of the heart and just beginning to understand love. Besides, as Guangling had said, feelings were not something one could control.

So this was only natural. There was nothing surprising about it.

However, there was one point on which he agreed with Guangling.

That was whether the person Bai Wanwan liked was someone worthy of entrusting herself to.

After all, strictly speaking, Bai Wanwan was also one of his juniors, one of the most outstanding geniuses of their Worship Hall.

As long as that person was truly worthy, of good character, then even if his talent and background were somewhat lacking and Guangling opposed the relationship because of it, Qian Daoliu could still help Bai Wanwan persuade Guangling a little.

But that was all he would do.

No matter what, this was Guangling's family matter. A few words of persuasion were enough; interfering too deeply would be inappropriate.

If that person was not worthy or had poor character, then Qian Daoliu would not need to get involved at all. He would first have to get past Guangling.

As for whether Bai Wanwan having someone she liked would make her leave the Worship Hall, Qian Daoliu had never considered that question, because such a possibility simply did not exist.

Bai Wanwan had entered the Worship Hall when she was six and had spent a full ten years there. Over those ten years, every Worship knew exactly what kind of person she was and what her temperament was like.

Not to mention the friendship between Bai Wanwan and Qian Renxue.

With Grandfather, the Fifth Elder; Bai Wanwan's Teacher, the Second Worship; as well as Azure Luan, Xiongshi, and several other close elders around her.

Leaving the Worship Hall had been impossible from the very beginning.

Therefore, the situation involving that person in the Papal Hall would absolutely never happen again.

The alarm had already been sounded once, so when she was raised as a child, special attention had been paid to this aspect to prevent history from repeating itself.

Qian Daoliu picked up the tea at hand and calmly took a sip before leisurely placing a chess piece onto the board.

His gaze secretly slid toward Qian Renxue beside him, and Qian Daoliu could not help sighing inwardly. If my granddaughter had been born a boy, Bai Wanwan would probably have joined the Qian Family long ago. There would be no room for anyone else.

After all, describing the friendship between his granddaughter Qian Renxue and Bai Wanwan as something beyond friendship would not be an exaggeration in the slightest. Only their genders had held them back; otherwise, they would have moved on to the next stage long ago.

Naturally, Qian Renxue had no idea what Qian Daoliu was thinking.

At that moment, Qian Renxue stared vaguely at the ceiling, but her ears were perked up as she secretly listened to the conversation between Bai Wanwan and Guangling.

Golden Crocodile looked at Bai Wanwan with the same grave expression as Guangling.

As Bai Wanwan's Teacher, he naturally needed to pay closer attention to this matter.

He could also help Bai Wanwan assess whether that person was reliable.

As for Guangling, he had been single for decades and was already an old man who still acted like a child. What could he possibly judge? In any case, Golden Crocodile did not trust Guangling's judgment.

What if he judged wrongly and delayed his disciple's future?

Azure Luan quietly watched Bai Wanwan and Guangling, looking as though he were all ears.

"Ahem."

Bai Wanwan gave a light cough. "Grandfather, she's very pretty. Really beautiful—the kind whose looks are on par with mine."

Bai Wanwan lowered her head, gently twisting the corner of her clothes between her fingertips.

"Really beautiful?"

Guangling fell into thought. When describing a boy, should one not normally say he was handsome or dashing?

Why had it become "very pretty" and "really beautiful" when it came to his granddaughter?

Although Guangling felt that Bai Wanwan's description was a little strange, he did not think much of it. He would just assume that the person had an androgynous sort of beauty.

"Wanwan, let me tell you, people with that kind of face who know a few sweet words are the best at flirting around. I don't even need to see her to know she's no good person."

There was a thread of malice in Guangling's tone.

Yes, when it came to the pig trying to root up his precious cabbage, no matter how he looked at it or thought about it, Guangling found it displeasing.

Though he had not even met that person yet, Guangling had already labeled her a bad person in his heart.

The only problem was that Bai Wanwan had said "she," while Guangling said "he." Their signals were practically on entirely different frequencies.

"Flirting around?"

"Not a good person?"

Listening to Guangling, Qian Renxue secretly glanced in his direction.

She had never flirted around with anyone.

And she was absolutely a good person—the kind of good person who treated Bai Wanwan especially well.

So Guangling was being prejudiced. This was absolutely prejudice.

"Grandfather, her talent is also very high. It's even a little higher than mine."

Bai Wanwan continued twisting her clothes, but her voice was extremely clear.

"High talent?"

"Then she's even less likely to be a good person!"

"Talented, pretty—who knows how many girls she's seduced behind the scenes."

"Besides, being talented does not mean someone has good character. Even if she's exceptionally talented, if her character is bad, I won't agree to it."

"As the saying goes, you can know a person's face but not their heart. She may look bright and beautiful on the outside, but who knows what she's like behind the scenes."

Guangling rose from his seat and placed one foot on the stool, his tone exceptionally serious.

Yes, Guangling had now completely equated her with being a bad person.

Prejudice or any other reason aside, Guangling simply felt that person was no good.

"Slander!"

"This is slander! Defamation!"

Qian Renxue glanced at Guangling again, a small grievance flashing through her heart. She really wanted to tell him that this was blatant slander.

But after thinking it over, she felt that the time was not right yet and silently endured it.

"And her background is excellent too. Her backing is enormous—especially, especially, especially enormous."

Bai Wanwan lowered her head and secretly poked her fingers together.

"Excellent background?"

"Enormous backing?"

"How enormous could her backing possibly be? Could it be greater than our Spirit Hall?"

"Wanwan, tell Grandfather who she is. I'd like to see exactly what kind of background she has, how beautiful she is, and just how talented she is!"

Guangling took a deep breath, and his favorable impression of that person sank even lower.

It had even dropped below zero.

"Grandfather~"

Bai Wanwan called out, her gaze gradually drifting toward Qian Renxue, her expression carrying an unclear meaning.