How Long Are You Going to Let Me Fool You?

"I didn't expect it to be so easy to succeed."

TuPake watched as He Wei Ni Ya, who had finished her breakfast quickly, left the restaurant. He slowly stuffed a piece of steak into his mouth and mumbled something to Finnis.

"I originally thought you would offer even higher incentives to win her over again, but I didn't expect her to keep her promise. It seems like we don't need to make this extra trip."

"If she hadn't come, it's hard to say." Finnis took a leisurely sip of her still-steaming black tea. "The fact that she agreed means that Daniel really didn't offer a better price."

As he spoke, Finnis put down his teacup, his brows furrowing slightly again.

"But if that's the case, why did Daniel make this extra trip? Logically speaking, the Primordial Two Great Families wouldn't do something so pointless. Since they still came after learning my conditions, they should have some additional plans. Besides, Daniel doesn't seem the same as he did at the academy. Did the Ether Family instruct him to do something?"

Finnis spoke for a long time but received no response. He turned his head and found that TuPake's attention was still on the window, watching He Wei Ni Ya gradually disappear into the distance. The slight upturn of the corners of his mouth made Finnis feel a little uneasy.

"TuPake, should I perhaps give you a little reminder?" Finnis said, "You and my sister are engaged."

TuPake then belatedly realized what was happening and said with a smile, "Of course I haven't forgotten... Speaking of which, where's Olenna? I haven't seen her at all."

"I'll call her over."

"No rush, no rush." TuPake waved his hand, then said what worried Finnis the most, "Finnis, is it possible... that we could renegotiate our deal?"

Finnis immediately narrowed his eyes. "What? You want to raise the price at the last minute too?"

"Of course not, do you think I'm that kind of person?" TuPake said seriously. "Besides, aren't our two companies already in a cooperative relationship? This isn't about raising the price, it's just a friendly discussion about the deal."

Finnis had already figured out what TuPake wanted, after all, the guy made no attempt to hide it. "You want He Wei Ni Ya?"

"Hehehe." TuPake rubbed his hands a little "embarrassedly." "I do have that idea. Of course, I also know her value, so I will ask the family to appropriately lower our previous demands."

Just as I expected.

Finnis's expression didn't change much. "And what about my sister?"

"Olenna ... well, Olenna is excellent too, but you know me, I hate arranged marriages the most," TuPake said with a smile. "I believe Olenna thinks the same way. She obviously likes you more than me, Finnis."

Finnis glanced at TuPake indifferently.

He had to admit, he admired TuPake's thick skin, which was thicker than a city wall, as he could spout such lies so easily.

However... it's not entirely a lie.

For those of the Gold Rank, the requirements for a spouse are very strict, especially in large families. It is absolutely forbidden for Gold Rank offspring to breed with someone who is too "inferior," for fear of losing even the slightest bit of "essence."

Therefore, their pool of potential spouses is not large. In their eyes, an eighteen-year-old Bronze Tier girl who is as beautiful as an angel cannot compare to a high-quality silver-rank old woman around fifty years old who has never been a woman.

From this perspective, He Wei Ni Ya is indeed a very good choice; otherwise, Finnis wouldn't have considered marrying He Wei Ni Ya after everything was over.

This was not only a "gift" to He Wei Ni Ya, but also a very pleasant and valuable choice for him. After all, He Wei Ni Ya was not only a Golden Sound, but also a very beautiful Golden Sound.

But TuPake also took a liking to it.

Although he was somewhat displeased, Finnis did not show any sign of anger or resentment. Instead, he seriously considered the feasibility of the new deal.

Then he realized that he had no reason to refuse.

Because He Wei Ni Ya, in the end, wasn't actually their family's property, while the transaction he made with TuPake involved real assets.

A single He Wei Ni Ya can only bring one or two Golden Sound offspring to the family at most, and the probability is extremely low. If mating between Golden Sound guarantee the production of Golden Sound offspring, then Golden Sound wouldn't be so rare.

Moreover, once TuPake takes He Wei Ni Ya, the Lawrence Family can rightfully take back Olenna, who has already been betrothed. This is also a valuable bargaining chip that can be used in other ways.

Once he understood this, Finnis's displeasure completely disappeared, and he made a decision at the same time.

So Finnis leisurely picked up his teacup, took a small sip under TuPake's expectant gaze, and said, "That depends on your own abilities. After all, Miss He Wei Ni Ya is not yet a member of my family."

TuPake understood what Finnis meant, and his smile widened even more.

As long as Finnis doesn't interfere, no one except the Primordial Family will be able to compete with TuPake.

That girl is mine now.

The thought of He Wei Ni Ya's perfect appearance and the faintly visible Golden Seventh Sound hidden beneath her coat made TuPake feel a little itchy.

These changes were naturally noticed by Finnis, which intensified his contempt for TuPake.

To make the family expend so many resources for that worthless good looks, this guy... is indeed a short-sighted fool, all he has is a golden musical note.

Of course, Finnis wouldn't point it out.

They will stay here for two more days.

Tomorrow is the last day of the Seven Sound Festival, and according to tradition, the Grand Ceremony will officially begin after the Seven Sound Festival ends.

Therefore, he needed to wait until the last moment to ensure that He Wei Ni Ya would not cause any trouble, while also keeping an eye on Daniel and figuring out what the Ether Family was planning.

Just then, he saw a figure rush out of the restaurant, chasing after He Wei Ni Ya, who had already walked far away.

He narrowed his eyes.

"That guy, isn't he the waiter who took our order?" Finnis said.

TuPake looked over as well. "It seems so."

Finnis watched as Auger caught up with He Wei Ni Ya in the distance, and then began to talk to He Wei Ni Ya. He frowned slightly and asked, "Why would He Wei Ni Ya associate with someone of this caliber?"

"I think you're being overly cautious." TuPake said nonchalantly, "Isn't this kind of thing normal? It's probably just a little bit of fun, and it's a kind of fun unique to before the Grand Ceremony."

"A unique kind of fun?" Finnis looked at TuPake. "What do you mean?"

"Finnis, you're missing out on a lot of fun by focusing only on the Grand Ceremony itself," TuPake said. "You don't even know about a little game that's been circulating widely among the nobility lately."

"You might as well put it more clearly."

TuPake smiled, but didn't explain immediately. Instead, he looked around and found a girl who was also working at the restaurant.

"See that woman? She's the one wiping the table."

Finnis looked over. "What's wrong?"

How long do you think she can live?

Finnis's brows furrowed immediately. "What do you mean?"

"It's exactly what it sounds like," TuPake said with a grin. "A bet on how long she can live."

Finnis narrowed his eyes slightly. "You want to kill someone?"

"Of course not, Finnis, you're overthinking it." TuPake shrugged. "We're law-abiding students, why would we do something so cruel? And what's the point of that?"

"If that's the case, then I don't see any possibility that she will die anytime soon," Finnis said. "I just saw the markings on her arm; they're silver rank. Under normal circumstances, she could live for a long time."

"Yes, under normal circumstances." TuPake nodded, then took out a pen and paper from his clothes, quickly wrote a few lines of small writing, and showed them to Finnis. "But... what if it's like this?"

Finnis glanced at it and instantly understood what TuPake meant.

Because this is an invitation, Band Invitation that hasn't filled in their name yet.

Seeing that Finnis didn't speak, TuPake assumed that he hadn't understood what he meant, so he beckoned with his finger to call over another male waiter.

"Hello," he said with a smile to the waiter, "Could you please tell me the young lady's name?"

He pointed to the girl in the distance who was still wiping the table.

The waiter naturally wouldn't refuse TuPake.

After receiving a reply, TuPake wrote his name on the invitation, sealed it in an envelope, and then shook it slightly.

"The game begins once you hand it to that girl," TuPake said with a smile. "So, want to play?"

"... You guys are so boring."

"No, no, no, how could this be boring?" TuPake placed the envelope on the table, pressing it with his finger. "This is the most interesting bet because it has so many possibilities. Finnis, you have no idea how crazy those people who desperately try to get into the Inner Melody during the Grand Ceremony are. I lost to Watson on a Six Music Chapter because I didn't know enough... The girl died the moment he handed over the letter. Of course, it had nothing to do with us; we just watched."

After a long silence, Finnis asked, "You're betting such a huge amount?"

"Of course, that's what makes it interesting, that's what makes it fair."

"Fair?"

"Yes, don't you think so, Finnis? The Grand Ceremony isn't as fun as we nobles imagine. Unlike them, those guys who desperately try to squeeze into the Inner Melody can put on a show that's far more exciting than what we nobles can do by repeatedly using fixed movements to get fixed rewards," TuPake said with a laugh. "Why should they be the only ones who get to enjoy the Grand Ceremony so much? We should get some excitement too, we should enjoy it too... So, shall we have one, Finnis, and bet her life on it?"

Finnis glanced deeply at the envelope pressed on the table, then slowly shook his head. "I'm not as bored as you guys. I have a lot of things to do."

"...Okay, you're always so boring." TuPake shrugged, then looked out the window again, trying to find where He Wei Ni Ya was. "So I'm really looking forward to it. I think Miss He Wei Ni Ya must have the same hobbies as me. I really want to play a game with her as soon as possible."

Looking at the now-cold black tea, Finnis lost interest in drinking it and said, "It's time to go."

"Alright." TuPake called over the same waiter again. "Check, please."

As the two were about to leave, Finnis saw TuPake hand the envelope and two tips to the waiter, smiling and giving him instructions.

"Please give this invitation to the lady from earlier and tell her it was given to her by me, TuPake Roger."

"Remember, hand it over when there are many people around."

"I hope to give her a surprise," he said with a bright smile. "Happy Seven Sound Festival."

"H, He Wei Ni Ya."

He Wei Ni Ya turned around and saw Auger chasing after her, panting heavily, so she stopped.

"You, you actually went back to school so early." Auger stood in front of He Wei Ni Ya, his face flushed, whether from running too fast or being too nervous, it was hard to tell. "I, I thought you wouldn't be back until after the holiday."

He Wei Ni Ya smiled sweetly as always, "Yes, I came back early, after all, I have to prepare for the Grand Ceremony."

Auger blushed even more after seeing He Wei Ni Ya's smile.

"Um, um... you gave me Seven Sound Festival gift before, but I haven't given you a gift back yet."

He Wei Ni Ya wrinkled her nose. "I thought you'd forgotten."

"No, no, I just... didn't expect it, oh wait a minute." Auger hurriedly rummaged in his pocket. "I was just holding it in my hand."

He Wei Ni Ya wasn't in a hurry. She waited quietly to the side, while pondering in her mind what books she should ask Auger to bring out of the library for her this time.

As her power increases, He Wei Ni Ya can now use more and more magical melodies, so Auger's value to her naturally becomes more and more... um?

As Auger was rummaging through the "gifts," He Wei Ni Ya's gaze inadvertently caught sight of Auger's skin beneath his clothes.

Then, He Wei Ni Ya's pupils narrowed slightly.

Because she saw the musical scale patterns on Auger's skin.

It is silver.

It's not that silver light covers the bronze soundboard; it's completely silver.

"The success rate of Advancement Magic is very low."

"This will be accompanied by immense pain."

Daniel's words resonated in He Wei Ni Ya's mind.

Auger has successfully advanced.

From Bronze Tier to silver.

He Wei Ni Ya looked at the silver patterns and then suddenly realized that Auger's fate had changed.

He went from a Bronze Sound Player with no future to a normal Silver Sound Player.

He actually... did it.

"Found it!" Auger finally found the "gift" in his pocket and was very excited to take it out.

But halfway through his outstretched hand, He Wei Ni Ya grabbed it.

"Alright, that's enough. I'm tired," He Wei Ni Ya said softly.

Auger paused, then subconsciously looked up at He Wei Ni Ya with a puzzled expression.

"How long are you going to keep fooling and playing me until you realize it?" He Wei Ni Ya sighed. "It's so unsatisfying, I don't want to keep pretending anymore."

"H- He Wei Ni Ya?" Auger's heart suddenly panicked.

"Don't you understand yet?"

He Wei Ni Ya smiled and withdrew her hand, brushing aside her disheveled hair, before revealing a contemptuous smile that Auger had never seen before.

"I'm tired of this," she said. "You should leave."