I'll Only Give You Ten Seconds

"Good afternoon, Miss He Wei Ni Ya," Finnis said with a smile. "After everything that has happened, I was worried He Wei Ni Ya you might be affected, but thankfully, you look quite well."

"Really?" He Wei Ni Ya touched her face with slight surprise, then smiled and said, "It was because Delin took such good care of me that I was able to rest peacefully for a whole day on the ship that came here."

Delin, standing to the side, respectfully patted his chest and said, "It is my honor to make you feel at ease."

"It is an honor for the entire Lawrence Family," Finnis took over the conversation, then turned slightly to the side. "Alright, Miss He Wei Ni Ya, let's go up the mountain together."

He Wei Ni Ya nodded slightly, then followed Finnis into the carriage. Delin and his party, who had brought her there, bowed and took their leave.

So the carriage, pulled by a unicorn, slowly made its way through the snow and entered an ancient bronze gate. Then, the bronze gate closed slowly with a deep, resonant sound.

Upon witnessing this, He Wei Ni Ya asked Finnis, "Has the One Academy always been in a closed state?"

"To be precise, it should be semi-closed," Finnis explained with a smile. "The One Academy is different from the Second and Three Academies. This place is not only an academy, but also Holy Mountain, the closest place to the Lord. Naturally, people will not be allowed to enter easily, so as not to offend the Great Lord."

"Is that so?" He Wei Ni Ya said. "I thought we were going to be on guard against that guy."

Upon hearing "that guy," Finnis's smile faded slightly. He said calmly, "While I admit that guy caused quite a stir, it would be delusional for him to think he could offend the Master and challenge One Academy just like that."

Finnis paused, then continued.

"Don't worry, Miss He Wei Ni Ya. This isn't the Three Academies; that guy can't get here. And even if he could, we have plenty of means and people to deal with him. Even setting aside us and the Primordial Two Great Families, the greatest musician in the entire Holy Sound family is still here, isn't he?"

He Wei Ni Ya blinked. "Headmaster?"

"Yes," Finnis said with a smile, "Principal Ulysses."

... It's finally here.

The principal of the Three Great Academies of the Holy Sound Academy, the greatest contemporary musician who was just one note away from completing the millennium feat twenty years ago— Ulysses.

He Wei Ni Ya naturally gave him ample endorsement, given that he was the most outstanding figure in the Holy Sound in every aspect.

Of course, she couldn't show this to Finnis, so she could only ask, seemingly clueless, "Is the headmaster still in charge? I always thought he had already..."

"He's stepped down to the second line, hasn't he?" Finnis said with a smile. "Indeed, in the eyes of the Second Academy and Three Academies, the principal is more like a legendary figure now. After all, he's not as active as he was twenty years ago, and after all... he's getting old."

"Are you getting older?" He Wei Ni Ya suddenly hesitated. "Um, Mr. Finnis, there's a question I'm not sure if I should ask."

"When you say that, you probably already have the answer in your heart, right?" Finnis said. "Just say it."

"...Okay." He Wei Ni Ya unconsciously leaned closer to Finnis, looking like a little girl eager to verify the truth of a piece of gossip she'd heard somewhere. "How old is the headmaster anyway? Why do some people say he's young, while others say he's very old?"

As she spoke, He Wei Ni Ya nervously clutched the hem of her clothes, but her bright eyes were full of curiosity and thirst for knowledge.

He Wei Ni Ya herself was slightly surprised by how easily she handled the task.

Upon seeing Bai Wei give her a thumbs-up, her body and mind instantly soared to an exceptional level, making her already adept disguise even more skillful.

Finnis didn't suspect anything. He smiled and said, "I guessed you would ask this. However, the 'Holy Sound History' should record Principal Ulysses' birth date, right? Miss He Wei Ni Ya, it seems you didn't pay attention in this class."

"Of course I know! I even got... a passing grade in this class!" He Wei Ni Ya said, slightly indignant. "But according to historical records, Principal Ulysses should be over seventy years old now. How is that possible? If that's the case, then at the Grand Ceremony twenty years ago, the principal would have been over fifty, which would have been..."

"The notes have faded, haven't they?" Finnis pointed out the crux of the problem directly, then said with a smile, "That's what you wanted to say, isn't that right?"

He Wei Ni Ya nodded.

"Indeed, logically speaking, the best 'blooming period' for musical notes is within ten years after they have fully matured. So for the performer, this best 'blooming period' is between the ages of thirteen and twenty-three," Finnis said. "That's why the Grand Ceremony is mainly attended by students from the Three Great Academies, because once they reach a certain age, they will inevitably face the problem of their musical notes fading."

"In fact, the Three Great Academies were established precisely for this reason."

"However, Miss He Wei Ni Ya, you should also know that not every participant in the Grand Ceremony is a student of the appropriate age. There are also some who have already graduated, and those who are not so young also participate. Among these people is Golden Sound."

He Wei Ni Ya nodded again. "Yes, I've heard that some senior students stayed on to work at the university after graduation just to participate in the Grand Ceremony... But why is that? Haven't their musical notes faded?"

"Of course..." Finnis said with a smile, "No."

He Wei Ni Ya, as always, showed a surprised expression at just the right moment.

"As I just said, the fading time is 'as is' the norm, but naturally there are exceptions," Finnis said. "There are indeed some players who can delay the fading of notes, from four or five years to more than ten years... there are all of those."

"Is... this really possible?"

"Of course it is," Finnis said. "And the method isn't a secret; it's just... pure."

"Purely?"

"Yes," Finnis nodded. "The purer a player's musicality and the fewer distractions they have, the better they can maintain their notes. The more thoughts they have and the more they crave things outside of music, the worse their notes will become. Miss He Wei Ni Ya, you must have seen such people before, whose notes had already faded beyond recognition before graduation. That's why most players who want to slow down the fading of their notes choose to stay at the academy after graduation, because only the Three Great Academies can provide them with the purest environment."

Before He Wei Ni Ya could respond, she heard Bai Wei lazily say in her mind, "It's just abstinence, why make it sound so complicated?"

This startled her slightly. "Are you still able to speak?"

"Why not? I didn't say I was going to become mute," Bai Wei said with a smile. "I just said to talk less."

"You're not the type to hold back your words these days."

"We haven't gone in yet. I'll keep things short once we're inside," Bai Wei said. "The castle is filled with the power of the Lord of Holy Sound, so my mental connection with you can't last too long. Hmm, let me think... How about this, I'll try to use short sentences to contact you in the future."

"... short sentences?"

"Yes, the shorter the better, but I will try my best to make you understand," Bai Wei said. "If we get to some more dangerous places and it becomes difficult to contact you, then I will try to leave you some hints. If you suddenly find that I am not responding and you see some short sentences that you don't understand, don't doubt it, that's what I left for you."

He Wei Ni Ya felt something was off. "For example?"

"For example... 'There's a hidden path ahead' or something like that," Bai Wei smiled. "Or, 'You did a good job! You did a good job!'"

Why did you suddenly become so enthusiastic?

He Wei Ni Ya was even more confused.

However, knowing that Bai Wei could still give her hints and wasn't just watching did reassure her a little.

Then, she turned her attention back to Finnis.

Of course, her previous conversation with Bai Wei had not affected her conversation with Finnis. Having spent so much time with Bai Wei, she had long been used to multitasking.

"So, the headmaster also extended the fading time of the notes in this way?" He Wei Ni Ya continued, feigning surprise. "But... even if it's extended, it can't be extended to fifty years old, can it?"

"But that's the truth," Finnis said with a smile. "The principal has always maintained his musical talent well. Even at the Grand Ceremony twenty years ago, at the age of fifty, he hadn't let his notes fade, which is why he was able to play the 'Seven Sound · Uproar,' a piece that will be remembered in history. You'll understand when you meet him; he is absolutely the greatest and purest musician you've ever seen."

For once, He Wei Ni Ya detected a hint of admiration in Finnis's tone.

The only person who could earn the heartfelt respect of the eldest son of the Lawrence Family would indeed be that legendary headmaster.

The notes remained vibrant until the age of fifty.

How exactly was this done?

He Wei Ni Ya instinctively wanted to ask Bai Wei if he had any information about the principal.

But at that moment, a mournful bird cry came from outside the carriage.

He Wei Ni Ya instinctively turned her head and saw through the car window countless owls leaping down from the snow-white castle and flying into the distance.

"We're almost there," Finnis said. "Miss He Wei Ni Ya, if you still have any questions about the headmaster, you can ask him yourself later."

He Wei Ni Ya raised an eyebrow and asked in surprise, "Would the headmaster be willing to see me?"

"Of course, don't forget your notes." Finnis said calmly, "Twenty years ago, the headmaster missed the final step on the path to godhood because he was missing a golden Seventh Sound. Although he never mentioned it, everyone knew it was his greatest regret. After that, even though his health deteriorated and he could no longer participate in the academy's affairs, he would still personally meet with the next player who possessed Golden Seventh Sound."

"I see." He Wei Ni Ya initially looked expectant, but then, as if suddenly remembering something, she said apologetically to Finnis, "I'm sorry, Mr. Finnis, did I remind you of something sad?"

"...If you're trying to say something about Olenna," Finnis shook his head. "You don't need to apologize, and the person who should apologize...it's pointless to apologize now."

Finnis clearly didn't want to linger on the topic of Olenna for long, and he quickly regained his smile.

"However, since we're talking about family, Miss He Wei Ni Ya, I have a surprise for you."

...surprise?

What surprises can Finnis give her?

He Wei Ni Ya was somewhat puzzled.

At this moment, the car slowly came to a stop.

Finnis opened the carriage door, allowing He Wei Ni Ya to see a cold, middle-aged man standing in the snowstorm outside the carriage.

After clearly seeing the middle-aged man's face, He Wei Ni Ya's pupils narrowed slightly.

Because the man's name is Yi Wen.

Ivan Hai Luo.

He Wei Ni Ya pursed her lips, then slowly walked up to the man, lowered her head, and began to speak softly.

"Father."

"I heard about the Three Academies." Yi Wen sat down in front of He Wei Ni Ya with a serious expression. "I originally wanted to go directly to the Three Academies to find you, but Young Master Finnis sent someone to inform me that he would bring you here, so I came here to wait for you."

His gaze swept over He Wei Ni Ya.

"You... you're alright, aren't you?"

"No, Father," He Wei Ni Ya shook her head. "That man did not harm me."

"Yes, I've heard the general outline of what happened." Yi Wen nodded, then looked at Finnis sitting to the side. "It's fortunate that young master Finnis came to your aid; you should thank him."

Before He Wei Ni Ya could speak, Finnis smiled and shook his head, "No need to be so polite, we'll be family sooner or later."

"...Of course." Yi Wen did not deny it, and then he took out a beautifully wrapped package from his pocket and handed it to He Wei Ni Ya. "This is from your mother."

... What did Man Di give her?

He Wei Ni Ya opened the package and then showed a surprised expression.

Because what was inside the package was a box of baked cookies.

What's going on?

He Wei Ni Ya really didn't expect that.

"Your mother knows what happened to you and is very worried about you, but she can't come in person, so this is the only way she can do it." Yi Wen frowned slightly, somewhat displeased. "She still treats you like a little child and told me to hand you over to you personally. Honestly, she spoils you too much."

He Wei Ni Ya stared blankly at the biscuits in front of her, not yet reacting, when Finnis laughed again, "If I had a daughter as outstanding as Miss He Wei Ni Ya, I would probably spoil her rotten. But Miss He Wei Ni Ya, you do have a mother who loves you very much."

He Wei Ni Ya responded to Finnis with a smile.

But that's not what I really think.

Man Di... can bake cookies?

Did He Wei Ni Ya's original form like to eat Man Di's baked cookies?

How could she not know about such a thing?

As she looked at the cookies in front of her, preparing to put them away first, she heard Yi Wen say, "Young Master Finnis, may I speak with my daughter alone? Her mother asked me to give her some words."

A strong sense of unease instantly welled up in He Wei Ni Ya's heart.

"Certainly."

Finnis smiled, stood up, said "I'll be right outside," and then left the room.

Suddenly, only He Wei Ni Ya and Yi Wen remained in the room.

The two stared at each other. The stern, loving fatherly expression in Yi Wen's eyes was gone, replaced by a cold stare at He Wei Ni Ya.

After a long pause, he slowly spoke, "Eat the biscuit, now."

He Wei Ni Ya didn't move. "Can I know the reason?"

"You only have two choices. First, eat those cookies," Yi Wen said calmly. "Second, I will tell Finnis your true identity right now."

He Wei Ni Ya's pupils narrowed slightly.

"Come on, choose."

Yi Wen leaned back in his chair, looking down at He Wei Ni Ya from his elevated position.

"I'll only give you ten seconds."

I'm attending a classmate's wedding tomorrow noon and an elder's birthday banquet in the evening. I don't know if I'll be able to come back in time to update, but I'll try my best.

By the way, all my classmates are married, but I'm still single. It's so sad.