"Shut up," Chen Li replied offhandedly.
[Fine. But I still want to say...]
"I'm not listening."
[Fine...]
"Um... Pearl? You can let go of my hand now." After dismissing the talkative Pixie, Chen Li looked down at the hand Pearl was holding, then up at her calm face, and reminded her.
Pearl nodded, but her hand still gripped Chen Li's wrist tightly, with no intention of letting go.
"Pearl?" Chen Li looked at her in confusion.
"Before that, I hope you will not use that way of begging people to act cute toward others again." Pearl's tone was exceptionally serious.
"What's wrong with that?" Chen Li asked, puzzled.
"The problem is very serious," Pearl warned solemnly.
"Fine." Chen Li chose to compromise.
"Also... please stay away from whoever taught you to act cute like that in the future," Pearl added.
"That might not be possible," Chen Li replied instinctively.
"My lord, you're being disobedient again." Pearl sighed softly.
"Hey, is that the way you speak to your lord?" Chen Li couldn't help but complain.
"I have several ways. There are loyal ministers, treacherous ministers, flattering ministers, and remonstrating ministers." Pearl answered unhurriedly.
"But you're a military strategist," Chen Li reminded her.
Pearl's mouth opened slightly, then closed again.
It seemed she really had no grounds to refute him.
Seeing Pearl's rare, subtly awkward expression as though her train of thought had stalled, Chen Li couldn't help smiling.
"All right, all right. Actually, it's mainly because... I learned the way I beg people from her." As Chen Li spoke, he raised a hand and pointed behind Pearl.
Pearl visibly paused, because she remembered there was a wall and several windows behind her, with open air more than ten meters above the ground beyond them.
Pearl cautiously turned her head toward the