Borrowing Spirit Stones

"Hey! Look! Isn't that Du Chengping?" Luo Ping pointed at a figure not far away and asked the people around him.

"It really is!" Tao Yong smiled, called out to Luo Ping, and walked over.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaofan couldn't very well slip away, so he dragged Luo Yunji along to follow them.

"Chengping!" Tao Yong walked up to Du Chengping, tapped him lightly on the back, and called out.

Du Chengping turned around, and upon seeing the group, he looked slightly surprised. "How did you all end up together?"

"We just happened to run into each other! What about you? What are you buying?" Tao Yong leaned in to peek at the stall Du Chengping was currently patronizing.

"How could you..." Tao Yong was just about to speak when Luo Ping secretly nudged him with his elbow.

"I happened to need some paper and ink myself. How is this shop's stock?" Luo Ping walked to Du Chengping's side and began looking at the goods on the stall with him.

"Almost put my foot in my mouth!" Tao Yong rubbed the spot where Luo Ping had nudged him and muttered to Zhang Xiaofan.

Zhang Xiaofan was a bit curious, as he hadn't noticed what had happened between the three of them earlier.

"Chengping and Qingzhi are both from humble backgrounds, and their families aren't well-off. The expenses required for studying in the Imperial City are a huge burden on their families. That's why they are quite frugal with their food and clothing," Tao Yong explained in a low voice.

Zhang Xiaofan nodded. Luo Yunji, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to what was happening. He was currently standing by the sedan chair, standing on his tiptoes to tease Liao Xing, which provoked a glare and some unintelligible syllables from