"No problem!"
The young government-funded student answered quickly and sincerely, his face resolute. "Perfect. I've prepared some coursework related to talismans. I can use this time to urge Dongdong to start learning early."
He silently apologized to Little Fox.
Su Shijun nodded in satisfaction. Her grip on his collar loosened slightly, then she frowned, her gaze swiftly sweeping past Zheng Qing's shoulder. A trace of annoyance appeared on her face. "Then it's settled. I'll be leaving first... There are more and more people at the banquet, and more and more pests... Don't stay out too late. If Sister Man locks you out, there'll be nothing I can do!"
The boy carefully turned his head and followed the witch's gaze. He saw Matthew's uncle, Duke Milton of the Blood Clan, holding a wineglass and greeting people as he made his way toward them.
"Oh, right. I have one last piece of simple advice for you." Su Shijun's voice came from beside him, slightly stern.
Zheng Qing withdrew his gaze and looked curiously at the witch.
She looked at him very seriously, her meaning clear. "An ancient Mayan priest once said that if you desperately wanted to share a secret with someone else—I mean a 'very important,' 'very dangerous' secret—you should first dig a grave... That grave might bury the person who leaked the secret, or the person who heard it. It might also bury the person trying to steal it, or even the person involved in the secret itself.
So I want to remind you that some things become secrets precisely because they aren't meant to be known by too many people. Knowing too much does no one any good... That's all. See you."
Zheng Qing stood there in a daze, not even noticing when Su Shijun left.
He simply remembered