Knock, knock.
A rhythmic tapping came from outside the window, interrupting the discussion in the room.
The three people and two cats all turned to look.
It was already late at night. Though the moonlight brightened the scene, the world beyond the glass window was still pitch-black. Only the owner of that knocking sound gave off a faint red glow, making its appearance clearly visible.
It was a paper crane.
XIN Fatty, closest to the window, hurriedly got up and opened it.
The paper crane flapped its wings, shot through beneath the Fat Wizard's armpit with a whoosh, circled the bright chandelier twice, then gracefully folded its wings and landed on Zheng Qing's shoulder, pecking at his earlobe.
The boy sucked in a breath from the pain and raised a hand to catch the paper crane.
The moment the paper touched his hand, Zheng Qing recognized it as the Academy's standard stationery. When he unfolded it, the handwriting inside was neat. Though unsigned, as a formally employed teaching assistant at First University, Zheng Qing easily recognized it as the handwriting of Zhang Yu, acting leader of the Teaching Assistant Group.
The letter's contents were very simple.
"Do not casually leave the guards' line of sight. Much appreciated."
This was a "reminder."
Zheng Qing stared at the last two words of the letter—"much appreciated" could be understood as a polite phrase when troubling someone, but it could also mean that leaving the guards' sight would make things very difficult for them.
He read that short line four or five times.
Just as he was still considering whether "much appreciated" carried any other meaning, a thin black line appeared along the edge of the paper. In the blink of an eye, the entire letter silently turned to ashes in his palm.
"Whose