This shouldn't be right!

"I nearly forgot about my lesson!"

Hearing Lin Qinrou's reminder from outside the door, Master Song froze for a moment, then raised a hand and lightly smacked his forehead.

Jiang Xiaobai's display of Numerical Arts had left him so shaken that he had nearly forgotten it was time to teach.

Just as Master Song was about to say something toward the door, Jiang Xiaobai suddenly spoke first.

"Master, regarding what I just taught you, please... keep it a secret for me."

Hmm?

Master Song visibly faltered at those words.

His gaze, which he had already lifted, returned to Jiang Xiaobai.

His slightly aged eyes were filled with bewilderment.

Indeed.

He simply could not understand.

After all, the Numerical Arts Methods Jiang Xiaobai had just presented were no mere little tricks.

They were enough to overturn the entire field of calculation!

Once word spread, never mind the Imperial College-even the whole of Great Hua would likely be shaken.

With such methods and such ability, anyone else would have been eager to spread the word immediately and make their name resound far and wide.

Yet now... Jiang Xiaobai was asking him to conceal it?

How could he not be surprised?

At that thought, Master Song looked at Jiang Xiaobai and asked, "Do you know what it would mean if word of those things spread?"

"I do."

Jiang Xiaobai nodded, his expression calm. "But as for precisely why I'm doing this, you should understand at tomorrow's morning court, Master."

"So..."

Jiang Xiaobai cupped his hands toward Master Song, his tone growing more earnest. "Please keep this secret for me, Master."

As those words fell, Master Song stood there, his brows drawing together slightly.

Clearly.

He still could not make sense of it.

But he could also tell that Jiang Xiaobai was not joking. In the end, Master Song sighed softly.

"Very well. Since you insist, I'll keep it under wraps for now."

"Thank you, Master."

Jiang Xiaobai immediately smiled.

Master Song shook his head, then turned his gaze toward the door and said, "Qinrou, come in and speak!"

As Master Song's words fell.

The door was soon pushed gently open from outside.

A moment later, a slender figure with a cool air walked slowly inside.

It was none other than Lin Qinrou.

Her expression remained cool, and she still exuded that distant air that kept others a thousand miles away.

However.

When she actually entered the room and saw who was standing inside, a visible ripple passed through her previously indifferent eyes.

Indeed.

She clearly had not expected Jiang Xiaobai and Li Zhiwei to be here.

And that guard, of course!

But Lin Qinrou was no ordinary woman, after all.

Very soon, her expression returned to its former cool composure.

Jiang Xiaobai, meanwhile, had kept his gaze on her from the moment she entered.

To be honest.

He had originally thought that her first reaction upon seeing him here would be to reveal everything that had happened earlier.

To his surprise, however, Lin Qinrou mentioned none of it.

That left Jiang Xiaobai feeling somewhat astonished.

At that moment, Master Song looked at Lin Qinrou and said, "Qinrou, you've come at just the right time, and you're acquainted with Zhiwei as well."

"In that case, stay here and keep them company for a while."

"I... will go teach my lesson first."

As he spoke, Master Song deliberately glanced toward Jiang Xiaobai.

Indeed.

He wanted Jiang Xiaobai to stay as long as possible.

After all, that display of Numerical Arts had felt like opening a door to an entirely new world.

Naturally, once he returned from teaching, he wanted to have another proper discussion with Jiang Xiaobai.

Lin Qinrou did not know the reason behind it, however, so she visibly paused upon hearing Master Song's arrangement.

"Master, don't you need me to..."

Before Lin Qinrou could finish, Master Song waved a hand and interrupted her. "Not this time. Just entertain them properly on my behalf."

With that, Master Song prepared to leave.

"Master, please wait a moment!"

"Is there something else?"

Master Song stopped in his tracks.

"Well..."

Lin Qinrou hesitated, then said, "The Numerical Disc you use for teaching... was accidentally dropped and broken."

"I'm afraid... it can't be used for the time being."

Toward the end, Lin Qinrou's voice grew noticeably quieter.

Indeed.

She knew very well how important that Numerical Disc was to Master Song.

It was no exaggeration to say that he used it in almost every lesson.

Moreover, it was difficult to make and required the work of several skilled craftsmen.

The Numerical Disc could certainly be counted among the teaching aids Master Song valued most.

Thus, even Lin Qinrou herself seemed somewhat cautious as she brought it up.

Sure enough.

Upon hearing that it had broken, Master Song's previously mild expression darkened slightly.

"Broken?"

His slightly aged voice carried a clear note of suppressed anger. "That Numerical Disc was perfectly fine. How did it break?"

As those words fell, the atmosphere in the room shifted slightly.

Lin Qinrou stood there, just about to explain, but Jiang Xiaobai spoke first.

"Ahem, Master, I accidentally broke it."

At that simple statement, Lin Qinrou froze on the spot.

Her cool eyes turned involuntarily toward Jiang Xiaobai.

Indeed, she had not expected Jiang Xiaobai to admit it of his own accord.

Her original plan had been to take the blame herself for the moment.

Of course, it was not that she truly wanted to get Jiang Xiaobai out of trouble.

Rather, she was doing it for Li Zhiwei's sake.

After all, she still had not figured out what was going on between the two of them.

Now that Jiang Xiaobai had admitted it himself, however, she could not help feeling a little surprised.

While Lin Qinrou was thinking this, Master Song also visibly paused. Then he looked at Jiang Xiaobai, hesitated briefly, and said, "Oh, it was you. In that case... let it be broken."

Having tossed out that casual remark, Master Song did not even ask any further questions. He simply turned and walked outside.

He was so calm that it seemed he had just heard not of an important Numerical Disc being destroyed, but merely of an ordinary teacup being knocked over.

For a moment, the room fell silent.

Especially Lin Qinrou.

She stood there, watching Master Song, who was already preparing to leave, looking utterly bewildered.

That was... it?

For a moment, a rare look of undisguised astonishment surfaced on Lin Qinrou's normally cool, composed face...

This was rather unlike Master Song's usual behavior!

Was he wary of Jiang Xiaobai's family background?

But that shouldn't be right!