"I-I really didn't put them there!" Gao Shiqi burst into tears.
But the evidence was all there.
Xue Ruigao gave Gao Shiqi a long, searching look.
As she watched Gao Shiqi's tears spill down, she felt not the slightest pity, only disgust.
Taking a deep breath, she shook her head and put the underwear back in the wardrobe. Without another word, Xue Ruigao sat cross-legged on the bed and began cultivating.
Gao Shiqi tried to speak several times, but each time she saw Xue Ruigao's icy expression, she held her tongue.
Slumping on the edge of the bed, she cradled her head in her hands and carefully reviewed every possibility.
Yet she still could not figure out how the underwear had ended up in her backpack.
Xue Ruigao could not have put them there herself.
Wen Xiancheng had never even entered her room.
Gao Shiqi let out a long breath.
What a hellish mystery.
The two of them sat like that all night.
Early the next morning, Xue Ruigao finished cultivating.
Gao Shiqi hurried over.
Xue Ruigao ignored her completely and went straight out to Wen Xiancheng's room.
She found that Wen Xiancheng had already packed his luggage.
The two checked out and headed for the flight station.
Gao Shiqi trailed behind them.
Watching Xue Ruigao and Wen Xiancheng walk shoulder to shoulder, her hatred grew.
This loser was the reason things had turned out like this between Gao'er and me.
Once we reach the royal capital, Li City, I'll make your life hell!
At the flight station, the three of them boarded two Snow Eagles and flew toward the royal capital, Li City.
The Yue Kingdom was a small kingdom, and the distance from Yecheng to the royal capital, Li City, was not great, so there were no airplanes.
They set out in the morning and reached the royal capital, Li City, at dusk.
Only after the three reached the Royal Academy's main gate did Xue Ruigao turn to Gao Shiqi and say, "This is where we part ways. Don't follow me anymore. Sorry, I don't have a very good temper. It would be better if you kept your distance from me in the future."
With that, she took Wen Xiancheng south.
Gao Shiqi stood blankly at the academy gate, her eyes reddening as she watched Xue Ruigao and Wen Xiancheng disappear from view.
Just then, a young man in a suit and polished shoes hurried over, waving to Gao Shiqi. "Qiqi, I was just about to come pick you up! Where's Xue Ruigao?"
"If we waited for you to pick us up, even the daylilies would have gone cold!" Gao Shiqi stamped her foot and stormed into the Royal Academy.
The young man hurried after her with an ingratiating smile. "Where's Xue Ruigao's underwear?"
Xue Ruigao accompanied Wen Xiancheng around the outskirts of the Royal Academy, and they finally settled on a rather dilapidated house.
After watching Wen Xiancheng sign the rental agreement with the landlord, Xue Ruigao asked worriedly, "Cheng, will you really be all right living here? I just saw so many mice!"
The landlord grinned broadly. "The more mice there are, the sturdier the house must be, right? Animals aren't any dumber than people. They know where the best places are."
Only after seeing the landlord off did Wen Xiancheng reassure her. "It's fine. This is the cheapest house near the Royal Academy, and even this costs a hundred low-grade spirit stones a month. We simply can't afford the others."
Xue Ruigao knitted her delicate brows and blamed herself. "It's all my fault. Next time, I'll get a part-time job in my spare time too. That should earn us quite a bit of money. Cheng, I'm sorry."
Wen Xiancheng smiled and rubbed Xue Ruigao's head. "Are you being silly? I'm the one who should apologize! All this time, we've only managed to get by thanks to your benefits from the Royal Academy. I've never done anything to support you. Don't worry. From now on, I won't hold you back."
Xue Ruigao stared blankly at Wen Xiancheng's hand as it rubbed her head, her pretty face flushing crimson.
Since when had Cheng become so affectionate?
Seeing Xue Ruigao's vacant stare, Wen Xiancheng pulled his hand back as though he had been shocked. Looking embarrassed, he said, "I'll tidy up the house, then we can have dinner tonight before I take you back to the Royal Academy."
Xue Ruigao lowered her head and gave a soft "Mm."
By the time he finished tidying the room, it was already dark.
Wen Xiancheng did not dare let Xue Ruigao see the Mouse Clone that had been "poisoned to death" again, so he left it among the luggage in the room.
He took Xue Ruigao to a nearby restaurant and ordered two simple stir-fried dishes.
Meanwhile, back in the rented house, the Mouse Clone crawled out from among the piles of luggage.
This was the advantage of having a clone!
Even while Wen Xiancheng's human body went off to do something else, the Mouse Clone could carry out another task.
The Mouse Clone emerged from the room, intending to familiarize itself with its surroundings.
Of course, its most important task was to enter the Royal Academy, locate the super-illusion master Liu Lanzhi, then follow her to wherever she held her classes.
Then it could secretly learn what she taught!
However, just as the Mouse Clone was about to leave through the window, a small, furry figure appeared before it.
It was a little mouse.
The little mouse squeaked in fright at the sight of the Mouse Clone, then immediately turned tail and ran.
The Mouse Clone rolled its eyes like a human.
Though, of course, its eyes had no visible whites.
As timid as a mouse, through and through. Even that scared you.
The Mouse Clone climbed out through the window and circled the house. Having familiarized itself with the surroundings, it prepared to head to the Royal Academy to find the super-illusion master Liu Lanzhi.
Suddenly, three little mice blocked its path.
The Mouse Clone recognized one of them as the little mouse it had frightened off earlier.
The three little mice stood in its way, looking as fierce as demons.
The Mouse Clone stroked its long whiskers with its right paw and looked down at them disdainfully.
How amusing. You even know to bring friends to help!
But I'm not someone you can afford to provoke!
As the three little mice glared ferociously, the Mouse Clone suddenly let out a "Meow."
The three little mice turned tail in fright and soon vanished into the night.
The Mouse Clone raised its whiskers smugly.
You little runts think you can take me on?
Those walnut-kernel-sized brains of yours pose no challenge whatsoever!
I don't even need to fight. A single meow sends you fleeing at the first hint of danger!
Only after scaring off the three little mice did the Mouse Clone race toward the Royal Academy's perimeter wall.
Reaching the foot of the wall, it climbed all the way up.
Standing atop the wall and gazing down at the Royal Academy in the distance, the Mouse Clone let out a long breath.
It felt an indescribable excitement.
So this was the Royal Academy!
Though it was night, everything inside was brightly lit.
Young men and women walked about everywhere.
Tall houses and buildings rose all around.
It ran along the perimeter wall.
Before long, the Mouse Clone spotted an enormous training ground.
But this training ground was clearly different from those it had known before transmigrating. Instead of a rubber surface, it was paved with granite.
Probably.
The paving seemed extremely hard.
Quite a few young men and women were cultivating or sparring on the training ground.
All kinds of long sabers and arrows slammed into the ground, yet left it entirely unmarked, merely sending countless sparks flying.
The Mouse Clone watched the scene intently with its bright, darting eyes.
It was truly a sight that lifted the spirits and opened the heart.
Suddenly, the Mouse Clone stopped in its tracks.
In a corner of the training ground, it spotted a chubby girl sitting cross-legged all alone.
At that moment, a hazy shape was forming in her left palm.
The shape grew clearer and clearer. It actually looked like a banana!
The girl's face was covered in a silly grin.
Suddenly, the banana shattered and vanished into nothing.
The girl pouted, then began forming another hazy shape.
(End of chapter)
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