Upon hearing this, Wang Xiaoming's lips twitched.
"No, how did you know I was here? How did the fact that I assaulted someone find out so quickly?"
He stepped aside, making room for the two of them to enter.
Dugu Yan strode in without any ceremony and walked around the room.
Ye Lingling nodded apologetically to Wang Xiaoming and followed him in with small steps.
"Your place is even bigger than my dorm room! I'm so jealous! Is this the treatment for geniuses?"
"You can stay here if you want; there are plenty of rooms."
Wang Xiaoming closed the door, leaned against the doorframe, and looked at the two of them. "But, you've been calling them geniuses all this time, what are you talking about? Is something wrong?"
"Can't I come to see you if there's nothing wrong?"
Dugu Yan plopped down on his sofa, picked up Ju Zi from the table and started peeling it, her movements as familiar as if she were in her own home.
" Lingling said she wanted to come see you, so I came with her."
After she finished speaking, she winked her purplish eyes at Ye Lingling.
Ye Lingling received the signal and trembled slightly, as if considering how to respond. After a two-second silence, she finally spoke, "... Hmm."
There's only one word.
The sound was soft and flat, like bubbles rising from the surface of water, fleeting and ephemeral.
To some extent, Dugu Yan was right.
They did hear the news and wanted to see Wang Xiaoming; there's nothing wrong with admitting that.
Seeing Ye Lingling's reaction, Wang Xiaoming looked at her with some curiosity.
When did Ye Lingling become so open about admitting it?
Honest and simple.
"You're quite adept at using her as a shield, but... just say what's on your mind. I'm really curious; what information could have gotten you here so quickly?"
As he spoke, Wang Xiaoming picked up his teacup, took a sip, and stared intently at Ye Lingling, trying to read something from her face.
Ye Lingling averted her gaze and said softly.
"This morning, at the training ground, someone said that the Crown Prince's male favorite had beaten up the Fourth Prince and his entourage. So we asked the teacher where you lived, thinking we'd come and see you..."
"Puff!!"
Wang Xiaoming was stunned by these words, and he instantly spat out the tea in his mouth, spraying it all over Dugu Yan's face.
While it's true he caused the Xue Beng, when the hell did he become a gigolo?
He hadn't even had a chance to put his arm around Xue Qinghe's shoulder or compare their pecs!
I didn't gain any advantage at all, so how did I become a gigolo?
It was definitely dried by Xue Beng!
I should have kicked it a few more times...
" Wang Xiaoming, what are you doing? This is a brand new outfit I bought today!"
Dugu Yan froze on the spot, her smile still lingering, when water droplets dripped from her chin onto the chest of her clothes.
She looked down at herself, her face full of disgust, at the tea stains all over her body, with even a small tea leaf stuck to her face. The Ju Zi in her hand no longer smelled good.
Wang Xiaoming wiped his mouth and waved his hand apologizing.
"I'm sorry, Miss Dugu, this news is just too shocking, I couldn't help myself... Tell me your size, I'll go buy you a few more to make up for it."
Dugu Yan rolled her eyes at him and asked Ye Lingling about her size.
How could you even think of that?
She sighed.
Oh well, he's just a six-year-old kid after all, it's normal that he doesn't understand these things... so she decided not to make a fuss about it.
"No need, I don't need this extra piece of clothing. Where's the bathroom? I need to go wash up, it's disgusting... This is the first time someone has ever sprayed spit in my face."
Wang Xiaoming pointed her in a direction, Dugu Yan turned and left, looking genuinely disgusted.
The living room fell silent.
Ye Lingling sat on the sofa, motionless.
But if you look closely, you can see that she is smiling beneath her veil.
" Lingling, do you think it's funny?"
Wang Xiaoming put down his teacup and stared at Ye Lingling threateningly.
When she smiles, her face doesn't move, but her eyes squint slightly more than usual.
He remembers everything.
How dare you laugh at him?
"Not funny."
Ye Lingling answered quickly, her tone very calm.
"You admit you laughed?"
"... I don't."
Wang Xiaoming was too lazy to argue with her. He leaned back in his chair, looked up at the ceiling, and let out a long sigh.
male concubine?
They dare to spread such rumors? Aren't they afraid of two burly men showing up in their room in the middle of the night?
Ye Lingling was silent for a moment, her gaze falling on Wang Xiaoming's profile, before she suddenly spoke, "I don't believe what's going on outside."
"Um?"
"How can a six-year-old child be a gigolo?"
She said this in a very serious tone, as if she were analyzing the problem rationally.
"His Highness the Crown Prince isn't stupid. If you were truly a male concubine, he wouldn't let you appear in public, unless His Highness wanted to be seen as a pervert... But you don't look like you're six years old."
Wang Xiaoming's lips twitched. The first sentence made a lot of sense, but the second sentence just didn't feel right!
After saying those words, Ye Lingling realized something herself. Her eyelashes drooped slightly, and the tips of her ears were tinged with a light pink.
Wang Xiaoming turned to look at her, but Ye Lingling quickly regained her calm and composed expression, as if her momentary loss of composure was merely an illusion.
So... you don't need to worry about those rumors; they'll naturally dissipate over time.
I don't care.
Wang Xiaoming waved his hand and stretched.
"Let Xue Qinghe deal with the public relations issues himself. Whoever spread the rumors about the gigolo, whoever cares about it, will have to explain."
After a while, Dugu Yan finally came out of the bathroom.
She re-tied her hair and changed into a pair of shorts. Although they weren't as elegant as the cheongsam, they had their own unique charm.
She walked to the table, placed her hands on it, and glared down at Wang Xiaoming: "Tell me, how do you plan to compensate me?"
"Didn't you say you wouldn't mind having one more dress?"
"It's just a skirt, I can wash it when I get home, but you sprayed me all over the face! Do you know how much that hurt me emotionally? This isn't over until we have a meal together."
"..."
Oh, so you just wanted to eat.
"What would you like to eat? It's on me."
Wang Xiaoming's response was very sincere.
Dugu Yan snorted, letting the matter drop, and turned to Ye Lingling: "Alright, alright, stop sitting there, it's already noon."
"Considering it's your first day of school, I won't rip you off yet. Let's go to the cafeteria for a meal to calm your nerves. As for treating you..."
Dugu Yan's lips curled up. "I'll choose the place tonight, and you'll pay the bill. How about it as a celebration for your enrollment?"
Wang Xiaoming nodded in agreement.
He didn't believe that Dugu Yan could empty his viscount's mansion in one meal.