"Shen Jinxiao...

"Has he lost his mind?"

Li Luo decided to speak his thoughts out loud. Mentor Chi Chan was on his side.

Li Luo would sleep more soundly if Shen Jinxiao fell off a cliff. Although his actions were very strange, Li Luo was not about to assume any kindness.

"Not at all. But you're right—he's doing you no service either. Rather, he's delaying you from getting the 12 Step Weave."

"Huh?"

"I heard that Jiang Qing'e went to the Bank of Points yesterday. She also thought of getting you the 12 Step Weave and went to buy it.

"But she was a step too late. Shen Jinxiao had already taken it, and he left a note saying that anyone who needed it could look for him."

Well, that was a nasty move.

So Shen Jinxiao had planned it all. Take the 12 Step Weave away as hostage to force Jiang Qing'e to go to him?

"She did not go to him. Instead, she went to Vice Principal Su Xin to impeach him.

"Shen Jinxiao thought of a good reply to her mediation, which was to offer it up as a prize for the monthly battle. He is indeed allowed to do such a thing, and Vice Principal Su Xin could find no fault with his conduct.

"Which means that his hand was forced when he made it the prize. However, his goal was achieved—to deny you the 12 Step Weave for a while."

She shook her head in disapproval. "Shen Jinxiao is obsessed with Jiang Qing'e, the only one who can soothe his inner fire. And yet she doesn't care for anyone but you."

Li Luo's face was absent of his usual, light-hearted attitude, and Chi Chan sensed a dark anger bubbling within him.

Ffff.

Li Luo let out a long hissing breath. "I better start collecting mud and making joss sticks. The day Shen Jinxiao is buried, I'll stick a big one on his gravestone."

Chi Chan did not chastise him for his extremely insolent remark. Shen Jinxiao did not conduct himself as a mentor should, anyway. He deserved what he had coming.

Li Luo was currently in no position to do anything about Shen Jinxiao, but the enmity between them was rapidly deepening to the point of no return.

"Brazen, aren't you? I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the son of Li Taixuan and Tan Tailan would declare a Duke expert as an enemy."

He grinned. "I'm just daydreaming. I can't really cross him now. I beg for Mentor to protect me." 

There was a glint in her eyes and a flutter of her veil that he had come to recognize as an amused snort. She clapped him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry." She reassured him.

"I want to put a joss stick on his grave too."

Li Luo started. He recalled that she had mentioned having a history with Shen Jinxiao, but clearly it was more serious than he had thought.

But wasn't this just perfect?

"Mentor," he said as he grinned, "looks like I made an inspired choice during the Choosing."

"Well, before you grow some teeth, you had best hide your hate for Shen Jinxiao, no matter how deeply it runs. I quite like your style of hiding your light under a bushel. Stick to it," she told him.

He gave her a small nod.

"Oh, yes. Since Shen Jinxiao has so generously donated the 12 Step Weave, I feel like you should make a bid for it.

"If you can really get it, you will not only have saved a huge amount of school points... Shen Jinxiao will also be very embarrassed." She snickered.

Li Luo was tickled by the idea. But he had two pushovers with him. Did he really stand a chance...

Still, it would be sweet if he could get the 12 Step Weave just like that.

He started to rehearse a victory speech.

"Er, anyway, I'll do my best," he eventually said.

She nodded, her eyes flicking back to Bai Mengmeng. "She's almost ready to come out of the dream state."

Li Luo saw her straighten up, and the fey, blue glow in her eyes dimmed. A few moments later, she was normal again, her shy, demure look back at home on her cutesy features.

Winter was over, and spring had come again.

Li Luo found this hard to process. Could one person really have two personalities? What was this, roleplay? Quite exciting.

The post dream-state Bai Mengmeng did not look too surprised at the research that she had produced, but she did not continue it. She couldn't follow it very well when she was out of the dream state.

She carefully packed away her notes for her next dream-state session.

"If you're here to refine, go on in. The two of you could exchange skills," Chi Chan said, turning to leave.

Again, Li Luo had the distinct feeling that she could read his mind.

"Mentor Chi Chan is the best."

He sighed. Psychic or not, she had given him a chance to interact with Bai Mengmeng. How often did such nice teachers come along?

Shaking his head to himself, he swiped up a cup nearby and filled it with hot water. Donning his brightest smile, he walked in.

"Mengmeng, you've worked for quite some time. You must be tired, huh? Do you want some hot water?"

She looked up from her packing and flushed slightly at the sight of Li Luo offering the cup. "Um Leader," she said in a small voice, inspecting her nails.

"Your smile is very greasy.”