Everyone fell silent at once, the previous murmurs and whispers dying out instantly as if they had been snuffed out by an unseen hand. Bai Chunhua stood frozen in place, her mouth slightly agape in a state of stunned disbelief, having absolutely nothing left to say in response to such a public and humiliating rebuff from a teacher.

"Take this as a stern lesson. You should learn to speak with caution and verify your facts before accusing others of wrongdoing." Yi Shanyuan said to Bai Chunhua, his disappointment clearly evident in both the sharp edge of his tone and the sternness of his expression. Then, he turned his piercing gaze toward the other students who had gathered merely to watch the drama unfold. "You all as well, remember this clearly. We do not tolerate baseless harassment or the stirring of needless conflict within these walls. Understood?"

"Yes, Teacher Yi. We understand." The crowd responded in a hushed unison, bowing their heads obediently in an attempt to shield their burning embarrassment from his sight.

"Student Bai, you may leave now. Do not let this unfortunate matter delay you any further." Yi Shanyuan said, turning back toward Bai Xifeng with an expression that was significantly softer and more conciliatory than it had been a moment ago.

"I will take my leave now." Bai Xifeng replied casually with her usual calm.

She offered a polite nod followed by a graceful, composed bow before turning away and walking through the crowd, which parted before her like a receding tide. Before she left the immediate area, however, Bai Xifeng cast one final, lingering glance over her shoulder at Bai Chunhua. She saw the other girl glaring fiercely at her, her features twisted beneath a mask of poorly hidden rage and wounded pride. In response, Bai Xifeng allowed a small, deliberately provocative smirk to play across her lips for just a heartbeat before turning the corner and departing.

Bai Chunhua witnessed that smirk and felt herself nearly explode with incandescent anger. However, with the teachers still standing within earshot, she did not dare manifest her fury openly. Hidden safely within the long, flowing folds of her sleeves, both of her hands were clenched into tight, white-knuckled fists, her nails digging into her palms.

Bai Xifeng continued her walk back toward her own division, her footsteps feeling noticeably heavier than they had earlier in the day. After the myriad of events that had transpired and the immense physical toll of her recent work, she was utterly exhausted. She wanted nothing more than the sweet, dark release of a dreamless sleep.

"Hey... don’t you dare forget about my food." Tao-chan’s voice rang clearly in her ears, sounding particularly insistent and perhaps a bit hungry.

"Yeah... yeah... I have not forgotten. I will cook for you first, and then I am finally going to sleep." Bai Xifeng murmured tiredly, her voice barely rising above a weary whisper.

When she finally stepped back into the familiar, tranquil surroundings of the Inscriber Division, the soft and ethereal melody of a guqin met her ears. Her teacher was likely lost in his own thoughts again, plucking the strings of the instrument as he so often did when the world grew quiet. Even though Bai Xifeng did not possess a deep understanding of the technical complexities of music, she could still instinctively discern that the melody was profoundly sorrowful, laden with a heavy and lingering sadness that seemed to hang in the air.

This was not the first time she had heard Ji Yuan play this particular, haunting song.

She found herself wondering, not for the first time, why Ji Yuan was so drawn to this specific tune and why he played it so repeatedly during the quietest hours of the day. Was it a tragic love song connected to a shadow in his past? Had he once suffered a great, shattering heartbreak because of a love now lost to time? She truly wanted to uncover the story hidden behind the strings of that music.

However, deep down in her soul, she also felt a lingering intuition. A quiet warning that this was the one question she should never, under any circumstances, ask Ji Yuan directly.

Ji Yuan slowly brought his playing to a halt and turned around, meeting Bai Xifeng’s eyes with a calm, unreadable gaze. He looked her up and down, his eyes scanning her condition with the practised scrutiny of a master checking his student for hidden injuries.

"Hmm... you seem fine." Ji Yuan commented lightly, his tone casual.

"Of course I am." Bai Xifeng replied without a shred of hesitation.

Ji Yuan’s lips curved upward into the ghost of a smile. He had already heard the rumours that had been circulating through the academy since yesterday afternoon.

"Go and rest. I will make an exception for your training today." Ji Yuan said.

"Really? Thank you, Teacher Ji." Bai Xifeng said, her eyes brightening as she nodded quickly.

She bowed her head respectfully before retreating to her room. Since she had already given her word to Tao-chan, she first spent time cooking a meal for the beast before finally allowing herself to collapse onto the bed, where she was claimed by sleep almost instantly. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

...

Bai Xifeng slept for two full hours of deep, uninterrupted rest before her internal clock pulled her back to consciousness. She sat up, remembering the promise she had made to meet Xie Lanying and Ning Shoukai at the restaurant. After rising, she washed the lingering sleep from her face and changed into a fresh, clean uniform.

As she walked past the gazebo where Ji Yuan usually spent his time, she noticed he was not there today.

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko*