"You’re kinda cute." Gao Qi stared for a moment before snorting.

’...?’

Ye Qianning grew even more confused. ’Is there something wrong with this kid’s head?’

"From now on at the academy, you stick with me. Don’t go messing around with the Eighth Prince."

"And why would I stick with you?"

"My dad told me to look after you at the academy," Gao Qi said.

Ye Qianning was stunned.

’According to her research, Prime Minister Gao isn’t some kind of masochist. She nearly beat him to death, and now he’s having his son look after her at the academy?’

’She must have beaten him senseless.’

"You’ve got that dopey look on your face again. You want to change the writing system? Look at you, you haven’t even been weaned yet. That’s just wishful thinking. Grow up first, then we’ll talk." Gao Qi’s expression was slightly disdainful, but there was no trace of hostility in it.

"Are you crazy, or is your dad?"

"My dad said you were unlikable, and he was right. If you weren’t so cute, I wouldn’t even bother talking to you." Gao Qi rolled his eyes.

"..."

Ye Qianning stared at him, a strange feeling in her heart. ’Prime Minister Gao is a man who’d seek revenge over the smallest slight. After the scene she made at his residence, he should want her dead. There’s no way he’d have his precious son look after her.’

’But Gao Qi doesn’t look like he’s faking it. Something must have happened to make Prime Minister Gao see some value in her.’

’Could he have discovered the origin of the Twin Polarity Principle?’

"The Eighth Prince isn’t a good person to associate with. You should keep your distance from him in the future," Gao Qi warned her again. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Ye Qianning’s expression was complex. She tried to read something in Gao Qi’s eyes, but the boy’s gaze was clear and his expression was so calm and steady that he couldn’t possibly be lying. He was genuinely trying to give her advice.

"Did you hear what I said?" Seeing her silence, Gao Qi raised his voice slightly.

Ye Qianning glanced over at him and snorted. "Even my own father can’t control me. What makes you think your Prime Minister’s Residence is worth a damn?"

"You... How can you be so vulgar?" Gao Qi’s eyes widened in surprise.

"I was a lot more vulgar when I was beating up your dad." Ye Qianning crossed her little arms and snorted coolly. "From now on, you’d better stay out of my way. Or I’ll beat you to death."

At her words, Gao Qi’s small face twisted with anger.

Ye Qianning couldn’t be bothered to waste any more time on him and walked away. A strange feeling lingered in her heart. ’What on earth could have caused such a massive change in Prime Minister Gao?’

"Luo Wen."

"Young Miss."

"Go to the mountain behind the academy and catch a few birds. I need a species with a large population. Just catch them and bring them back; don’t harm them." Ye Qianning wanted to find a flock of birds she could use to deliver messages at any time, preferably a resilient species.

"Yes, miss." Luo Wen departed.

Ye Qianning rubbed the bridge of her nose. ’I’ll see just what trick Prime Minister Gao has up his sleeve.’

Ye Qianning spent the whole afternoon in the Dean’s courtyard instead of going to class. As night began to fall, her Tutor came storming over, holding copies of the Student’s Code of Conduct.

Ye Qianning was squatting on a chair, studying the birds Luo Wen had caught. She glanced up as the Tutor entered, clutching a stack of rice paper. "Finished all twenty-something copies already? The kid’s got some real skill."

The Tutor snorted and slammed the copied rules down. "Dean Chen, this ’Little Junior Sister’ of yours is a corrupting influence on the academy! You told her to copy the Student’s Code of Conduct, and she just paid someone else to do it for her!"

"Not only are all twenty-something copies in the exact same handwriting, but the student who did it wasn’t the least bit ashamed! He admitted that he’d copied her portion!"

Dean Chen was extremely protective of Ye Qianning. "She’s just a little girl who can barely even write. What did you expect her to copy?"

"That’s precisely why she needs the practice! And I’ve heard she even wants to change the entire writing system!" the Tutor fumed.