The lovely, demure and "favoured by the heavens" girl froze almost imperceptibly."I understand," she framed her words with just a hint of sadness, causing many of her fanboys to glare angrily at the arrogant youth. How dare he deny knowing the alchemist school"s most precious Twin Lotuses! "We have met just the once before."
"Oh," Jin Li responded. And within the next moment, she had totally lost his interest as he had turned to speak with Sun. "I suppose it is too late for you to return to the martial arts school, now. You can go back tomorrow and let the dorm senior know I will not be returning for a few nights." The students of the martial arts school had some degree of freedom, but that did not mean that they could vanish without word.
The dorm senior, an older student elected by the Teachers, was aware, however, that Jin Li had an alchemist student "in his care," who he would visit from time to time. This was not such an unusual thing as a wise martial artist cultivated relationships with alchemists, blacksmiths and scholars in order to give themselves advantages in the future. And those talents relied on the strength of a martial artist to ensure their own futures weren"t hindered.
"You attend the martial arts school," Merilyn grasping this fact. Of course the man worthy of her eyes was a martial artist and a talented one of his aura was anything to go by. "Are you in need of pills at all?" Of course, she was aware that Jin Li had a "servant" who happened to be an alchemist, but she was secure in her talent. Her pills were likely to be much more attractive than that boy"s.
"Miss Merylin"s pills are always of the highest quality," one of her accompanying girls mentioned, freely. The boys, who had gathered about them like moths to a flame, all nodded in unison. The girls were sighing, feeling like they could not compete with Miss Merylin.
Sun glanced over at the one Leon had named Miss Merylin and instantly decided that she was not his type. Sure, she was beautiful and for a brief moment, he was as dazzled by her as he had been the girl alchemist he had met before in Leon"s hut, but he then felt that he had seen this type of beauty before. In fact, he had lived with them. His older sisters and female cousins and their friends were always practicing such faces to snare the unwise heirs of other Houses, each trying to grasp a thigh thicker than the next. It was part of the reason he had convinced his father to send him to this school, his talent had painted a target on his own back!
The girls he had met in the martial arts school were different from those girls, he felt. They were all talented and strong, though some might seek a golden thigh, they tried to prove themselves worthy with their own strengths, not through false flattery and fluttering eyelashes. Leon"s friend had also been different. She did not look at him through demure and secretly calculating eyes. Her interest had been openly calculating and maybe a little startling. But, she was very pretty.
"No need," Jin Li rebuffed her without another word and Sun grinned to himself. He knew he was right to follow Jin Li, Jin Li would not fall into this girl"s trap!
"That is good then," Merylin responded, immediately, bowing her head slightly before glancing back up at him through pure and friendly eyes.
"Ah, but where should I stay tonight?" Sun asked Jin Li, suddenly.
"You c-can use m-my b-bed," Leon offered. "I should c-c-cultivate anyway." It had been long enough, surely Jin Li could not still think he should wait. Sun noticed that Jin Li did not look happy, but seeing as he had nothing to add, Sun accepted Leon"s suggestion. It was only right anyway, he thought, forgetting that he had just promised himself to be nice to commoners and servants!
Merylin"s usually perfectly calm and gentle facade suddenly fell as she came to realise that the alchemist boy she had ridiculed to herself as likely being beneath her in all terms, was currently sheltered upon the back of the man she liked! Why was her beau lowering himself to carry a servant!? A midst the confusion welling inside her, Jin Li sidestepped her and the group began their journey back to Leon"s hut.
The crowd dispersed in its own time, after Miss Merylin had stormed away, uncaring of her reputation, back to her own accommodation.