“Stop trying to eavesdrop.”
Outside the private room, Liya sat on the railing, leaning against a pillar, a lollipop in his mouth as he glanced sideways at Beluo, who was pacing incessantly outside the door.
“The Master said no one is allowed to eavesdrop on his conversations with those people from the Ailton family. Can’t you understand human language? Can’t you just sit here like me and wait for the Master to finish his business?”
When it came to self-discipline, Liya claimed second place to no one.
Upon learning that Chen Yu didn’t want anyone to know about his dealings with the Ailton family, he immediately moved several meters away, having no intention of peeking into the private room. To ensure no one else made a mistake, he stared intently at Scholar Beluo like a guard.
In this regard, even Nuo Yi didn’t do as well as him.
Although Nuo Yi wasn’t curious about the content of the conversation inside, she often zoned out and didn’t keep as close an eye on Beluo.
“I really didn’t expect you to have the potential to be a loyal dog.” Annoyed by being watched so closely, Beluo also turned to look at Liya with displeasure, his words becoming much sharper. “The son of the dignified Chief Financial Officer acting as a loyal dog for others – if this news were to spread, it would surely shock the entire Kingdom of Tatu.”
“Tch…”
Liya, licking his lollipop, was full of disdain, his eyebrows slightly raised.
“Are you threatening me?” Liya stretched his neck and chuckled mockingly for a long time, then spread his hands exaggeratedly. “No way, no way, would a Grand Scholar from the Academy also threaten others like the ‘common riffraff’ you speak of? Aren’t your scholars sacred? What, are you going to compile my story into a book and place it on your Academy’s useless high walls for people to read, or do you want to directly fabricate it and publish it in the Kingdom of Tatu?”
Biting the lollipop, Liya picked his ear.
“I’m truly sorry, but publishing books also requires the approval of our Financial Department. Your idea doesn’t seem to work, so it’s best to stay in your Academy and be a storybook for those scholars.”
“What a good dog that knows how to wag its tail,” Beluo sneered.
“Whether I’m a good dog or not, I don’t know. I only know that in this Kingdom of Tatu, if I glance at someone, they’ll tremble in fear.” Liya’s words were still full of playfulness. “On the other hand, some scholars, acting as loyal dogs of the Academy, always have the Academy on their lips, wagging their tails more enthusiastically than anyone else. Hey, you know what the most interesting thing is? The most interesting thing is that no one in the Kingdom of Tatu truly respects this loyal dog, yet he’s still gloating. Isn’t it interesting?”
“Liya, you’re looking for death!” Beluo was instantly furious.
He would never allow the Academy to be insulted.
In Beluo’s eyes, the Academy was a sacred and pure place, and he would never allow anyone to defile it.
“Do scholars also kill people in anger?” Liya looked at Beluo calmly, smiling. “Beluo, not to mention whether you have the strength, but judging by your current appearance, do you look like a scholar? In the eyes of you scholars, all worldly people are fools, and I am in your eyes…”
“Trash!” Beluo said word by word, his face stiff.
“Indeed, indeed.”
Liya’s shoulders shook with laughter as he licked his lollipop and walked up to Beluo. “You think I’m trash, but what’s the difference between what you’re doing now and me? Esteemed scholar, Grand Scholar, wise man…” As he spoke, Beluo bit the lollipop into pieces and lowered his voice. “Beluo, stop pretending. The blood of sinners flows in your veins. Even if you enter the Academy, you can’t wash away the filth on your body. Perhaps some things are forgotten over time, but not everyone will forget the truth. Who you are, who your ancestors were, others may not know, but do I not know?”
With a face full of mockery, Liya grinned incessantly and even patted Beluo’s face twice with his hand.
“You are inherently selfish and arrogant. Ten years in the Academy cannot purify your inherent flaws. With all your talk of benevolence and morality, do you think you can hide your inherent flaws? You study and listen to lectures every day, do you think you’ve become a Grand Scholar just by picking up a bit of scholarly air?”
Nuo Yi, who had returned from her reverie, noticed Beluo and Liya huddled together and tilted her head with confusion.
“What are they doing?”
Suddenly, a soft whisper in her ear brought Nuo Yi back to reality.
“Brother Chen.” Nuo Yi, who was guarding the door, had a bright smile in her eyes, then shook her head in confusion. “I don’t know either. I don’t know what happened just now, they just got together and were saying inexplicable things.”
“You were daydreaming again, weren’t you?”
“Hehe…”
Nuo Yi grinned sheepishly when her secret was revealed. Chen Yu didn’t take it to heart and gently rubbed her little head.
“What inexplicable things were they saying?”
“I’m not interested in the two of them, so I didn’t listen carefully. It seems, probably, perhaps… they know each other.” Nuo Yi blinked and pursed her lips. “I think I just heard Liya say that Beluo has the blood of sinners flowing in him, inherent flaws… I think that’s right.”
Chen Yu stood at the door, carefully observing the two figures in the distance.
“Liya indeed seems more than meets the eye,” the little devil murmured, crossing her arms. “His foolish appearance is merely a disguise.”
“That’s inevitable.”
Chen Yu smiled with confidence in his eyes.
“He is the son of the Chief Financial Officer. Few direct descendants of any family are wastrels; only those without inheritance rights might act recklessly and become a cynical good-for-nothing. However, the larger the family, the smaller this possibility. Their competitive pressure is immense; everyone wants to rise to the top. It’s just that due to certain special circumstances, they are forced to endure hardship. Liya is the sole heir of the Chief Financial Officer. Even if he were truly a wastrel, the Chief Financial Officer most certainly would not be.”
“Can someone who holds a position above tens of thousands of people in a kingdom, second only to the sovereign, be simple?”
“With such a person guiding and teaching, no matter how bad he is, he will definitely surpass many ordinary people, or crush them. Moreover, planned parenthood is not implemented in the underground world. If Liya were truly a failed account, wouldn’t the Chief Financial Officer simply open a new account and start over?”
“The fact that Liya can maintain his position as the direct heir in this state proves he has capabilities.”
Hearing Chen Yu’s coherent analysis, the little devil couldn’t help but admire him.
“You win. When it comes to judging people, I am indeed far behind you. I am impressed.”
“Why, I wasn’t competing with you.”
Seeing the little devil’s defeated expression, Chen Yu smiled slightly.
He knew very well that the little devil’s sudden demeanor might be due to her recalling past experiences where her oversight in judging people led to an irreversible situation. Her defeat was a lament and regret for her past self.
“Thank you for still considering my feelings.”
The little devil gave Chen Yu a smile that was not quite a smile, then tidied up her emotions.
“Then, you said that since he is capable, why does he deliberately pretend to be a fop? Since he is the only son, it means he has no competitive pressure and doesn’t need to hide his abilities like this, doesn’t he?”
“It’s very simple. The pressure either comes from within the clan or from the royal family.”
Chen Yu said with a relaxed smile, and the little devil’s expression immediately turned serious.
“Are you saying…”
“No ruler wishes to see any one family become too dominant in the kingdom,” Chen Yu murmured, his eyes narrowed. “The art of rulership emphasizes balance.”