Bai Chuan Academy.
Upon arriving at the academy, Nian Jiaojiao did not head directly to Nian Zhenzhen's location.
She first went to her class.
Huang Batian's eyes lit up when he saw Nian Jiaojiao, and he walked over:
"I say, Sister Jiaojiao, although we have quite a bit of freedom during classes at the academy, you've been showing your face too infrequently. If you don't appear again soon, your classmates will almost forget you exist."
Nian Jiaojiao shot her a glare.
"You don't know what I've been busy with lately."
Huang Batian placed his arm on Nian Jiaojiao's shoulder:
"That's true, matters of the heart can't be unimportant."
Having said that, her expression suddenly turned serious, and she said solemnly:
"Sister Jiaojiao, studying is also a paramount matter. You can't neglect it, or I fear you might lose your top scholar position!"
As she spoke, her gaze kept flicking towards Chen Liangyu.
Nian Jiaojiao followed her gaze to Chen Liangyu...
She hadn't realized it until she looked, and was shocked.
After only a month apart, Chen Liangyu's face had sunken in, and she looked utterly dispirited.
"What, what happened to her?" Nian Jiaojiao asked curiously.
Huang Batian said:
"You don't know, she became famous for studying desperately at the academy. However, I don't know what time she reads until at night to end up looking like this ghastly mess."
Huang Batian said this with a look of disdain.
Nian Jiaojiao observed Chen Liangyu more closely...
Why did she feel like the other person had been drained dry?
This didn't seem like ordinary exhaustion, but rather like excessive indulgence.
Nian Jiaojiao opened her mouth but still didn't speak.
Not to mention that this was merely her conjecture, even if it were true, gossiping about others wasn't ideal.
"What is it?" Huang Batian asked.
Nian Jiaojiao shook her head:
"Nothing."
She paused for a few seconds, then seemingly casually mentioned:
"By the way, since I haven't been to the academy for so long, is everything still alright here?"
Huang Batian immediately replied without hesitation:
"Something major actually happened at the academy these past few days!"
"Oh?"
Huang Batian continued:
"A newly enrolled female student at our academy had gone missing. She hadn't been seen for about a month. I heard this student wasn't even a Tong Sheng, and her surname is even the same as yours!"
"There's such a thing? Why did that student go missing?"
Huang Batian shook her head:
"I don't know, but that's not the most important part! The important thing is that the student returned two days ago."
Hearing this news, Nian Jiaojiao wasn't particularly surprised. She hadn't killed her that day; whether she survived depended entirely on her luck.
It seemed that even though the protagonist's halo was gone, her luck wasn't too bad.
At this moment, Huang Batian continued:
"It's just that she's back, but her eyes are blind. I don't know who she offended, but her eyeballs were dug out. It's said that she was rescued while she was missing and has been recovering from her injuries!
It's just a pity..."
"A pity for what?" Nian Jiaojiao pressed.
"It's a pity that with her eyes now blind, how can she continue to study? Our Great Yue has no precedent for blind officials, so her future is ruined like this!"
"Then regarding the academy..."
"The academy naturally wants to persuade her to withdraw. However, she's insisting on staying at the academy and refusing to leave. It's not good for the academy's reputation to be too harsh, so they're letting her stay."
After speaking, Huang Batian smacked her lips and said:
"If you ask me, she's just banging her head against a wall. After a while, when she can't bear it any longer, she'll have to leave."
Nian Jiaojiao lowered her head, lost in thought.
...
In the afternoon.
"Top Scholar Nian, someone is looking for you at the entrance."
A classmate walked up to Nian Jiaojiao and said.
However, this classmate's expression was rather strange at the moment.
Nian Jiaojiao went to the entrance and saw Nian Zhenzhen, her eyes covered with a strip of blue cloth.
At this moment, Huang Batian also arrived at the entrance. Pointing at Nian Zhenzhen, she whispered into Nian Jiaojiao's ear:
"This person... do you know her?"
Nian Jiaojiao nodded.
Then, she asked Nian Zhenzhen:
"What do you want with me?"
Nian Zhenzhen said:
"Top Scholar Nian, can we step aside to talk?"
The two moved to a more secluded spot.
"Speak, what do you need me for?"
Nian Jiaojiao's voice carried no inflection.
Nian Zhenzhen said:
"Top Scholar Nian, I was blinded by a thief, I am so wronged."
Nian Jiaojiao: ???
Are you calling me the thief in front of me?
Nian Jiaojiao's expression turned cold and she said:
"Oh, that's truly pitiful. But why are you looking for me? To catch the thief, you should report it to the authorities."
Nian Zhenzhen swallowed.
How could she report it to the authorities?
Would she have to admit that she had kidnapped a man, attempted to molest him, and then had her eyes gouged out when she failed?
If this were to get out, the academy would have a legitimate reason to expel her.
However, her objective hadn't been achieved, so how could she give up now? Thus, she continued:
"Top Scholar Nian, out of consideration for our shared hometown, please help me."
Nian Jiaojiao raised an eyebrow:
"What exactly do you want me to help you with? If you keep rambling, I'm leaving."
Nian Zhenzhen gritted her teeth and quickly said:
"Top Scholar Nian, can you lend me some money?"
She felt like a beggar right now.
Her money had run out due to medical expenses.
Without money, she couldn't just starve to death while staying at the academy.
Nian Jiaojiao said in a questioning tone:
"I recall you had friends accompanying you when you came, didn't you? Why are you asking me for money? We don't have any particular connection, and it's rather impolite to come up to me asking for money like this."
She deliberately changed "lend money" to "ask for money."
After all, the possibility of getting back the money she lent was minimal.
Hearing this, Nian Zhenzhen's heart burned with anger.
When she returned, she found that Fang Fang had completely offended Qi Qinghe and Chen Jie.
Not only that, but Fang Fang had also taken 10 taels of silver from the two. When she then asked to borrow money, they instead demanded repayment.
And Fang Fang, she had considered her a good friend.
Now that she was blind, Fang Fang had packed her bags and fled overnight.