Chapter 2203 — A Bit Strange

And Han Jingyi's current method of pill refinement was exactly like a factory assembly line: the pills it produced were identical in quality and in specification alike! And because of the batch production, it actually saved more time and materials than a manual workshop!

"By the way, Youpan Hu gave the materials back to me." Han Jingyi handed Wei Zhao the materials that Youpan Hu had returned earlier, and said.

"Mm, I'll find a chance to give them back to Chief Bai in a bit." Wei Zhao nodded and said, "By the way, in a few days I'm planning to leave for a while. While I'm gone, stay home and focus on refining pills, and go to school and come home every day together with Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu."

"Mm-hm, go do what you need to, Brother Wei Zhao. Jingjing can take care of herself." Han Jingyi did not ask where Wei Zhao was going.

"Also, the fact that you can refine pills—especially that you can refine several pills in a single furnace—must never be mentioned to anyone, Chief Bai included." Wei Zhao instructed, "Youpan Hu especially—you absolutely must not tell him!"

One must always keep one's guard up. Though Wei Zhao still trusted Chief Bai fairly well, who could guarantee that no one would overhear when Han Jingyi spoke? If word of this got out, it would do Han Jingyi no good whatsoever!

"Mm-hm, Jingjing won't tell. Jingjing does everything Brother Wei Zhao says." Han Jingyi agreed without a moment's thought.

"Jingjing..." Wei Zhao had meant to ask Han Jingyi whether she had loved pill refinement from birth, and why she was so close to him—but the question circled once in his mind, and he shook his head and decided not to ask.

In any case, Han Jingyi surely bore him no ill will; otherwise she would never have told him all her secrets. After all, with the state of pill refinement Han Jingyi was in now, even the Xuandan Sect would likely snatch her up and treat her as an honored guest—yet Han Jingyi had hidden nothing from him.

"Hm?" Han Jingyi lifted her head, her large, liquid eyes fixed on Wei Zhao in puzzlement.

"Nothing." Wei Zhao shook his head and came back to himself.

Wang Xinyan had gone to nap at noon and had not yet returned; Bai Weituo and Zhao Shengji were absent as well—most likely they had gone to eat lunch with He Meiyue.

Sure enough, Bai Weituo, Zhao Shengji, and Wang Xinyan walked into the classroom together. Ordinarily Wang Xinyan kept to herself; today, probably affected by last night's events, she had been unable to refuse Bai Weituo's invitation.

"At noon, Bai Weituo insisted on dragging me along to eat. I really had no choice," Wang Xinyan said with a shake of her head and a touch of helplessness.

"Ha... they've taken you for my girlfriend," Wei Zhao said.

"Oh..." Wang Xinyan gave a sound of acknowledgment, said nothing more, and merely sat back down in her seat.

"By the way, I'll be going out of town for a few days—a few days at the shortest, half a month at the longest." This time, Wei Zhao felt it necessary to tell Wang Xinyan; after all, the two of them had grown closer, and the last time he had left, Wang Xinyan had shown real concern.

"Going out again?" Wang Xinyan's heart tightened, and a faint reluctance welled up in her—though what exactly she felt, she could not have said.

"Mm. I'm helping a friend, going to a place together," Wei Zhao said.

"Then be careful. I'll take notes for you." Though reluctant at heart, Wang Xinyan did not try to hold him back, because she knew that even if she did, Wei Zhao could not stay.

"Thank you," Wei Zhao said with a smile.

Wang Xinyan gave a slight nod, then opened her book and began to leaf through it.

Sometimes Wei Zhao felt that the relationship between him and Wang Xinyan was very special—sometimes it seemed very close, very close indeed, but most of the time it was that restrained, insipid sort of bond, like the pale, clear friendship of gentlemen.

Very plain, yet very warm.

As if the two of them had always been meant to be like this—sitting together every day, attending class, studying.

The afternoon passed quickly. When the class ended, Wang Xinyan glanced at Wei Zhao and asked lightly, "Today... shall we stay a while for evening self-study?"

Wei Zhao understood what Wang Xinyan meant: she wanted to create a ** environment for him.

"Not today. I'll probably be leaving tomorrow, and there are things to arrange tonight," Wei Zhao said.

"Oh..." For some reason, Wang Xinyan felt a little disappointed, but she still said, quite calmly, "All right."

"And the key thing is, there are too many people in the classroom—I can't hold you," Wei Zhao teased.

"You're awful." Wang Xinyan pressed her lips together, her face slightly flushed. "Well... I'll be going first. Have a safe trip."

"Ha, all right," Wei Zhao said.

Clutching her books, Wang Xinyan ran out of the classroom, not daring to look back, her heart pounding. Recalling what Wei Zhao had said earlier, her thoughts were in a complete tangle—was this Wei Zhao flirting with her? The scoundrel—letting him ** was already generous enough, and now he wanted a mile?

But at the thought that Wei Zhao was about to leave, Wang Xinyan could not be bothered to argue with him. Thinking about her relationship with him just gave her a headache!

Yesterday she had even accepted a car from him. If her family found out, there was no telling what they would think.

"Brother Wei Zhao, do you like Sister Xinyan?" Han Jingyi put away her tablet and walked out of the classroom with Wei Zhao, asking with great curiosity.

"A little, I suppose." Wei Zhao did not deny it.

"Oh... then do you want to pursue Sister Xinyan?" Han Jingyi nodded and asked again.

Wei Zhao looked into Han Jingyi's eyes and saw not a trace of impurity or displeasure in them—they were still perfectly clear. This made him feel that Han Jingyi seemed to bear Wang Xinyan no ill will at all.

"Why ask that all of a sudden?" Wei Zhao found it rather strange.

"Jingjing is afraid that once Brother Wei Zhao has Sister Xinyan, he won't like Jingjing anymore, and won't have time to be with Jingjing," Han Jingyi said, looking at Wei Zhao with worry.

"Of course not. I still need you to refine pills for me!" Wei Zhao said.

"Only for pill refinement..." Han Jingyi suddenly seemed a little despondent. "Then one day, when Brother Wei Zhao is even better at refining pills than Jingjing, will you still need Jingjing?"

"Uh..." Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback. So Han Jingyi had known all along that he could not refine pills, and had only told him the truth today—so this little girl had merely been flattering him all this time. That made Wei Zhao a little ashamed. "Never mind whether I can refine pills—even if I could, I wouldn't have a mind as clever as Jingjing's, able to invent a scientific method of pill refinement."

"Then... what about after Brother Wei Zhao has learned all of Jingjing's scientific pill refinement?" Han Jingyi's mood seemed a little odd today.