Duoduo walked into the study with Nina. Xiao Yi looked up and paused for a moment.
He remembered telling Yunxiao to call Duoduo over—so how had Nina ended up coming along too?
Xiao Yi closed the document in his hand and quietly looked at Duoduo and Nina.
Duoduo walked up to the desk, bowed to Xiao Yi, then straightened.
“Father, Nina has something to tell you,” Duoduo explained first, answering the question of why Nina had come with her.
“Nina, are you really sure about this?” Duoduo asked, hoping Nina would change her mind.
Seeing the hopeful look in Duoduo’s eyes, Nina gave Xiao Yi a rather perfunctory bow.
The people of Miaojiang greeted one another casually, and Nina had only learned proper etiquette from Duoduo.
“Prince of Pingyang, I’m leaving,” Nina said bluntly.
Because of what had happened with her mother, Nina felt an indescribable aversion toward men—except for her master.
Moreover, Prince of Pingyang gave her a dangerous feeling. Nina was even less willing to say too much to him.
A man like him was far too dangerous!
Say too much, and she might lose her life!
Xiao Yi raised an eyebrow in surprise when he heard Nina’s words.
Hadn’t Nina been here for less than a month?
And now she was leaving already?
Xiao Yi glanced at Duoduo and saw the reluctance written all over her face as she looked at Nina.
So it wasn’t that Duoduo had driven Nina away.
Nina had decided to leave on her own.
That meant Duoduo might not have learned all of Nina’s skills after all.
“Your master and I had a verbal agreement. You were to stay for at least a month, for a payment of eight hundred taels of silver.”
Xiao Yi’s tone was utterly calm.
Nina froze.
That much money?
Why hadn’t her master told her?
He had only said that he had an agreement with Prince of Pingyang to come teach the princess a few things.
Nina had assumed that, after food and lodging, she would receive at most one or two hundred taels of silver.
Her master had actually kept this from her!
And she had even been thinking about him, planning to return and visit him!
Nina felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
It was like discovering that someone you had always trusted had suddenly hidden something from you.
No matter how she thought about it, it felt awful.
Duoduo was equally surprised.
She had never heard her father mention this either. He had actually spent so much money to hire her a master?
All because of something she had casually said on a whim!
Seeing the astonished expressions on both Duoduo and Nina’s faces, Xiao Yi looked at them with amusement.
“What? Is there a problem?”
Nina was the first to shake her head.
“I have something more important to take care of, so I have no choice but to leave.”
“Although I haven’t stayed long, I’ve already taught the princess everything I can.”
Nina looked at Duoduo, her gaze complicated.
“The princess is very clever. She understands everything after just one explanation.”
“If she were in Miaojiang, she would be a natural candidate to become a saintess!”
“Even if I stayed, I would only be wasting time.”
“If you think I haven’t kept my promise, you can simply pay me for the time I’ve been here.”
Nina had never intended to ask for payment in the first place. However, in the capital, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, everything required money.
With money, even ghosts could be made to work!
Even with the status of a princess, she still had to find a way to open a shop and earn money to spend.
What was more, she still had to find her mother.
Food, clothing, shelter, and sleep—all of them cost money.
If not for that, Nina would have left without saying a word.
Xiao Yi’s gaze swept over Duoduo and Nina twice.
Duoduo blinked at her father.
“Father, Nina is my first female master!”
“She’s leaving because she needs to find her mother.”
“Father, why don’t you give her the portion she’s owed, and I’ll pay the rest!”
“That way, you won’t be going against your principles.”
Xiao Yi fell silent for a moment.
“Nina, you heard what the princess said?”
Nina nodded. She was very grateful that Duoduo had spoken up for her.
“The princess is an exceptionally kind-hearted person. For her to acknowledge you as her master is your good fortune.”
Xiao Yi paused briefly after saying this.
“I will pay you in full, but I have one condition.”
Nina’s expression immediately turned unhappy.
If he didn’t want to pay her, then so be it. She hated it when people tried to attach conditions to everything!
Xiao Yi noticed her displeasure at once.
“This condition does not require you to do anything.”
“I only hope that if Duoduo ever needs your help, you will remember the bond you formed as teacher and student today and help her.”
Nina’s expression softened.
“She’s my disciple. If she’s ever in danger, I’ll save her!”
Nina agreed readily.
A flicker passed through Xiao Yi’s eyes.
“Yunxiao, go and bring the banknotes,” he ordered.
Yunxiao acknowledged him and turned to leave.
Soon, Yunxiao returned with several banknotes.
Xiao Yi motioned for him to hand them to Nina.
“This one is for five hundred taels, and these three are for one hundred taels each.”
“Keep them somewhere safe. There are plenty of thieves in the capital.”
Yunxiao couldn’t help adding a warning.
Although Yunxiao was somewhat displeased with Nina, he had just heard from the princess that Nina had become separated from her mother.
For a lone young woman to find someone in a city as vast as the capital—
It was harder than ascending to heaven!
Nina nodded and carefully put away the banknotes.
“Thank you.”
Xiao Yi glanced at Yunxiao without revealing anything of his thoughts.
This was the first time he had discovered that his subordinate possessed such a considerate side.
Xiao Yi’s gaze moved between Yunxiao and Nina twice.
Duoduo took Nina’s hand.
“Nina, go back and pack your things. The Lüdou pastries should be ready soon.”
“I’ll come back after I say a few words to Father!”
“You must wait for me. You’re not allowed to sneak away on your own!”
Duoduo added another warning, still worried.
“Little Gold can find you!” she threatened, widening her eyes and putting on an intimidating expression.
Nina patted Duoduo on the head, then left the room.
Xiao Yi’s gaze fell on Duoduo, deep and meaningful.
Only after the study door closed did Duoduo turn around to face Xiao Yi.
“Father, Yunxiao said you wanted to see me?”
Xiao Yi nodded.
Instead of getting to the matter at once, he said, “You and Nina are very close.”
It was a statement, not a question.
Duoduo tilted her little head. “Isn’t that normal?”
The corners of Xiao Yi’s lips curved upward.
“Do you know that the people of Miaojiang never have friends?”
“Even when it comes to their own family, they may not be able to trust them completely.”
Duoduo’s eyes widened.
“Then aren’t they terribly lonely?”
She could hardly imagine how miserable it would be to have no friends and be unable to trust even one’s own family.
“Nina hasn’t taught you everything.”
Xiao Yi stated this as another certainty.
A trace of confusion appeared in Duoduo’s eyes.
“But she said there was nothing left to teach me.”
