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39.75% Learning To Live As A Cultivator / Chapter 128: Chapter One Hundred And Twenty Eight - The way to Jin Li’s heart

Chapter 128: Chapter One Hundred And Twenty Eight - The way to Jin Li’s heart

Meals within Food Halls clearly differed from place to place. For example, within the outer alchemist school, the students ate heartily their fill for the most part; many were commoners who might have lacked the chance before and others might be noble, but being surrounded by uncouth table mannerisms had them relax after a while. It was not so bad eating without restraint and worrying about how fathers and mothers, uncles and aunts perceived them. Enjoy this freedom while it was available.

Within the inner alchemist school, the reverse was felt, for the number of noble born or high-sect born were more than talented commoners, thus table rules and manners were maintained and influenced those without. Meals were smaller, going away sated, but not stuffed was normal. No one went back for seconds nor simply wiped fallen chopsticks upon their shirts before continuing to eat. Talk was kept to a minimum and there lacked the element of untrained noise.

This was the outer martial arts school, thus Merylin was expecting more of the former and less of the latter, however she could not prepare herself for the rambunctious happenings and heaped plates of food set before every man and woman. They ate both heartily, without restraint and completely without manners, joking and laughing, jostling and jeering. She noticed more than once food stolen from others plates and not just by the uncouth men, but by a woman or two as well! Her own patience was sorely tested here as she slowly and elegantly ate the rice before her.

But what actually confused her eyes the most was her beloved Jin Li. His plate was as heaped as the rest, perhaps more so, nearly spilling over the edges of it, yet he sat upright and tall as his chopsticks elegantly flickered from rice to meat to vegetable more quickly than her eyes could follow. She had witnessed him eat before, but that was nearer the end of his meal and she had only seen the refined table manners he possessed, not the gluttonous side of him.  He did not speak, he did not throw his weight about, just ate until his plate was clean.  And then his eyes narrowed as he glanced to either side of him.  All bemused, Merylin watched as the two martial artists either side of him began guarding their plates.

"Big brother," Merylin murmured softly, ignoring the clearly raised eyebrows of those martial artists.  "Are you still hungry?  Would you like for this meimei to ask for more food for you?"  This was also a method of winning him over, she felt.  She had once heard a maid claim that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach.  Perhaps she had a point after all...

The man before her looked as if he was seriously contemplating it for a moment, before shaking his head a tad and replying; "No need."  She blushed as if she realised that she had been presumptuous and glanced down at her much smaller meal thinking that he was just being kind to her.  How would she know that in fact he was thinking that she should she get food for him, the potion likely would be as meagre as her own!  That would not do!  And besides, he could count on Leon for snacks should there be no seconds...  his mood instantly became sour once more when realising that his pride did not allow him to crawl back to that small alchemist's home.  Suddenly, he had no appetite at all!

He rose from his seat and stormed out of the Food Hall, the crowds parting like waves as his dark aura blindly spilled from his form.  Merylin immediately rose to give chase, however she was gestured to sit back down.  "It won't do for a pretty girl like yourself to go hungry," Bowyer mused.  "Our little brother is in no frame of mind to entertain you and we wouldn't wish to return you to your school in tears caused by his bitter words."

Disappointed, Merylin took her seat and picked up her chopsticks, but did not resume eating.  "But I still haven't given him the pills I made for him," she said, with a soft murmur, her lashes covering her downcast eyes giving her a pitiful look.  Sun and the seniors remained unmoved.  Pike even thought it best to warn her less she embarrassed herself further.

"Little junior," he said, amicably, "if it is just that you wish to give him your regard with the pills, then so be it.  Hand them to Sun, he is Jin Li's roommate after all.  However, if you wish for more, I am afraid none of us can help you.  In fact, we can only say that you will remain ever disappointed by our Jin Li."

Merylin glanced at this senior as if she was absorbing his words, but in her heart she refused his words.  How can she, the daughter of her father-sect leader, the one with a great fate and paved destiny, not make the man she wanted feel moved by her loving gestures?  Her mother had always told her that her future husband would be a brave, handsome and noble man, whose listed talents would reach the sky and whose name would cause others to think twice and those traits were exactly what she saw in Jin Li's future.  So why would he not become hers?

How could Bowyer and Pike not see that the warning had gone in one ear and out of the other.  They could only sigh and think to themselves at least they had tried.  In the end, Merylin did at least follow a part of Pike's suggestion and leave her gift of five high quality Cloudy Spiritual Pills and five high quality Burning Blood Pills with Sun before she left to return to the alchemist's inner school.

In the Food Hall, another had watched this play feeling great grievances and bitterness in his heart.


Chapter 129: Chapter One Hundred And Twenty Nine - Perhaps Jin Li is just an ass

While one sister wooed one man, the other sister attempted to soothe the other.  Maimai was meant to be sharing tea with Leon after dragging him to a small tea shop in new Julip town, but all she received was a listless companion, who stirred his beverage until it became cold and looked out of the window in melancholy.  She sighed and tried once more to cheer him up.

"I hear the desserts here are quite something," Maimai mentioned.  "Are you sure you don't want anything?  It is my treat!"

Leon shook his head, not even looking her way nor pausing as he stirred the tea. 

Thus Maimai tried an alternative approach.  "Forgive me if I am wrong, but that Jin Li, you like him don't you?"  Startled, Leon finally gave her his attention, dropping the spoon into the cup, his face turning pale before his cheeks heated.  Maimai couldn't help but be delighted by his reaction, but buried this side of her nature well.  This was not about her entertainment, this was about her best friend's feelings!

Honestly, she had first taken advantage of the opportunity to get close to him to enjoy this rare feast, but had grown to like her senior.  He was kind and helpful, did not treat her as a pretty vase that needed protecting nor would try gain favour by doing her work for her.  Did not treat her as a Sect Leader's noble daughter either.  Obviously she knew that was because he was not interested in her as a love interest and he seemed oblivious to her status, but this was completely fine with her.  Now, she just wished to help him as he had helped her.

"I-is I-it that ob-b-bvious?" Leon whispered.  He hadn't wanted to admit it at first, worried he would be treated different, as had happened in his past life.  However, seeing as Bowyer and Pike had not spoken ill of homosexuality, he took the risk that Maimai would not as well.

She gently patted his hand.  "Not to everyone," she reassured him.  "Let's just say that I have an eye for these things.  His personality aside, no one would fault you for your taste."

Leon half-smiled for her sentence that held both compliment and insult.  He could not deny that Jin Li was a difficult character, his light was almost always shrouded by his shadow, yet from his shadow beamed his most brilliant light.  His tongue was as sharp as the blade of his sword and seldom sheathed, but his arsenal of weapons had protected him on more than one occasion.  "B-b-by the t-time I realised I w-was tr-trapped in the q-quagmire," Leon mused, quietly, "it w-was already f-f-far t-to late."

"So relax and slowly sink to your death," Maimai sighed, using his analogy, "or struggle and die faster?  No hope of him rescuing you?"

Leon shook his head and smiled wryly.  "I always f-f-fall f-for those I sh-shouldn't," he mused, lifting his teacup to his lips before realising that it was completely without warmth.  He placed the cup down again and watched as Maimai called for a server with ease to replace the teapot with a freshly brewed one.  She also ordered a few desserts thinking it was time to indulge.

"I personally don't think all hope is lost," Maimai told him after the server went away. 

"J-Jin Li is h-handsome," Leon replied, shaking his head, "even if h-he c-c-can b-be cruel.  I've s-seen g-g-girls look at h-him.  I w-w-would b-be a f-fool if I thought I c-could c-c-compete."

"What's there to compete for?" Maimai said, incredulously.  "A man might kiss a pretty girl he does not truly like for many reasons, but a man does not kiss another man that he has no interest in!"

"K-k-kiss!" Leon's face became aflame as he realised that there had been a witness to what had occurred within the small hut yesterday.  His lips tingled and his mouth felt hot with just the memory of Jin Li's invasive touch.  The man had stolen his first and second kisses, and yet had proceeded to devour his mouth as if unsatisfied by that!  Was it any wonder those words had then slipped from his lips in hope?  He began to shake his head furiously, more to dislodge the memory than to deny Maimai's words.

"I saw," Maimai admitted and had the decency to blush.  It had been quite a heated thing to witness!  "I also heard what he said to you afterwards."

"Then y-you kn-kn-know that he h-h-has n-no f-f-feelings f-for m-me," Leon stuttered heavily to expel the ache these words caused him. 

Tea and several delicious desserts were placed before them and Maimai selected the shiny and golden water chestnut cake to place before him as well as poured him tea.  "I think that Jin Li is not able to understand what is in his heart," she replied as she picked up a delicate example of Osmanthus Jelly to taste for herself.  "And neither do I think he can express this with words."  The two sat quietly for a moment as they tasted the sweet treats upon their tongues, before the girl added with a wicked twinkle in her eye; "Or maybe I am completely wrong and he's just an ass."

Leon laughed openly, Maimai achieving her objective for that day.


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