Accidents Happen

Clearly, Baili Jia Jue's arrival had a significant impact on the banquet atmosphere. This time, the dean did not attend and was accompanied by Jing Wu Hope. Many people speculated that the dean might be losing power.

Although it was supposed to be a concubine selection event, it seemed that the Third Prince was not in a hurry. Duke Sun remained composed and efficient, not needing Baili Jia Jue's instructions to handle everything. He followed Jing Wu Hopeless to a designated place.

Initially, Jing Wu Hopeless intended to talk to Baili Jia Jue, but upon seeing him, he felt a bit intimidated. Despite not being a young and inexperienced individual, he felt an indescribable sense of pressure in front of the young prince.

The banquet was divided between men and women, with the young masters of the capital seated on the left and the ladies from prominent families on the right. It was akin to an upper-class gathering.

The question was, what should they do while waiting? Simply put, they should eat. However, none of them touched their chopsticks, which left Helian Weiwei feeling conflicted. She had come to enjoy the food without having to participate in any politics, but she hadn't even taken a bite of the snacks. It was quite disappointing.

Before she could fully regret it, a small figure stood up from their seat—a lively and spirited young man. "When will Master Jing start serving the meal? I'm hungry," he exclaimed.

In an instant, all eyes were fixed on the little man. The freshmen who had recently joined the academy recognized him and showed surprise. They hadn't forgotten the incident when he first arrived at the academy, where he had kicked someone with a sack of meat.

However, the key point now was how he dared to challenge Master Jing's authority at this moment. Even with the dean's support, he seemed overly audacious.

Sun Gonggong wanted to say something about the little fellow not knowing his place, but as he focused his gaze, he almost dropped what he was holding.

Wait a minute, wasn't that the young prince? How did he end up here? Why did he have a bald head instead of his usual silky black hair? What had happened?

The little man paid no attention to the scrutiny and tightened his face, his stomach growling audibly. His patience was wearing thin, and he even seemed prepared to run off to the kitchen.

Sun Gonggong looked at the distressed young prince and struggled to find the right words. He desperately glanced at Baili Jia Jue for guidance.

Baili Jia Jue, however, kept his gaze lowered, toying with a ring on his hand, showing no signs of impatience.

Observing this, Sun Gonggong knew that things were about to go awry. It wasn't about the prince; it was about the Fang family and others who were in trouble.

Before Sun Gonggong could collect his thoughts, he heard a calm voice speak up without a trace of emotion, "If he's hungry, of course, he should eat. Moreover, he's not hungry; he just wants to eat something. What's with all the talk? Do you think you can bully the junior brother in the dean's absence?"

It was Helian Weiwei, standing behind the little man, her left hand lazily resting on his shoulder. She scanned everyone with sharp eyes and fixed her gaze on Jing Wu Hopeless. "Master Jing, I hope you don't really think that way," she said.

Jing Wu Hopeless couldn't meet her gaze and was unable to maintain his composed facade. He was on the verge of standing up in anger.

Witnessing this, Helian Jiao'er and Fang Mei'er exchanged glances and chuckled softly. Helian Jiao'er spoke, advising the little senior brother to sit down and stand up later, explaining that it would be impolite to do otherwise and that it could embarrass the dean.

Helian Weiwei added, "Listen to the older sisters. We can't leave things to chance on such occasions. If Master Jing has a good temperament, he won't punish you for a change in personality."

Their words seemed to defuse the situation, but in reality, they were accusing the little senior brother of arrogance and defending Jing Wu Hopeless on his behalf. They saw him as an apprentice brought by the dean who should have been disciplined long ago, even if he had remarkable martial skills. They felt it was necessary to teach him a lesson and remind him who was in charge of Taibai Academy.

The junior brothers and sisters from the Youyuan remained silent, protecting their own interests and aware that those brought by the dean were not ordinary individuals. They knew little about the little man, but they guessed he was an heir from a prominent family, considering his status and the fact that he had been raised within the academy.

However, no matter how influential he might be, it was Master Jing's opinion that truly mattered. They couldn't afford to offend the esteemed master of the academy for the sake of a troublemaker.

The little man looked around anxiously, his face contorted, and his patience waning. His stomach rumbled, and he even started to show signs of attempting an escape.

Sun Gonggong observed this and felt at a loss for words. He could only desperately look to his master for guidance.

Baili Jia Jue finally raised his eyes and fixed a slow gaze on Jing Wu Hopeless...