Madame is Pretending to be an Academic Slacker Again!

Two people, both equally stubborn and equally concerned about each other, were at a standoff; neither was willing to leave first.

Seeing that the Second Elder was about to reach his limit, the sound of an engine came from not far away. A car wobbled its way over and stopped beside Nalan Ye Jue and Qin Xin.

Jing Zhichen rolled down the window. ”Miss Lan, I’ve come to take you away.”

Nalan Ye Jue glared at him warily, tightening his grip on Qin Xin.

Jing Zhichen pressed his lips together. ”I have a Time Key. I can send you... out of here for good, right now. You don’t have to... wait a whole year.”

Time Key?

What kind of Magic Artifact is that?

A flicker of doubt swept through Qin Xin’s heart.

When they’d been searching for a way to leave, everyone had said they needed a sufficiently powerful Spiritual Pearl, and only with a Time Mage casting the spell could the Time Gate be opened.

Spiritual Pearls were hard to come by, and a Time Mage with strong enough Mana was even rarer.

A Time Mage of the Second Elder’s level could barely manage to open the Time Gate once a year.

Yet Jing Zhichen was claiming he could just walk out using a ”Time Key”?

Seeing Qin Xin hesitate, Jing Zhichen couldn’t help growing anxious. ”Miss Lan, you don’t trust me?”

Qin Xin shook her head. ”It’s not that I don’t trust you. I’m just wondering... with a method this convenient, won’t it hurt you somehow?”

A rush of complicated emotion surged through Jing Zhichen’s heart.

She really was kind.

No matter how cold and proud she looked on the outside, it couldn’t hide that beautiful heart.

At such a critical moment, with life and death hanging in the balance, she’d found a way to escape, yet instead of agreeing at once, she was worrying whether he would get hurt?

She was simply too wonderful. With someone like her, he felt that giving up everything was worth it.

Besides, it was just a Time Key.

He drew in a breath and forced himself to smile calmly. ”It’s just a little key that opens the Time Gate. I’m giving it to you as a farewell gift. How could giving you a gift hurt me? My little uncle lost his Time Key when he was young; otherwise he could’ve given it to you too, and you wouldn’t have to wait a year. Anyway, I’ll never leave this place in my lifetime. You take it and use it.”

The calmer he sounded, the more puzzled Qin Xin felt inside.

But she really couldn’t see any sign that this would be disadvantageous to Jing Zhichen.

Maybe the price was simply that he’d lose the right to freely open the Time Gate in the future.

Jing Zhichen paused, then went on earnestly, ”You gave me a parting gift too, and it was something as priceless as that phone company. I accepted it back then. Now I want to give you a gift in return. Gift for gift, and yet you won’t accept mine. It makes me feel... like you’re looking down on me, like a tiny little key is too shabby for you...”

Qin Xin rubbed her forehead. ”Of course not.”

Jing Zhichen said, ”Then promise me you’ll accept my farewell gift, all right?”

It was almost a plea, so low and humble.

Qin Xin’s heart softened. ”All right.”

She could stay here and fight side by side with the Second Elder, but she couldn’t drag Nalan Ye Jue down with her.

Since they could open the Time Gate, leaving immediately was indeed the smartest choice.

A boundless satisfaction filled Jing Zhichen’s heart. Not only to Qin Xin, but to Nalan Ye Jue, he spoke with sincere urgency: ”Then get in, quickly!”

The car sped off into the night and soon vanished into the darkness.

Still blocking the Ten Elders, the Second Elder couldn’t help looking back. He let out a heavy sigh. ”I guarded against this for so long, and in the end Chen’er still fell too deep. He’s even handed the Time Key over to Miss Lan. Ah... perhaps this is just fate.”