After a while, Zixin left the White Palace, opening his eyes with a hint of clarity. His gaze darted around, surveying his surroundings, noticing Hope's disappearance. His gaze soon landed on the wooden table not far from him. Atop with was a wooden box used to contain food, and right beside it was a folded piece of paper.
He quickly stood up, taking a few steps and opening the paper.
He slowly started to read, "If you're reading this, then I'd like to congratulate you on your good work today. Being a Holder must be tough after all. Anyhow, I decided to go out and gather information. But since I didn't know how long you'll be meditating, I made a meal for you just in case you feel hungry. To be honest, you could just cook some, but it's the thought that counts, right?"
Zixin smiled lightly, folding the paper and putting it in his pocket. He then sat down and started to dig in.
As he ate, he thought about how to minimize the thought consumption whenever he would create an object inside the White Palace: Hmm… the greatest issue I have is the elements needed to create a knife. A knife needs to be sharp, and that alone is already a full thought. A dull knife is just a waste waiting to be replaced. I already tried by starting from the blade and then to the handle, but it's still exhausting. I should probably remove unnecessary thoughts like color from it.
While thinking, an idea flashed in his mind: What if I alter its shape?
But a second later, he shook his head and thought: That doesn't seem worth it at all. First, because a knife's shape has been specifically made as such through countless years of trial and error, I would lose this if I changed the shape. Second, and finally, it is because creating a new mental image of a knife is just too much effort.
Zixin let out a sigh, finishing his meal and leaning back on the chair. His gaze lifted, facing the ceiling with a look of confusion.
"This doesn't seem that valuable for the current me–hmm?" Zixin's eyes suddenly lit up, his hands trembling in excitement.
What if I create a template? That way, it would be far easier to create a knife using my thoughts. This could also be used to create other objects inside the White Palace. However, there is one major problem–the mental image. Wait, can't I just use a hollow image of a knife? Hmm, I can already imagine it so… Zixin pondered for a while before entering the White Palace to test it out.
Not even a minute later, he left and stared at his dishes. He sighed and started to wash them.
…
At Daisal, Hope and Sophia sat across from each other at a café. Hope wore a leisurely expression whilst Sophia had one of frustration. She remained silent, helpless, watching as Hope devoured food like a hungry beast.
Sophia clenched her fist under the table, as she couldn't help herself any longer. She lifted her gaze to Hope and asked, "Why did you ask me to come here?"
Hope paused, holding a biscuit and handing it to her with a smile.
Sophia's thoughts raced: This… she wants something from me, doesn't she? In our first meeting, she managed to defeat me with ease. In other words, even if I try to fight back, she could easily handle me. My gut tells me that she might blackmail me with what I just told her a few days ago.
Hope tilted her head, looking deeply at her and asking softly, "How much would the Thread Bloodline's reputation be affected if news of your activities here comes to light, Lady Silk?"
Sophia's eyes became teary, as tears began flowing down her porcelain cheeks. She held her breath, gripping her skirt as she bit her lip.
I'm such an idiot! Why did I tell her? Lady Xiu… is this truly the right path? She's being absurd–this is out of character for her! Sophia screamed in her mind, trying to wipe away her tears.
Maybe Hope is trying to trick me into revealing more information? But what could she possibly want? Her gaze became blurry with tears, and Hope took out a handkerchief, wiping them away with an awkward smile.
She sighed, taking the handkerchief and wiping her tears. She muttered softly, "There's only so much I could tell you. I'm not some sort of intel broker, you know?!"
"I just want to know why Zixin's sister took such action," Hope replied.
After Sophia finished wiping her tears, her gaze shifted to the window, watching the passersby move about their own lives.
"Even I'm not certain. After all, I'm just a tailor. I came to Daisail mainly due to my personal business and Lady Xiu's encouragement." Sophia spoke, her tone filled with reminisce.
Hope placed a finger on her chin, falling into deep thought. She then asked, "How about Zixin's love life?"
Sophia's mind froze, as if she couldn't comprehend what she just heard. She stared hard, frowning in confusion.
Hope waved her hand exaggeratedly, using too much force and accidentally knocking a few snacks out. The moment the sweets were sent flying, her hand grabbed, and like an expert, she caught everything, immediately stuffing her mouth full.
Sophia regained her senses, letting out a sigh. She answered plainly, "There are few people who would bother with him. However, there is one girl who shares a deep bond with him–Jinhua, the current headmaster of the Myriad Golden Flower Academy."
They then continued to talk for a while. A few hours passed by, and only Hope would be there, sitting alone at the same spot.
She sighed, wearing a haggard expression. In truth, she wanted to be friends with Sophia, but threatening her did get in the way. The only reason she did was that she wanted to know how much Sophia was willing to divulge under pressure. But she also decided not to oress to hardly and still give her breathing room. That's why she was doing a few acts of kindness.
And she already has plans to apologize in the future. As long as she's genuine, she's certain that Sophia would be able to see the truth.
As for why she inquired about Zixin's love life, it was more of a roundabout way of asking who he's close to, but it certainly didn't turn out as well as she had hoped.
She laughed lightly, looking out the window and muttering to herself, "I wonder how things would turn out."