Chapter 37: Ch 37 Alchemists Intern.

"Given I needed your help to finish this, I guess I lost."

Taking out the newly concocted pill from within the cauldron fuming with pleasant fragrance, Wan Ling stated while Xianfei walked away from him.

"Yes but fortunately for you, I’m not that petty." She shrugged and went on to grab the pill he had coconted.

Pushing her glasses up, she fanned Qi through her eyes as she observed the seemingly flawless qi refinement Qi.

"Only two percent impurities are present." She muttered, taken aback.

Sure it was a weak pill but he was still learning.

If that was true, the pill would have more impurities but it didn’t.

"He might be lying about his knowledge in alchemy or he’s just that good."

She couldn’t decide on an answer and honestly she didn’t want to because either way this was good for her.

"Are you registered with the alchemy guild?" She glanced back at him and asked.

Wan Ling shook his head.

"Do you want to be an alchemist?"

"I’m curious enough to want to try it!" Wan Ling explained.

"Then go and register." She replied and tossed him the pill.

"You can sell your products through them and also they have discounts on inaccessible ingredients." She explained as Wan Ling caught the pill.

" I feel like you’re trying to change the subject. I want to know how well I perform?" Wan Ling asked eagerly.

Xianfei walked to the tables to grab her pill furnace sign.

" You did good. I’m even inclined to believe you have an alchemy background."

" No!" He shook his head.

" Though I have practiced it before!"

" I knew it!" Xianfei exclaimed very happily that one of the assumptions she made had been true.

After all there was no way....

" Wait... don’t tell me...."

Her expression twisted with horror as she glanced at Wan Ling who smirked.

" You bastard, you could have compressed the pill on your own."

" Yes." He didn’t lie.

" Tsk....you really played me huh!"

She went on to click her tongue slightly frustrated.

" Very much!" He responded and shrugged his shoulders.

" Though I won’t say I’m still as good as you."

Xianfei arched a brow before asking," So if it’s not the knowledge you need, what do you want?" She asked and Wan Ling kept smiling.

"You ofcourse!"

His reply caught her ofcourse then she smiled casually.

"I’m flattered" She said and moved slightly to rest the pill furnace on the kitchen table next to her alchemy ingredients.

" So!" Wan Ling remarked, waiting for a response.

Leaving the furnace alone, she brushed her hair back slightly and glanced at him.

" So what?"

She seemed confused.

Wan Ling leaned against the wall, his arms crossed.

"Well I did all of this because I liked you so I am waiting for a response."

"Oh that!" She gave a helpless smile and shook her head.

"I’m not interested,"she said.

"...."

" Not in you in particular.... just romance as a whole."

Her answer was expected and Wan Ling didn’t seem hurt either.

"You’re rather kind, Miss Xianfei." He laughed, eliciting a confused look once more.

"In what way?" She asked curiously.

"Well you crushed my heart but you went on to elaborate I wasn’t the problem. Before that, you even helped me with concocting a pill even when that wouldn’t have benefited you."

Hearing his explanation, Xianfei was surprised he came to that conclusion but she strangely didn’t mind.

" I guess I am kind." She muttered.

" Did you ever doubt that fact?" Wan Ling inquired, his back still against the wall.

" It is human nature to live with doubts." She responded and sat down on a chair.

" Either way my stance is clear. I am not interested in romance."

" Why is that?"

Xianfei was unwilling to answer at first but given how much he had done, she wanted to tell him so he didn’t waste his time and talents for her.

" You could say I’m married to Alchemy."

"....."

" I’m not interested in immortality, the dao or ascending to the higher heavens. I just want to create something unquie."

" Then why not be an artist?"

" I would have but alchemy simply stole my interest first." She explained.

A smile tugged along the corners of Wan Ling lips as he lifted his gaze of her and glanced at the ceiling.

"Unquie!" He muttered.

He didn’t know why but it seems the alchemy talent was slowly changing him somewhat because he felt had a mutual understanding of what Xianfei wanted.

"Miss Xianfei!" He called and looked back down.

Xianfei, who seemed to have been lost in the moment like him, fixed her glasses and watched him.

" If you ever need someone to find you the ingredients of this unique creation, call me."

" Would I get a discount from one alchemist to another?" She asked, smiling playfully.

" Depends on my mood." He laughed it off and walked towards the door.

Xianfei followed with delicate steps till he existed and she leaned against her door with a pleasant smile.

"In the end neither of us gained what we wanted."

Before leaving he said.

"I wanted a free errand boy and you wanted to woo me."

Wan Ling nodded.

"Thought now that I’m thinking about it. You could have forced a betting game that worked in your favour. Given my pride to prove you wrong I would have accepted so why didn’t you?"

She just couldn’t understand why.

Her confusion made Wan Ling sigh.

" I’ll leave that to your interpretation."

"No, just tell me and be done with it." She refused.

"I won’t." Wan Ling also shook his head.

"Seriously I don’t want to be kept up all night thinking about it. I like to overthink so don’t please I’m begging you.... don’t leave me without an answer." She pleaded but Wan Ling had already made his stance clear.

" I’m not as kind as you Xianfei. So I’m going to leave you without an answer and that will torment you for days." He gave her a sly smirk and walked away with a causal wave.

Meanwhile Xianfei’s eyes trembled in disbelief at how petty he was.