Chapter 315
In the garden, the maid seemed to be the first to spot Xia'er. She jogged over to open the door, bending slightly as she said, "Miss Xia'er, are you here to see Miss Ai Mi?"
The maid knew that Xia'er was a good friend of Ai Mi and was very kind, so she felt at ease.
"Yes, is she home?" Xia'er asked.
"Yes, she's in the back garden. I'll take you there."
The maid stepped aside slightly, and after Xia'er entered, she led her along the garden path to the back.
"Please wait a moment; I'll go call Miss Ai Mi."
The maid nodded slightly to Xia'er and then dashed toward a figure among the flowers, softly calling out, "Miss Ai Mi, Miss Ai Mi, your friend is here!"
"Huh? Who is it?"
Ai Mi, who was bent over trimming with scissors, looked up in the direction of Xia'er. When she saw her, her eyes lit up, and she dropped the scissors, rushing toward Xia'er.
"Xia'er!"
Just as Xia'er braced herself for a headbutt, Ai Mi skidded to a halt, hands on her hips, and pointed at the flowers behind her, proudly exclaiming, "Look! What do you think?"
Ai Mi had always been interested in gardening, and since discovering the existence of the "Gardener" pathway, she had practically wanted to sleep in the garden.
Under her careful tending, the plants and flowers here were bursting with life, swaying gently in the sunlight, resembling a scene from an oil painting.
"Impressive," Xia'er said with a smile, nodding as her gaze swept over the flowers. Suddenly, a familiar bloom caught her eye. She walked over to it, pointed, and asked, "Ai Mi, what is this?"
"Violet, but it's wild and was just transplanted not long ago," Ai Mi replied, squatting beside Xia'er, her hands resting on her knees as she smiled and explained, "Violets usually don't bloom again in this season, but wild ones have a longer flowering period."
"Oh..."
Xia'er nodded, learning some knowledge that might come in handy for brewing potions in the future.
It was mainly because this flower resembled the engraving on the "Deadly Blood Violet" gun barrel, so even Xia'er, who wasn't well-versed in flowers, could recognize it at a glance.
Thinking back, the "Deadly Blood Violet" had floral engravings, and the bullets were like seeds... It was likely an extraordinary item from the "Gardener" pathway.
In that light, the combat capability of the "Gardener" shouldn't be too shabby, but for Xia'er now, first-tier potions and extraordinary beings were starting to feel a bit lacking.
As long as she could plan ahead, she could take down even third-tier extraordinary beings.
After wandering around the garden with Ai Mi for a bit, Xia'er finally broached the main topic.
After briefly mentioning the situation at the Aivina mine, Xia'er brought up their plans to go to Ansu City together.
"Ansu... Are you leaving Berlun City?"
Ai Mi looked at Xia'er, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness.
"Yes,"
Xia'er nodded and said, "So I came to ask if you want to come with me? We could wait in Ansu until the entrance to Augusfu University in October."
"Augusfu?"
Ai Mi blinked, hesitating as she replied, "I... I'm not sure I can pass the entrance exam there..."
Ai Mi's grades in classical studies and mathematics were only slightly above average, not quite good enough for admission to Augusfu University.
Although her father was a nobleman, he wasn't at the level where he could get recommendations from high-ranking nobles or scholars—if he could, the costs would be staggering.
At least for Ai Mi, Augusfu still felt a bit distant.
"My father told me to join the Church of the God of Order and then apply to Cambridge University... He said it would be easier that way."
Ai Mi said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
Though both were top universities, they were relatively far away, and Cambridge was mostly filled with church members. Ai Mi, who was basically non-religious, had some concerns about university life.
Hearing Ai Mi's situation, Xia'er nodded slightly... That could be easily resolved.
"Hehe, Miss Xia'er, are you here to play with Ai Mi?"
At that moment, Ai Mi's father happened to come out through the back door, leaning on his cane. He looked at Xia'er and smiled, "I apologize for interrupting your conversation... But I must come out to thank you for the potions you sent earlier; I hadn't found the right opportunity to visit."
"Thank you for your generosity, Miss Xia'er."
Baron Hastings took off his hat and expressed his gratitude to Xia'er.
"You're welcome, Baron Hastings,"
Xia'er replied with a slight nod and a smile, "Ai Mi is my friend; it was just a small matter."
"Thank you again, Miss Xia'er."
Baron Hastings said with a cheerful smile, "I won't disturb you any longer; another day, I'll bring Ai Mi to visit again..."
Just as Baron Hastings was about to turn to leave, Xia'er called out to him.
"Please wait, Your Excellency."
Xia'er said, pointing to the stone table and chairs in the center of the garden, "Would you mind chatting for a moment?"
"Of course not."
Though Baron Hastings looked puzzled, he walked over and sat down.
"Here's the thing: Miss Ai Mi and I are both preparing to enroll at Augusfu..."
After explaining their plans to adapt to Ansu City ahead of time, and that she wanted to bring Ai Mi along and help her secure a recommendation for admission, Baron Hastings couldn't stop smiling.
"I have no objections; I just wonder about Ai Mi..."
Baron Hastings looked at his daughter with a grin.
Indeed, as the old saying goes, choose your friends wisely, and you’ll avoid years of detours.
Now, with his daughter mingling in such high society and making friends with them, how could he possibly refuse?
Thinking back, before his daughter met Miss Ai Mi, he couldn't even be a guest at her parties... And the last banquet had brought him considerable gains, even leading to several business collaborations.
A companion for the eldest daughter of the Russell family? Many nobles would want their children to have such an opportunity.
After Ai Mi expressed her agreement, Baron Hastings immediately made the decision—though he and his wife would also accompany them to Ansu City for a while.
After all, they only had one daughter, and it was hard not to worry. They would only feel at ease returning to Berlun City once they saw their daughter was safe and sound there.
In the following time, after a pleasant chat, Xia'er politely declined their invitation to stay for dinner, citing other matters, and returned to Aivina's estate.
Now, she still needed to visit her sister...
Originally, her sister was supposed to be Xia'er's first stop, but due to Aivina, it was pushed to the evening.
Now, Xia'er began to speculate about what Aivina was going to discuss with her sister.
Aivina seemed to have something to attend to at noon and didn't return for lunch. Xia'er, feeling a bit tired of the food here, went to the kitchen and quickly stir-fried a couple of dishes.
Stir-fried beef with scallions and scrambled eggs with sausage—the familiar flavors made Xia'er nostalgic.
At noon, after taking another shower and changing into a slightly simpler outfit, she spent her time in the study, preparing to skim through the books in Aivina's study before leaving.
In the afternoon, a weary-looking Aivina finally returned to the estate. She opened the study door, turned to close it, and then staggered over to the sofa, collapsing onto Xiaer's lap and taking a deep breath through her thin dress to regain her energy.
The scent of soap and the fragrance of the young girl relaxed Aivina's tense spirit. She turned slightly, resting her head on Xiaer's lap, and looked at Xia'er, who was still reading, and asked, "How's it going..."
"Ai Mi agreed, and Adele still needs to check with her sister,"
Xia'er turned the page and replied, "Now it's just my sister left."
"Don't worry, I've already reserved a restaurant and informed the manager to let your sister know; it won't be forgotten..."
Aivina closed her eyes, enjoying Xia'er's soft lap.
"Why are you so tired?"
Xia'er set down her book and gently brushed aside the hair that was falling over Aivina's face.
"It's those pesky bugs... Hehe, I think they just don't want to release the funds... They keep delaying the deadline."
When Aivina mentioned this, she seemed a bit angry, gritting her teeth.
But she quickly shook her head and said, "Let's not talk about that; worrying won't help. I can only blame myself for not having real power... Negotiations without power are just one-sided harvesting."
Aivina had a good temperament; she didn't resort to her extraordinary abilities. Otherwise, a few people wouldn't stand a chance in negotiations.
"Then let's talk about something else,"
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