Slowness

Mo Yue’s heart was stirred as well.

She asked shyly, “Since bro… brother said that, can I maybe get some powerful mages to tutor me?”

Collins smiled. “Of course. I know quite a few strong mages.”

He thought of Aikefis.

As long as Aikefis got into Hawk Academy, it would be natural for her to guide Mo Yue in all kinds of magical formulas and practical exercises.

After going home, he really needed to talk to their father.

Let that beautiful senior join Hawk Academy to teach, and at the same time tutor Mo Yue on her studies.

“No, no, no.”

Mo Yue pouted.

“Those people… they may not teach as well as you do.”

Collins burst into laughter.

“How could that be? I’m just some shut-in nerd locked up in a lab all day.”

“How could I explain things better than someone with both high IQ and EQ?”

In a sense, those who succeed purely through talent often have worse teaching ability than those who succeed through effort.

Collins was clearly a talent-based success.

What he understood instantly, others might never grasp in a lifetime.

But that kind of logic wasn’t what Mo Yue wanted to hear.

She turned her face to the side, clearly upset.

Collins didn’t understand why Mo Yue kept acting so distant.

As her brother, he was also a bit shy, unsure how to talk to her, and just let the awkward atmosphere hang.

“Um, the mage certification is pretty hard to get, right?”

Collins looked at Mo Yue.

“You want to get a mage certificate?”

Low-tier and mid-tier certifications were different.

To become a mid-tier mage, you only needed to cast a Tier-4 spell once.

But to get certified as a low-tier mage wasn’t just about casting a few spells.

With Mo Yue’s current level, getting that certification would be difficult.

Collins could already imagine how much time and effort she’d need if she insisted on pursuing it.

“Yeah, I want to get that certificate. I… I want to prove myself.”

So I need your help.

Mo Yue clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, trying hard to express her determination to Collins.

Collins gave a faintly amused smile, shaking his head with a trace of helplessness.

“Honestly, you don’t have to work so hard.”

Mo Yue’s clenched fists froze.

Did her brother know a shortcut to rapid progress?

“Actually, you can live a fine life even without a low-tier mage certificate.”

Collins patted Mo Yue’s shoulder.

This time, she didn’t flinch, and he didn’t feel any stiffness in her body.

“People only need so much space to sleep.”

“And there’s only so much they can see.”

“If the sky falls, someone stronger will hold it up.”

“The soldiers on the front lines take the risks.”

For us? We just eat and wait.

“Why sacrifice everything for an impossible goal?”

Her stiff fingers slowly relaxed, but her heart clenched tighter.

That wasn’t the answer Mo Yue had been hoping for.

Collins tried to sound gentle.

“So go have fun.”

“At your age, you shouldn’t be thinking about magic all the time.”

Mo Yue was still young, just a middle school third-year.

At this age, she should be hanging out with classmates and friends at the movies, gossiping about handsome celebrities.

Eating snacks, watching idols, wasting her youth a little—it would be more fitting.

As for magic?

Collins didn’t want his beautiful sister ending up like him—holed up in a magic lab all day, seeing more data than people, knowing fewer friends than the number of experiments he’d done.

Young people should have joyful memories.

Collins looked at the once-again silent Mo Yue and gave her a sincere smile.

“Stop thinking about that boring magic stuff.”

“Things that don’t suit your age should be given up.”

Mo Yue spat out two words.

“Give up?”

Collins sensed something wrong in her tone.

But he didn’t realize the emotional storm rising in his sister.

“Yeah. Things you don’t need to do, don’t…”

“Enough!”

Mo Yue grabbed the hand that was still on her shoulder.

Collins’ expression twisted in pain.

He had never expected his sister to have such strength.

That crushing grip almost made him cry out.

“Do you think just because you saved me, you can say whatever you want?”

Her grip tightened again, and Collins turned pale.

“Mo Yue, I…”

“I thought you were someone who understood me…”

Tears slid down her cheeks.

Mo Yue stared into Collins’ eyes with rage.

He had no idea what was going on.

He didn’t even understand what he’d said to upset her so badly.

In the end, Collins still knew far too little about his sister.

“Mo Yue, I… I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I just thought, you’re still young. You don’t need to…”

“Don’t need to what?”

“You don’t need to waste your efforts on such silly things.”

Mo Yue let go of Collins’ hand.

And then came a loud slap.

Collins held his face in disbelief.

Tears streamed freely now as Mo Yue stepped back, shaking her head.

“You don’t understand.”

“You really don’t understand anything.”

“Not a single thing.”

She muttered under her breath, but each word pierced Collins’ heart.

“Mo Yue, I… you…”

Collins tried to explain.

Mo Yue gave him one last, hateful look, then turned and ran off.

The sound of her footsteps echoed in his ears.

Soon after, her furious voice rang out down the hallway.

“Idiot!”

“My brother’s a giant idiot!”

“A hopeless, clueless, total idiot!”

Her voice echoed through the stairwell.

Collins stood there, mouth slightly open, confused.

But no matter how confused he felt, the burning pain on his cheek reminded him exactly what had happened.

His hand instinctively covered the spot.

The warmth of his skin rubbed gently against the sore spot on his face.

A handkerchief soaked in medicinal liquid appeared before him.

Collins looked up and saw Aikefis’ serious face.