The afternoon sun shone into the study through the cracks in the window, casting mottled shadows on the wooden table. Although it was summer, the occasional breeze still made people feel a little chilly.
Malfoy was intoxicated by the sea of books in the study. He didn't even let go of a simple spell casting technique or unpopular knowledge.
"The ancients said that cultivation was only for longevity, but they didn't know that the pleasure of feeling one's own progress in the process of cultivation was enough to make people unable to extricate themselves." Malfoy couldn't help but sigh as he thought of his previous point of view.
With the help of his super memory, Malfoy could feel his knowledge constantly increasing. This kind of control over knowledge brought him more satisfaction than other desires.
Humans were short-sighted creatures. That was why people in his previous life, including Malfoy himself, were so passionate about online games. Because of the increase in experience on the screen and the immediate feedback of gold coins in the bag, the short cycle of rewards made people unable to extricate themselves from the quagmire.
On the other hand, who didn't know the importance of learning? However, how many of them could persevere? The extremely long cycle of feedback brought about endless self-doubt in the process. People often couldn't help but wonder if what they were doing was useless and why they couldn't see any results in their struggles. More often than not, people would choose to retreat and fall from grace. They became slaves to the short cycle of feedback.
They didn't have to worry about forgetting, and they had a passion for magic. This made Malfoy a true scholar.
"Looks like the Elixir of Fortune is really difficult to make." Malfoy sighed as he closed the book.
In his previous life, Malfoy wasn't very interested in so-called powerful potions like compound decoctions, but he was very curious about the Elixir of Fortune. What kind of potion could temporarily change his luck? Malfoy naturally wouldn't let go of the opportunity in this life. But after looking through many books, he came to a conclusion: the ingredients and the production method were difficult to find. Even if there were no mistakes and everything was ready. It would still take six months.
"But I won't give up trying," Malfoy thought.
"Then I'll have to trouble you." Just as Malfoy was thinking, a middle-aged man's voice suddenly came from outside the door. It was somewhat familiar.
"It's a piece of cake. You're welcome. Maybe my kid is too happy." It was Lucius's voice.
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door.
Malfoy closed the "Creation and Use of Magical Potions" book, stood up from the chair, and walked to the door to open it.
"Oh, little Malfoy, we meet again. This time, you might need to help your uncle a little." The familiar voice belonged to Hector, whom he had met once before. Standing next to him was Lucius.
Before he could finish, a small figure walked out from behind Hector. Malfoy couldn't help but touch his forehead when he saw her.
Who else could it be? Pansy Parkinson's, of course.
Today, Pan Xi had changed out of her gothic outfit and was wearing a white dress. There was a light yellow bow on both of her cuffs, and the skirt was embroidered with rose patterns. Her red leather boots were simple and elegant, and she was holding a delicate lady's purse in her hand. If the last time they met, Pan Xi was dressed like a little devil, this time she looked like a fairy who had walked out of a fairy tale.
"We meet again," Pansy said softly, looking at Malfoy.
"You're most welcome." Malfoy did not know how to respond. After all, it was too sudden. He could only bow slightly.
"Sigh, those vermin." Hector suddenly said hatefully.
"Which family's business doesn't have at least one or two such people? You don't have to be so angry. "Lucius advised.
It was difficult for two people with unequal status to form a friendship. A friendship without exchange of benefits would not last long. As two pure-blooded Wizards with similar interests, it was impossible for them to be purely friends. The Malfoy family's gold coins naturally did not come out of nowhere. Earning through various investments was not just a Muggle's monopoly. Wizards also needed to earn money.
Unfortunately, Hector had encountered financial problems in his own business today. What was even more unfortunate was that Lucius also had a share in that business. Thus, the two of them needed to go out and discuss.
"I don't want to give all my money to those Goblins from Gringotts." Wizards did not have a good impression of those Goblins. Hector was no exception.
"Alright, alright, don't say such things in front of the child." Lucius turned to Malfoy and said, "You've heard it. Your uncle and I have urgent matters to attend to. It's not convenient for Pansy to follow us. You stay here and accompany her. I think we'll be back by night."
"This girl insisted on following us. I have a headache too. Now, I can only trouble your family's little one. The situation is urgent and we can't delay any longer. Otherwise, who knows what kind of trouble those vermin will cause. "
"Pansy, be obedient. Don't be like last time." Before leaving, Hector gave Pansy a small warning.
"Alright, alright. Don't worry." Pansy pouted coquettishly. Her face was flushed red, as if she was still embarrassed about the accident that happened last time.
"Don't worry, father, uncle. I will definitely take good care of her." Malfoy also regretted his pettiness last time. He hoped that he could make up for it this time. Naturally, he vowed solemnly, but he could not imagine what would happen next.
"Let's go, Hector. I think those vermin will enjoy our anger."
"I can't wait either, Lucius. Too much time has passed. It seems that they have forgotten our past reputation. Today, it's time to let them experience it again."
Then, the two figures gradually turned transparent and finally returned to nothingness. It was obvious that the two had used Phantom Transference.
"So this is the legendary teleportation." Malfoy's eyes could not help but flicker with flames that symbolized desire. Compared to the powerful magic spells, Malfoy was more interested in the more mysterious magic spells. When any witchcraft involved space and time, the difficulty would increase exponentially. Compared to the powerful Avada Lethal, Malfoy felt that these witchcraft were the source of advancement in the Wizarding World. They were the existences that could truly embody the mysteries of magic.
Thinking about it carefully, what was the difference between Avada Lethal and a bullet fired from a pistol? The technological research of ordinary people, or Muggles, had long surpassed witchcraft in terms of lethality. What was the strongest magic compared to a nuclear bomb?
However, in terms of space and time, the Wizarding World's research was much more advanced. Perhaps there were many restrictions, but the Time Converter was ultimately related to the mysteries of time. Phantom Transference was enough to make Muggles' scientists break their heads.
"I'm really looking forward to the future." Malfoy was fascinated by the magic he would learn in the future.
"But now, I still have to deal with some problems," Malfoy thought to himself. "Apologize again. Why are you arguing with a little girl?"
Of course, Malfoy soon knew that he was thinking too much.
"The matter last time …" Malfoy was halfway through his sentence.
"Pa!" Pan Xi threw the small bag in her hand directly on Malfoy's desk. The somewhat shy expression from before had long disappeared without a trace. It was replaced by a cold gaze.
"You can open it now." Pan Xi's tone was slightly provocative.
Malfoy did not immediately react to what had happened. However, he still did as she said and opened the bag.
"Damn it." Malfoy felt that he had underestimated how vengeful women could be, even if Pan Xi was only a little girl.
"I think the Ministry of Magic's officials would be happy to see this evidence. Back then, there must have been a lot of people who were dissatisfied with your father being exonerated." Pan Xi's face revealed a hint of a smirk.
"'The Secrets of Advanced Black Magic'. Uncle Lucius's hobbies are really extensive," Pan Xi said as she pointed at a photo. The photo was the title page of a book with Lucius's name written on it.
As for the other photos, they were part of Lucius's annotations. The densely packed letters were frightening, and one could see the specially drawn lines and circles.
People would always be afraid of uncertain things, but if it was confirmed, it was still easy to accept. Pan Xi was previously afraid of black magic, but after confirming Lucius's research, she was not so afraid anymore. Rather, she became interested. Now, she was very familiar with threatening Malfoy.
"The book in the secret room must have been taken away." Malfoy felt a headache coming on.
In a sense, children were indeed difficult to deal with. Adults knew how to weigh the pros and cons and exchange benefits. For example, although Hector knew that Lucius was researching black magic, he would at most warn him. Pan Xi was different. Who knew if she would really report it to the Ministry of Magic?
Looking at Malfoy's stiff expression, Pan Xi said proudly, "It seems that Muggle's camera is still very useful."
"Tell me, what do you want to do?" Malfoy's expression quickly returned to normal.
The thoughts of an adult soul were still very fast. Thinking about it carefully, there were countless Death Eaters during their heyday. How many could escape punishment with such a lame reason as the Soul Seizing Spell? Lucius's own network of connections must be very deep. Perhaps many people already knew about it at the time and just wanted to look good on the surface. Moreover, Lucius's money was not in vain. This level of evidence was not a big deal.
Taking a step back, even if Pan Xi really handed it in, at most, the original surprise inspection by the Ministry of Magic would be brought forward.
Pan Xi was originally satisfied when she saw Malfoy's stiff expression, but now, Malfoy's calm expression made her very unhappy. She imagined that Malfoy would be scared out of his wits and quickly kneel down to beg for forgiveness. The result was the complete opposite.
"Sigh, boring, bookworm. Go read your book." Seeing Malfoy's calm expression, Pan Xi suddenly felt that it was boring. She wanted to see Malfoy's humiliated expression under submission, not this poker face.
In fact, one should not underestimate a child's IQ. For Pan Xi, who grew up in a large family, she might understand the seriousness of the consequences of this matter. Usually, she could be unruly, but if she was willful on this kind of matter, it might make the two families hostile. Although her father was usually gentle, it was likely that he could not escape his anger when faced with such a matter. Today, Pan Xi also saw Hector's rare angry side. She had a deeper understanding of this.
Originally, she just wanted to scare Malfoy as revenge for last time. Unfortunately, it was useless. Pan Xi could not really be a warm-hearted Wizard and really report it, so now Pan Xi was in a bad mood.
"Tap tap tap tap." Pan Xi stomped on the floor and walked to the desk. She found a chair and sat down, pursing her lips as she thought about something.
"Looks like the favorability has fallen to negative." Malfoy naturally did not know what Pan Xi was thinking. Of course, from her behavior, he knew that he must have offended this little loli again.
"It's useless to think too much." Seeing that Pan Xi did not make things difficult for him, Malfoy was also happy to be free. If the favorability was negative, then so be it. There would always be a chance to get it back. Thus, Malfoy continued his research on the Blessing Potion.
"By the way, there's a book called 'The Tales of Beedle the Poet' on the third row and fourth column of the bookshelf. If you're bored, you can flip through it yourself." Malfoy buried his head in the book and gave Pan Xi a suggestion to pass the time.
"Who wants to read that kind of book that sounds like it's used to fool children?"
Not only was Pansy safe and sound, but when Malfoy reminded him, Pansy even yelled like an angry kitten.
"It's over, I stepped on a minefield again." Malfoy felt that the number of times he lamented in his heart today was more than the total number of times in the previous eight years. "I only bought this book because of Dumbledore. If Dumbledore heard your evaluation, I don't know what he would think."
"Looks like today's time is gone again." Malfoy shook his head helplessly.
"Alright, alright, alright. Milady, what do you think we should do?" Malfoy said as he closed the book that he had barely read.
"Hmph." Pan Xi turned her head away and did not say anything else.
"If you want me to use my trump card, I'll just be a propagator of culture today." Malfoy could not help but recall some of the things that his predecessors did.
"In a faraway eastern country, a long time ago, a story like this happened …" Malfoy suddenly opened his mouth and began his plagiarist identity.
"There was a celestial called Liang Shanbo …" The story was about the famous Liang Zhu, known as the Romeo and Juliet of the East.
"This seems interesting." Pan Xi, who was sitting on the chair, was also curious. "I'll just listen." This time, Pan Xi did not interrupt Malfoy.
Many Westerners still yearned for the mysterious countries of the East, so Pan Xi chose to continue listening even though his curiosity overwhelmed his pride.
Not long after.
"That Liang Shanbo is really a coward."
"That Marvin is a sanctimonious person, but who would have thought that he would be as evil as you. He's just a little scoundrel. "
"Looks like my image is irreparable." Hearing Pan Xi's evaluation of the story, Malfoy didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"In the end, the two turned into butterflies and stayed together forever." Malfoy let out a long sigh, feeling as if he had returned to his childhood in his previous life, listening to his parents tell him stories. His eyes were moist. As a somewhat emotional person, even if this story came from his own mouth, Malfoy was still somewhat moved.
"I don't believe this story isn't moving enough. Pan Xi's eyes should be red now." Malfoy was still very confident in his homeland's traditional stories.
"That's it?" Pan Xi asked.
"Yes."
"Ah." Pan Xi sneered.
"This reaction isn't right. Don't little girls yearn for sad and tragic love the most?" Hearing Pan Xi's sneer, Malfoy couldn't help but feel somewhat depressed.
Seeing Malfoy's gloomy expression, Pan Xi couldn't help but show a happy expression. She then explained, "Although I hate you, I have to say that your story is pretty good. I'm just laughing at you for turning a comedy into a tragedy."
Malfoy felt that his thoughts couldn't keep up with this little loli.
"It's a pity that you've read so many books, but you've really become a fool," Pan Xi once again mocked him. "It's obvious that Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai are both Animagus. This is just a show directed for a more reasonable elopement. You've read so many books. There's no way you don't even know about transformation magic, right?"
'That world and this world aren't in the same dimension,' Malfoy ridiculed inwardly, feeling that his imagination couldn't keep up with this little loli.
"But it's really quite interesting. As a reward, I'll let you continue telling me another story."
'Milady, are you addicted to listening to stories?' Malfoy thought to himself.
"But I don't believe that I can't move a little girl." Malfoy's competitive spirit was aroused, and he was determined to move Pan Xi.
"It must be that Ruth is too fat. Otherwise, both of them might have been saved." This was Pan Xi's ridicule of the Titanic.
Malfoy vomited blood.
With his confidence severely damaged, Malfoy had no choice but to change the subject.
"This girl called Hua Mulan is really something. Father always tells me not to do this and that. Why does a girl have to follow so many rules? If there's a chance, I'll tell him this story. "Pan Xi was somewhat satisfied that Malfoy had joined the army on behalf of his father.
"Phew." Malfoy let out a long sigh. "I almost embarrassed the transmigrators," Malfoy thought to himself.
"But with your performance, you'd have been beaten to death if you were a boy." Malfoy thought to himself. It had to be said that while women were disadvantaged in certain aspects, they were also treated well in other aspects.
"Since your story is quite interesting, I won't argue with you."
"That's my honor, milady." Malfoy thought that he had finally solved a difficult problem.
"But you can tell more in the future." Pan Xi looked at Malfoy with sparkling eyes as if she had found a new toy.
"Okay." Malfoy quickly agreed to Pan Xi's request, but it was not entirely for her sake.
"I still can't forget my hometown. Fine. This will be my way of reminiscing. " As he narrated his story, Malfoy also recalled his past. Perhaps these stories in his mind were the only ties between him and his hometown. He did not want to forget.
Since that was the case, he would reminisce by telling his story.
Malfoy's mind wandered.
"Hey, Malfoy, why are you spacing out?" Pan Xi waved her hand in front of Malfoy's eyes. She pulled him back to reality from his reminiscence.
"Sorry."
"Is it so boring to tell stories to me?" Although she did not want to admit it, because of these stories, Pan Xi's impression of Malfoy was much better, so her tone was much better than before.
"It seems that you two are getting along well. Pan Xi didn't give you any trouble, right?" It seemed that the problem this time was handled perfectly. Hector and Lucius had returned earlier than expected.
"Father! How did I give you any trouble? "Pan Xi said coquettishly. She immediately switched back to her ladylike mode.
"Uncle, don't say that. I'm also very happy to have someone to accompany me," Malfoy naturally replied politely.
"It's late. Why don't you two have dinner here before going back?" Lucius urged them to stay.
"No, it's late. I still have some things to deal with. I'll visit another day." Although the matter was resolved satisfactorily, there were still some loose ends waiting for Hector to deal with, so Hector declined Lucius's invitation to stay.
Lucius was very clear about this, so after a few more polite words, he and Malfoy sent Pan Xi and her father out of the house. Before leaving, Pan Xi stole a glance at Malfoy.
Malfoy understood her gaze. "I'll come again next time!"