Chapter 268

Chapter 268: Accepting with Composure

Love, what exactly is it? It’s truly hard to describe, because over the years, countless people have packed so many things into it. It seems that anything, once draped in the fabric of love, becomes great and noble.

But this doesn’t mean that love is a bad thing; it remains one of the purest emotions humans can experience, bringing beauty to life. However, this emotion should not be overly deified, nor should it be considered more precious or rare than familial love or friendship.

Watching the golden-haired youth waving not far away, Lolan Hill tilted her head slightly and quickly understood what was happening. Probably, Jielanen wanted to express his goodwill and affection.

“Who sent these? They look delicious,” Lily clapped her hands and looked around, trying to find the person who had given the gift.

“Perhaps they want to win the favor of one of us,” Letis said with a familiar smile as she looked at the cake. She often encountered such situations.

“How rich,” Alena thought about how much the cake might cost.

Yeling and Vimya weren’t too concerned. One was munching on grilled meat slices, spiciness making her stick out her tongue, while the other quietly sipped a newly bought juice.

Bumansa and Nia were surprised but felt it wasn’t meant for them, so they just watched without saying anything.

“Thank you.” Lolan Hill put away her book into a nearby handbag and then stood up to continue speaking to the two servers who had brought the cake.

“Could you please pass on a message to the gentleman who sent this?” Although addressing the servers, the young lady turned her gaze to the distance.

Seeing Lolan accept the gift with composure and ease, everyone else looked at her in surprise. Even Vimya and Yeling, usually calm, turned their attention to her.

Did Lolan know the person who sent the gift?

Does Lolan have feelings for that guy?

Could it be that Lolan is going to fall in love?

The others each had their own thoughts, listening intently to what Lolan would say next.

“Please feel free to speak, miss.”

The two servers stood nervously by the side. They had just been instructed that the gift-giver was the Griffin Duke’s eldest son, so they were very afraid of messing things up and being blamed for it.

“Thank you for your gift. I will return the favor later, but this is merely a gesture of mutual greeting among friends. I hope you won’t misunderstand otherwise.”

In human interactions, gifts are often exchanged. If it’s a simple gift, there’s no need to worry too much, but for valuable ones, careful consideration is needed before accepting.

Some people say, “Since they offered it voluntarily, and I didn’t force them, why can’t I accept it?”

The facts were not so. Precious gifts often carried heavier emotions. Some were given with the hope that the recipient would become a partner, while others hoped their request could be granted.

When accepting such gifts, it usually implied agreement and acceptance. If one later regretted it, those who witnessed the acceptance would become an invisible pressure, especially if one wished to maintain a good image.

One might think they were simply receiving a gift, and let others worry about the consequences, but such thinking often led to indecisiveness, contradiction, and even deception.

If you accepted such a valuable item from me, you must have agreed to be my lover, yet now you refuse me. Aren’t you treating me like a fool? Others would think this way, and outsiders would also find it unscrupulous, thus questioning your integrity.

Therefore, one must be clear about their intentions. If you intend to refuse, you should not accept the other party’s precious gift to avoid misunderstandings.

However, Lolan Hill still accepted it. It wasn’t that she agreed, just that the circumstances were different.

Jielanen was the eldest son of the Griffin Duke. Refusing him outright could make him lose face among his friends and cause a conflict.

The nobility valued their dignity not out of mere tradition, but because it was essential. In this era, dignity equated to authority and prestige. Power rested on individuals. If Jielanen were repeatedly rejected or failed to retaliate when humiliated, he would be seen as weak, which would significantly impact his position as heir. Others might also hesitate to follow him, doubting whether a weak person could lead them to victory or suffer setbacks from other factions due to their weakness.

In fact, the higher up the nobility, the more they valued their dignity, a necessity both inside and outside their circles.

Moreover, what was considered valuable was relative. A cake that was valuable to ordinary people was not necessarily so to Lolan or Jielanen. Therefore, there was no need to oppose it too strongly. Lolan Hill had confidence that she could reciprocate with something of equal or greater value, hence her willingness to accept it.

However, accepting it without causing misunderstanding was crucial to avoid unnecessary trouble later. Thus, she needed to clarify her stance.

“Lolan is so straightforward,” Nia, watching the black-haired girl’s open demeanor, felt admiration. If it were her, she would probably reject it cautiously, not daring to accept such kindness.

Letis also watched her roommate curiously. She had experienced similar situations before and knew how many pitfalls existed. Many wealthy young men used valuable gifts to pressure others—refusing meant looking down on them, accepting meant agreeing to their demands, leaving the pursued girl in a difficult situation.

“The message will be delivered,” said two attendants after noting it down, then slowly retreating. However, this minor incident still attracted some students’ attention.

“Those girls at that table…”

Everyone here is very beautiful, especially that young lady in the light yellow dress; she must be the young lady of some family, right?”

“I prefer the petite girl with twin tails. She looks so cuddly.”

“That blue-haired girl wearing a veil is quite mysterious too.”

“You guys just dream on. I think those几位室友在一旁分析道。

“Uh…”

—

Jielanen sat at a table eating hotpot from the Eastern Region with several friends when a servant quietly returned and whispered something in his ear. After nodding slightly, the servant then quietly left.

“What’s up, boss? How did it go?” The sturdy youths looked at their leader like curious children, making Jielanen wonder if these brothers were as fond of gossip as girls.

“Cough, the result is good; they accepted it.” Jielanen nodded slightly and said calmly.

“That’s great.”

“Indeed, Brother Jielanen has a way of making others fall head over heels with just one move.”

“Cough, cough.” Jielanen felt a bit embarrassed and raised his cup to speak.

“Let’s not talk about this now. Let’s have a drink first.” Then he drank it all in one gulp.

Seeing their big brother drink first, the younger brothers naturally didn’t dare to sit idle; they each took a sip and then moved on from the matter amidst the lively atmosphere.

On another table, several young ladies were dividing a light blue cake. The sweetness of the cream, the softness of the pastry, and the delicacy of the chocolate all melted in their mouths. The gentle magic slowly permeated their bodies, making them feel more comfortable and warm.

“Don’t let the other party deceive you, Lolan. It’s just a cake.” Night Ling said while eating a piece with her fork.

“This time, I brought back many good things from home, including the goldfish cakes from the Autumn Moon Lantern Festival.”

“Clean your face of the cream when you say that.”

Lolan Hill looked at the little rascal who was enjoying the food the most and then wiped the remaining cake off Night Ling’s small face with a handkerchief.

“Mmm…”

—

Special thanks to the support from fellow reader “Oh Ke Mai Wo”.

(End of Chapter)