Chapter 13: The Price of Absolute Zero

Ouyang Xiyue stood rooted at the student council door, his gaze fixed on the entrance, a flicker of hesitation stirring within him as he wavered on whether to push it open.

After a moment’s thought.

He ultimately mustered his courage and slowly pushed the door inward.

After all, that colossal and exquisite ice sculpture was undeniably his masterpiece.

“Oh, if it isn’t Her Majesty the Ice Empress, now famed throughout the academy! Your distinguished presence today truly graces these humble halls.” Ye Xuehui, his back still to Ouyang Xiyue, spoke with an inscrutable undertone.

“Stop beating around the bush. Just say what you need to say,” Ouyang Xiyue retorted directly.

“It’s nothing major, really. I was simply astonished that the academy didn’t severely punish you for the trouble you caused this time. After all, our Saint Ocean Academy is renowned for its strictness. But none of that matters now. The academy’s penalty for you is to compensate for the damages incurred by this incident.”

As he spoke, Ye Xuehui turned, his expression grave, and retrieved a booklet from his desk drawer, tossing it casually to Ouyang Xiyue.

“This is the list of damaged items. Take a look for yourself.”

Ouyang Xiyue was utterly astonished that the academy had not dealt him a harsher punishment. Grateful to have narrowly escaped severe repercussions, he found this method of resolution somewhat acceptable.

Thinking this, he opened the booklet.

What he saw made his jaw drop.

The list was densely packed with item after item.

“Unicorn Fountain (National Limited Edition), valued at 500,000 gold coins; five world-renowned paintings, ranking among the top fifty-one, including…”

Beyond these, numerous other precious luxury items were listed. Finally, a striking line of text caught his eye.

“Due to the use of extremely potent Absolute Zero Ice for freezing, all frozen items will collapse upon thawing, along with their contents, resulting in a total compensation of 17,040,000 gold coins.”

Ouyang Xiyue had initially believed the situation wouldn’t be so dire, but the colossal sum before him struck his illusions like a sledgehammer, shattering them completely. Such an exorbitant fee, and calculated in gold coins no less!

He had only brought a few hundred thousand gold coins with him, a gap as insurmountable as a chasm.

‘This is terrible, absolutely terrible! I retract my previous thoughts; this solution is utterly dreadful!’ Ouyang Xiyue lamented inwardly.

Observing Ouyang Xiyue’s face instantly turn ashen, Ye Xuehui coolly inquired, “What’s wrong? Is the money insufficient? You don’t look well.”

“N-no, I’m fine. If the money isn’t enough, I’ll figure something out. Just give me three days.” Ouyang Xiyue feigned composure, then prepared to turn and leave.

However, Ye Xuehui, still with his back to him, called out.

“Ouyang Xiyue, if you truly can’t produce this sum, I have an idea you might want to consider.” Ye Xuehui scrutinized Ouyang Xiyue from head to toe, then nodded as he spoke.

Feeling Ye Xuehui’s gaze, a chill ran down Ouyang Xiyue’s spine.

‘This guy isn’t plotting something sinister, is he? No, I absolutely cannot let him succeed.’ he mused inwardly.

“You… you can say it,” Ouyang Xiyue responded cautiously.

“Come be a maid at my house. You can give it some serious thought…” Ye Xuehui said unhurriedly.

Before he could finish, Ouyang Xiyue abruptly cut him off: “Stop right there! Don’t even think about it! Even if I had to sell myself, I would never be your maid!” With that, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

‘A maid? What a joke! I’m a boy! This is an absolute insult! Even though I’ve worn women’s clothes for a long time and have become somewhat accustomed to it, there’s no way I’d ever be someone else’s maid!’ Ouyang Xiyue’s heart swelled with fury.

He hadn’t walked far when Ye Xuehui’s voice drifted from behind him: “Seriously, you should consider it. It’s ten thousand gold coins a day. If you find that too tiring, selling yourself is also an option; I can directly pay off your compensation.”

Hearing this, Ouyang Xiyue’s lips twitched twice.

He spun around and roared furiously, “Why don’t you just die?! I’ll consider your head, you bastard!”

Ouyang Xiyue stormed back to the dorm. Shangguan Yun, having just finished applying a facial mask, saw him in such a furious state, his cheeks puffed out like a hamster’s.

She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: ‘He’s clearly a boy, yet his beauty makes even me, a girl, feel inadequate.’

“Lord Xiyue, what’s wrong? Calm down,” Shangguan Yun asked with concern.

“The academy’s punishment for me has come down,” Ouyang Xiyue said, tossing the booklet to Shangguan Yun before going to get a drink of water.

“What? Seventeen million gold coins… Are you kidding me?!” Shangguan Yun stared, dumbfounded, at the number on the list.

She had never imagined it would be this severe; the combat stage had only been frozen, and nothing like this had happened last time.

Soon, she spotted the words “Absolute Zero Ice” in the booklet and couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle.

So that was it. Absolute Zero Ice was a top-tier ice, ranking exceptionally high.

After freezing an item, it would completely destroy its contents; within mere minutes, the item would shatter like glass.

“Do I look like I’m joking? It seems I really will have to sell myself,” Ouyang Xiyue said, his face etched with distress.

Shangguan Yun observed Ouyang Xiyue’s crestfallen expression. Without a word, she quietly entered the bathroom, pulled out her phone, and tapped the screen.

After two beeps, the call connected.

“Um… Princess, something has happened,” Shangguan Yun said anxiously.

“Yun’er, what is it? Your voice sounds so urgent. Slow down and tell me what’s wrong,” the Princess’s concerned voice came from the other end of the line.

“Lord Xiyue… he…” Shangguan Yun was momentarily speechless.

“Xiyue?! What happened to him?!” The Princess’s voice instantly grew frantic.

Hearing the Princess’s intense reaction, Shangguan Yun let out a helpless sigh.

Fifteen minutes later, she recounted the entire sequence of events to the Princess.

Emerging from the bathroom, she saw Ouyang Xiyue peacefully asleep on his bed.

‘What a carefree soul,’ she mused, ‘to be able to sleep so soundly after such a huge incident.’

Gazing at the unguarded Ouyang Xiyue, Shangguan Yun quietly approached and gently poked his fair cheek with her finger, murmuring in admiration: ‘His skin texture is truly exquisite; it’s hard to believe he’s a boy. If I didn’t know the truth, I’d never imagine it.’

****

In the Principal’s office, the Principal wore a troubled expression, sighing helplessly. “Old Zhang, tell me, whom have I offended? How did I end up with such a troublesome ancestor?”

Zhang Zhiyi chuckled, spreading his hands. “Don’t be so pessimistic. The amount of lost funds has been confirmed. The student council just reported that ‘that girl’ has received the booklet. He’ll likely discuss this with Old Jian, and given Old Jian’s financial resources, the compensation will be settled in no time.”

“Ah, at this point, there’s nothing else to do. Old Zhang, you’re quite the fellow; your mindset is truly excellent. Old age certainly brings a different perspective,” the Principal said, shaking his head helplessly.

“Old? I believe I’m even older than you, aren’t I? You lazy bum, stop slacking off and get back to work,” Zhang Zhiyi said, patting the Principal’s head.

“Alright, alright, I’m going,” the Principal replied.