Chapter 292 - 180: Princess Elizabeth
"What’s wrong?" Li Wei’s brow furrowed as well. "Is it because of your age?"
Although Li Wei wasn’t particularly interested in these collegiate secret societies, he was well aware of the immense power the Skull and Bones Society wielded at Yale and throughout the political and business circles of the United States of America. For Elizabeth, joining the Skull and Bones Society was at least half the reason she had even applied to Yale University.
"It shouldn’t be. Given the Mellon Family’s background and my own, I should still be on the list of candidates, even as a freshman," Elizabeth said, shaking her head. "But the member in charge of the tapping ceremony completely skipped over me."
"Do you have any idea why?" Li Wei asked, sitting down beside her. "Maybe I can help look into it?"
"I don’t know." Elizabeth took the opportunity to rest her head on Li Wei’s shoulder. "Maybe they discriminate against women? Or maybe they don’t think I’m a core member of the Mellon Family’s direct line?"
Li Wei paused. He glanced down at the heartbreakingly lovely Elizabeth, and his hand naturally came to rest on her shoulder, patting it gently.
In response, Elizabeth burrowed herself into Li Wei’s embrace and let out a contented sigh.
"I’ve never been this close to a boy my age before," she said in a voice almost like a cat’s purr. "Is it my imagination, or is your scent just really attractive to me? I feel so much better now."
’No, it’s my Knight’s Aura taking effect.’
Li Wei didn’t say anything, just continued to pat Elizabeth’s shoulder gently and intermittently.
After an unknown amount of time, Elizabeth, both embarrassed and deeply satisfied, shifted in her seat and sat down across from Li Wei.
"Although I don’t have any proof," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Hmm... it’s a little hot in here, don’t you think? I’ll go open a window."
After getting up to open the window, she returned and sat gracefully across from Li Wei again.
"Now, where were we... Right. Although I don’t have any proof," she said, "I have a feeling my cousin, Charles Mellon, has something to do with this."
"Oh?" Li Wei raised an eyebrow. "You’re that certain?"
"I’m not certain," Elizabeth shook her head, "but I have a gut feeling. Our relationship was never great, but we were at least civil on the surface. Lately, though, we haven’t even seen each other. It’s too abnormal."
"Want me to ask around for you?"
"That would be great." Elizabeth shot Li Wei a quick glance. "I’m also making inquiries. I should know something in a few days."
"Alright," Li Wei said with a smile. "I’ll contact you if I hear anything."
"Mhm..."
After leaving Elizabeth’s dorm, Li Wei thought for a moment.
’Who do I know at school?’
’This person has to be at Yale, be on good terms with me, and have the connections to know members of the Skull and Bones Society.’
...
「Manhattan, a high-end duplex apartment in the SoHo district.」
Li Wei pushed open the unlocked door, and a thick cloud of air—a mixture of expensive perfume, alcohol, and some kind of cloyingly sweet tobacco—assaulted his senses.
The spacious living room was a complete mess. Several empty bottles of Ace of Spades champagne lay toppled on the carpet, and a few pieces of pitifully skimpy women’s lingerie were scattered across the expensive leather sofa.
Sebastian, dressed in a silk robe, descended unsteadily from the second-floor spiral staircase, his clothes in disarray.
His eyes were sunken, his hair was a mess, and his otherwise handsome face was etched with the exhaustion of overindulgence and the pale complexion of a hangover.
"Li Wei? My big star! My Heracles! What are you doing here at this hour?" Sebastian let out a huge yawn, walked over to the bar, and grabbed a bottle of mineral water with only a little left at the bottom, chugging it down.
"I need a favor."
Ignoring the chaos in the living room, Li Wei walked straight to the floor-to-ceiling windows and yanked open the heavy blackout curtains.
Blinding sunlight instantly flooded the room, causing Sebastian to cry out in pain and cover his eyes, letting out a squeal like a stuck pig.
"Fack! Close them! Close them now! My eyes are going blind!"
Li Wei remained unmoved, merely watching him calmly. "Elizabeth didn’t get an invitation from the Skull and Bones Society. Help me find out what happened. And see if Charles Mellon is behind it."
"Skull and Bones Society? Elizabeth? Who’s Elizabeth?"
Sebastian rubbed his eyes, his brain clearly still rebooting.
He scratched his hair in frustration. "Dude, my brain is complete mush right now. It’s not working at all..."
He walked over to a hidden drawer at the bar and took out a small silver box.
Using a small blade, he poured out some white powder onto the glass coffee table and cut it into two thin lines.
"Want to try some?" Sebastian pushed one of the lines in Li Wei’s direction. "This is the good stuff, I just got it."
"I don’t need it," Li Wei refused. "And I’d advise you to lay off it, too. I don’t want our next meeting to be in the emergency room."
"Fine, fine, you boring guy," Sebastian shrugged. "A puritan who doesn’t know how to enjoy life."
...
"Hooo..." He wiped his nose, his entire being suddenly buzzing with a sick energy. His speech and movements quickened. "Feeling much better now."
"Let me think... Skull and Bones Society... Charles Mellon... Elizabeth, I remember now! She’s that young lady who was with you at the start of the semester, right?" (Chapter 165)
"Fack, dude, you’ve got some real nerve," Sebastian said, scratching his hair. "Getting involved in the Mellon Family’s business."
"I didn’t say I was getting involved," Li Wei shrugged. "Just asking around."
"Heh, just asking around," Sebastian sneered. "Next thing you know, your ’asking around’ will lead you right into that little Elizabeth’s bed."
"Let me think..." His fingers tapped unconsciously on his thigh. "Ah! I remember now! I have this crony, name’s Brad. His old man is a Wall Street investor, and he’s a senior at Yale University. When he gets drunk at clubs, he’s always bragging about being in charge of the Skull and Bones Society’s tapping ceremony."
Sebastian snapped his fingers, looking somewhat excited. "The guy’s an idiot, but he’ll say anything to impress a girl. I’ll set something up tonight and get him drunk. If he was involved, he’ll definitely know why she was kicked out."
"Thanks," Li Wei nodded. "We’ll grab a meal sometime."
"Hey, hey, hey, a meal sounds good," Sebastian said with a grin, "but I have a request of my own."
"Name it," Li Wei said, raising an eyebrow.
"Do you know the cheerleading captain for the Giants?" Sebastian asked with a smile. "Think you could introduce me?"
?
Li Wei was taken aback.
"You mean Naomi?" he repeated. "You want her contact info?"
Naomi was Black, but she didn’t have the delicate features you might see on a Black person from South Africa or the United States...
Well, she looked more like someone from Africa. And Li Wei had seen the cheer squad dance before; the muscles on Naomi’s arms were thicker than Sebastian’s calves.
’I can’t believe Sebastian, who comes from romantic France, is actually into strong Black women like her.’
"Yeah, that’s her," Sebastian said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "...What’s with that look? You’re still too young, haven’t eaten enough ’meat.’ You can’t appreciate that kind of powerful beauty."
’Thanks, but I’ll stick to superficial beauty,’ Li Wei thought to himself.
"Fine. I doubt Naomi would object to having a little fun with a French playboy like you. She just became single again recently," he said, turning to walk toward the door. "So it’s settled. Let me know the second you hear anything."
"No problem!" Sebastian shouted from behind him. "By the way, how confident are you about your game this weekend? I’m planning to place a heavy bet on you. Your odds have been too low lately. Think I can win enough off you to pay for this weekend’s champagne?"
"Just bet it all."
Li Wei pushed the door open and left the apartment, which reeked of decadence.
That evening, Li Wei casually mentioned the matter to Don Quixote, who offered his own opinion.
"Hmm... while that young lady Anna is also nice," he said, "if you could get in with the girl from the Mellon Family, it might be even better for your future."
"Don Quixote," Li Wei said helplessly, "we’re just normal friends."
"Ah, yes, yes, yes."
A little after 2 a.m., Li Wei once again heard rustling sounds coming from Don Quixote’s room.
Li Wei went downstairs in his pajamas and came face-to-face with Don Quixote, who was dressed in armor with his eyes closed.
"Good day, Knight Don Quixote," Li Wei said. "We meet again."
"Congratulations, my friend!" Don Quixote exclaimed happily as soon as he ran into Li Wei. "Congratulations! Your name is already being sung throughout the Kingdom."
Li Wei wasn’t sure what new scenario had just been triggered, so he could only play along vaguely.
"Yes," he said. "I only did what I had to do."
"I heard some news during the day," Don Quixote said, leaning in conspiratorially. "The Kingdom’s Princess has recently heard of you as well, and she even summoned a Minstrel to the royal palace to hear tales of your deeds."
"Princess? Minstrel?" Li Wei paused. "Who?"
"As it happens, the Princess has run into some trouble recently," Knight Don Quixote urged. "Why don’t you write a letter to the Princess to comfort her? Perhaps she will secretly give her heart to you?"
[You have received a quest: Write a Letter to the Princess (Compassion)]
[The Kingdom’s Princess seems to have encountered some troubles recently. Send her a letter from afar to express your sympathy and display the knightly virtue: Compassion.]
[Quest Description: Send a letter to the Princess.]
[Quest Reward: Free Attribute Point +0.1]
Li Wei picked up his phone and suddenly realized something.
"The Princess," he said, looking at the nodding Don Quixote. "Which princess?"
Elizabeth or Anya? If it was the latter, it wouldn’t be so bad. But if it was the former, wouldn’t that be a little too weird?
’Oh, Your Highness Princess Elizabeth, I am your Knight, Li Wei. I heard you’ve run into some trouble recently?’
"Listen, Knight Li Wei," Don Quixote said sternly. "Although I know you’ve been close with the daughter of the Lord of the Northern Territory recently, and perhaps in your heart she is also a princess, you must show reverence for royal titles. In the Kingdom, only the King’s daughter can be called a Princess."
’So it really is Elizabeth...’
Li Wei rolled his eyes. He had started to figure out the system’s particular brand of bullshit. He picked up his phone and dialed Elizabeth’s number.
RING... RING... RING...
"This is Elizabeth Mellon," Elizabeth’s voice came through the phone. "Li Wei? Is something wrong? You’re calling so late."
"It’s nothing important," Li Wei said. "I just suddenly remembered—"
Knight Don Quixote interjected with a dissatisfied shout, "Knight Li Wei! Show some respect to the Princess! A formal letter requires you to identify yourself as a Knight and address her as ’Your Highness’!"
Li Wei shot Don Quixote a glare of annoyance, then took a deep breath.
"Your Highness, Princess Elizabeth," he said, his face deadpan. "This is Knight Li Wei. I hear you’ve run into some trouble recently."