Star Calendar Year 6299, Cangcheng.
Breakfast today didn't feature fried eggs, but the porridge contained century eggs and thin shreds of lean meat—Century Egg and Lean Meat Porridge, rich with aroma.
Little Jingliu rubbed her crimson eyes, which weren't fully open yet. Carrying the dazed, innocent air of someone not quite awake, she swayed as she walked out of the room.
Her blue-white long hair was a bit messy from sleep, with a few cowlicks sticking up defiantly.
"Morning, Little Jingliu."
Wangshu's smile was bright and beautiful.
He was in a good mood today; just seeing Little Jingliu's cute, half-awake appearance made his smile hard to conceal.
"Mornin'... Little Wangshu..."
Jingliu responded vaguely. She didn't even wash up first; the collar of her home loungewear was a bit askew. She moved like a sleepwalker to the dining table, plonked her bottom down, propped her arms on the table, and rested her not-yet-sober little face in her hands.
"So sleepy today... Little Wangshu."
She whimpered, her voice sticky and sluggish, not even having the energy to puff up her cheeks.
"After all, we stayed up very late last night."
Wangshu pushed the porridge bowl in front of her and sat down himself.
Then again, his biological clock made him accustomed to waking up at this time. Being sleepy was normal; it was a case of the person being awake but the soul not yet having caught up.
Jingliu didn't seem to hear him. She unconsciously poked the century egg bits in the bowl with her spoon, poke poke, as if fighting a silent battle with her breakfast.
After a good while, she seemed to finally gather her scattered thoughts a bit. She lifted her eyelids, looked at the energetic, even radiant Little Wangshu opposite her, and raised her face blankly.
"Aren't you sleepy?"
She found it slightly incredible.
"I'm alright. I feel like my sleep schedule has been much better since meeting Little Jingliu."
Wangshu scooped up a spoonful of porridge and blew on it. Even though he stayed up late yesterday, for Wangshu, it was just normal. Anyway, his body, which was physically a few years younger now, told him: the current schedule is not bad!
Jingliu sighed. She didn't know what her future self had done, but she felt that Little Wangshu was super easy to satisfy; a tiny bit of kindness could make him happy.
"Will you miss me after I go to the Academy today?"
She took small sips of the perfectly warm porridge, then suddenly lifted her eyes, her crimson pupils holding a bit of probing and a trace of imperceptible anticipation.
The Century Egg and Lean Meat Porridge tasted good, savory and palatable. As long as one drank this stuff every few days, the taste wouldn't be too bad.
Anyway, whenever Jingliu looked up, she could always see the good-mood Little Wangshu. She felt her appetite slowly returning... Eating alone always fell into mere efficiency, but two people were different.
"I will, but I don't hope for a teacher home visit tonight telling me that Jingliu skipped class again today."
Wangshu answered sincerely. Although being with Little Jingliu was very happy, and he knew Jingliu's talent lay in swordsmanship, skipping class was still a bit too advanced for him.
Ugh!
"Don't you think it's romantic for me to skip class to come find you?"
She tried hard to find a reasonable and high-class excuse for her behavior.
"...Only in this kind of matter do I truly not find it romantic."
It was more about worry and feeling the need to educate... Sigh, Wangshu didn't know if his way of thinking was a bit old-fashioned.
Damn it, truly an uncute Little Wangshu.
Jingliu gulped down her breakfast with big mouthfuls, returning to efficiency and speed.
When it was time to go to school, she felt a bit melancholy again.
Why did she clean the bicycle before? Fantasy is beautiful, reality is cruel; the two of them ended up taking the portable small car to the Academy.
Actually, the small car wasn't bad. At least the added passenger seat was wide and comfortable enough. Little Jingliu could lean against the backrest and take a nap in the morning wind to catch up on sleep.
"Woo-woo, Little Wangshu, I—don't—want—to—go—to—school."
She complained tirelessly, though without much pain. It was as if, now that there was someone else beside her, those subtle little emotions finally had a place to be vented.
She wasn't the cool Lord Jingliu right now; she could totally complain. Little Wangshu would understand anyway.
Wangshu's hands didn't stop moving as he unfurled a banner: "I don't quite understand Cangcheng's social atmosphere. Little Jingliu, wait a few more days for me. Once I understand the employment situation here, I'll answer your question."
Jingliu: ...
"Forget it then. I was just complaining. Damn it, why is Cangcheng a place that values academic qualifications so much!"
She jumped off the small car, clenching her small fists.
"If only I was born in Yaoqing. I heard the Cloud Knights there even have people who can't read more than two big characters, and it's not an isolated phenomenon."
Then she could abandon literature for martial arts... though she personally didn't like violence that much.
This time it was Wangshu's turn to fall silent. He thought of a certain character.
"By the way, Little Wangshu, in the future Xianzhou, is this mandatory... forget it, will this mandatory education become more interesting?"
Standing at the entrance of the Academy, Jingliu gazed at the Academy gates. She really wanted to find some common topics with Little Wangshu, but Little Wangshu didn't seem to hate studying all that much.
"It still exists and is widespread, and I guess it's considered more interesting... Anyway, Yaoqing indeed still has people who can't read two characters, and they live very happily."
In a nation of long-life species, changes in social atmosphere were honestly not very obvious. There would even be the existence of Li the Big Pillow in the future.
Jingliu glanced back one last time, muttering softly: "It's all your fault, Little Wangshu. I'm almost becoming a bad kid."
She didn't even like going to school now. Clearly, in the past, she would only smile happily when she was at school or following others on adventures after school.
"It doesn't matter. If Little Jingliu is happy, then I definitely support Little Jingliu becoming a bad kid."
Life had a high tolerance for error, but every time a mistake was made, starting over would always be a little harder. However, Jingliu was different, because Wangshu had always known of Jingliu's talent.
A swordmaster hard to find in a thousand years, and... a decent erhu player.
Jingliu blinked. She ran quite a distance into the Academy before turning back, her voice clear and bright: "I am not 'Little Jingliu'..."
Nor would she become a bad kid. At least, she wouldn't become a bad kid like her future self.
As if she had thoroughly completely regained her spirit, she mimicked the appearance of a dashing swordsman from some storybook. Her small hand handsomely formed a sword finger, lightly tapping it against her brow, then waved it in Wangshu's direction, her smile brilliant.
Wangshu also formed a not-so-standard sword finger. Just like Little Jingliu, he watched that petite blue-white figure thoroughly merge into the morning crowd of the Academy.
After sending off Little Jingliu, the glory of restoring the Jianbing pancakes was just beginning today. Oh, and Shouzhua pancakes too.
Speaking of which, it was actually quite difficult to make Shouzhua pancakes and Jianbing pancakes in the same pan, but fortunately, the multi-function small car gifted by the rich lady's friendship did not lack this feature.
"So fragrant~"
A familiar, soft, and fine voice sounded again. Miss Huoshi stood with her back to the sunlight, her hair seeming to let the light pass through.
Wangshu didn't cower as he had before, as if they had returned to the state of not knowing each other. He raised his head and smiled, his voice proud: "Ancient Kingdom Select!"
The cooperation should be a done deal, Huoshi thought to herself.
"One Jianbing pancake and one Shouzhua pancake. Add a portion of all toppings."
She acted just like an ordinary customer, only she appeared even more '2D'. Her body movements were quite rich; she clasped her hands together, full of anticipation.
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