A stream of light fell from the sky. The sword’s edge was shrouded in a cold chill.
The hippo noticed something was wrong immediately and retreated a distance.
She shouted, “Everyone, get back!”
As her voice landed, she flipped her palm, gripping a standard Xuantie sword to block the incoming longsword.
— *Boom!* —
The sound was massive, nearly piercing their eardrums.
Dust billowed, spreading outward and creating a small vacuum zone.
‘This sword move…?!’ the hippo thought, her eyes wide with surprise.
In the next moment, the Xuantie sword began to crack. Fissures spread across the entire blade.
Seeing this, the hippo’s brows furrowed. She let go of the hilt, and the Xuantie sword shattered at that exact moment, turning into fine grains of dust.
She was sent flying by the force of the impact, tumbling several times across the ground.
At this moment, the entire area fell into silence. The students were all dumbfounded, frozen in place.
“Cough — cough, cough!” The hippo struggled to prop herself up. She looked disheveled, her face covered in dirt and her expression grave as she stared intently at the frost-white longsword hovering in midair.
*Hummmm!*
The longsword trembled slightly.
It seemed to be gathering strength, as if preparing for a second strike.
The hippo hurriedly reached into her pocket, and panic instantly flared on her face. ‘Oh no… I forgot to bring my accompanying sword…’
“Students! Don’t just stand there! Everyone, get far back!”
Her shout jolted the students awake.
In an instant, the students scattered like startled birds, fleeing in every direction.
Panic spread through the crowd.
“What’s happening… is there an assassin?!”
“That sword move was terrifying…”
“Run! Get out of the way!”
*Hummmm!*
In the air, the longsword grew brighter and brighter, its glow like a miniature sun.
‘It’s coming…’ The hippo’s face darkened, and she reached into her other pocket.
***
In the next blink of an eye, accompanied by a sharp crack, the longsword vanished from its position. Its speed was so great that it was faster than the human eye could follow.
— *Boom!* —
Sword met sword, and dust billowed. Amidst the swirling haze, Old Wu’s slightly hunched back appeared, standing firm and resolute.
He also held a Xuantie sword, blocking the path in front of the hippo.
His voice carried a hint of helplessness.
“I told you Su Mumu was on leave today. I told you not to meddle, but you wouldn’t listen.”
“Old Wu… get out of the way!” The hippo’s face turned red. “Why are you trying to be a hero?”
“You should save that lifesaving talisman for later,” Old Wu chuckled. “There are so many people watching. It would look bad if you used it now.”
The hippo opened her mouth to speak but remained silent for a long moment.
‘This sword move…’ Old Wu’s brow furrowed slightly. Then, with a gentle flick of his wrist, he used the attacker’s momentum against itself.
The violent offensive was perfectly neutralized. The longsword was diverted, piercing straight into the nearby woods.
— *Crash!* —
A large patch of trees snapped and fell to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.
Afterward, Old Wu let go of the hilt. The Xuantie sword was covered in cracks, and as it fell toward the ground, a gust of wind scattered it into powder.
He glanced at Su Mumu in the distance.
Then, he withdrew his gaze.
In a cold, commanding tone, he said, “I hope you don’t go bothering Su Mumu and her friend about what happened today. I will give you an explanation later.”
The hippo stood up, her face expressionless. She took a deep look at the two girls near the edge of the woods.
“We’ll talk later!”
With those words, she turned and left decisively.
Having witnessed everything, Jiang Mengxin’s face was pale. She covered her mouth in disbelief, her entire body shaking.
“Mumu, Mumu, Mumu… you… holy crap, this…”
It was only then that the light returned to Su Mumu’s eyes. Like a disconnected device finally reconnecting, she blinked blankly.
“What happened? I keep spacing out today…” she muttered.
“Mu… Mumu…” Jiang Mengxin’s lips trembled, her ability to form coherent sentences lost.
“What are you doing? Are we playing the ‘act like an idiot’ game?” Su Mumu tilted her head.
“No!!!” Because she hadn’t blinked for so long, Jiang Mengxin’s eyes were bloodshot. She turned and stared into Su Mumu’s eyes from a very close distance.
“How… how do you know sword guiding? And that sword move… wait, you almost killed someone just now… AHHHH… don’t just space out! Answer me!”
“…Xin Xin, you’re being a bit scary.” Su Mumu took a small step back. “What sword move? What killing? Are you talking about the Li Bai I played last night?”
“Don’t play dumb with me!!!” Jiang Mengxin was on the verge of a breakdown.
“Didn’t you start the ‘act like an idiot’ game first?” Su Mumu took another small step back, but in the next second, a pair of delicate hands grabbed her shoulders.
She was forced to stay in place.
“AHHHH!” Jiang Mengxin was fuming.
“Is it the ‘Super Saiyan transformation’ game this time?” Su Mumu asked suspiciously.
“I! AM! NOT! PLAYING! A! GAME! WITH! YOU!” Jiang Mengxin squeezed the words out through gritted teeth.
“…A game without game content?” Su Mumu looked puzzled. “Then how do we play?”
“…… I want to bite someone.” Black lines appeared on Jiang Mengxin’s forehead.
“Ra… Rabies?!” Su Mumu grew nervous. “Don’t do it! I’m all skin and bones; I’ll taste terrible…”
“…… *Whew! Whew! Whew!*” Jiang Mengxin forced herself to calm down, barely resisting the urge to pinch Su Mumu’s face until it popped.
“Is this… the lion’s roar?!” Su Mumu’s eyes lit up, and she began to imitate her. “*Whew! Whew! Whew!*”
Then…
Her cheeks were ruthlessly pinched.
“Eeeek… let go, let go!!!” Su Mumu let out a sharp squeal, her soulful eyes welling up with tears.
Jiang Mengxin gritted her teeth, pulling the girl’s cheeks outward like she was stretching noodles.
“Let go… it hurts, hurts, hurts, don’t pull anymore… *sob*…” Su Mumu’s mouth was forced open, turning into the shape of a withered trumpet flower.
Even her small ears, hidden beneath her hair, turned red from the strain.
Old Wu scratched the back of his head and walked over with a friendly expression. He stopped nearby.
He chuckled. “You two really have a great relationship.”
“Old… dgjasjkdhajkl!” Su Mumu cast a pleading look toward Old Wu.
Old Wu understood immediately and cleared his throat. “Jiang Mengxin, that’s enough for now. I have something I want to talk to you both about…”
Before he could finish his sentence…
He suddenly felt an incredibly terrifying chill, one filled with actual killing intent.
It came from Jiang Mengxin. When she looked over, her bloodshot eyes were filled with fury and coldness.
Old Wu backed down instantly, laughing sheepishly. “Ah, haha… it’s good to be young. Flirting and bickering like this… it’s really enviable!”
“Lao Deng…” Su Mumu made a muffled sound. Her cheeks were as red as ripe apples, and tears fell like broken pearls.
*Patter, patter.* They landed on the dusty ground, blooming like beautiful petals.
‘That’s strange…’
‘Why am I crying?’
‘Is it because it hurts?’
‘When did I become so sensitive?’
Su Mumu was stunned for a moment.
The sudden tears snapped Jiang Mengxin back to her senses. She hurriedly let go. “I’m… I’m sorry… Mumu, does it hurt that much?”
Su Mumu responded blankly, “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry…”
Jiang Mengxin frantically tried to wipe away Su Mumu’s tears, but they wouldn’t stop, continuing to well up and spill over.
“What do I do, what do I do… Mumu is still crying…”
Desperate and out of options, Jiang Mengxin simply leaned in and kissed Su Mumu’s cheek.
The tears tasted salty.
“Eh…? Xin Xin…?” Su Mumu was shocked.
Those few seconds felt as long as half a century.
The familiar, jelly-like texture. Cold.
And the scent of gardenias lingering at the tip of her nose.
It was a scent and touch unique to Jiang Mengxin… it currently overwhelmed all of her senses.
Even the air and her heartbeat had been occupied by her…
At some point, Jiang Mengxin finally ended the hurried kiss.
She gently cupped Su Mumu’s cheeks with her hands, her eyes full of heartache.
Her voice was intentionally soft, like a gentle stream.
“I gave you a kiss, so please don’t cry anymore…”
“Uh… okay.” Su Mumu’s brain had completely crashed.
Meanwhile, not far away…
“Whistle, whistle, whistle~” Old Wu whistled a tune as he strolled aimlessly nearby, looking up at the sky. “The weather is really nice today… not a cloud in sight, bright and sunny. Perfect for falling in love!”
Once he had walked a significant distance away, the wrinkles on his face twitched violently, forming a mask of agony.
“Damn it, why are they handing out dog food in broad daylight! If I’d known, I wouldn’t have come over…!”
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