Ah. It’s starting to snow again.
‘I forgot to bring an umbrella; it’ll be a hassle in a bit.’
Jiang Mengxin gazed blankly at the swirling snow outside the window.
The air was filled with fluttering flakes, looking like flower petals and drifting smoke; this kind of weather possessed a strange beauty.
There was an immortal strength within that softness.
Jiang Mengxin recalled the softness from not long ago, which felt like chewy rice cakes and carried the sweet, fresh scent of fruit.
It was the soft scent of Su Mumu.
“I’m really fed up with you two!” Old Wu held his forehead. “Hurry up and hand in the mission!”
Hearing this, Jiang Mengxin’s spirit was finally pulled back to reality. “Old Man, the one stealing the wine is the little cat in Mumu’s arms.”
Tangyuan seemed to understand her words and began to shiver in fear.
“Don’t be afraid, it’s okay,” Su Mumu said as she gently stroked its back.
“So it really was this little guy?” Old Wu narrowed his eyes. “Fine, it’s about what I expected.”
“What do you plan to do with it, Old Man?” Jiang Mengxin asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” Old Wu said, waving his hands. “The mission was to drive away the wine-stealer, not to capture it. Just release it.”
“Did you hear that? You’ll be fine, don’t be scared…” Su Mumu whispered to comfort Tangyuan.
The little guy in her arms was truly sentient and calmed down significantly. It even started rolling over to show its belly, acting spoiled.
Old Wu frowned. *Sss.* “This little guy is so friendly with you?”
Su Mumu raised her innocent face and blinked. “It seems so.”
Old Wu looked suspicious. “That’s strange. I remember this fellow was quite the troublemaker back at Xianzong. No one could control it… How did it end up submitting?”
Su Mumu shook her head blankly. “I don’t know…”
“Alright.” Old Wu pulled two mission forms from his drawer and signed them.
“Fine, congratulations. You’ve completed the D-rank mission. This time, the reward is five academic credits. Su Mumu, from today onward, your student archive is officially activated. You’d better not skip school anymore, do you hear me?”
“I can’t hear you,” Su Mumu muttered, pouting.
“You…!” Old Wu’s eyebrows shot up. “Forget it, forget it! Jiang Mengxin, you must look after her. If she can’t graduate in the future, it will be very troublesome…”
“I…” Jiang Mengxin hesitated, glancing at Su Mumu’s face before quickly looking away.
Old Wu caught this small interaction and felt even more speechless. “Fine, you two remember to come to class tomorrow.”
“Why?” Su Mumu was confused. “Didn’t we agree on two days off?”
“There’s a regulation from above. Starting now, we have to have one sword cultivation class every week. Even our underachievers class has to do it, and it starts tomorrow,” Old Wu said.
“Old Man, you have no professional ethics!” Su Mumu said.
“I’ll make it up to you next time. Next time you do a mission, I’ll give you three days off, alright?” Old Wu said.
“I’ve been played,” Su Mumu grumbled.
“Fine, if there’s nothing else, that’s all.” Old Wu waved his hand listlessly. “Go on and enjoy your youth, young ladies!”
“Thank you, Old Man. We’re leaving then.” Jiang Mengxin stood up, preparing to leave.
Su Mumu also stood up, but as she took her first step, she was stopped by Old Wu.
“Su Mumu, wait a moment. I have something to say to you,” Old Wu said.
“Me?” Su Mumu was surprised.
“Yes. Jiang Mengxin, go wait outside first,” Old Wu said.
“Alright.” Jiang Mengxin pursed her lips and left, gently closing the office door behind her.
Thus, only Su Mumu and Old Wu were left in the office.
Oh, and one little Haji.
Su Mumu couldn’t figure out what the Class Teacher wanted to say. All she wanted right now was to go home and crawl under her covers. She was exhausted.
“Would you like some tea?” Old Wu showed a kind expression.
“No,” Su Mumu said.
“…Cough.” Old Wu choked slightly and shook his head. “Yesterday, I invested almost my entire net worth, but it ended up being a complete disaster!”
“I’m even poorer than you, Old Man!” Su Mumu retreated a few steps warily. “I don’t have any money to lend you.”
“You little girl, I’m really fed up.” Old Wu held his forehead in despair. “Let me finish speaking!”
“Anyway, I have no money, and I have no life to give,” Su Mumu said.
“Then what about Jiang Mengxin? Do you value her?” Old Wu suddenly asked.
“What do you mean?” Su Mumu’s eyes widened slightly, filled with confusion.
“You two had a fight, didn’t you?” Old Wu asked.
A gust of wind happened to blow in from the window.
It ruffled the soft hair at Su Mumu’s temples. Her eyes grew dim for a moment before turning stubborn again. She muttered softly, “No.”
“I’ve noticed that you’re a particularly stubborn little girl,” Old Wu droned on. “If you keep this up, you might lose your lov — er, friendship.”
Su Mumu didn’t speak. She lowered her head slightly, looking at Tangyuan in her arms.
“Let me tell you a story… Once, there was a boy who was a rare genius of the sword. He forgot to eat and sleep, completely obsessed with the way of the sword.”
Old Wu thought for a moment. “But later, he met a girl who was terminally ill. The girl fell in love with him at first sight, but the boy didn’t know…”
“What a melodramatic story,” Su Mumu critiqued.
Old Wu chuckled. “Isn’t it? Later on, they encountered a 100-year beast tide. The boy held back the tide alone, but he couldn’t last long, and his strength was exhausted.”
“At that moment, the girl who secretly loved him appeared and stalled for a few minutes for him…”
“Alright, that’s too classic. Isn’t this the plot from that dance theater?” Su Mumu critiqued again.
Old Wu felt helpless. “Then you know the ending. The boy lost the girl, and only after losing her did he understand what was most precious.”
“I don’t want to hear moral lectures,” Su Mumu whispered.
“This isn’t a moral lecture.” Old Wu smiled, his aged face covered in wrinkles.
“The things that are easiest to touch are the most precious. Once lost, they are like glass shattered on the ground — very difficult to pick up again.”
Su Mumu fell into thought.
Her dark brows furrowed slightly, and her perfect, beautiful features twisted slightly, revealing a look of pain.
Old Wu drank his tea in silence.
After a long while, a voice like a lark rang out, very light and shallow, as if afraid of disturbing the dust.
“Then, if it were you, Old Man, what would you do?” Su Mumu asked.
“I don’t know.” Old Wu put down his teacup. “I only know that I don’t want to regret anything ever again.”
“Regret…” A conflicted expression appeared on Su Mumu’s face once more.
“Even if one makes mistake after mistake and falls into the abyss, it’s better than regret.” Old Wu chuckled. “Is this topic still too early for you young girls?”
The daylight pierced through the clouds.
The snow was about to stop, and the sycamore trees on the campus were covered in frost.
If she competed with Jiang Mengxin to see who could kick the most snow off the trees, it would be quite fun, wouldn’t it?
Or maybe she could grab a handful of snow and smear it on her face to see her frustrated expression. Just thinking about it made her want to laugh out loud.
In the depths of Su Mumu’s eyes, that scene seemed to return to her memory.
Jiang Mengxin’s stunningly beautiful face gradually approached.
Her amber eyes were like the most dangerous poison in the world; every time they bloomed with light, they pierced through the defenses of Su Mumu’s heart…
And then, she would completely drown in that scent of gardenia…
Finally, only fear, trepidation, and various other emotions remained, growing wildly and recklessly.
“Everyone feels fear.” Old Wu’s voice came at the perfect moment. He stood up and rubbed his aching neck.
“Fear exists because you’ve stopped moving. Maybe if you try taking a few more steps, everything will be resolved.”
“Alright, I’m going out for lunch. I’d rather not have the two flowers of the campus fighting. You two should make up as soon as possible.”
“I’m leaving. Remember to come to class tomorrow.” With that, Old Wu left.
The office became completely silent.
Su Mumu stared at the tips of her toes as countless images flashed through her mind.
Everything from the past remained vivid in her memory.
The air seemed to become lighter.
Beneath her beautiful hair, Su Mumu’s eyes gradually grew bright and clear.