Chapter 30: The So-Called Childhood Sweethearts

In a hazy, dreamlike state, Jiang Qianqian seemed to have fallen into a dream where she was attending Li Xingming’s wedding.

But she was not the bride.

"Awoo—"

Accompanied by an adorable, high-pitched squeal, Jiang Qianqian stumbled out of her room to find Li Xingming wiping down a whiteboard.

"…That should be enough. You should get ready for your meeting. If anyone presses you for finer details, just tell them that’s something intended for exploration in the next article."

Ye Sheng shook her head. "I wasn't planning on covering that in the next one."

"Sometimes, you have to tell a little lie."

"I’m not very good at lying."

"It’s quite useful for dealing with colleagues who are looking to stir up trouble. Trust me."

"Fine, I’ll give it a try."

The clock struck 1:58. The discussion between Li Xingming and Ye Sheng regarding rune configuration had concluded. For the sake of clear communication, Li Xingming had projected their video call onto the television.

The landlord of this rental unit was a retired teacher from Maple Sugar City No. 1 High School. Her child worked in a major city and had just given birth, so the teacher was currently staying in Haidu to help look after her grandchild. She planned to live in this 130-square-meter, four-bedroom apartment once the grandchild grew up and they returned to Maple Sugar to retire.

Because it was intended as a primary residence, the renovation used high-quality materials, and the appliances were all top-tier. A massive 70-inch television hung prominently on a softened, decorative wall. The large screen clearly displayed Ye Sheng’s elegant posture as she sank into a leather chair; her legs were crossed, and the material of her black silk stockings caught the afternoon sunlight of the capital, reflecting a mesmerizing halo.

The sunlight in the capital seemed much fiercer and more brilliant than in Maple Sugar.

"What’s wrong, having a nightmare?" Li Xingming leaned in toward Jiang Qianqian and touched her forehead.

"…No." Jiang Qianqian glanced at Ye Sheng on the television. If Ye Sheng weren’t watching, she would have certainly thrown herself into Li Xingming’s arms to act spoiled.

But in front of a romantic rival, she didn't want to expose her vulnerability.

"Well, you two keep talking, I’m going to wash up." Jiang Qianqian feigned indifference, waved her hand, and shuffled off toward the bathroom in her slippers.

*I thought having Ah-Ming massage my head would naturally neutralize any chance of Ye Sheng poaching him, but who would have thought that I, Jiang Qianqian, would be so useless, sleeping as soundly as a little pig.*

Looking at the scene in the living room, they had likely been engaged in intense conversation for the entire afternoon.

Sitting on the toilet lid and brushing her teeth haphazardly, Jiang Qianqian’s gem-like, clear eyes were filled with resentment.

*So frustrating, so humiliating!*

It was like those manga where the incompetent husband sleeps soundly after drinking, unaware that his wife is having an affair with a high school classmate who attended the same party...

Mind you.

It wasn't that Jiang Qianqian enjoyed reading such manga; she merely engaged with male-oriented literary works to better understand the tastes of boys.

***

But what had just happened truly resembled the plot of one of those scandalous manga, just with the genders reversed.

Even as she entered the examination hall, Jiang Qianqian’s mind was still swirling with feelings of grievance.

The afternoon session was for "Professional Synthesis."

Jiang Qianqian had actually memorized her professional subjects quite well, but due to her mood, she worked slowly. She spent too long getting stuck on a music theory analysis question in the middle, and by the time she reached the final essay question, she ran out of time and couldn't finish.

Seeing Jiang Qianqian’s distracted, soul-less expression as she exited the exam hall, Li Xingming knew immediately that she had underperformed.

Jiang Qianqian’s mental fortitude had never been great. When she encountered question types she couldn't handle, her composure would crumble, leading to errors.

This was a facet of her role as the team’s support that desperately needed training.

"Alright, alright, it’s fine if you don’t pass this Awakening Test. There are three more chances next year. You’re steady."

"Wait, no... how are we already skipping ahead to the next time?!" Jiang Qianqian felt completely defeated.

Li Xingming only smiled.

She felt both angry and amused; she gave him a couple of light swats before letting him lead her to the car.

They went home for dinner.

The main parts of the meal were lotus root soup and steamed buns.

Jiang Qianqian had a preference for light flavors, and since she was prone to gastrointestinal reactions when stressed during exams, the soup and vegetable buns were a menu Li Xingming had specifically designed for her.

However, considering Jiang Qianqian was in a terrible mood due to the botched exam, Li Xingming had placed an additional order on a delivery app after arriving home, and just as the soup and buns were set on the table, the delivery arrived.

"What is this..."

"Red velvet cake. Here, from that shop you like."

Li Xingming unwrapped the package and set the cake in front of Jiang Qianqian. He gently inserted a spoon into the corner of the cake, the handle facing toward her—it was a gesture as if he were dying to feed her himself.

At this moment, Jiang Qianqian was curled up on the dining chair. As mentioned earlier, the furniture in this apartment was of high quality; the dining chairs were tall enough that Jiang Qianqian could pull her legs up and curl them in, her white-stockinged feet resting on the soft cushion, her arms wrapped around her knees, staring blankly at the cake.

After a long while, Jiang Qianqian mechanically picked up the spoon, dug out a piece, and put it into her mouth, chewing slowly.

Then, she suddenly started to shed tears.

Back when Jiang Qianqian was still dazed, Li Xingming had already anticipated this. As the tears fell, he had already pulled out a face towel, even performing the flourish of catching the falling droplets just in time.

"Ah-Ming, you..."

"Haha, I knew you were going to cry. Go ahead and cry if you want. Eat after you're done, otherwise, you might choke."

Jiang Qianqian finally couldn't hold it in anymore. Honestly, Li Xingming understood her too well. In front of Ah-Ming, it seemed she couldn't hide any of her emotions at all.

***

Is this what they call childhood sweethearts?

Since she couldn't hide it, she stopped trying. Jiang Qianqian grabbed Li Xingming and embraced him, ready to have a good cry.

"Wooo, Ah-Ming, I’m so useless. You tutored me so much, and I still bombed the exam, wooo..."

"It’s okay. Focus on the practical segment tomorrow. It’s not over yet; there’s still a chance." Li Xingming patted her head, cheering her on. "Fight until you have no regrets!"

"But what if I bomb tomorrow too?"

"I already told you, there are plenty of opportunities. It’s not like the old days where one exam decided your whole life."

The core reason why modern Awakening Tests were scheduled multiple times during senior year was to eliminate accidental variables, allowing the newly adult student population to "awaken as much as they are able."

Those who truly couldn't awaken would then take the "General College Entrance Exam" intended for ordinary mortals.

"What if I don't pass the exams next year either?"

"..."

Jiang Qianqian had clearly entered the stage of irrational, circular thinking—essentially, she was just acting spoiled. Li Xingming said with a grin, "Then you won't be a Transcendent. You can stay on the team and be my little secretary. Oh, but being a secretary carries the risk of being bullied by me under unspoken rules, so you’d better try your best..."

"Gross! What, what kind of unspoken rules? Ah-Ming, what kind of weird things are you thinking about every day!" Jiang Qianqian buried her blushing face in his chest.

"I’m just teasing. Anyway, don’t worry about your future. I’ve already said I’m going to be your teammate for life."

*For life, huh...*

Li Xingming’s promises always carried such weight.

Jiang Qianqian’s breathing gradually steadied. One always finds a sense of calm after crying.

When she stopped sobbing, she whispered, "I feel better now. I... I will work hard on the exam tomorrow."

"I believe in you, meow."

"I’m afraid that Ah-Ming will look down on me. Especially, especially, especially afraid."

"How could I?"

"Really? You won't?"

"Rest assured."