Chapter 1946

NO. 566：Not Young (Happy Dragon Boat Festival!)

NO. 566Not Young (Happy Dragon Boat Festival!)

"Head of the family, may I ask if you have seen the young head?"

"Didn't I say to call me former head?"

Night fell, the moon rose.

The Border Gate District was a special zone for former transmigrants, set up with many restriction laws to welcome transmigrants, and also heavily funded to purchase various cutting‑edge technologies to improve environmental quality, thereby preserving the city's appearance; it covered the clean air of this area where even near the urban zone one could see the waning crescent moon.

"Former… head…?"

"What kind of reaction is this again?"

Just as Sudu Xiangzheng was about to wave it away, he suddenly realized something, turned his head toward the clear mirror hanging not far away, and saw in it a startled Swift Cold Horse Girl.

""

"What's this with you?"

"When the time comes, it'll be like this, nothing to be surprised about," the black‑haired, green‑eyed horse girl turned her head and said with a light smile, "Lu Na has gone out to see the trainer; just tell me if there's anything."

"But you seem to have a guest as well."

Still twitching, the ears holding that gold ring, the horse girl went along with it: "…That's fine, then I'll have you send it to me as a document later; you may withdraw now."

"Yes."

Although promoted from the middle level, he was also considered a veteran employee's reporter who obeyed orders and withdrew; for a moment the room was quiet, with only Sudu Xiangzheng alone.

She raised her hand, playing with her own silky tip that showed not a hint of dryness.

She also gazed at the clear emerald eyes in the mirror, as if trying to find some of the past's murkiness within.

But she found nothing, and had no time to see more before hearing the footsteps that had been there before grow louder and closer, almost upon her——

"Yo~ Are you busy, senior?"

Brown horse ears poked in first, then came a pair of exceptionally bright blue eyes, and a relaxed yet light and lively step like that of a youthful beautiful girl—not someone who'd graduated college years ago and could already be called an "old aunt" by some young horse girls, a plump horse girl.

"It's you, little guy."

"Hearing such an address occasionally really makes one shy." Wan Shan Si Ji feigns bashfulness, covering his face with both hands.

In their conversation there was no trace of surprise at Speed Symbol's current appearance, nor any fear of its might; they spoke so casually it was as if they were old friends.

"After all, you're a graduate, aren't you? You're also here to look for Lu Dao Fu?"

"Ah, no, no, I came to see you. I heard Luna say you've been walking out of that curse lately, so Senior Sheng Lie Te sent me to check on you."

"Just making sure," Speed Symbol said impatiently, "that old guy has been wanting to drag me into another race since back then."

"The vitality of Horse Girls comes like this, too—you gotta put in more effort and not let mere age get you down!"

"The Dream Cup contestant saying that is quite convincing, you little brat—you were already rude and undisciplined back when you followed Senior Sheng Lie Te, and you haven't changed a bit; I really wish my grandson could be as low-maintenance as you."

"That won't do, after all, little Luna also has your blame."

"Blame?"

"Ah, exactly, um, 'carrying the pot' means taking the blame; nowadays we say 'share the pot' to mean sharing the blame."

"Wasn't that the saying from five years ago?"

"So you knew, uh, about five years ago? It's been five years, huh..."

"Hey, don't just mope there by yourself—is that how you go to visit an elder?"

"But you don't look like an elder at all—you totally have that pond-surface style, makes me want to race you just looking at you."

"Do you want to try it first for Sheng Lie Te?"

"What's with this 'first or not' talk, senior? I just purely want to challenge the legend I've heard since childhood."

"It would be nice if we could share some of this drive with that Luna kid."

"Huh? You haven't talked to her about that?" Wan Shan Si Ji blinked, "She said you even ran a race with her in that posture."

"Then did she tell you what she gained?"

"Um, when you put it like that..."

"Her steps are empty and lacking; what's missing is exactly this kind of instinct of yours—the instinct to challenge the strong, the instinct to reach higher. I originally wanted to tell her that nowadays Symbol users no longer need to restrain themselves like that, she could be bolder, have more drive, but..."

"" Wan Shan Si Ji listened silently, not speaking.

"That's indeed my fault." Speed Symbol sighed without reservation.

"I shaped the emperor, and the emperor solidified her spirit. Now that Luna is liberated, she should have balanced her spirit, but instead it just added a hint of indecisive sensibility—can you imagine that?"

"She hesitates because of you, the Qianming representative, and Gechengwangpai."

"Huh?" Wan Shan Si Ji blinked.

"I didn't expect there to be something about me here."

"She won't give up running, but her steps are empty and lacking—can such perfunctory running really achieve anything for you guys?"

Wan Shan Si Ji: "She couldn't possibly not think of the answer, could she?"

"The problem lies right here."

Speed Symbol's posture fully returned to that of a 25-33-year-old as he raised his hand, his forefinger slicing downward like a sharp sword.

Moreover, in this description, the vagueness of those numbers is actually a kind of clarity. Because the full development of Horse Girls not only accelerates growth in adolescence but also slows aging in adulthood, making the period of Speed Symbol's 25-33 years change very little.

"That answer isn't hard to think of at all; she should be able to figure it out, but she remains as she is."

"She's trapped; even though she's young, she's like an old person who doesn't know how to adapt, lacking the freedom to change."

"How ironic—during this time I also met that Yue Chi kid over there and saw Aomo little devil scurrying about, and somehow I ended up developing a few wavering changes in my attitude toward the curse."

"The reason is actually with little Aomo?"

"... You can only hear the second half?"

"I'm not acquainted with the one called Yue Chi~ Could it be referring to Luna's uncle?"

……I'm tired, let's leave it at that.

Eh? You can't be like an old lady! It's only eight!

I am an old lady! The curse trial I accepted back then was that as long as my heart lacks vitality, I will remain eternally aged!

What happens if we break the curse?

It will make me younger; this was originally a bet I proactively proposed to the three goddesses.

Is it necessary?

It is necessary; back then I needed a more aged mindset, and medical technology could guarantee that I could maintain everything of the family while in an aged state.

……

Even though I had long heard of it and had already made psychological preparations while trying to help Lu Daofu, Wan Shan Si Ji, who let everything end peacefully at the request of the person involved, still faced that heavy shackle for the first time in these words.

Even if it was just a faint breath flowing from those brief words.

But the times are different now.

Noticing the other's held breath, Sudu Xiangzheng shook their head.

Yuechi that child destroyed the obstacles for her, Aomo Lindun that little devil guided her future; I plan to entrust everything to her now, and whether it's me or her, we both need a thorough change, and the source of that change is vitality.

Vitality… she couldn't possibly lack it, could she?

But it's being trampled at the lowest level by a forcibly solidified self; I can't pull it out by running, and I don't know what that little devil will do.

Eh? Did Lu Na go see Little Aomo?

Wan Shan reacted quickly, but the meaning behind this overly quick reaction left this federation-type middle-aged horse girl with sixty years of life experience speechless.

Are you this perceptive in such a place?

There's also Representative Qianming.

It's truly a karmic bond, hard to part, hard to let go, and they torment each other.

Glancing at the report on the terminal light screen that only she could see, Sudu Xiangzheng also felt a few more sighs in their heart.

After how many years, she actually received news from that Old Fourth of the branch family.

They said the times are different, but I didn't expect to also feel the derivative of that change in such a place.

Moreover, they praised that little devil… that little devil is truly lovable to everyone, amazingly popular.

Too bad they're not a horse girl.

……Being a half-demon would also be fine; the point is how much of that heart-moving technique can be unleashed this time?

It's not that they torment each other! They can actually help each other succeed!

Their train of thought was cut off by such a baseless remark, and before Sudu Xiangzheng could say anything, they saw the little guy finish shouting and instantly shift gears:

No! We can't just let them stay with Little Aomo! I want to go compete too!

She just ran while shouting, running extremely fast.

If it weren't for horse girls having excellent hearing and having rigorously trained their bodies and cultivated source energy in their youth, with super-enhanced sharp eyes and ears, Sudu Xiangzheng would struggle to catch the fragmented audio drowned in the gale.

But even if they heard it clearly.

When she typed out the question mark, the person was already unable to shout back.

This is also the vitality of youth, right?

Just like the chaotic interpersonal atmosphere heard of back then in the circle, it's truly a youth that's hard to feel nostalgic for.

?? Brothers and sisters, happy Dragon Boat Festival and stay healthy!