Chapter 2: Having a Childhood Sweetheart

Nine o'clock in the morning.

The temperature had not yet become hot.

Chen Shu casually threw on a thin jacket, went out to scan a shared bike, and rode along slowly.

The world after the rain had become so fresh, and the early summer sun was just right; the ground had just been dried, and there was no trace of last night's heavy rain to be seen at all.

Ning Qing's home was neither near nor far.

Following a resident into a residential compound common in Yiguo, which was roughly equivalent to a villa area, it was filled with Chinese-style courtyards. Chen Shu walked along the internal road covered in fallen petals and soon arrived in front of a small courtyard.

"Knock, knock!"

Ten seconds or so later, the door opened.

Standing inside the door was a tall and elegant woman, looking at him with a calm expression, and she gave him a careful look up and down.

Chen Shu grinned: "So fast?"

As he spoke, he reached out his hand, with a piece of candy resting in his palm: "Brought you a dried tangerine peel candy, it's nice and sour."

Ning Qing took it, her hands white and slender:

"I was applying medicine to the flowers."

"No wonder."

Chen Shu squeezed past her into the courtyard.

Many flowers were planted in the yard; as soon as one walked in, it was full of a fresh, moist fragrance that made one feel refreshed.

A white cat lay lazily on the lawn.

Ning Qing closed the courtyard gate and turned to follow behind him, but her gaze dropped slightly, stopping at a certain spot on his back: "Your clothes have a loose thread."

"Where?"

Ning Qing did not say a word, staring straight at it with her eyes.

Following her guidance, Chen Shu found a small tear on the right side of his jacket, the thread above it split like the legs of a centipede; he remembered ruining it during gym class last week, and after finding it, he completely stopped caring about it, yawned, and said:

"Forget it."

Just as the temperature was gradually rising, he casually took off his jacket and threw it onto a stone bench in the yard.

Ning Qing watched his movements and continued to ask: "I heard you were caught by the police yesterday?"

"Where did you hear that?"

"Heard it from a classmate."

"Who? You didn't even go to school for class."

"The class monitor."

"Her? She can turn a sprained ankle into a broken leg."

"So?"

"Just a routine interrogation, no big deal."

"Really?"

"The police uncle said so himself, would I lie to you?"

"Often."

"Anyway, not this time."

Chen Shu waved his hand and bent down to look at the flowers filling the yard. Now was the season when the Chinese roses were blooming at their best, but unfortunately, the rain last night was too heavy; many flowers were rotted by the water or scattered by the wind, and at the very least, they were beaten by the wind and rain into brownish scars, becoming very unsightly.

Most of the flowers here were Chinese roses.

Ning Qing was still standing behind him, watching his bent back, her voice light and clear: "Have I ever told you..."

"Oh, I know."

"Know what?"

"There's a basin in your heart. Whenever I tease you, fool you, or deceive you, you act like you don't know, but every time you add a little water to this basin. When the water in the basin is full, I'll be in trouble." Chen Shu frowned, not forgetting to add, "It's so annoying."

"As long as you know."

Ning Qing said nothing more.

This girl was very cold and aloof.

Not long after, Chen Shu saw a peculiar flower in the garden; it presented a blue-green color with a strong sense of plastic, like a car paint color called Tiffany Blue, or the blue of a robin's egg; in his impression, flowers rarely had this color.

"What flower is this?"

Chen Shu leaned in with great interest.

"Deep Sleep Flower."

"Why is it called Deep Sleep Flower?"

Chen Shu leaned in and took a sniff; there was a faint fragrance, and he couldn't help but take two more sniffs:

"It actually smells quite good!"

Ning Qing eyed his movements and pursed her lips: "Because its fragrance is released slowly under normal circumstances, it has the effect of calming the mind and aiding sleep. But if you lean in and take a deep breath, a large amount of pollen will cause a person to quickly fall into a coma. An ordinary person only needs to smell it once to fall into a deep sleep and become unconscious."

"Huh?"

Chen Shu froze for a moment.

That's fake, right?

Immediately following, his brain began to grow dizzy, as if he didn't want to bring up any more thoughts, and at the same time, his limbs began to grow weak.

"This..."

Chen Shu sat down on the ground with a thud, his face full of disbelief; he opened his mouth, but couldn't speak.

Soon, he couldn't even maintain the action of sitting on the ground; he collapsed completely, lying on the stone slabs—in his field of vision was a vast expanse of early summer sky, light blue, white clouds like gauze, and a corner of the tall, lush jacaranda tree beside the courtyard also entered the frame.

"Meow?"

The long-haired white cat to the side turned its head, staring at him in confusion, but soon lost interest in him, licked its own paw, and continued with half-closed eyes, basking in its sun.

It felt the sun was very comfortable.

Ning Qing walked over and stepped over Chen Shu:

"Don't worry, it's harmless."

Then she stepped back over him:

"And it calms the heart and nourishes the spirit."

Chen Shu kept his eyes open, struggling to keep his mind clear; only his eyeballs could move.

The warm sunlight shone on his face, gentle and not scorching, making him think of the days when he would finish lunch with his classmates and lie on the playground wasting the afternoon away; it was truly wonderful.

It really did calm the heart and nourish the spirit.

Since he couldn't resist...

Chen Shu closed his eyes as well.

Faint footsteps could be heard again, this time stopping beside him. Chen Shu struggled to open his eyes and saw a more youthful face; it was a little girl leaning over and tilting her head to stare at him. The little girl stood very close to him, and like her sister, there was not much expression on her face.

"Brother-in-law, what are you doing?"

Ning Qing's voice came immediately from not far away:

"You are not allowed to call him that."

The little girl ignored her completely, as if she hadn't heard, and still maintained the posture and expression of questioning Chen Shu.

Chen Shu:...

Then he saw the little girl lift her head slightly, glance at the Deep Sleep Flower nearby, and remain silent for a few seconds: "Brother-in-law, did you also smell the Deep Sleep Flower?"

Tilting her head again to wait for a while, she didn't get an answer from Chen Shu, so she turned and walked away on her own.

The footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

Not long after, she returned.

Chen Shu only felt a pair of hands lift the back of his head, then the two hands became one, and then a pillow was placed under his head.

Chen Shu:...

About half an hour passed.

Chen Shu gradually regained his strength and control over his body. He sat up with difficulty and tried to open his mouth; he could speak, so he immediately declared his dissatisfaction to Ning Qing: "Is this how you treat people? I even brought you candy, and you just..."

He didn't finish his sentence.

When Chen Shu turned, he saw Ning Qing sitting on a stone stool. She was at the most youthful and dazzling age; even while sitting, the graceful curves of her waist were very striking. One hand held Chen Shu's jacket, while the other pinched a needle and thread. Her skin was snow-white, without a single flaw, and under the early summer sun, it was dazzling. Her features were also extremely exquisite. With her thin lips pursed tightly, she was full of focus as she threaded the needle.

The scene was so quiet that Chen Shu couldn't bear to disturb it.

Seeming to hear his words, Ning Qing turned her head slightly:

"What?"

"I forgot..."

"Oh."

Ning Qing withdrew her gaze. Having just finished sewing, she pulled the thread end, and the place that had originally come apart closed up one by one, leaving no trace at all. After dealing with the thread end, she folded the jacket on her lap and simultaneously asked him lightly:

"Is the sun today comfortable to bask in?"

"It's alright..."

Chen Shu scratched his head and sat down on the stone stool next to her: "Did you wash your hands after applying the medicine? Don't get it on my clothes."

Naturally, he received no response.

In the afternoon, the weather became gloomy again.

"You should go back."

"I haven't had dinner yet."

"I need to bury some slow-release fertilizer for the flowers. While it hasn't rained yet, I don't have time to play with you," Ning Qing said. "Go back and prepare well for the Great Exam."

"No."

Chen Shu rested his chin on one hand and held a flower with the other, sniffing it from time to time: "My mood is quite chaotic right now. If this continues, it might affect the Great Exam in a few days, and I haven't been admitted early like you. So I need to play at your house for a while longer to soothe my mood."

"..."

Ning Qing looked at him, her eyes rippling, but she didn't make a sound.

"You bury your slow-release fertilizer; I'll go find Xiaoxiao to play."

Chen Shu patted his bottom, stood up, and walked toward the house.

Xiaoxiao was watching a documentary on the sofa. The little girl was quite a bit shorter than her sister, only about 1.6 meters tall. She was wearing loose loungewear shorts and an equally loose striped shirt. Her hair, which only reached her shoulders, made her outfit somewhat androgynous. Her two snow-white, delicate legs were crossed, and she was holding a bag of potato chips in both hands.

"Brother-in-law, do you want some potato chips?"

The little girl generously handed the potato chips to Chen Shu.

"No."

"Oh, Brother-in-law, are you about to take the Great Exam?"

"There are only a few days left."

"Good luck."

"Will you treat me to a meal if I pass?" Chen Shu didn't feel embarrassed at all. "Help you spend some of your pocket money."

"Sure."

"Hey, how old are you again?"

"Fifteen."

"Oh..."

Chen Shu nodded. In his impression, Xiaoxiao had skipped grades; like her sister, she was very good at her studies and also had strong talent for cultivation.

"Brother-in-law, what show do you want to watch?"

"I'm not watching any; I'm going to read a book, otherwise your sister will lecture me again later—she has a lot to say."

"That's true."

The little girl felt deeply in agreement, while tilting her head back, her gaze following Chen Shu's figure as he walked upstairs, her mouth continuously chewing on potato chips.

Walking straight into Ning Qing's room, Chen Shu felt not the slightest psychological burden; he saw a stack of books on the desk, picked one up to look at it, and finally chose one placed in the middle, titled *Tricky Exam Questions from Past Principle of Magic Competitions (with Answers)*.

Just right for brushing up on some problems.

Walking downstairs, Chen Shu chatted casually with Xiaoxiao: "When are Mom and Dad coming back?"

"I don't know."

"Don't you have homework?"

"I'll do it tonight."

"Oh..."

Chen Shu lowered his head and began to read.

These questions were truly tricky; although they weren't mainstream and even lacked practical significance, it was good to give his brain a change of pace.

Time slipped away unnoticed.

Burying slow-release fertilizer for flowers was a troublesome task, especially with a yard full of them; by the time Ning Qing finished everything and walked into the living room after washing her hands, Chen Shu was reading with great interest; Ning Qing leaned in and glanced at the book he was holding, showing no expression, and only said:

"It's going to rain, hurry back, or you'll get caught in the rain again."

"Is that so?"

Chen Shu looked at the weather outside; sure enough, dark clouds had already begun to gather—the weather by this lake was truly fickle.

So he closed the book in his hand, stood up, and said, "I'm going to take this book back to read."

"I haven't finished it yet."

Ning Qing refused him and added, "Your Great Exam is imminent; the content in this is far beyond the syllabus and basically won't be tested. Don't waste your time on it."

"That's true, too."

Chen Shu felt she made sense, so he put the book down: "Then I'll come get it after I finish my exam; you hurry up and read it."

"Ride my bike."

"Will do." Chen Shu had already walked two steps when he suddenly stopped, "Right, remember to go to school tomorrow; we have to take graduation photos."

"Mm."

He got on Ning Qing's mini motorcycle—it was like riding a dog—pressed the power button, and with Spirit Power identification, it was a true keyless start; the little motorcycle's dashboard lit up, and with a twist of his right hand, it darted off.

The wind outside was strong, and riding the bike was very refreshing.

Just as he arrived inside the residential complex and parked the bike, he saw a raindrop smash down, splashing a petal-like wet spot on the dry ground. Chen Shu hurriedly locked the bike; in the blink of an eye, the rain became rapid and dense, pattering against the ground, and for a moment, the whole world was filled with the noise of rain.

The sound of rain poured down.

Xiaoxiao pretended to watch a documentary and pretended to eat potato chips, but in reality, her gaze had been secretly locked on her sister, watching her sister pick up the book her brother-in-law had been reading and turn to walk toward the back—although her sister's expression was no different from usual, she just felt it was strange.

She would have to turn her head to see now.

Just as she was debating whether to pretend to turn her head, she felt the footsteps suddenly pause, and then her sister's voice came from the stairs: "If you're idle, go do your homework."

The little girl's body jolted, the potato chips in her hand even shook, and she hurriedly focused on eating her chips.

Only then did the footsteps continue to sound.

After returning to her room, Ning Qing sat down at the desk and opened the book.