Chapter 285: No Joy

That afternoon, Zhang Suannai saw the little girl again taking the initiative to pour water for her sister to drink and massage her sister's shoulders. After finishing these two things, she took her sister's Mobile Phone and used her sister's face to unlock it, transferring five hundred and one thousand yuan to herself, and throughout this process, her sister ignored her the entire time.

Zhang Suannai felt it was very surreal, as if both roommates had become strangers.

In the past, as a roommate who was also a little goddess possessing a Heavenly Human Bloodline, Xiaoxiao certainly would not have done such things to her sister.

Furthermore, even if she had done so, her sister would only have stared at her coldly while she poured the water, seeing through the little schemes in her heart and sneering at them. As for the little girl massaging her sister's shoulders, Zhang Suannai could not imagine it no matter what.

Let alone the transfers that followed.

Impossible.

Impossible.

The facts seemed to be proving that what the little girl said was true—

Qingqing was truly practicing a special Secret Sect technique. During the practice process, the Joy she felt would be amplified. The tiny bits of Joy that were usually insignificant and had no great influence on her overall mood and behavioral choices, once amplified, would make her entire person different from usual, or at least much easier to get along with than usual.

Xiaoxiao had grasped exactly this point, prescribed the right medicine for the illness, and had her sister under control.

This was truly an excellent opportunity to curry favor with a roommate!

However, Zhang Suannai was a cautious person, so for the sake of safety, she still did not act rashly.

She already had some understanding of her roommate's personality. If she acted on her own without figuring out the situation, and if she were tricked by Xiaoxiao, it would very likely cause her image score in her roommate's heart to drop, or even provoke her roommate's disgust.

Zhang Suannai observed for another day and basically confirmed—

It was just like this!

……

Early the next morning.

Ning Qing came to the balcony, her hands resting on the railing, quietly looking outside.

It had rained some last night, and the world after the rain was exceptionally clean. Standing here, everything that met the eye was extraordinarily clear.

The nearby Dormitory buildings appeared exceptionally quiet surrounded by green trees. The garden landscapes, pavilions, and towers on campus, a corner of Long Lake, and the long corridor by the lake, all revealed the elegance of this campus converted from an imperial garden. The mountains on the distant horizon appeared deep blue, the sky was full of clustered, low-hanging clouds, and every gust of wind that blew carried a moist chill, also as beautiful as a poem or a painting.

Usually, when encountering this kind of weather, one should feel comfortable.

Today, she did not.

Comfort is also a type of "Joy".

Today, there was no Joy.

Ning Qing lowered her head again.

Beneath the railing after the rain hung many small water droplets, crystal clear. She hesitated for a long time, but finally raised her hand and used her fingertips to catch them one by one, letting these water droplets, which resembled glass beads, stand on her fingertips. They trembled, as if they might shatter at any moment.

Ning Qing furrowed her brows and tilted her head slightly.

Usually, if she happened upon such a scene, she would feel at least a little bit of beauty, right?

But now, she only felt irritable.

Her very first thought was even that the rainwater was dirty.

To think it would be like this...

Is the influence this great?

This was something Ning Qing had not anticipated before.

Having just experienced the beauty of happiness and its importance to a person a few days ago, even after finishing that stage of practice last night, looking back, she still felt that it was probably one of the most beautiful experiences in her life. She had thought she already had a clear understanding of "happiness", but having just experienced the feeling of being completely unable to perceive Joy today, her understanding of happiness was refreshed once again in its details.

The world was all gray.

Looking around, or looking forward to the day, she could not find any shining points, and there was no interest to speak of.

Is the world of those suffering from depression like this?

Ning Qing remained rational, thinking as such.

She turned around and went out.

She got on her little motorcycle and headed straight for the small courtyard.

Because Yujing had warmed up early recently and it had been sunny for several days, the roses that had been dormant for the entire winter had already sprouted buds. Once it rained last night, overnight, these tiny buds grew into bamboo-like shoots. This proved that the owner's winter homework had been done very well; these flowers had accumulated enough strength during dormancy to have such growth.

Ning Qing squatted down and looked closely.

There was no feeling of delight, not even a little.

The buds growing on the branches of some shrub roses were crisscrossing inward. In previous years, she would have checked them one by one, spending two hours or even half a day wiping these buds off, on one hand to control the plant shape, and on the other to make room for the growth of the bamboo-like shoots at the bottom. This process was tedious; people who didn't like gardening might find it troublesome, strenuous, and labor-intensive, but she only felt it was enjoyable and relaxing—a process of emptying her heart and self.

Today, however, she had no such inclination.

It didn't matter;

She was not interested;

Ning Qing even felt it was troublesome, and didn't even know what the point of planting these flowers was or what they could bring her. If not for her rationality still being able to control herself, and if not for her rationality telling her that the current mood was only temporary, she even had the thought of shoveling them all away.

"……"

Ning Qing took a few deep breaths and left the small courtyard.

Speeding along the way, the fresh, moist air, the thousand-head chrysanthemums blooming in the flower boxes added to the roadside, the jacaranda trees overhead that had already faintly shown their color, and the daylight gradually piercing through the clouds reflecting on the moist ground—none of it could attract even a bit of her attention.

Twenty minutes later, she returned to the Dormitory.

A smell of sour and spicy noodles drifted in the air.

Zhang Suannai held her Mobile Phone, looked back at her, and said with a face full of Joy: "Eh? I was just about to ask where you went, and you're back. What a damn coincidence!"

"Mm."

Ning Qing's expression was cold.

Zhang Suannai, however, grinned and waved at her repeatedly: "I specially went outside the school gate to pack these sour and spicy noodles for you, the same place you said was delicious last semester! How is it? Am I good to you? Hehehe..."

"……"

Ning Qing looked at her very calmly, her heart like still water.

Zhang Suannai, however, only felt that she was a bit shy and that she needed to help her out. After she finished eating and felt happy and grateful, she would then be able to suggest that she go out with her to ride the motorcycle and run the mountains. She certainly wouldn't refuse, and then she could further cultivate their relationship.

"Come quickly! Come and have a taste!"

"Thanks, I've already eaten."

"But this is your favorite hot and sour rice noodles."

"Not interested."

"Why are you being so polite with me!"

Zhang Suannai reached out to pull Qingqing's arm; this movement looked natural, but in reality, she had practiced it many times in advance.

In the past, whenever she saw Chen Shu grab her roommate's hand, or saw other young sisters holding hands or linking arms at school, she felt very envious, but her roommate's aura was usually too strong, making her afraid to try; now, she could finally give it a go.

"Eh?"

She had been dodged by Qingqing.

What was going on?

Zhang Suannai's expression stiffened, and her brain spun rapidly.

In a flash, she recalled the scenes she had seen before: either Chen Shu would go to pull her roommate's hand, or he would go to put his arm around her roommate's shoulder; the roommate would often shake off his hand at the beginning to show refusal, but that person was thick-skinned, so he would lean in again, and after a few times like this, the roommate would just stop bothering with him.

So that was how it was...

No sooner said than done, Zhang Suannai instantly figured it out, and at this moment, she was still maintaining the posture of having her hand extended.

One should be a bit thicker-skinned!

Zhang Suannai reached out her hand again.

"Slap!"

Ouch, that hurts!

Her roommate looked at her coldly and walked straight past.

Zhang Suannai scratched her head, feeling very puzzled.

A moment later, her way of thinking shifted, changing from "Why did this happen?" to "If it were Chen Shu, what would he do?".

"Emmm..."

After pondering, Zhang Suannai walked to the door of Xiaoxiao's bedroom.

"Bang bang bang!"

"Xiaoxiao!"

With a creak, the door opened.

The little girl stood at the doorway, looking up at her with an expressionless face.

Zhang Suannai pretended to ask casually:

"What are you doing?"

"Doing homework."

"Oh my, so diligent."

"?"

Zhang Suannai understood her expression, so she hurriedly spoke of the matter, "Your sister is back; aren't you going to take this opportunity to curry more favor with your sister and trick more pocket money out of her? Now that she's just returned, you can go pour her a glass of water to drink."

"Keep your voice down."

"Oh, oh..."

Only then did Zhang Suannai lower her voice.

The little girl glanced at her, her brows slightly furrowed, feeling that there was something wrong with this person—

What was the point of lowering her voice at this time?

She was afraid it had all been heard by her sister.

However, her sister had been in a very good mood lately, so she probably wouldn't care about these trivial details.

"I'm going right now!"

The little girl walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Her sister's cup was sitting on the coffee table.

The little girl picked up the cup, tilted her head to think for a moment, then ran back to her room and took out a bottle of cauliflower honey that her brother-in-law had bought for them at the foot of the Spirit Sect mountain a few days ago; she scooped out a spoonful, hesitated, poured half a spoonful back, and added the remaining half-spoon into the cup.

Honey was mainly sugar; although it tasted good, it was easy to get fat if too much was added, so she would let her sister drink a little less and take on the risk of getting fat herself.

The little girl went to pour a cup of hot water, stirring it until the cup clinked and clattered.

During this process, Zhang Suannai stood to the side, leaning against the wall, her expression as serious as the little girl's usual one, staring at her without blinking.

"Click..."

The little girl carried the water and entered her sister's room.

Zhang Suannai pricked up her ears.

"Sister, I've brought you water; it's honey water today, so I'll just charge you six hundred yuan."

"Don't want it."

"It's honey water today."

"Get out."

"Then the money..."

"Scram!"

"..."

The little girl came out carrying the water, also looking completely puzzled; as she raised her gaze, she saw Zhang Suannai standing against the wall.

The two looked at each other, both blinking their eyes.

Just at this moment, Qingqing's door was opened again.

The two of them turned their heads in an instant, looking toward the doorway.

A white cat was tossed out.

The two people and one cat continued to stare at each other.

Yujing Academy.

The third day of the school term.

Meng Chunqiu had finally returned.

Meng Chunqiu was dressed in the same attire as before, wearing an ancient-style noble hunting outfit, looking heroic and spirited; his long hair was still kept, but it was no longer loose, having been tied up instead, and the signature folding fan in his hand was gone; he walked into the living room with his usual expression and greeted the two of them:

"Brother Chen, Brother Jiang, long time no see."

"Long time no see, you've skipped class for two more days." Chen Shu looked him up and down and commented, "You look a bit more energetic today than usual."

"You noticed."

"I have a discerning eye for pigs."

"As expected of Brother Chen."

"Brother Meng, you always fail to show up for class at the start of the term; don't the teachers have anything to say about you?" Jiang Lai couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, I was just about to tell you both, I've changed my major." Meng Chunqiu turned his head to look at Chen Shu, "I've switched to your Traditional Cultivation Academy, to study Spell Principles, starting from the freshman year; from now on, I'll be your junior fellow student, Brother Chen."

"Huh?"

Jiang Lai was very surprised.

Chen Shu, however, furrowed his brows.

Meng Chunqiu stood before them with a solemn expression and bowed to them: "Brother Chen, Brother Jiang, I must apologize to you both; I have been deceiving you since freshman year, right up until now..."

"Huh?"

"My real name is not Meng Chunqiu, and I am not a collateral branch of the Imperial Family." Meng Chunqiu looked at them solemnly, full of apology, "My real name is Meng Ziyang, and I am one of the last two descendants of the direct line of the Dayi Imperial Family; the one who went missing after being attacked by an unknown Ninth Stage cultivator while on an expedition to Puluo in the news a few days ago was my older brother."

"Huh?"

Meng Chunqiu's gaze swept over Jiang Lai, feeling increasingly guilty.

His two roommates had been so open and honest with him, yet he had been deceiving them all along...

"Sigh..."

Meng Chunqiu didn't even dare to look them in the eye or raise his head, having to guiltily watch their reactions out of the corner of his eye.

Eh? Why is Brother Chen not surprised at all?

"Brother Chen, you..."

"Oh, I am acquainted with your brother, so I had already guessed your true identity."

"You know my brother?"

"Yes."

"How is it that you know everyone?"

"It's just a coincidence."

"This..."

Meng Chunqiu stared blankly at Chen Shu.

He had thought he was hiding it quite well.

"Then your brother is currently..."

"In a coma, situation unknown."

Meng Chunqiu put away his blank expression, fell silent for a moment, and then said: "I've thought it through. As a member of the Imperial Family, no matter what, and regardless of whether my brother wakes up or not, I should step forward and do my meager part to continue the Imperial Family. Starting today, I will begin cultivation. If my brother cannot wake up later, I will be the next direct successor to the throne; if my brother wakes up, I will assist him and guard the Imperial Family, just like the ancestor King Jin."

Jiang Lai stared at him blankly.

Chen Shu also twitched the corner of his mouth.

Seeing this, Meng Chunqiu knew they must be stunned by the charm he was displaying, but he didn't want to make them feel too heavy or think he was being forced, so he grinned: "But don't worry too much about me; even if I start cultivation and become the person I least wanted to be in the past, I won't give up my love for poetry and songs, nor will I give up my goal of leaving a name for posterity; it's just a different way... By the way, how did you put it before, Brother Chen?"

"A single person fights across three thousand miles, a single Sword Light chills nineteen continents."

"Right!"

Meng Chunqiu puffed out his chest, his expression indifferent: "In the future, that is who I shall be—proficient in both literature and martial arts, peerless in grace."

At this moment, even without a fan, he had a fan.

Chen Shu's mouth twitched: "But you seem to be... a Spirit Cultivator?"

"Brother Chen!"

"Sorry..."

Chen Shu couldn't help but laugh.

Brother Meng's middle-school-syndrome remains unchanged; he is still a youth.