Chapter 131: Morning Run

"How are you feeling? Are you ready for today?" Yu Xuanji asked with a hint of concern as she saw her arrive.

Although they had agreed that she would teach these little brats modern school subjects, she had been playing games all day, and no one knew if she was truly prepared.

"It’s fine. Today, I’m just going to cover Pinyin and a few simplified characters; it’s very simple," Yu Qian said with a smile.

On the first day, she didn't intend to dive into anything too deep. She just wanted this group of immortal children to learn Pinyin and understand the difference between simplified and traditional characters; the rest could come in time.

However, what she hadn't expected was that these immortal children were different from mortal kids. Their comprehension was exceptionally high, and they grasped everything the moment it was explained.

After finishing with Pinyin, there was still plenty of time left, so Yu Qian simply went on to teach the multiplication table and the pronunciation of the twenty-six letters of the alphabet.

Like any other teacher, she assigned them homework, made it clear that she would collect it on the same day the following week, and then departed from the Small Grotto-Heaven to return to reality.

At six o'clock, the alarm rang right on time. Even on vacation, Yu Qian stuck to her school-day biological clock: going to bed at eleven and waking up at six. As was her routine, she washed up and headed out for a run. But unlike the previous days, Zhou Jingchen was waiting for her outside today.

"Morning, cutie."

"Morning."

Being able to see the person you like first thing in the morning is a wonderful feeling. With his company, Yu Qian ran her entire morning route with a smile on her face.

As for Zhou Jingchen, he was also in high spirits. When he woke up, he had received a message from Jia Le: Yu Qian’s account had been restored to normal, and in the process, they had also flagged several other accounts that had been tampered with.

At the same time, they had identified those responsible for the foul play. Most of them had taken bribes to either inflate data for some or target others, but there was one exception—a girl.

She liked Zhou Jingchen and couldn't accept that he preferred a girl who had just finished primary school over women of his own age. After digging up Yu Qian’s information, she had maliciously lowered her game stats. In her mind, Yu Qian was just a little girl; once she found that her account was performing poorly no matter what she did, she would surely get frustrated and quit the game. If Yu Qian left, she believed she would find a way to win Zhou Jingchen over through the game.

To Zhou Jingchen, this kind of person was repulsive. Such behavior—hurting others in the name of "love"—could not be called love at all; it was twisted. True love is wanting the best for the other person and becoming better yourself for their sake. Just like him—he loved Yu Qian, so he was willing to become a better version of himself for her. Likewise, if Yu Qian didn't like him, he wouldn't force himself upon her or pester her. If she had shown no interest in him from the start, he would have walked away and watched over her silently from afar, never disturbing her.

Thinking of this, he felt a sense of relief.

Fortunately, she had a fondness for him. Fortunately, she didn't mind him being by her side.

***

Running side by side with Zhou Jingchen, Yu Qian acutely noticed how often the tall boy beside her was looking at her—glancing at her every few steps, then again, and again. The more he looked, the happier his smile became.

The girl, meanwhile, felt her face heat up, turning red down to her very ears.

Halfway through the run, Yu Qian couldn't take it anymore and stopped. "I'm done. I'm going home for breakfast."

"What’s wrong? We’ve only run half the way?" He asked, looking at her with a blank, confused expression, not understanding why she had suddenly stopped.

She shot him a glare and began walking slowly toward home.

That single look made Zhou Jingchen’s bones feel like they were melting. Yu Qian didn't realize it, but the gaze she intended to be fierce looked like anything but that to him.

The young girl, her face flushed with a rosy hue, cast a shy, coquettish glare at the boy before walking away. Behind her, the boy felt his limbs go weak, wishing he could just pull her into his arms and never let go.

My goodness, she is truly adorable.