Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Jingliu: Are We Really That Close?

"You look... not too happy?"

Breakfast was simple — a bowl of clear broth noodles with a fried egg nestled inside, steam curling upward.

Little Jingliu poked at her noodles, mentally sorting through the jars and bottles Wangshu had bought yesterday, wondering if there was chili sauce she liked among them.

"Well... I'm about to be all alone again." Wangshu sighed, his tone half-genuine, half-theatrical.

And wasn't that the truth. He'd finally gotten an Emanator experience card, only to discover it came with side effects.

It was like winning the lottery and finding out there was a massive tax bill attached. As for little Jingliu having to go to the academy today and being unable to join him for the grand business launch — that was a small disappointment too.

Jingliu stirred her noodles, trying to mix the scallions and egg evenly. Stirring noodles like that probably wasn't proper etiquette, but she didn't care.

"Little Wangshu, why don't you come with me to request a day off? I don't want to go to the academy."

The academy was boring. Most of the knowledge taught was useless — at least at her age, she wasn't learning anything practical there.

Though she'd heard that after passing the coming-of-age certification, the Xianzhou had adult academies that taught career-oriented skills.

Wangshu was skeptical. "But with your long-life physique, what excuse could you even use for a day off?"

A stomachache? If someone with a long-life physique had a stomachache, that was no minor issue — she'd probably need to go to the Alchemy Commission for treatment.

Little Jingliu's face stiffened. Right — she was also an orphan. Her teachers all knew that. She had absolutely no valid excuse to skip.

"Ugh, to think that the eighteen-year-old me is still wasting away at the academy, while the seventeen-year-old little Wangshu is already hustling for a living..."

Jingliu pressed her lips together, trailing off. After all, remembering all those zeros on yesterday's bill of exchange, she really couldn't apply the word "hustling" to little Wangshu.

"It's all for the sake of getting Xianzhou residency, after all. I've already got a place to live — now I just need a proper job... and the income records probably can't be fudged."

"Once I get the residency papers, then I'll think about joining a proper department."

As for why not aim for a proper department from the start? It was rough out there. The Xianzhou had a population in the tens of billions — employment was extremely competitive. Not to mention the Xianzhou's inherent sense of regional superiority.

For an Outworlder to find work here was genuinely difficult.

"Ugh, I don't want to go to school."

Little Jingliu clutched her head. But remembering that seventeen-year-old little Wangshu was watching, she forced herself to straighten up and powered through this flavorless breakfast.

"I hated school too, but having qualifications really does make everything easier down the line."

Wangshu ruffled Jingliu's hair. The gesture perked her up a bit.

The academy wasn't far from Jingliu's home.

Though Cangcheng was vast with a population of tens of billions, the urban planning was excellent. Each district had its own relatively self-contained living sphere, and academies of all types were spread throughout for convenient access.

Jingliu dragged her feet the entire way, head hanging, as if marching toward some punishment. However, just as she was shuffling up to the courtyard gate, preparing to resign herself to her imprisonment, a series of soft beeps sounded from behind her.

She turned around to see Wangshu riding out on the portable multi-function stall cart Asta had gifted him. The little vehicle ran on some kind of clean energy — smooth and silent — with the dashboard showing over 80% charge remaining.

Beep beep beep!!!

"What's that? Riding around in a little cart like that looks so dumb, little Wangshu."

Jingliu's eyes lit up even as she deliberately talked it down.

Despite her words, a smile had already bloomed across her small face. With nimble agility, she hopped onto the specially fitted passenger seat on the stall cart.

She curiously touched the two large barrels attached to the cart. "But why are there two huge barrels? For making jianbing guozi, one barrel for batter should be enough, right?"

"Asta told me this was the cart she used back when she did charity porridge runs."

"Charity porridge?"

"Her family's very wealthy, so they cultivated their children's public image from a young age. When she was little, she'd go along with her mother on charity outings."

As the prop from Asta's very first charitable outing, she'd kept part of it — namely, this cart.

Jingliu's small face went blank.

"Even little kids have to do charity work?"

Rich people's lives were really complicated.

"I'm not sure either, but Asta told me she didn't actually have to do anything at these events. Nobody cared what she did — she just had to show up."

The poor got help, the rich got publicity, the media got traffic. A triple win, really.

Asta had hated this completely pre-arranged life as a child, though when she'd mentioned it during their sparring-session chats, her expression had carried a mix of acceptance and self-deprecating humor.

Jingliu's face went even blanker. It sounded even more complicated.

"I think I've read a plot like this in a storybook."

"You didn't help her escape her family, did you?"

After all, that was how the young-heiress plotline always went — and that Asta woman had given little Wangshu so much money.

Still not as impressive as her future self, though.

"No, she was taken away by Herta."

"Herta?"

"A member of the Genius Society. I don't know her personally — Asta just clearly worships her."

Little Jingliu nodded. If someone that legendary had personally come to take Asta away, then the odds of Asta being the warm-to-everyone type were even higher!

As for the Genius Society... not recognizing those members was perfectly normal. After all, even the all-capable Lady Jingliu didn't know those mysterious figures.

"Little Wangshu, don't wander too far from here. I definitely won't be staying at the academy for lunch."

While they'd been chatting, the short trip was already over. Jingliu hopped off the cart. A breeze tousled her blue-and-white gradient hair as she tilted her small face up and gave the horn two vigorous honks.

The crisp electronic blare at the academy entrance was jarringly conspicuous, drawing even more stares.

In a nation of long-life species, everything was accepted with remarkable naturalness.

As for wealth disparity? That wasn't really something to worry about. After the mara calamity, the gap had narrowed considerably. Nobody was starving in the streets, so... personal hobbies were respected.

"Sure, as long as there aren't any city inspectors around here."

With practiced movements, he unfurled a pre-prepared banner, written in Xianzhou standard script:

【Thousand-Year Heritage, Homeworld Select — Jianbing Guozi】

【Bright Future Chat Group】

Wangshu: "Family, we're open for business! Screenshot.jpg"

Jingliu: "...Is that... in front of the academy?"

Asta: "Obviously a stall like this should be in front of a school."

Jingliu: "I was so image-conscious as a kid. She really didn't object?"

Jingliu: "@Wangshu."

Wangshu: "Little Jingliu seemed really happy about it. She even helped me honk the horn for publicity earlier."

Jingliu: "Huh? That was me?"

Jingliu: "How did you convince her?"

Wangshu: "...Can't talk now, Senior. Customer incoming."