Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Lady Jingliu's Got Your Back!

"Eat first, little Jingliu. I think you're still half asleep."

Wangshu tore his attention away from the group chat. This round of recruitment might have been better off not happening at all.

The cozy atmosphere they'd built was ruined. In the beginning, Senior Jingliu, himself, and Asta had at least managed genuine friendliness and mutual aid. Even he — the most useless of the three — could provide unique help from upstream in the timeline.

Now? The moment newcomers with clashing styles and diverging agendas walked in, the whole group felt different.

He plated the golden-crisp bacon and silky scrambled eggs, then looked toward the kitchen doorway. Little Jingliu stood there with her cheeks slightly puffed, rubbing crimson eyes that hadn't fully woken, leaning against the frame. A few blue-and-white wisps of hair stuck up playfully, swaying with her small movements.

She watched the busy figure at the stove for quite a while in quiet stillness — as if confirming something — before finally blinking. Her crimson eyes snapped wide: "Little Wangshu, did bad guys actually break into our courtyard yesterday?"

Wangshu nodded helplessly. "All taken care of. Nothing to worry about."

"So it wasn't a dream?"

Little Jingliu muttered, then scurried out to the courtyard. The bluestone slabs still bore faint traces of blood in the morning light, and the wall was visibly shattered — only crudely patched.

She took a deep breath, and with a heavy heart, dialed her teacher's number.

The phone barely rang once before it was answered.

"Requesting a day off? Jingliu, I know."

Before Jingliu could even organize her words, Teacher Li Xin's calm, matter-of-fact voice came through — clipped and decisive.

"Huh?!"

Little Jingliu rubbed her crimson eyes again, her small face bewildered. Was this how the script was supposed to go?

Shouldn't she have to stammer through a rambling explanation, maybe take a photo for evidence, then drag little Wangshu over to vouch for her — all just to barely get approved?

That's how the academy was supposed to work!

"What are you thinking about?"

Wangshu watched Jingliu scamper around, her little expressions endlessly cute.

"Hah~ little Wangshu." Jingliu rose on her tiptoes and patted his shoulder.

"Listen! Whatever happens today, I have the time to be right by your side."

"Even if the general sends someone to ask questions, it's fine — I'm a genuine Cangcheng local."

She lifted her small chin, radiating the aura of Lady Jingliu is just this reliable.

After all, little Wangshu shouldn't have to face these things alone. He was an Outworlder, and on top of that, a poor sap who'd been tricked here by that bad woman — her future self.

Wangshu opened his mouth but didn't make a sound right away.

In the end, a thousand thoughts condensed into one ordinary sentence: "Got it, my reliable Lady Jingliu. But first — shall we tackle the breakfast situation?"

"Oh right, what's for breakfast today? It smells amazing."

Jingliu went with the flow, craning her neck toward the house. But the food hadn't been brought out yet.

Wangshu pressed down on little Jingliu's slender shoulders, conveniently blocking her line of sight.

"Trust me — it's a feast!"

"Little Jingliu can close her eyes and look forward to it!"

While Jingliu obediently shut her eyes, her petite nose twitching as she tried to parse more information from the air, Wangshu was typing faster than he'd ever typed in his life.

And while he was at it, he wanted to test Senior Jingliu's top speed — was there still time to dash out and buy groceries?

【Bright Future Chat Group】

Wangshu: "@Asta, big sis — emergency! Can you send me one of everything from the space station's breakfast menu?"

Wangshu: "Please! Bowing_to_the_legend.jpg"

Jingliu: "You can't even be bothered to cook breakfast now?"

Wangshu: "Senior, you're so kind."

Jingliu: "..."

Jingliu: "I have a feeling 'kind'... isn't referring to me."

This brat's eyes seemed to be full of someone else's shadow. Even though that someone was also her... her past self.

Asta sent an exclusive red envelope (Wangshu)

Asta: "Here you go! This is the improved breakfast I personally arranged for all station researchers as station chief!"

Asta: "@Herta██, Ms. Herta, have you eaten breakfast?"

Herta██, ice-cold: "No need."

Asta: "Sigh~"

Wangshu chimed in: "Sigh~"

Herta██: "..."

Jingliu, bored in the Abyssal Prison, joined in: "Sigh~"

Herta██: "Ha — haha, you old guard are really something. Ganging up on the cute little newbie, are we~"

Indeed — these three veterans seemed to have formed a tight clique. Xing sipped her concentrated cold brew.

Too bad there was no direct messaging function. Otherwise, as a newcomer, she should be trying to recruit Herta██ and March 7th to her side. Speaking of which, why did Herta's name have that ██ after it?

Wangshu claimed the red envelope

Wangshu: "Love you, big sis! You're a goddess!"

Xing: "..."

Asta: "Love_you.jpg"

She sent back a cute little creature hugging a heart. On closer inspection, it appeared to be a Wubbaboo.

It was clear that Asta's mental resilience was top-notch. Xing's earlier words hadn't shaken her at all.

Xing: "..."

Xing: "Come on, miss — pay me a little attention? I'm still using the promotion track you set up for me."

At least pull me into the inner circle!

Asta: "Comrade Xing, please stop saying things that damage my mental state."

The Xing she knew was supposed to be a girl who — despite being a bit chuuni and abstract — was ultimately a kind, helpful soul. Definitely not the one in this group.

Asta: "Forget it, I'm done chatting. I haven't even reported today's events to Ms. Herta yet."

......

Star Calendar Year 6299, a residence in Cangcheng

"Ta-da~!"

The originally modest breakfast had transformed into an extravagant spread — though little Jingliu hadn't seen the switch. She sat obediently with eyes closed, her petite frame swaying slightly in the chair.

When a pair of warm hands covered her shut eyelids, Jingliu giggled and leaned back into them. Although the overall atmosphere in Cangcheng was beginning to grow heavy, for little Jingliu — for this small house in all of Cangcheng — the day was genuinely full of pleasant surprises.

Today, at least.

"Little Wangshu~"

Jingliu nuzzled her little head.

Wangshu slowly lifted his hands, voice threaded with laughter: "See if today's breakfast is to your liking."

He'd already mapped out little Jingliu's preferences: she liked sweets and crunchy textures, disliked anything too greasy, but craved something oily every now and then. So today's breakfast wouldn't have a single thing Jingliu didn't enjoy!

Jingliu opened her eyes as instructed. Her crimson pupils glowed faintly. The not-small dining table was completely covered. As Wangshu returned to his seat, she spoke up without warning:

"How much did this breakfast cost?"

Wangshu: ...

He pressed his palms together: "Little Jingliu~ as long as it's to your liking, please don't ask such heartbreaking questions."

Little Jingliu nodded. As for how she'd guessed? She'd been living alone long enough to know exactly what ingredients were in the house.

Even after little Wangshu arrived and they'd done that big shopping trip together, she'd kept track. But it didn't really matter what he bought — at least during meals, she wouldn't be staring at an empty house, eating as fast as possible just to leave.

"Everything's going so smoothly today. I have a feeling fate is about to dig a pit for me somewhere."

Little Jingliu sighed.

"Fate is on our side."

Wangshu emphasized, his tone so certain it was as if he were convincing himself.

"Maybe. I need to go find my ID card in a bit. Hopefully this time fate has only tossed it into some weird corner."

Knock knock knock!

Breakfast had barely ended when the courtyard gate was suddenly rapped. Little Jingliu exhaled slowly, her adorable cheeks puffing out slightly. She knew it!