Chapter 42

Chapter 42: That's Just How We Do It in Cangcheng

The gear shopping went remarkably smoothly. Cangcheng's military would probably issue equipment, but Jingliu clearly trusted custom-bought goods more — you get what you pay for. Every Cangcheng native believed that.

"Sigh."

Stepping out of the shop, arms wrapped around the box containing custom light-armor components, Jingliu let out a seemingly random sigh.

"What now, my little manager?"

Wangshu was also carrying a case — helmet and armor plates — walking at her side.

Little Jingliu made her way to a high covered bridge within the Amber Palace. Below, water rushed and gurgled, wisps of mist cleverly obscuring the support structures, making the entire bridge appear to hover in midair between azure sky and sea of clouds. The view was breathtaking and ethereal.

"After buying all that expensive stuff, I checked my bank account and the balance hadn't even dropped by a single digit. That Asta girl is seriously rich."

Jingliu braced herself with one small hand and nimbly swung up to sit on the bridge's thick wooden railing, facing the cloud sea, legs dangling, swinging idly.

She used to dislike coming here. The scenery was beautiful, sure, but the Amber Palace was always so crowded — groups everywhere.

"...No point comparing yourself to Asta. Her wealth is genuinely beyond question."

Wangshu leaned against the railing nearby, still taking in the surroundings. The Amber Palace was stunning — the first structure in this world that could never exist in his original one.

"Asta being rich is a universally acknowledged fact."

He cracked a small joke, trying to dispel the faint melancholy in her words.

"Is she pretty?"

Jingliu asked suddenly. She leaned back slightly, letting the high-altitude breeze tousle her hair, wearing a seemingly bright smile, yet her clear eyes were fixed on Wangshu.

"Who?"

"Asta."

"I'd say she's quite pretty. A little scheming, but overall a genuinely good person."

Asta's looks were beyond question. Her scheming was also beyond question. But a wealthy woman this rich and generous — a touch of scheming was just personality.

Little Jingliu turned her head, crimson eyes quietly regarding Wangshu. No anger. She leaned back a little further, resting against him.

"Little Wangshu, you absolutely have to come back alive... Even if you end up like the future me — embracing the darkness — that's okay."

Her voice was so soft the wind nearly carried it away, yet it reached Wangshu's ears with perfect clarity.

She should have thrown a small tantrum, but the thought of Wangshu heading to the battlefield dissolved any pettiness before it could form.

She hated war. So often, what felt like a brief goodbye turned out to be the last one.

"You should believe in Wangshu. After all, fate has always been on my side."

Wangshu turned his head, looking at the small figure leaning against him. His tone was firm, trying to project strength.

Little Jingliu neither agreed nor disagreed. She just nodded her little head, quiet — only the sound of water below and wind in the distance for company.

After a long while, she suddenly spoke again, startlingly clear: "I... want to learn the sword too."

Wangshu showed no mercy: "You should think about finishing this year's coursework first. I've heard Xianzhou academics are universally acknowledged as the friendliest difficulty level in the cosmos, and you still can't handle them."

Everyone had their strengths, sure. But if Jingliu couldn't even manage a Xianzhou exam paper, she needed to put at least a little more focus on studying.

Swordsmanship or other skills could come after graduation. At the bare minimum, finish the basics?

"Xianzhou coursework is not easy at all! And romance really does wreck your grades! I've been sitting in class these past few days with zero focus on what the teacher's saying!"

Jingliu's crimson eyes went wide, her tone righteous beyond reason — though it wasn't exactly the most logical argument.

Wangshu: ...

Looking at her righteous, this-is-all-your-fault little face, Wangshu laughed despite himself. He leaned in closer.

"You're right, you're right — it's all my fault. So... little Jingliu, how about we make a promise?"

Good thing this wasn't his pre-transmigration world. Otherwise, he'd have felt genuinely awkward about this.

"What promise?" Jingliu blinked, then added with immediate suspicion: "Don't say 'we'll get married when I come back.' That kind of flag is super dangerous in novels."

"Although... I could go buy you a pocket watch and put my photo inside. Maybe it'll stop a bullet for you."

Little Jingliu had a sudden brainstorm. It didn't make logical sense, but for someone whose academic performance had never been stellar, this kind of last-minute superstition... no, mysticism! — she actually believed in it.

"You study hard, get great grades — and I'll work hard, protect Cangcheng. Deal?"

Wangshu's expression was serious. He clearly thought this was a fine proposal.

Jingliu: ...

"Little Wangshu..." Her voice went soft, tinged with concern. "Why do you care so much about grades?"

She explained patiently: "The Xianzhou academy is just compulsory education — it's meant to give every child broad exposure to different fields during the early phase of their long lives, laying groundwork for whatever path they choose later."

"I studied wisdom texts with my mother growing up, and my father taught me swordsmanship. I just... didn't like either."

In her view, grades were merely a reference point for one phase of an immensely long life. Far from the whole picture.

Now it was Wangshu's turn to fall silent. He didn't know why either — he just felt like good grades would be... impressive?

"Mm, maybe your short-life species do need to push harder, since your lifespans are limited. You have to pack more learning into a finite existence."

Jingliu leaned all the way back, settling into little Wangshu's arms. "But I agree. Even though I don't understand why you care so much about grades... we've got a deal. My coursework this semester will definitely be excellent."

Looking up at the line of his jaw and the vast sky above, Jingliu extended her pinky finger with a little waggle. Her face was always smiling, her crimson eyes catching the light. She was nothing like a cold, aloof personality.

Wangshu reached out, hooked his pinky around hers, then — to Jingliu's displeased little pout — gave her cheek a squeeze.

"I'm hungry."

A moment later, Jingliu rubbed her belly, sounding a bit sheepish. They'd just been making a pinky promise — a perfectly warm moment — and her tummy had to go and protest.

"Speaking of which, does Cangcheng have any good food? We've been cooking at home every day. Haven't tried the local specialties yet."

Wangshu steered the conversation naturally, looking around at the palatial splendor.

After finally transmigrating, why was he still cooking at home every single day? The thought was mildly absurd — but looking at the petite figure before him, the feeling dissolved.

"I don't really know either. Haven't eaten out in years."

"But when you come back, we can totally come here every evening and try something new. Mm — when you come back."

Wangshu was about to crack a joke when the group chat suddenly started pinging.

【Bright Future Chat Group】

Xing sent a group red envelope

Xing sent a group red envelope

Xing sent a group red envelope

Herta██: "Stellaron kid, what kind of performance art is this?"

Xing: "I just studied the triggers for the group's adaptive upgrades. Figured I'd try manually pumping the activity score."

Jingliu: "...The upgrade mechanism shouldn't have a loophole that simple, right?"

Probably not... though remembering this garbage group's track record, she wasn't exactly confident.

Xing: "Worth a shot. No downside anyway."

Xing: "Oh, and @Wangshu — I heard you're heading to the battlefield? Need any support? Xing, newly appointed director of the IPC Strategic Investment Division, at your service."