Chapter 36: Yu Li’s Hunger
A Storm of Precision In the training room, Fu Qingyue stood motionless with her eyes closed, clad in a training suit. A storm swirled around her, yet she remained unfazed by the approaching training dummies. The fierce winds transformed into razor-sharp blades, slicing through each dummy with pinpoint accuracy. In an instant, every dummy was shredded to pieces. Fu Qingyue slowly opened her eyes, and the raging winds calmed with her movement.
A Mentor’s Praise Clap, clap, clap— A burst of applause echoed as an elderly man in a tailcoat clapped with a gratified expression. “Young Miss, your control over your ability has become even more precise. You’re 0.2 seconds faster than yesterday.” “Hm, but it’s still not enough.” Fu Qingyue waved her hand dismissively, showing no trace of pride.
A Routine Dedication This training was routine for Fu Qingyue, a daily ritual after school without ever slacking. She picked up a towel from the side, wiping the sweat from her face, and glanced at her phone. The screen displayed a notification from her new friend, who hadn’t replied all afternoon. Seeing it, Fu Qingyue’s expression turned serious, almost nervous, as she hesitated about checking it now.
A New Connection It wasn’t until she returned to the classroom that she realized this was her first friend added besides Ye Sheng and her butler. She had no idea how friends chatted online or how to initiate a conversation, so after much hesitation, she typed: “Li Bao, hello, this is Fu Qingyue.” “Though we just met, I’m happy to be your friend.” “I hope we can stay friends, and I wish you good health.” “—Fu Qingyue” It read like a drastically shortened letter, complete with a signature. The nickname “Li Bao” was the result of an entire class period of deliberation. Since Yu Li called her Little Qingyue, she instinctively wanted to give Yu Li a nickname too. Inspired by two classmates who often called each other “Bao,” she skipped the surname and settled on “Li Bao.”
A Cautious First Step This was Fu Qingyue’s first time making a friend, and she wasn’t sure if she was doing it right, so she acted with caution. Taking a deep breath and exhaling softly, she unlocked her phone and tapped the blinking fox avatar. “Little Qingyue, you’re so formal~” “Hehe, but seeing you like this puts me at ease. I was nervous too, since you’re my first friend.” “But, but, friends shouldn’t be so stiff! We both need to relax and just be ourselves!” Reading Yu Li’s messages, Fu Qingyue let out a sigh of relief. No matter what, the outcome was good. She tapped the screen lightly to reply. “Mm, I understand.”
An Exciting Invitation Just as she sent the message and was about to put her phone down, she saw “typing” under Yu Li’s avatar. “How about we hang out tomorrow? To celebrate becoming friends!” Fu Qingyue’s expression remained stoic, but her breathing quickened slightly, betraying a hint of panic.
A Butler’s Concern “What’s wrong, Young Miss?” Her butler, who had been with her for years, immediately noticed her change and asked with concern. “Liang Shu, when going out with a friend… what should I wear?” “A friend? Your friend? Male or female? Not that Ye Sheng?” The butler’s calm demeanor shifted to surprise, firing off a string of questions. “My friend, female, not Big Brother Ye.” “A female… not Ye Sheng… Is that so? Is that so! Young Miss has made a friend… I, Liang Bo’an, will absolutely protect your friendship. Leave everything to this old man!” The butler spoke with fervor before rushing off to prepare, leaving a stunned Fu Qingyue standing in place.
A Mischievous Plan
An Unexpected Character Before today, Yu Li thought people who texted so formally online were just urban legends, but this female lead proved otherwise. After sending her reply, Yu Li put away her phone, yawning as if she hadn’t slept enough. “I slept all afternoon, and I’m still tired?” Yu Li muttered to herself, then glanced at Liuli, who was comfortably munching on snacks. A mischievous smirk curved her lips as she recalled something.
A Playful Tease “Hey, Little Liuli, why do you think I’m so tired?” (Huh? How would I know? It’s probably your unhealthy lifestyle!) Liuli waved her paws in confusion, as if saying, “Your problem, not mine.” “Nope~ It’s because I’m not getting enough nutrition.” (Nutrition?) “Yup… I’m exhausted because it’s all output and no input. I can’t keep going without eating enough~” Yu Li licked her lips lightly. “So, I’m going to feed.”
A Curious Pursuit (Huh? What does that even mean? Wait, hold on!) Seeing Yu Li leave, Liuli hurriedly followed with a swoosh. Yu Li, dressed only in pajamas, moved with light steps until she stopped in front of a door. (This is your idea of feeding?) Liuli glanced at the nameplate reading “Ai Xinglan,” puzzled.
A Provocative Scheme “Yup. Imagine how Xiao Ai will react when she learns her sponsored childhood friend is going out with a stranger instead of staying home this weekend… I’m really looking forward to it.” (Wait, you’re setting her up?) “Xiao Ai won’t do anything to me. Besides… to secure our identities, I’ll have less and less time to spend with her in the future. She needs to get used to it early…” (…) “I’m also… a bit curious about how Xiao Ai will feel.” (That’s the real reason, isn’t it?) Liuli muttered under her breath.
An Impromptu Visit Knock, knock, knock— Yu Li knocked on Ai Xinglan’s door, and footsteps quickly approached from inside. “Who is it… Yu Li?” Ai Xinglan, also in pajamas and fresh from a shower, her golden hair cascading like a waterfall and still damp, looked at Yu Li with confusion.
A Cheeky Greeting “Evening, Xiao Ai~” Yu Li greeted her with a bright smile. “Evening… You came just to say that?” “Of course not~ Aren’t you going to let me in?” Yu Li tilted her head, glancing toward Ai Xinglan’s room. “Come in… Wait!” “Nope, not waiting~” Ai Xinglan instinctively tried to stop her, but Yu Li slipped inside like a sly eel.
A Playful Intrusion Yu Li scanned the room. Ai Xinglan’s space was clean and tidy, with some documents brought back from the study, but nothing suspicious. “You! Who said you could come in? And stop looking around!” Unable to stop Yu Li, Ai Xinglan settled for barking orders. Surprisingly, Yu Li obeyed, refraining from snooping further and instead sniffing the air. “It smells like Xiao Ai.” “Idiot! Stop sniffing around!”