A knock sounded at Yi Fengâs door.
Meng Xiaoyun answered it to find Gu Muxi standing there with two porridge pots in hand.
âGood morning, auntie. My mom also made breakfast for Yi Feng, mushroom and minced meat porridge.â
âAnd she said sheâd like you to have some porridge before heading out to set up her stall.â
Gu Muxi greeted politely.
âAlright, Iâll be over in a bit,â Meng Xiaoyun responded, then turned to call out, âSon, Muxi is waiting for you to go to school. Hurry up!â
âComing!â Yi Feng replied.
Soon after, he rushed out with his backpack.
âMorning, Gu Muxi!â Yi Feng greeted.
âHmph~â Gu Muxi snorted proudly and headed downstairs.
Yi Feng chuckled to himself, wondering if he had teased her into anger.
âMom, Iâm off to school.â
âTake it slow on the way.â
âSure!â
â¦
At the ground floor, the sky was just brightening, with a few clouds glowing red in the east, strikingly beautiful against the dim sky.
âGu Muxi, look, those clouds are so pretty!â Yi Feng pointed out the clouds, excitedly.
Gu Muxi, pushing her bike out, looked up and was also amazed by the cloudsâ beauty.
Indeed very beautiful.
âIf only we had a phone to take a picture!â Yi Feng remarked.
âWhat are you thinking? Cameras take pictures, not phones. Are you confused?â Gu Muxi unceremoniously shot him down.
Yi Feng paused, realizing that indeed, phones couldnât take photos at the time.
The hottest phone in China then was the Nokia 3310, costing over a thousand yuan, capable only of making calls and playing Snake.
âMaybe in the future, weâll have such phones,â Yi Feng laughed.
âWho knows? Oh, and this is your breakfast. Donât forget, itâs the one on the left,â Gu Muxi instructed solemnly.
She pointed to the left side of the basket on the bikeâs front because the two stainless steel porridge pots looked identical, distinguishable only by their placement.
âWhatâs the difference? Arenât they the same? Unless⦠you added a few extra pieces of meat?â Yi Feng joked.
âThatâs because⦠I tried the one on the right. It has my saliva, so you can only have the one on the left,â Gu Muxi quickly fabricated an excuse.
âHeh, whatâs the matter? Iâve been eating your leftovers since we were kids, like⦠the lollipops youâve licked,â Yi Feng sat on the bikeâs rear seat.
âHmph~ You still have the nerve to say that? Get down, do you expect me to carry you?â Gu Muxi let go of the handlebars.
âAw, canât you show some compassion for a sick person? Have some humanitarian spirit?â Yi Feng held his forehead, pretending to be weak.
âStop acting. Want to experience my deadly cross lock?â Gu Muxi clenched her fists, making a scary crunching sound.
âErr⦠Iâm better now. Let me carry you instead!â
Yi Feng hurriedly took the front seat before it was too late, probably heading for decapitation.
âThatâs more like it. You know whatâs good for you.â Gu Muxi smoothed her skirt and sat down on the rear seat.
âLetâs go, little Feng, take this empress to school.â
âAlright, Empress Dowager, please hold on tight!â
Gu Muxi: ââ¦â
âOw, Gu Muxi, why pinch me!â
âWhoâs the Empress Dowager? Call me your highness!â
â¦
They bickered all the way to school.
After parking the bike, Yi Feng handed her a porridge pot, âHere, Gu Muxi, this oneâs yours.â
Gu Muxi weighed it, asking, âAre you sure itâs not mixed up?â
âWhat?â Yi Feng turned to ask.
âUh, nothing, letâs go.â Gu Muxi composed herself.
Yi Feng glanced at his bike, lamenting, âGu Muxi, look at my bike, still lying there because of you!â
âItâs been my trusty companion for four or five years!â
Gu Muxi snorted, blushing, and retorted, âWho, who told you to kiss me!â
âThatâs what you get, hmph!â
With that, Gu Muxi turned and left.
Yi Feng smiled proudly, noticing Gu Muxi seemed to blush every time⦠that incident was mentioned.
Heh, really cute!
Carrying his porridge pot, Yi Feng shook his head and whistled as he followed her.
Just as Yi Feng entered the classroom, Wang Tie rushed over.
âYi Feng, trouble! Big trouble!â
âWhat, monsters attacking, world war breaking out?â Yi Feng joked, sitting down.
âNo, no, you actually guessed right!â Wang Tie pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to him.
âItâs a challenge letter, someone actually sent you a challenge letter!â
âTheyâre calling you out for a duel at the schoolâs back gate!â
Yi Feng was taken aback and snatched the letter.
âFrom whom?â
âI found it on your desk when I got here!â Wang Tie said.
Yi Feng quickly read through.
A guy from Class 2 named Hou Zixing wrote the challenge, warning him to stay away from Gu Muxi and proposing a showdown after school at the back gate.
Hou Zixing?
Yi Feng remembered him, the sports committee member of Class 2, big and bulky, one of Gu Muxiâs many suitors, notably persistent despite numerous rejections.
Thinking of the otherâs monstrous physique and then looking at his own frail bodyâ¦
(ï¿£ã§ï¿£;)emâ¦
A duel? Childâs play, not for me.
Itâs not about being scared, cough cough, okay, maybe itâs okay to be a little scared in life.
âWhat do we do, Yi Feng? Do we accept the challenge?â Wang Tie rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight.
âAre you crazy? Weâre about to take the college entrance exams. What if we get a major demerit for fighting?â
âGo tear it up and throw it in the trash. Letâs pretend we never saw it, didnât know about it.â Yi Feng instructed.
Itâs just youthful folly; maybe the guy was just hot-headed. He might cool down and forget about it after a while.
âUh⦠okay, if you say so!â Wang Tie, somewhat disappointed, took the challenge letter, tore it into pieces, and threw it in the trash.
Yi Fengâs stomach growled, signaling it was time for breakfast. He took out the porridge pot, ready to enjoy his meal.
Just then, Gu Muxi, who had been chatting with classmates in the hallway, returned and sat in front of him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âHaving breakfast?â Gu Muxi eyed his porridge with a peculiar smile.
Yi Feng glanced at her, âNot having breakfast, just admiring it?â
He took a spoonful, blew on it lightly, and tasted it.
Gu Muxi watched eagerly, almost sadistically, waiting for him to eat.
Yi Feng took a big gulp of porridge, but to her surprise, he seemed pleased.
âHmm? Gu Muxi, your momâs porridge is really good! Delicious!â
Gu Muxi was stunned.
Whatâs going on? Didnât he find it too salty?
âââ- Support the Translation! ð⨠Your donations not only show appreciation but also keep the translator motivated! Every contribution helps continue bringing you more of what you love. Thank you for being a part of this journey! ð /maxoofie