Literary Passions and Peculiar Friendships

During the lunch break, Bai An An and I talked extensively about literature. The topic, conveniently, was Pushkin, a writer I was well-versed in. Seizing the opportunity, I showcased my Russian skills, successfully earning a look of admiration from the Goddess.

Yet, her final comment was, “Ling Jiu, you can master such a difficult language as Russian, so why do I still have to tutor you in English?”

Naturally, I couldn’t admit that I simply wanted to spend more time with the Goddess. I could only offer a vague excuse: “Perhaps it’s due to the blessings of faith?”

“By the way, you love Russia, don’t you?”

“No.” A crimson light seemed to gleam in my eyes. “What I love is the great Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik! CCCP Ura!”

Bai An An, who always understood my passions, asked, “Are you talking about the Soviet Union?”

I nodded. “To be precise, I love neither the Soviet Union nor the Russian Federation. What I cherish is the Soviet Alliance that exists only in the ideals of communists, not the corrupt, bureaucratic empire that ultimately betrayed the working masses.”

“I adore its language. The literature penned in its tongue feels like the eternally frozen permafrost of Siberia, imbued with a sense of starkness and solemnity. Yet, those intensely suppressed words cannot contain the people’s fervor and beating hearts. Within those texts, I perceive the suffering of a nation and its people, the self-interrogation of tormented souls, and a compassionate self-redemption.”

“This unique sentiment allows my heart to yearn even for Russian’s complex grammatical structures, whereas when I learn English, as soon as I encounter ‘abandon,’ I instinctively want to give up.”

Of course, my sentiments run deeper. The alphabet used by the Slavic peoples was created by Cyril, a missionary from the Eastern Roman Empire, meaning Russian inherits the legacy of Rome.

As for Latin and Greek being the official languages of the Roman Empire?

The Old Russians proudly called themselves the Third Rome, so Russian, too, is a Roman official language. In short, it’s a Romanophile’s ecstasy!

“As a girl, you appreciate such profound culture, rather than chasing celebrities or trends and fashion.” A beautiful arc formed at the slight curve of Bai An An’s lips. “Ling Jiu, you truly are a peculiar person.”

“And by being friends with a peculiar person like me, An An, you’re peculiar too, you know.”

Bai An An’s demeanor resembled that of a honeysuckle — flourishing brilliantly in barren soil, standing proudly independent in the harsh winter, and blossoming vibrantly in summer.

She might be seen as an ice queen by others, but beneath the millennia-old, unmelting ice and snow lay a fervent heart.

We were both “abnormal” oddities in this “normal” world, and precisely because of this, we could understand each other.

Listening to Bai An An discuss the impact of Dostoevsky’s mock execution on him, I suddenly realized I wasn’t alone in this world.

I had poetry, history, literature, games, and all the creations of human intellect to accompany me.

Thus, while others felt emptiness in everything, I found everything within the void.

I felt like someone wandering lost in a dark, fog-shrouded world. In the distance, I caught sight of a faint spark of fire.

It was so minuscule, as if a gust of wind could easily extinguish it, yet it never died out.

I walked towards it and saw a young girl holding a lamp, smiling at me. She said she had been waiting for me, eager to walk beside me.

This was my spiritual anchor.

“An An.”

“Hmm?”

“Nothing, I just suddenly wanted to say your name.”

I simply wanted to confirm if such happiness was merely a dream.

She playfully chided, “You’ve completely interrupted my train of thought! Where was I just now?”

“Haha, you were talking about Crime and Punishment.”

“By the way, Ling Jiu, have you read Crime and Punishment?”

“Of course, I have.”

It’s wonderful to have you right beside me.

“Well, I’m off to class. Thank you for today’s hospitality, Ling Jiu. Next time, come to my house; I’ll treat you to a grand meal I’ve prepared.”

“Ah, you can skip the ‘grand meal,’ please.”

“Are you looking down on my cooking?”

“I just hope you don’t mix up sugar and salt again. I still vividly remember the cookies you baked last time.”

“Hmph, next time I’ll definitely bake even tastier cookies, Ling Jiu, just you wait!”

“Bye-bye, An An!”

“Ling Chen, you should have your sister bring you along next time. You and my sister are the same age; I’m sure you’ll have plenty to talk about.”

“Yes, I’ll definitely come.”

“Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

The Goddess’s departing footsteps faded until they were inaudible, yet I remained standing there, grinning foolishly.

“Sister, your face is going to split from smiling so much.”

“Today was a very fruitful day.”

“How was it? Was the ‘conquest’ smooth?”

I pushed up my non-existent glasses. “How superficial. The pure friendship between girls is like a blue lotus, secluded from the world, clear and lofty, never fading. Don’t view the relationship between the Goddess and me through such ugly, masculine eyes.”

“I haven’t even started saying anything yet.”

“Hehehehehehe…”

I slipped back into a state of extreme contentment. Such happiness was utterly addictive.

Having lost my original anatomy and become a girl, what I lost were merely shackles, and what I gained would be the entire world!

In short, the more I looked at Ling Chen, the more dissatisfied I became. This guy was the culprit behind my relationship with the Goddess not progressing for years!

“Sister, are you already starting to disdain me? Even the ancients knew that a wife who shared hardships should not be abandoned. Sister, you enjoyed the happiness I brought you, and now you’re turning your back on me. What is that if not being a scoundrel?”

“You and I share a symbiotic relationship, having forged an incredibly noble class friendship; I naturally acknowledge that. However, weren’t you also the one obstructing my path toward a bright future?”

Ling Chen rolled his eyes at me. “Sister, you’ve fallen for a sugar-coated trap and immediately become capitalist and revisionist. This is the mark of an unprincipled opportunist. What happened to your vow to remain a pure virgin for ten thousand years, unwavering?”

I waved my hand grandly. “Ten thousand years is too long; I seize the day. I am now a man destined to become a winner in life!”

Ling Chen corrected, “You’re a woman destined to be a winner in life.”

I retorted, “Who is the winner in life?”

“Me!”

“What’s your surname?”

“No need to be polite, it’s Ling!”

“What kind of surname is Ling?”

“Ling, as in Ling Mengchu!”

“You don’t have the surname Zhao, so how can you claim to be a winner in life?”

“Allow me to explain in detail.”

Ling Chen swayed his head as he began:

“I have a sister, and she’s an idiot. My sister has a best friend named Bai An An. They are both beautiful girls, and they share a common trait.”

“They are both very good to me.”

“An An also has a younger sister, who is the same age as me. According to the plot, she’s my childhood sweetheart!”

“Sister, you’re probably familiar with how the story unfolds from here, aren’t you?”

I understood instantly. It was likely a “Big Sister x Shota” type of development, and Ling Chen, being a walking cheat code, definitely had the protagonist’s aura.

He truly possessed the qualifications to be a winner in life.

I suddenly felt a pang of jealousy towards Ling Chen. He was in the nascent stages of adolescence, yet he enjoyed life with a mindset that seemed to overlook all beings. At that very same age, I had been in a state of bitter struggle, unable to find any way out. Forget enjoying youth; merely existing brought me a stinging pain.

That kind of feeling, I thought, was enough for me to experience alone. If my younger brother could become a winner in life in place of my failed self, it would at least fulfill my long-cherished wish.

“Forget it, let’s continue studying this afternoon.”

“Eh?”

Ling Chen’s eyes widened, looking utterly shocked as if he’d seen a ghost. He mumbled, “Has someone else possessed Sister’s body?”

“It’s just studying, there’s no need to be so surprised!”

Ling Chen made a devout, prayer-like gesture. “Oh God, thank you for inspiring my stubborn sister to study voluntarily. Mother, do you see? Sister is finally acting like a human being!”

I irritably ruffled his hair. “I’m studying voluntarily not because of divine inspiration! I’m doing it to keep up with the Goddess’s pace. And who says I don’t act like a human being!”

Ling Chen looked up and met my gaze, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.

“Since Sister has successfully evolved from a single-celled organism to an ape, I need to push harder to make Sister evolve into a Homo sapiens!”

“Hey, if you keep talking about me like that, I’ll get angry.”

“Charge, charge, charge, you must charge out of Africa, Sister Lucy!”

“Who’s Lucy? Don’t think I don’t know that’s the name of ‘Humanity’s Grandmother’!”

“Alright, my Orion sister.”

That guy, Ling Chen, definitely inherited my infuriating traits. However, this kind of noisy, everyday life seemed quite nice.