Unexpected Escorts and Ambiguous Mornings

Thus, the arduous task of escorting me to the inn ultimately fell to the honest and reliable Guo Hao. Linghu Ruoxu, for his part, was grateful to have dodged a bullet, while Yang Laoer sighed, –Fourth Brother, do you truly not trust your Second Brother?–

I pursed my lips, responding with a serious tone, –It’s precisely *because* I trust you, Second Brother, that I chose Guo Hao. I believe that if you were to come, you’d undoubtedly stir up some unknown mischief!–

With that, I waved goodbye to the two brothers remaining in the dorm, then gracefully exited the room, Guo Hao trailing behind me, still fumbling with his jacket.

–Fourth Brother, slow down! Wait for me!–

****

–Speaking of which, Fourth Brother, what do you plan to do next?–

After a few more steps, I, who had been lost in thought while wrapped in Guo Hao’s jacket, was suddenly asked this by the honest young man beside me. I was momentarily speechless.

After a moment, I managed a wry smile and replied, –I don’t know either. I’ll just follow Principal Dugu’s arrangements and take things one step at a time. He also told me to see him in his office tomorrow morning to finalize my enrollment and other related matters.–

Guo Hao awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, then whispered, –I—I didn’t mean that. I know that since your Master… since your Master has a connection with Principal Dugu, he’ll likely handle all those things for you. I was asking about your future plans, Fourth Brother. Do you intend to remain a girl forever, or will you find a way to change back?–

His words made me pause once more, my steps involuntarily halting. After a long silence, I chuckled helplessly, –What other way is there? It’s not as easy as you make it sound, to just ‘change back.’–

–That’s true, I suppose…– He rubbed his head, a apologetic smile on his face.

Secretly, however, I couldn’t help but sigh at his suggestion.

‘Yes, changing back into a boy. The thought has crossed my mind, but on one hand, I feel such a thing is too ethereal. Becoming this way was already incredibly bizarre and difficult; to change back would require at least another round of the Muscle and Marrow Cleansing Scripture. Where would I find another expert with cultivation as profound as Master’s, who would even be willing to sacrifice decades of their power to transmit it to me?’

‘On the other hand, wouldn’t such a consideration be too ungrateful to my Master, who scattered his cultivation and lost his life for me, effectively digging his own grave?’

Thinking of my Master, with whom I had spent merely two days, and truly only a few hours in direct interaction, who might at this very moment be sitting alone in that lightless cave, awaiting death, my heart was once again filled with a profound sorrow.

Because of the looming dormitory curfew, Guo Hao bid me farewell after escorting me to the inn, then hurriedly used his light-body technique to rush back to his dorm. I had wanted to tell him that if he couldn’t make it back in time, he could just stay at the inn for the night. After all, I now held the considerable funds provided by Master and my father, making me somewhat wealthy. However, Guo Hao smiled honestly and said, –Forget it. In your current state, Fourth Brother, you’ll likely need money for countless things. Saving a little for you is better than nothing!–

With that, he cupped his fist in farewell, then his figure flickered. Unleashing his light-body technique, he swiftly exited the inn and departed.

****

That night, I did not sleep soundly. I was constantly dreaming, seeing all sorts of people: Master, my father, Principal Dugu, Associate Professor Wu, Senior Sister Xiao Ru, and those three rascals from my dorm. Moreover, the guest next door continued their relentless sit-up regimen throughout the night. It was, as one might imagine, a rather unpleasant night.

It was not until sunrise, when the eastern sky brightened into full daylight, that the night’s torment finally subsided a little. Half-asleep and half-awake, my mind spun with the question of whether to go back to sleep for the entire morning.

However, as I wrestled between sleeping and not sleeping, the phone on my bedside table suddenly rang loudly, persistently. With a disheartened sigh, I stretched a hand out from under the covers, grabbed the device, and pulled it into the warmth. Seeing an unfamiliar number, I initially intended to simply hang up.

Yet, by some strange impulse, I vaguely felt that doing so would be improper. So, after a brief struggle, I dutifully answered the call.

–Hello… who is this?– I asked into the phone, a hint of annoyance in my voice.

From the other end came an aged yet rather intrigued voice.

–The old man is looking for you, little girl Dongfang… *slurp*… *slurp*…–

Ignoring the rather peculiar sounds at the end, I recognized the caller: it was Principal Dugu!

–Yes, it’s Principal Dugu. Good morning to you…– I quickly scrambled out of bed, greeting him profusely.

–Heh heh, *slurp*… By this time, it’s not really morning anymore… I called to tell you that your enrollment materials, along with the relevant documents from the provincial government, have all been processed. The logistics department also delivered the bedding and other necessities to your dorm yesterday. Feng Tian’er has prepared some daily essentials for you… *slurp*… Ha, ha… In any case, come to my office later! There are still some other matters I need to discuss with you! *Slurp*, ha, ha… ah…– He spoke, all the while emitting those strange noises.

–Understood. I—I’ll get up and wash up now, then head over to your office…– I quickly replied.

–Hurry it up… *slurp*, *slurp*, ha, ha… The old man, the old man has other things to attend to…– he responded over the phone.

Out of curiosity, and perhaps due to Yang Laoer’s long-term influence, I couldn’t help but let my imagination run wild about the peculiar sounds he was making. Yet, I felt too embarrassed to ask if he was engaging in some inappropriate morning exercise.

However, before I could even open my mouth to ask, I heard the brazen old man say on the phone, –Feng Tian’er, ha, Feng Tian’er, ha, the old man, ha, the old man can’t take it anymore…–

Such an ambiguous and highly suggestive statement, if heard by someone like Yang Laoer, would undoubtedly conjure an entire Japanese action film plot in his mind. But I, with my limited imagination, merely listened from my end, feeling a wave of embarrassment.

–Principal Dugu, you…– Before I could hesitantly voice my question, I heard him speak again from his end.

–Feng Tian’er, ha, ha, ha… How many times have I told you not to put so much chili oil in the tofu pudding! Ha, ha, did you kill the chili oil seller or something?–