Yan’an City, Tianming Apartments
The sky was just beginning to lighten, a sliver of morning sun, having deftly bypassed the curtains through the thin mist, streamed into the living room.
On the meticulously tidy table, a breakfast Big White had thoughtfully prepared for the father and daughter awaited them.
During this period, Big White had been diligently acclimating to her new form.
No longer confined to her plump, white body, she now navigated human society in a human guise.
Many tasks previously impossible due to her former shape now came effortlessly to her.
Just like now.
“Master~ time to wake up and have breakfast~”
Her cherry lips slowly exhaled near Aya Tone’s ear, her sweet, delicate voice like an enchanting spell, pouring directly into his mind.
“Just five more minutes…”
Aya Tone mumbled, having just finished a stroll with the Duke of Zhou’s daughter.
Waking early was humanity’s eternal adversary, and those five minutes offered the ultimate salvation!
Leaving himself ten minutes to catch the bus would be more than enough!
Yet, just as he attempted to turn over, a weight not his own pressed down upon his chest.
‘Hmm? What’s pressing down on me?’
With his eyes still closed, his hazy mind gradually sharpened.
He carefully assessed the sensation.
Soft… could it be Aya Jiu?
To confirm his suspicion, Aya Tone reluctantly opened his bleary eyes.
What met his gaze, however, was not the daughter he’d imagined, but a cascade of silver strands falling beside his neck.
Beneath the silver hair was a small face, impossibly adorable.
“Big White?”
Aya Tone instinctively reached out, pinching that familiar little face.
Feeling the warmth and softness beneath his fingers, all traces of sleep vanished from Aya Tone’s eyes, replaced by a wry smile.
This Big White…
She had always favored this ‘Mount Tai pressing down’ method to rouse him, and even with her transformed appearance, some habits evidently remained.
Did she even realize that her current form made it all too easy for one to harbor improper thoughts?
Especially when her master was a man in the prime of his life.
“Big White, get off!”
Aya Tone struggled to prop himself up, but Big White was no longer as light as she once was.
Her entire body weight now rested upon his upper half.
Moreover, those prominent peaks pressed firmly against Aya Tone’s chest, the rounded spheres compressed into perfect hemispheres.
The soft contact sent Aya Tone’s mind racing.
“Papa~ are you awake?” Though their movements weren’t loud, they still stirred Aya Jiu, who was sleeping nearby.
Rubbing her small eyes, the little darling clambered out of bed.
She happened to see Big White lying on Aya Tone, and her eyes immediately lit up.
A cute, faint curve appeared on her small lips, revealing a tiny tiger tooth.
Pushing aside the blanket covering her, she tiptoed over and pounced onto Big White’s back, her small feet stepping on Aya Tone’s stomach.
With a practiced roll, she landed securely, sprawling across Big White’s back.
“Papa~ Aya Jiu is on top!”
“Ah…”
Aya Tone lay on the bed, staring speechlessly at the ceiling above.
Bearing a weight far beyond what his age should permit, his poor old back!
Yet, seeing his daughter’s adorable little expression, the agitation in his heart was instantly washed away by a refreshing calm.
What else could he do…?
He could only let her be.
He had seen people online remark that a daughter, this ‘little padded jacket,’ was warmest during her kindergarten years.
The older they got, the more ‘drafty’ they became.
By elementary school, teaching them homework could drive a person mad.
Forget it…
“Master, if you don’t get up now, you might be late.”
“Hmm?”
Right, he was supposed to be at work now, and it was the kind of job where lateness was strictly forbidden.
Being late meant a salary deduction!
Aya Tone reached for his phone by the pillow and tapped its screen.
The screen lit up, displaying 6:06.
He was doomed!
His class started at eight AM sharp!
“Then why aren’t you two getting off me!”
Aya Tone feigned annoyance, then gave a forceful thrust with his hips, shaking his body sideways.
The two ‘lazy bugs’ on him were playfully shaken off.
A perfect opportunity!
Seizing the moment, Aya Tone quickly scrambled out of bed and darted straight to the bathroom to wash up.
It was his first day of class; how could he set an example as a teacher if he were late?
“Aargh, stinky Papa!”
Little Aya Jiu tumbled onto the blanket, rolling around twice before finally coming to a stop.
Fortunately, Aya Tone had deliberately bought a larger bed; otherwise, with their antics, they would surely have ended up on the floor.
Hmph! She wouldn’t pay attention to that stinky papa.
“Big White~”
Little Aya Jiu, having regrouped, launched her attack on Big White.
Last night, Aya Tone had told her that he had something to do today and Big White would take her to school.
This had thrilled little Aya Jiu immensely; she had long wanted her teacher to meet Big White, her very best friend.
Unfortunately, Papa hadn’t agreed before.
“Aya Jiu, be sure to listen to Big White, watch out for cars when you go out, and remember to call Papa if anything happens…”
“I know~ Bye, Papa.”
Amidst his daughter’s waving farewell, Aya Tone hastily grabbed a meat bun and rushed out of the apartment.
****
“Senior, looking at your phone while in a car can easily make you dizzy,” Li Huaiming warned, glancing into the rearview mirror.
“It’s fine.” 7:50.
For the first time, Aya Tone realized how wonderful it was to allow ample time for things.
“Senior, why are your eyes red?”
Li Huaiming opened the car door, gazing at Aya Tone in surprise.
All he did was drive a little slower; was it really necessary to be so dramatic?
“Little Ming, you wouldn’t understand~” Aya Tone gently touched his moist eyes, unable to suppress a sigh of emotion.
That car ride had left him with a considerable psychological trauma; a mere ten minutes that would require a lifetime to heal.
That heart-stopping sensation, where an old man would occasionally smile at him…
Only those who had truly experienced it could understand its profound impact.
In short, it was truly good to be alive.
Uh… it wasn’t that serious, was it…?
Li Huaiming’s mouth twitched, then involuntarily curved upwards into a slight smile.
No! Hold it in!
But Senior’s lingering look of trepidation was simply too adorable ✧⁺⸜(●˙▾˙●)⸝⁺✧.
Aya Tone lowered his head and checked his phone again: 7:56.
Oh, an eight AM class!
Whoever thought of scheduling a PE class at eight in the morning was truly a genius.
“Little Ming, where’s the class located?”
After that exhibition match, Deng Hongcheng had specifically sought him out for a discussion, briefly introducing Longting’s teaching model.
The curriculum primarily focused on practical combat training, enhancing students’ combat awareness and their application of abilities.
Although he wasn’t sure why the Principal felt the need to discuss this with him, a mere PE teacher, Aya Tone gritted his teeth and listened to the end.
The outcome was that he understood nothing, yet still had to pretend he had grasped it all.
Ah, the helplessness of a working man.
Li Huaiming expertly pulled out his phone from his pocket, tapped it a few times, and replied, “Senior, you’re teaching the Magic Class. They should currently be assembled at the training grounds.”
Training grounds?
Hearing those three words, Aya Tone’s expression grew somewhat awkward, his gaze flickering away.
He mumbled awkwardly, “The training grounds… have they been repaired?”
During the exhibition match with Ying Li, both of them had unleashed their full power by the end.
Unsurprisingly, the S-rank combat arena couldn’t withstand the aftershocks generated by their battle.
It had split apart…
Yes, literally split apart.
“No, the Principal said to leave it as is, to show the students the traces of an S-rank battle, to temper their pride.”
Of course, this was merely Deng Hongcheng’s personal explanation.
The primary reason was that constructing an S-rank combat arena required an exorbitant amount of manpower and resources.
It even involved spatial technology.
With those resources, it would be far better to build several lower-grade training rooms instead.
Huh.