"That's right. It's perfect—I deliver meals and get to train at the same time. I handle my cultivation and my life without neglecting either."
Gu Xiao lightly weighed the two steamer baskets of buns in her hands. In truth, she only helped out with deliveries when the household's delivery robots were too busy.
It was just that her father's cooking was so good that most of the time the delivery robots couldn't keep up with the demand.
Old Man Gu had already placed an order online for another batch of delivery robots, but they wouldn't arrive for several days.
"Uncle Lu, I'll hand him over to you. I still have deliveries to make, and I can't afford to be late."
Gu Xiao gave the thief pinned beneath her foot a slight kick forward. The young patrol officer who had been standing behind Lu Yong immediately rushed over, pulled out handcuffs, and restrained the thief.
"Go on, then. Get busy. Don't let this delay your deliveries."
Lu Yong waved Gu Xiao off, indicating that she didn't need to concern herself with what happened next.
"I'll be going now. Goodbye, Uncle Lu."
Having said her piece, Gu Xiao transformed into a wisp of breeze and vanished instantly. From the side, all that could be seen was a streak of azure light flashing across the street.
"Captain Lu, do you know that girl? I feel like she might be even stronger than I am."
The young patrol officer asked curiously after securing the thief in the vehicle.
He had only joined the Security Bureau two days prior and was currently interning with Lu Yong's patrol squad, so he was naturally unfamiliar with Gu Xiao.
"Yes, she's my daughter's childhood best friend, a high school senior preparing to graduate this year. Her cultivation level is initial Lieutenant Rank."
Lu Yong secured the thief's hover-motorcycle to the patrol vehicle, got into the driver's seat, and closed the door.
"A graduating high school senior, initial Lieutenant Rank! Is that even possible?"
When he heard that Gu Xiao was a graduating senior who had reached the initial Lieutenant Rank, the young patrol officer couldn't help but exclaim in shock.
Wait, her speed of advancement is absolutely terrifying.
Generally, high school students undergo the Professional Awakening Ceremony during the final three months of the second semester of their senior year.
Since there is still time left before the end of the school year, this meant Gu Xiao had raised her cultivation to the initial Lieutenant Rank in less than two months.
Keep in mind that, under normal circumstances, even the most exceptional prodigies only reach the initial Trooper Rank by the time they graduate high school.
"Captain, she couldn't possibly be the daughter of some major family, could she?"
Glancing in the direction where Gu Xiao had vanished, the young patrol officer suddenly spoke in a low voice.
When he spoke of prodigies reaching the initial Trooper Rank by graduation, he was naturally referring to those who came from ordinary families.
Descendants of major families receive various medicinal baths from childhood and abundant cultivation resources after their awakening. Given that the first three ranks have relatively small thresholds, it is possible for them to break through to the initial Lieutenant Rank in such a short amount of time.
"That's enough. Why bother worrying about all that? You should focus on securing your permanent position first."
Lu Yong didn't answer the young patrol officer's question, as revealing someone else's private information behind their back was impolite.
Although Lu Yong was quite curious himself, he knew the situation of Gu Xiao's family; they simply ran a fast-food restaurant.
While the fast-food restaurant was thriving thanks to Gu Zhixing's excellent cooking, their family was, at best, only moderately well-off.
How could Gu Xiao's cultivation realm have advanced so rapidly? It made absolutely no sense.
Still, curiosity notwithstanding, Lu Yong had no intention of prying into anyone's secrets.
The reason for Gu Xiao's astonishing cultivation speed was naturally the work of her male body, Jing Yuan.
Just as Lu Yong and the others believed, without adequate cultivation resources, cultivation speed would be restricted no matter how great the talent was.
And all the cultivation resources Gu Xiao possessed had naturally been provided by Jing Yuan.
Considering the Jing family's status as one of the Nine Great Families of the Daxia Republic, these resources were merely pocket change.
Jing Yuan had not tried to conceal anything while doing this; he had absolutely no intention of hiding his connection with Gu Xiao.
In his previous life, Jing Yuan had naturally read novels about 'one soul, two bodies.' The plots involving lying to establish a romantic relationship or gaining sponsorship solely based on talent seemed utterly ridiculous to him now.
The legitimate young master of a top-tier family and the daughter of a fast-food restaurant owner—was this supposed to be a story about 'The Overbearing Young Master Falls for Me'?
Furthermore, one lie requires countless subsequent lies to maintain. And what about the future? If they truly became boyfriend and girlfriend, could he keep delaying intimacy? He certainly had no intention of dating himself.
As for gaining favor based on talent, the world is full of geniuses. Why should I be obligated to sponsor you specifically?
You claim you'll repay me after achieving great power, but what guarantee do you offer?
Are there few people in this world who, immediately after receiving aid, feel restricted by their patron, or grow greedy and outright declare that their benefactor deserves to die?
So-called sponsorship, if handled carelessly, is like raising a tiger that will turn on you, potentially costing an entire family.
However, if he wanted his male and female bodies to progress in cultivation side-by-side, Jing Yuan's support for Gu Xiao was absolutely necessary, and these actions could not be hidden from Old Man Jing.
Furthermore, over the years, he had already made preparations to convince both sets of family members that Jing Yuan and Gu Xiao were, in fact, the same person.
Meanwhile, Gu Xiao's figure was like the wind as she sprinted along her route.
Chengfu Street, Guiyuan Apartments.
A faint breeze swept through the corridor, and Gu Xiao's figure materialized outside one of the doors.
"Unit 608, this is the place."
After checking the unit number and confirming it was correct, Gu Xiao raised her hand and knocked on the door.
"Knock, knock, knock."
"Hello~ Your delivery is here."
Immediately after Gu Xiao spoke, the sound of hurried footsteps came from inside the apartment.
"Crash."
"Ow, my goodness! F-F-F..."
The sound of a garbage can tipping over, followed by a man's cry of pain, echoed from within the unit.
"Click."
The lock turned, and the security door was pulled open, revealing a man who looked somewhat scruffy and unshaven.
He was currently hunched over, his left hand braced against the doorknob for support, while his right hand rubbed his toes.
The expression on his face was slightly twisted, clearly indicating that the object he had just kicked had caused considerable pain.
"Sir, your delivery."
The man, who had been focused on rubbing the spot on his foot where he'd stubbed his toe, heard the clear and cheerful female voice come from above, and his hunched posture instantly stiffened.
Like a wind-up puppet whose mechanism had been removed, the man slowly and stiffly straightened his body little by little.
The man looked toward the doorway. Standing outside was a beautiful, vibrant young woman.
Her face was stunningly beautiful, her smile was radiant, and her entire being exuded an aura of youthful vitality. Yes, she was precisely the type of beautiful girl an otaku like himself would be too intimidated to face.
"Sir, Gu Family Fast Food Restaurant, your delivery."
Seeing that the man was momentarily unresponsive, Gu Xiao repeated herself.
As the man lifted his head, Gu Xiao got a clear look at his features. He didn't appear to be very old, but his unshaven beard and messy hair made him look rather unkempt.
"Oh, oh, thank you, thank you."
Hearing Gu Xiao's words, the man hastily took the two steamer baskets of buns from her hands.
"Sir, enjoy your meal."
Once the delivery was accepted, Gu Xiao gave a bright smile and once again transformed into a gust of wind, disappearing down the corridor.
After Gu Xiao departed, the man placed the delivery on the floor, stepped out onto the corridor, and leaned over the railing to look outside.
"Have the delivery robots these days started using humanoid forms?"
Having completed her delivery, Gu Xiao sped along her way back home. Maglev trains on the elevated track flashed past her side, hover-blimps soared overhead, and various models of flying vehicles zipped back and forth.
On the external screen of a tall building not far from Gu Xiao, the daily broadcast was playing.
"Dear citizens and friends, good morning. Today is June 9th, Universal Calendar Year 2025."
"According to the meteorological department, the weather in our city today is clear and the temperature is pleasant."
"According to news released by the Department of Education, the start date for this year's Professional Assessment is in just over two weeks."
"This station wishes all aspiring students taking the exam this year excellent results in the Professional Assessment, great martial fortune, and that they may one day explore the vast star seas of the universe."