It was another sleepless night.
On Thursday morning, Lu Xuan rushed over to Wu Xiaoxu's house. He had planned to ask Uncle Wu which of the five viscera he should refine first,
but unfortunately, Wu Xiaoxu told him that Uncle Wu had gone to practice medicine in the city's outskirts and wouldn't be back for several days.
"Brother Xuan, you're here so early. You must not have eaten breakfast yet," Wu Xiaoxu said with a yawn. "Why don't you stay and eat before you go?"
Lu Xuan accepted with a smile, thanking him and taking a seat on the sofa. Wu Xiaoxu flipped on the TV before heading to the kitchen to whip up some breakfast.
Lu Xuan offered to help but was waved off. "Brother Xuan, you're the guest. What kind of host puts their guest to work?"
At that, Lu Xuan relented. He sat on the sofa, half-watching TV while practicing his meditative breathing.
'My spirit isn't fully recovered, but it's close. I should be able to use Mediation of Creation again by tomorrow at the latest. I'll probably be able to fully comprehend the seventy-sixth Great Dao Text by then, too...'
As his mind began to wander, the daily morning news started on the television.
"Federation Grand Speaker Li Yutong met with Mr. Yan Huang, the chairman of Longque Technology. The two parties engaged in a friendly discussion, during which Mr. Yan Huang announced plans to increase investment in the development of the Taibai Colony Star, including the establishment of its ninth megacity..."
"Grand Speaker Li Yutong highly praised Longque Technology, calling it a 'truly conscientious enterprise of the Federation.' He also issued a stern condemnation of the religious extremists who attacked Longque Technology's headquarters..."
Just then, Wu Xiaoxu brought over breakfast: an ear of corn and a glass of milk.
He glanced at the TV and grumbled,
"Including Taibai Star, the Federation has developed three colony planets, yet they can't even be bothered to improve the slums in the cities here on Ancestor Star. They're stretching themselves too thin. How well can they really govern a new planet? I bet Taibai Star will have a rebellion sooner or later, just like Ying Huo Star!"
Lu Xuan just smiled and didn't reply, quietly eating his breakfast.
After finishing his breakfast, he chatted with Wu Xiaoxu for a bit longer, then left and headed for East Sea High School.
The library was mostly empty, likely because students were still in class.
After finding a few more books on cultivation, Lu Xuan was about to find a nearby seat when he was surprised to see the girl from yesterday, Yan Jiangxue, already sitting in the same spot. She was munching on potato chips as she flipped through a book.
'It's rude not to reciprocate a kindness.'
The thought inexplicably surfaced in Lu Xuan's mind. After a moment's consideration, he put down his books and ran all the way to the school store. He generously bought a bag of crackers and a bag of potato chips, then ran back to the library.
Clutching the snacks and books, he walked over to the small round table and plopped down.
The girl jumped, startled. She instinctively stopped chewing her chips, instead using her tongue to slowly dissolve the piece in her mouth. When she looked up and saw it was Lu Xuan, she seemed to relax, letting out a small sigh of relief for some reason.
"Don't you have class?" Lu Xuan asked, looking curiously at the pretty girl who gave off an unapproachable air.
Yan Jiangxue's coolly beautiful face flushed slightly as she stammered,
"I... I don't have to attend academic classes."
Lu Xuan didn't quite understand, but he didn't press the issue. Instead, he generously tore open the bags of chips and crackers and pushed them across the table.
"You shared your chips with me yesterday, so today, it's my treat!"
The girl hesitated for a moment before giving a small nod. She very carefully extended two slender, fair fingers and picked up a single cracker.
"Thank you," she said, her head bowed. She popped the cracker into her mouth and began to nibble on it slowly.
Lu Xuan's curiosity was piqued.
"Why aren't you chewing?"
"I..." The girl ducked her head even lower. She wasn't used to talking to people about anything besides ancient history.
She stammered,
"I-I'm afraid... I'm afraid of disturbing other people."
Lu Xuan scratched his head, a sudden understanding dawning on him. 'This girl who seems like an ice queen isn't actually unapproachable. She's just a little timid and not good with words... social anxiety, maybe?'
He scratched his head and gave her a brilliant smile.
"It's alright. Besides, I'm the only one here."
The girl said nothing.
Seeing her reaction, Lu Xuan grabbed a cracker himself. He popped it into his mouth and said indistinctly while chewing,
"Thee? I'm chewin', an' ith fine!"
Yan Jiangxue hesitated for a moment, then nodded and went back to chewing normally.
The two fell silent, each returning to their books. Occasionally, their hands would brush against each other as they reached for the snacks.
Each time it happened, Lu Xuan would offer an apologetic smile, while Yan Jiangxue's face would turn bright red as she snatched her soft hand back as if she'd received an electric shock.
Time flowed on. The library gradually filled up with people, only to empty out again as the sun set and the moon rose. Soon, only the two of them remained.
"G-goodbye!"
After they had returned their books, Yan Jiangxue uncharacteristically spoke first, her voice still a bit shaky.
"See you!" Lu Xuan waved happily, adding in a softer voice, "Get home safe."
Back home, the young man used his power of Creation to manifest a single grain of Spirit Rice. After swallowing it, he fell asleep. Once again, his night was dreamless.
Meanwhile, in a sprawling mansion in the city center, Yan Jiangxue sat at her desk. Following her usual routine, she began to write in her diary.
[Year 6823, March 4, Thursday, Sunny]
[I spent today at the library again. I still haven't found any useful information, and there are still no other records about 'Li Er' or 'Ancient Lu Xuan'.]
[The 'modern Lu Xuan' came again today. He shared his snacks with me. It's the first time anyone has ever shared snacks with me. I'm happy.]
To avoid confusion, she had thoughtfully started distinguishing between the historical 'Ancient Lu Xuan' and the bright, clean 'modern Lu Xuan' she saw during the day.
After finishing her entry, Yan Jiangxue fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
On Friday, everything was as usual. The two met at the library, each bringing snacks. As before, they sat across from one another, not going their separate ways until late that night.
[Year 6823, March 5, Friday, Overcast]
[Flipping through books at the library again today. No luck. The 'modern Lu Xuan' brought roasted chestnuts. They were delicious. I'd never had them before. He said he bought them in the slums. What are 'the slums'?]
[I asked my second brother to send me some Fried Flood Dragon Meat. It will arrive the day after tomorrow. He said it's a family specialty. The 'modern Lu Xuan' has surely never tried it. I'm going to share it with him.]
The following Saturday was just as uneventful.
[Year 6823, March 6, Saturday, Light Rain]
[I went to the library again. It was a weekend, so it was really crowded. I felt uncomfortable. Thankfully, the 'modern Lu Xuan' came too.]
[Today, the 'modern Lu Xuan' brought me a roasted sweet potato. He bought it in the slums, too. I'd never had one before. It was delicious. I was very happy. But I'd only eaten half when the librarian caught us and confiscated it. Not happy.]
[I want to see what the slums are like.]
[The Fried Flood Dragon Meat arrives tomorrow morning. I have to remember to pick it up.]
[Does this mean we're friends?]
That night, Yan Jiangxue dreamed. She dreamed of her new friend. Her only friend.
She slept especially soundly.
That night, Lu Xuan was dreamless as well. Or, to be more precise, he didn't sleep at all.
Beneath the moon, amidst the spring rain, a visitor came knocking.
The rain was a good rain. The guest was a wicked one.