Love from the Male Protagonist’s Harem - Chapter 9
Chapter 9-A Steamed Bun Every Day
The creaking sound of Siguo Pavilion’s wooden door opening and closing dissipated in the air.
The aloof Senior Sister had disappeared from Xia Ge’s line of sight.
“Talking nonsense……”
Causally tossing aside the pearwood chips she’d hid in her sleeves, Xia Ge hopped onto the desk: “Forget it.”
She was no match for Gu Peijiu, and she’d just lost a golden opportunity.
Might as well let it go.
If she’d tried and failed just a moment ago, all pretense of cordiality with her talented Senior Sister would’ve been gone. And Xia Ge would’ve had to abandon her happy days at Danfeng to instead enjoy running thousands of miles while Lingxi Sect endlessly hunted her. Not worth it.
She’d just have to be more careful from now on.
If Lingxi Sect chased and killed her, fine. Cause if she was caught practicing her puppetry, she’d be a person hated by everyone—-no, it’d be worse than being scorned by all. If when a rat runs across the street everybody cries: “Kill it!” Xia Ge wouldn’t even have time to ‘cross the street,’ people would already be braying for her blood.
“Ai, the world’s a human tragedy, no matter how you look at it.”
[Host, You Have Possession Of The Liuli Tree. You Should Prepare For An Upgrade.]
Her system issued her a cold reminder.
“I got it, I got it……” Xia Ge kissed the Liuli tree in her hand and then raised her eyes. Never mind the damage she’d suffered before, at least not everything had been a total loss, right?
Glancing out the wide open window, darkness was gradually giving way, the first rays of daylight faintly shining in the east.
It was nearly dawn.
===
Gu Peijiu, still carrying the Yimei, unexpectedly ran into Ye Ze shortly after leaving Siguo Pavilion.
Holding a meal tin in his hands and still wearing his hemp clothes, Ye Ze’s steps were hurried.
Bumping into Gu Peijiu again at Siguo Pavilion’s gateway while he was doing his morning patrol, Ye Ze blurted out in fright and surprise: “Senior Sister?!”
He hadn’t had time to change his clothes yet……
Wait a minute…clothes aside, what awful thing was Senior Sister carrying?! Why was it so scary?!!
It looked to be a person. Its head lolling behind Senior Sister’s back, all Ye Ze could see was the shabby gray-clad body.
“It is a Yimei.” Senior Sister’s voice was customarily cold. “Why haven’t you changed your clothing for morning class?”
“I……” Ye Ze was flustered. “I, I’ll do it right away.”
Senior Sister wasn’t saying anything about Ye Ze bringing Xia Wuyin food last night. Did that mean it was all right……
After yesterday, it seemed that Senior Sister was actually very merciful. Usually no disciple was allowed to bring food to someone being punished.
Making up his mind, Ye Ze was about ask if he could bring Xia Wuyin breakfast when Gu Peijiu confounded him by speaking first: “The food in your hands, is that for Xia Wuyin’s breakfast?”
Being asked about the matter before he could bring it up himself froze Ye Ze for a second, then he hastily nodded his head: “Yes!”
Xia Wuyin could not go hungry.
This idea was deep-rooted in Ye Ze’s head.
A dim light was emerging in the east.
The first rays of the morning sun.
“Give me the food, you go back and change your clothes,” Gu Peijiu ordered lightly, “Hurry up! Morning class is about to start.”
“Huh? Oh……yes.”
Handing over the breakfast to his Senior Sister, Ye Ze couldn’t help being a little taken aback.
Gu Peijiu, the epitome of an ‘old head on young shoulders’……was actually……?
Unbelievable.
===
Siguo Pavilion.
Xia Ge crossed her legs, sinking into contemplation.
Hmm…if Senior Sister wanted her to work on her dan-making before taking the entrance examination again, did that mean Xia Ge need not copy the Danxun anymore?
And if she didn’t need to copy the Danxun anymore, why should she still stay at Siguo Pavilion?
“Ah, ah, liberation! I’ll ask Ye Ze later if we can go out drinking—”
Elated, Xia Ge hopped off the desk, intent on patting her ass and leaving behind the jumbled mess Siguo Pavilion had become. Yet just then the pavilion door that had been closed opened with a ‘creak.’
Perhaps her night had been a bit too hair-raising. Xia Ge wailed, her ‘ghost and shadow’ skill activated almost instinctually. With a whoosh of cloth, she was ready to flee over by the window, calling “Who is it?!”
The door was nudged open by the Senior Sister who’d gone and now returned.
Satin black hair lazily tied back with a red silk ribbon, the Yimei remained in her left hand, while her right hand was behind her back, as if she was holding something. Eyeing Xia Ge who was still trying to recover her senses over by the window, Gu Peijiu spoke in a detached tone: “It is I, your Senior Sister, here to tell you to tidy up Siguo Pavilion before you leave.”
Xia Ge: “……”
Looking over all the broken wood and the complete disorder, back and forth, until finally resting her gaze on the unbothered, indifferent Senior Sister by the door, Xia Ge’s expression was clearly of one biting their tongue.
“Well?”
Gu Peijiu lightly arched an eyebrow at Xia Ge’s continued silence.
After an internal struggle, Xia Ge settled on tactfulness: “Senior Sister, I haven’t passed the entrance examination yet.”
……so isn’t it a little too early in the morning to work me like a dog?
Glancing out the window, Xia Ge saw that the east was the marbled white of dawn. Ye Ze ought to be bringing Xia Ge her breakfast any minute……
Damn it! According to her plan, she should be meeting Ye Ze on his way to deliver her food before the morning lesson. Next, she should be convincing him to skip the afternoon lesson so the two of them could go drink a little wine!
Now that Senior Sister was here again, would a scared Ye Ze dare to drop off food for Xia Ge? And morning lesson was just about to start. Ye Ze absolutely wouldn’t hazard being late for his lesson or risk Senior Sister catching him in the act of giving food to one being punished—-
Ahhhhhh, this big Buddha needed to be sent away first!
Senior Sister’s voice was flat: “Outer disciples are responsible for daily cleanings. If you had managed to pass the examination, you wouldn’t have to handle such things……”
A slight pause, then Gu Peijiu continued: “……or do you not want to do this task?”
Immediately responding, Xia Ge declared: “No, no, no. Senior Sister shouldn’t have troubled to personally come and tell me this little thing! Truly! I would have done it even if you hadn’t told me—Senior Sister, you……don’t you need to go inspect the morning class?”
Giving Xia Ge a quick glance, Gu Peijiu nodded, turned around, and left.
Xia Ge breathed a sigh of relief.
But there was no sign of Ye Ze. There was only one path to Siguo Pavilion. He must have run into Senior Sister and turned back!
Originally Xia Ge hadn’t felt that hungry, now suddenly all she could think about was food and how hungry she was.
Stroking her empty belly, Xia Ge once again scanned the matchless mess that was Siguo Pavilion, feeling incredibly sad.
Just a quick sweep of the eyes……(Just a quick look)
No breakfast……eh, eh…eek?!
Senior Sister hadn’t completely closed the door when she’d left. The box Ye Ze usually used to feed Xia Ge was just showing at a coy angle. Like a beauty at a brothel, half-concealed by a lute, casting out enticing looks with her charming eyes.
Nimbly jumping from the window, Xia Ge raced to the door, and what did she see there?!
It was the meal box Ye Ze always brought!!
When……had Ye Ze just come by? No, no, that was impossible. Senior Sister had been here just a minute ago—
Senior Sister.
Xia Ge replayed the scene in her mind.
Senior Sister, left hand holding the Yimei, the right hand……behind her back……
So it was like that…
Picking the box up off the ground and opening it, inhaling the delectable aroma of steamed buns, Xia Ge swallowed her saliva.
“It turns out……you’re not so strict.”
Delicious food grasped in one hand, Xia Ge found a fallen chair that still had its arms and legs. Setting it upright, she sat comfortably and took a bite out of a bun.
The hot and soft taste, accompanied by the spurt of fresh meaty juice. For a second, Xia Ge felt she’d died and gone to heaven.
In this world, only wine and steamed buns never disappointed!!
Eyes narrowed in happiness, Xia Ge ate leisurely, unlike how she’d wolfed down her fried rice the evening before. She was practically like some pompous aristocrat, chewing and ingesting slowly, letting the flavors sink into each taste bud, greedy for every pleasure the steamed buns could provide.
—-For after all, you never knew how long it might be before you had another one.
Suddenly recalling saying almost the exact same thing around when she’d been a stupid, naïve middle-schooler, Xia Ge subconsciously shivered without knowing why.
But that child in the past should have had more buns than she could eat, as Xia Ge did now……
Let’s think that way.
“Ai, little puppet, how distressing.”
Xia Ge slowly nibbled on a bun, looking out at the sky at a forty-five degree angle.
[……] System instinctively ignored Xia Ge’s words.
“Little puppet, tell me, I’ve had all these steamed buns, so why don’t I have the passion to move forward?”
System: [……Have You Ever Had Any Passion?!]
Xia Ge moved into a more comfortable position: “But I have to say, the more slowly you eat a steamed bun, the more tasty it is.”
System: [Asking Host To Please Clean Up Quickly.]
You’re just fucking procrastinating instead of working, right?!
Even more grieved now, Xia Ge asked: “Why don’t you understand of the nostalgia of my old age?”
So the system tolerated the sentimental mood of a thirteen year old girl.
The consequence of said tolerance was that the nostalgic girl took two full hours to eat four buns.
[……] That last bun is cold, right?
“”
Wrong. The third bun was already cold, wasn’t it?!
“Dang it, the last two buns have cooled down.” Xia Ge glanced again at the shambles that Siguo Pavilion was in and promptly covered her face, making sobbing noises. “Why must people make the awful choice between enjoying the deliciousness of a steamed bun or letting the other buns end up cold?”
Cold and indifferent System: [Host, It Is Time To Begin Cleaning.]
Shocked Xia Ge: “Isn’t it time for lunch?!
System: [……] You did it deliberately!
拍拍屁股走人 pāipāipìguzǒurén
Pat your ass and leave
