Snow-capped mountains, glaciers, deserts, rainforests, and the vastest oceans—he had only ever seen them in books and on the internet.
What were other cities like? Were they vastly different from City Number Seven?
Just how prosperous was City Number 1 at the very heart of the Federation?
How dangerous could City 159, the most remote city in the southwest known as Purgatory City, possibly be?
Coastal cities were said to offer sights of churning giant whales late at night... Fang Qingze yearned for all of it!
Once intimidated by the terrifying Desolate Beasts outside, a frail Fang Qingze could only fantasize about the outside world, learning of it through the internet while his dreams extended no further than living a secure life within the city.
Yet today, he possessed formidable strength, enough to go toe-to-toe with Desolate Beasts.
Desolate Beasts, demon beasts, monsters—hell, he would roast them over an open flame and fill his stomach!
Just imagine: wandering the perilous Wilderness with mighty strength, armed with a single pack and a long blade as a solitary ronin. When hungry, he would roast a Desolate Beast; when thirsty, he would drink from a clear mountain stream. Even if he doubted the water's purity, he could simply conjure a handful of fire to boil it. To roam the mountains, rivers, and seas of this world without having to work—how utterly free that would be!
For now, however, Fang Qingze still planned to get into Maple Leaf University first, setting out to explore the world only after graduation.
That was because Maple Leaf University offered access to a vast collection of books, far outnumbering the library in City Number Seven. Not only could he learn about the pre-cataclysm world there, but most importantly, the Maple Leaf University library housed research materials on Desolate Beasts, documenting hundreds of common varieties.
Before setting out, it was crucial to understand this world thoroughly and make ample preparations.
After all, as the old saying goes: sharpening the axe does no harm to the job of cutting wood.
Yet if the time really came to leave, what should he do about Xiaoliu?
Take it along to wander with him? The outside world was dangerous, and Fang Qingze could not guarantee he would be able to protect it.
Leave it with someone else to raise? But he had virtually no trustworthy friends, nor could he possibly let Xiaoliu roam the streets.
An animal shelter was completely out of the question; given Xiaoliu's timid nature, it would easily be bullied by other cats.
Still, the future remained uncertain. While planning ahead was certainly a good thing, worrying too much only added needless trouble.
Forget it. Time for sleep—tomorrow's problems could wait for tomorrow.Throwing the clothes worn today into the washing machine and pouring in laundry detergent—washing machine, start!
It is almost eleven o'clock, time for bed! The clothes can wait to be hung out tomorrow.
...
The early morning is quiet, with the sun just beginning to show a faint glow. Warm light filters through the half-drawn curtains, catching tiny floating motes of dust and spilling into the serene bedroom.
Fang Qingze suddenly opens his eyes and uses one hand to block Xiaoliu, who is trying to lick his face. "Trying to launch a sneak attack? You're still a bit too green for that!"
Fang Qingze chuckles, pinning Xiaoliu down on the bed. Ignoring the cat's muffled protests of "Awooo, awooo," he buries his face directly into its belly.
Sniffing cats is addictive, and Fang Qingze is certain Xiaoliu must have drugged him.
He gently grasps the back of Xiaoliu's neck by the scruff of fate. "Quick, confess! Did you put some kind of drug in me?! To actually make me twenty-four hours a day—cough, cough."
"Meow-oo~" Xiaoliu lets out a pitiful whimpering sound, its four pink paw pads facing the ceiling as it reaches out its tongue to lick a paw.
"You seductive little cat! Seducing me every single day!" Fang Qingze mutters to himself, stubbornly refusing to admit his own perversion.
Pulling open the curtains and the glass door separating the balcony from the bedroom, the room instantly brightens.
Looking out into the distance toward the edge of the city, the rising sun is just peeking its head above the city wall.
Not far away, the waters of Yuhu Park shimmer, reflecting a golden radiance.
It is only five-fifty in the morning, yet figures are already jogging and exercising in Yuhu Park.
After stretching and yawning, he reaches up to take in the school uniform he hung out to dry the day before and puts it on. Then he takes out the laundry washed last night to hang it up and quickly finishes brushing his teeth and washing his face.
Finally, he fills Xiaoliu's food and water bowls with plenty of supplies. Fang Qingze glances at his phone—6:10 AM. He resolutely pockets his bag, stands up, and under the cat's tilted, curious gaze, closes the front door and sets off for school.
...
"Bao Dada" is a steamed bun shop located right beneath this residential complex. The buns here are exceptionally delicious; the outer wrappers are soft and fluffy, and aside from the meat buns, they are never stingy with the fillings in the other varieties.
"Boss, give me one shredded pork in garlic sauce bun, one glass noodle bun, one preserved mustard greens bun, and a cup of soy milk."
"Coming right up! That'll be nine yuan in total. Watch your step on your way!"Is there meat in shredded pork with garlic sauce? The answer is no.
Fang Qingze felt that this steamed bun should be renamed "Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce Flavor Steamed Bun"—to charge 2.5 New Dollars for just a hint of flavoring took some nerve.
This was just like turkey-flavored crispy rice crackers; you wouldn't expect there to actually be turkey meat in the crackers, would you? Keep dreaming.
The vermicelli buns and preserved vegetable buns were much more reliable, with fillings that were actually generous.
By the time he reached the bus stop, Fang Qingze had just swallowed the last bite of his bun, tossing the paper bag and soy milk cup into the trash can.
Fang Qingze glanced at his phone again: 6:25 AM, and the second 9-bus was just pulling up to the station.
"Beep—Student card!"
After swiping his card, Fang Qingze stepped into the carriage. There were only a few people inside, so he found a window seat toward the back and sat down.
Pulling out his phone, he opened a video app, intending to scroll through some videos to pass the boredom of the ride. The buzz surrounding yesterday's incident at Shengxian Pavilion had already died down quite a bit.
Fang Qingze searched for yesterday's video. Just as he expected, it had already been taken down, and any related video footage of the man in black leaping through a "portal" had completely vanished from the internet.
Fang Qingze swiped his finger across the screen. While 18+ content was strictly prohibited on the video app, clever female livestreamers knew all too well how to walk the line—keeping things adequately seductive without getting arrested by the super-mods.
Right on cue, Fang Qingze scrolled past a female livestreamer dressed in overtly sexy attire, twisting her waist and posing seductively.
Fang Qingze couldn't help taking a couple of extra looks, not because he liked looking at them—he had never been the type to lose his footing the moment he saw a pretty girl.
It was simply because this livestreamer in the video was the exact same one Grandpa Zhang the security guard had been watching last night.
Let me see just what kind of magic you possess to have Old Zhang so infatuated.
Face: hard to judge, way too much beauty filter. Old Zhang's taste is lacking—barely a 6.5 out of 10.
Figure: whew, pretty explosive. Those two things on her chest look like lanterns, and that slender, water-snake waist had an exaggerated range of motion. Let's give it an 8.
Outfit: even more startling—a form-fitting, swimsuit-like garment revealing both sides of her waist below the belt, with a pair of micro-shorts hugging her rounded backside.
Her suspenders and black stockings had a few large rips in them, tightly wrapping around her plump, long legs.
Alright, score's in—oh wait, let's call this one a 9.
Just as he was immersed in his scoring routine, the vehicle paused, and a completely unexpected person boarded.
"Fang... Qingze?!" The young girl's voice, carrying a hint of doubt and surprise, sounded right beside Fang Qingze.
"Huh?" Fang Qingze was momentarily stunned, turning his head to meet a pair of clear eyes from the girl who sat in front of him in class.
He saw Ye Chuqing smile faintly, blooming like a lotus flower—beautiful and refined. She pointed at the empty seat next to Fang Qingze and asked softly, "Is anyone sitting here? May I sit?"
Fang Qingze froze for a second, but quickly snapped back to reality. He glanced back and forth, left and right. There were plenty of empty seats, so why did she have to sit next to him? The two of them weren't even that close; sitting together would be so awkward.
After a brief internal debate, Fang Qingze replied, "No one else is here. Go ahead."
He told himself that bus seats weren't private personal property, and sitting wherever she wanted was her freedom; he had no reason to chase someone away.
It was definitely not because the girl who sat in front of him was a great beauty, nor because she had just smiled at him.
"Thank you." Ye Chuqing nodded slightly and sat down just as the bus started moving.
A faint, delicate fragrance drifted over.
Fang Qingze glanced sideways to secretly observe his seatmate, noticing a faint smile lingering at the corners of her lips.
Sunlight poured through the glass window onto her face, casting a slight, glowing radiance over her fair skin.
She actually knew how to smile outside of school? Unlike at school, where she wore a cold expression every single day.
Just like him—he didn't like to talk and laugh much at school either, but in private he wasn't really a cold person, seeing as he could still joke around with Old Zhang.
Ye Chuqing's little heart was pounding. The boy she hadn't seen in years was right beside her; he had grown so tall, and he was so handsome.
It's just that his memory is too terrible—he still hasn't recognized her.
Huh? What's that?
Ye Chuqing inadvertently caught a glimpse of Fang Qingze's phone screen, and her smile instantly froze on her lips.