I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 213
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- Chapter 213 - In the Dream, a Little Bird Gazes Upon the Joyful Land in Its Heart
Chapter 213: In the Dream, a Little Bird Gazes Upon the Joyful Land in Its Heart
On the first day of June, it happened to be a Saturday, a day off for office workers and a holiday for schools.
At least when I woke up in the morning, there was no usual alarm ringing from Starlight Elementary School, where I worked. However, I could faintly hear the laughter of some children, probably the boarders who had gotten up early to prepare for the holiday.
Back in the orphanage, Children’s Day was considered a grand festival. On this day, the orphanage would organize many activities. It was one of the few holidays where we didn’t have to return for labor.
On this day, the entire orphanage would be adorned with various small colorful lights, shining brightly like New Year’s. The staff would go to the city to buy a variety of snacks and drinks, such as Wangwang gift bags, Qiduo chestnut bars, and good quality potato chips. The drinks included AD calcium milk, cola, Sprite, and the like.
For us, who were still young, this was incredibly tempting, almost like celebrating New Year’s. During the New Year, although there were festive meals, us kids were mostly tasked with helping out, either washing rice and starting fires or cleaning up. Besides, during the New Year, there were hardly any snacks, at most just regular biscuits and candies. Moreover, during the New Year, everyone looked forward to setting off firecrackers rather than eating.
I still remember when I was little, I didn’t know how to pronounce the names of some snacks. I followed the principle of “reading the sides and the middle if there is no side”. I read “???” (Langweixian) in the Wangwang gift bag as “???” (Langmoxian), and “???” (Limibang) as “???” (Ximibang). I just read “???” (Shanghaojia) as “???” (Shanghao Gui). Among them, “???” (Langweixian) was my favorite snack at that time. It was vegetable-flavored and I would never get tired of eating it. It would just make me a little thirsty after eating it, and I would have to run to the cafeteria to get water. [1]
Children’s Day left a deep impression on us in the orphanage not only because we could eat a lot of snacks but also because… the conditions for getting these snacks were especially simple.
On this day, starting around 10 in the morning, the orphanage would organize various activities to ‘sell’ snacks, and the director would prepare ‘activity coins’ in advance — in simple terms, these were paper cutouts with the director’s signature on them.
At 10 in the morning, the activities would kick off with basketball shooting. Everyone could participate, with each person having three chances. If you scored within the two-point line, you earned two coins; if you scored beyond the three-point line, you earned three coins. After shooting, you went directly to the nurse’s station under the basket to collect your coins. You could then choose to queue up again or participate in other activities.
Similarly, besides basketball, there were various activities such as ring tossing, lantern riddles, memory challenges, and more. After these many days, I can’t remember the specific activities, but the only impression is that Children’s Day at that time was truly a ‘festival.’ All the children in the orphanage could participate. If there were children with congenital disabilities, the orphanage would provide some assistance. For example, if a child needed a wheelchair to go out, they could choose a closer ‘three-point line’ for shooting.
At the beginning of the activities, the nurse at the activity center would start ‘selling snacks.’ Of course, besides snacks, they also sold items regularly used in class, such as pencils and erasers. Even comic books and storybooks were available, with prices ranging from one to five activity coins. I remember most clearly that the snack ‘Langweixian’ and the magazine ‘Story Time’ were priced the same at three activity coins each. Since I wasn’t good at basketball or ring tossing, I could only get two or three tokens in one queue. I had to make a choice between snacks and books.
Most of the time, I would choose ‘Story Time’ because snacks could only be enjoyed for half an hour, and once they were gone, there was nothing left. But a book could keep me entertained for a long time, and I could save it. Perhaps this is also the reason why, after starting to work, I tried writing a book for the first time and could earn money from it.
I was actually very grateful to everyone in the orphanage for giving me a relatively complete childhood. However… as of today, those friends who accompanied me in activities, willing to spend their activity coins to help me buy books, were no longer here. When I go to eat ‘Langweixian’ as an adult, it doesn’t have the same taste as it did in my childhood.
“Good morning, happy Children’s Day!”
When the sky was just starting to brighten, I, as usual, was awakened by Yin Xiamo, and then I opened my eyes in a daze, sitting up.
“Ah…”
Stretching lazily, I glanced at the loose pajamas on my body, took out my phone, and checked the time in the upper right corner.
“Good morning, Xiao Mo.”
“Where’s my good morning kiss?”
The girl next to me had a look of ‘I deserve a reward’.
“As a girlfriend, Nuo’er, don’t you want… hmm?”
“Okay, okay…”
I set the cup on the side, turned around, and opened my arms, “Come here.”
“Hehe…”
Yin Xiamo happily approached and I hugged her.
“Muahh—”
I gently pressed my face against Yin Xiamo’s little face, cupped the girl’s head in my hands, kissed her forehead, and then let go.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning!”
Yin Xiamo brought my clothes over, “Nuo’er, wear this today!”
I glanced at it, it was the set I bought before, the “artist” themed top and skirt I bought before.
“What about Fei Luo?”
I yawned again, took the clothes, jumped off the bed, went to the window, pulled open the curtains with a ‘whoosh,’ and then took off my nightgown to change clothes.
Yesterday was Xiao Mo’s birthday, and I held a very ‘grand’ birthday party for her.
My idea of ‘grand’ here didn’t mean making a miniature mansion out of bamboo sticks as a birthday present half a month in advance, nor was it buying lots of delicious food for her to come back to in the evening. It wasn’t even ordering a ‘high-priced’ big cake from the nearby cake shop. Instead, it was… after dinner and sending Zhou Xiaofei home, we engaged in a ‘battle’ on Fei Luo’s back, who had transformed into a black dragon.
Ever since the first time Xiao Mo and I were ‘doing battle’ in the medicinal plant garden, we’ve had plenty of playful moments in bed. However, I somewhat resisted those ‘playful’ moments.
Because at that time, I always felt that there was still some awkwardness or resentment between Xiao Mo and me. Even though we were familiar enough to roll around without clothes, I still felt that it wasn’t right, that it wasn’t good.
Then, this elusive ‘awkwardness’ or ‘barrier membrane’ was suddenly pierced by Yin Xiamo.
Last night, on May 31, 2022, Yin Xiamo’s birthday, and also the day Fei Luo, the ‘companion’ of the hero, arrived on Earth, I was confessed to.
This was the first time a girl had confessed to me, and the first time I experienced the feeling of being ‘in love.'”
Especially on the dragon’s back, when Xiao Mo pushed me down to the ground and confessed her feelings with such tenderness, I, for the first time, felt the warmth of being eligible to be loved.
Touched by this, I no longer resisted Xiao Mo’s ‘requests.’ Bathed in the moonlight and starlight, we indulged in her exploration on the dragon’s back.
As I truly experienced this feeling, being intimately close to Xiao Mo, that inner ‘awkwardness’ completely disappeared.
?We are lovers?—this is an incredibly magical sense of happiness.
I love you, just like you love me.
In the future, we can walk hand in hand together.
From now on, I will no longer be alone, nor do I need to face loneliness.
So, we may not have savings or a house, but we already have a warm home.
The harbor I’ve been searching for all along was right by my side…
With this sentiment, I closed my eyes on the dragon’s back, savoring the joy that belongs only to girls.
The ‘battle’ between Xiao Mo and me continued into the late night. Fei Luo carried both of us, departing from the coastline of Nanqi District in Shenzhen City, circling over the sea under the moonlight again and again.
I don’t remember when Xiao Mo brought me back to the rental house. The only impression I had before falling asleep was Xiao Mo helping me change into pajamas, giving me a warm kiss, and tucking me under the blanket.
When I opened my eyes again, it was the morning of Children’s Day on June 1st.
“Fei Luo is preparing your milk breakfast.”
Watching me change clothes, Xiao Mo naturally sat on the computer chair beside the bed, swinging her legs left and right.
“Today, Fei Luo is fully in charge of Nuo’er’s breakfast!”
“Huh?”
I turned around: “That dragon can make breakfast?”
“Don’t underestimate others, that dragon is basically an all-around player, knows a little bit of everything.”
Xiao Mo shrugged, “But not a master of anything, though in cooking, she’s definitely better than me.”
“Are the foods on Earth the same as in the other world?”
I asked curiously, “Is she not going to cook something strange like octopus legs with corn and garlic?”
“Don’t worry, there are many similar foods in that world. Besides, isn’t there Sister Lan Jiajia watching over there?”
Xiao Mo smiled, “Today is the 1st of June. Last night, Ouyang Xue sent a notice in the group, saying that this morning, we’ll have a meeting together to discuss next month’s holiday arrangements and the Cyberpunk secret base on the below first floor.”
Cyberpunk…
My only impression of this thing is light pollution, various RGB light tubes and billboards, and then the rebellious world of rebellious people, with a future world featuring rotating big birds.
“Did Ouyang Xue send a notice yesterday?”
I scratched my head, “I don’t remember anything.”
“Of course, you don’t remember. You were too wild last night…”
The usually calm Xiao Mo blushed a bit when talking about it.
“You were too crazy last night. If Fei Luo didn’t fly over the sea, the creatures below might have thought it was going to rain.”
Was it really that exaggerated?
“Most magic is bound to the soul. The hero is a water mage. If Nuo’er wants to learn magic in the future, there’s a good chance she’ll have a high affinity for water elements.”
Xiao Mo looked at me with an interested expression, “How about we continue tonight? Little Nuo’er back then was really cute, like the most delicious cake!”
“No, no, once in a while is enough.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I walked away from Xiao Mo and opened the door to the room.
“Hi!”
Fei Luo outside the door seemed to have been waiting for a while. Seeing me come out, she jumped over with a “whoosh” and cheerfully exclaimed, “Good morning, adorable Lady Hero… oh no, Little Sister Yin Nuo’er.”
“Cough…”
I glanced at the large rabbit on Fei Luo’s chest, turned my head away, and said, “G-good morning. Since when did you become so fluent in Mandarin?”
“Well, of course! I studied all night. Yesterday, I spent the whole afternoon learning with Xiao Mo, understanding the basic knowledge of this world. Then, I stayed up all night and learned the language of this country.”
Fei Luo, holding a milk pot with her hands on her hips, had a triumphant look, a lively personality in stark contrast to Xiao Mo’s.
“Now, except for some dialects and jokes, I have no problem with basic communication!”
“You studied all night?”
I was somewhat surprised, “Didn’t you sleep?”
“For the dragon clan, it’s fine not to sleep for a whole week, including the one next to you…”
Fei Luo continued, and when she saw Xiao Mo coming out of the room, she waved her hand hastily, “Xiao Mo! You really did so quickly this time.”
“What? No.”
Xiao Mo shook her head, “I just woke her up.”
“I thought you were going to have another round, the little fountain last night was really spectacular.”
Fei Luo giggled, “Indeed, she’s a water mage.”
“What kind of little fountain is that!”
I instinctively said, “Hey, don’t use that unpleasant nickname for me!”
“Here, this is today’s breakfast milk.”
Fei Luo directly stuffed the milk pot into my arms, saying, “Drink it all, no wasting.”
I took the milk pot, hesitated for a moment, and unscrewed the cap.
Then I noticed a pink note attached to the milk pot, with Xiao Mo’s graceful and freehand handwriting – “Kitten’s Milk, exclusively for Nuo’er.”
I looked up, “What is this…”
“It’s exactly what it says.”
Fei Luo patted my shoulder, pointed to a small basket next to the flower shelf in the living room behind her, and said, “Little one, after you finish the milk later, put this there. I’ll clean it up tonight and put the milk back in tomorrow.”
Why does it feel like… I’ve become the daughter of you two!
Was our relationship so complicated?
My body was “created” by Xiao Mo. According to human thinking, Xiao Mo has some kind of “motherly” authority. And then, I have to drink Fei Luo’s milk every day. So… what does Fei Luo mean to me? Is she also a mother?
“Why do I have to…?”
Unable to find a way to criticize, I had to follow Fei Luo’s words, “Why do I have to drink milk every day?”
“Xiao Mo said it’s to adapt in advance to the primary magic training hundreds of years later. Although she can create a body using forbidden magic, she can’t imbue the body with magic, so you have to prepare it yourself.”
Fei Luo spoke nonchalantly, leaning over to scrutinize my chest, “For example, yours. The physique of adult elves is usually good. Yours is an exception, you must use dragon milk as an aid, or else when you grow up and your chest is still small, it would be embarrassing for elves and succubi.”
“Ah… sorry.”
I corrected my words, “Wait no! Actually, I don’t feel embarrassed.”
“No, you can’t. You’re Xiao Mo’s girlfriend now, and you have to uphold her image.”
Fei Luo had a determined attitude, “Otherwise, when the teleportation gates on the island open, Dolly, Gabriel, and the others come over, and they see the famous Demon having such a flat-chested girlfriend who can only spray water and nothing else, Xiao Mo will lose face.”
What do you mean nothing else but spraying water? I can do many things!
“And most importantly, there is no magic power here on Earth, you know?”
Under my gaze, Fei Luo continued to explain, “My body automatically replenishes a certain amount of magic power every day, and the things I eat also able to convert energy into milk because there’s nowhere to release it. If I don’t get rid of it, I’ll feel uncomfortable, so you have to drink it.”
Okay, okay, you don’t need to say more, I’ll drink it.
In simple terms, it’s excess nutrition. Yesterday, who told you to eat so much in one go?
You ate all those steamed chicken, roasted chicken, roast duck, and crabs.
In front of Fei Luo, I picked up the milk pot, opened the lid with a “bang,” then tilted my head back and chugged the dragon milk in one go.
“Is it okay to leave it here?”
After finishing the dragon milk, I placed the bottle with the label “Kitten’s Milk” into a flower basket on the living room shelf.
“Yeah, and then let’s have breakfast.”
Fei Luo gestured towards the food on the living room dining table, “I just cooked with Lan Jiajia. We chatted briefly and found that the way you cook here is quite interesting, especially that… electromagnetic stove, and microwave, they’re just so convenient.”
I sat down at the dining table, “Is there no similar device in the other world?”
“No, but there are magical alternatives.”
Fei Luo explained, “For example, some fire magic can ignite and heat food, and some lightning magic can sterilize. However, those are privileges for mages or noble individuals. This… can common people afford something like this electromagnetic stove you have?”
“Sort of, ordinary families can afford it.”
In my mind, I recalled the figure of Zhou Xiaofei when I returned home last night, “But there are also a few very poor people here who are still using the most primitive method of starting a fire to cook.”
“Very poor people?”
Fei Luo asked curiously, “I remember Momo mentioned that there is basically no war in this country, right?”
“The absence of war doesn’t mean everyone is equal.”
Yin Xiamo followed and came out, “Look, after the Demon King is gone, are the common people in those empires now equal?”
“Well… that’s true.”
Fei Luo chuckled, “Enough of these discussions. Nuo’er, quickly taste the exotic delicacies I made…”
“Nuo’er is awake?”
At this point, Lan Jiajia, who should be going downstairs after doing her makeup on the second floor, said, “I feel like the whole house has become much livelier since Fei Luo moved in.”
“She’s just like that.”
Yin Xiamo had an expression of ‘I understand her’.
“Actually, this is still the case while Fei Luo hasn’t fully adapted to the environment. When she gets used to life here… it might be a disaster for the neighbors.”
Lan Jiajia covered her mouth and laughed, “We don’t have neighbors.”
I silently sat down and started eating breakfast.
“Then I’ll go to the cafe and take over the shift from Xiao Ai. She probably played games all night again.”
“Sure!”
“And Nuo’er, happy Children’s Day!”
“I’ve already said I’m not a child!”
“Here, Nuo’er, after breakfast, I’ll reward you with a lollipop as today’s holiday gift.”
“So, I really am not a child…”
“In my eyes, elves in their tens of years are still children.”
After breakfast, a simple wash-up, a bit of skincare, and taking out the trash, Fei Luo, Yin Xiamo, and I went downstairs together. Once outside, not far away, the bell of the Starlight Elementary School, representing who knows what, began to ring. Unlike the usual song “Invisible Wings” by Angela Chang, today’s morning music at Starlight Elementary School was surprisingly the anime “AIR” with the song “The Song of a Bird” –
“Although that bird cannot spread its wings and fly yet, we believe that one day it can soar freely against the wind.”
“The unreachable realm beyond, everything is still distant.”
“I can only quietly bury my wishes deep in my heart, gazing into the distance…”
If you’ve played the game or watched the anime, you’d know this is a relatively sad song. However, at this moment, it was played through the high-pitched loudspeakers of Starlight Elementary School, complementing the scorching summer day in the neighborhood. Thinking about the children’s paradise over there, the melodious tune surprisingly gave me a feeling that is very suitable for this summer.
“The children stroll on the summer railway, and the gentle breeze gently strokes their feet.”
“Suddenly recalling the time of childhood that has already gone far away, wanting to lift up the wish to soar with both hands…”
After adapting for this month, I roughly understood the daily routine of the students over there: on weekdays, I wake up around 7 a.m., and the bell at the Starlight Elementary School dormitories rings around the same time I get up. Then I wash my face, brush my teeth, have something to eat, and leave around 7:30 a.m. At that time, I can hear “Invisible Wings.” However, on weekends, their waking time is slightly later, and after the bell rings, they play some softer songs.
This is the first time I heard them playing “The Song of a Bird.”
“The sunlight in this world is truly warm…”
After properly disposing of the trash with Yin Xiamo, we walked down the shaded path in the Starry Garden neighborhood. I carried a rabbit backpack, while Yin Xiamo had a simple single-shoulder bag. We walked side by side, with Fei Luo in the middle, looking curious about everything.
“And these trees, without magic, would need at least twenty years of peaceful time to grow to this height.”
As she spoke, Fei Luo, walking between Yin Xiamo and me, opened her arms and started marching along the small slope.
“I never thought we three could walk together side by side like we used to.”
After walking with her arms open for a while, Fei Luo, who had been following us to the end of the slope, which was the open space by the back gate of the neighborhood, turned around. Keeping her arms open, she walked backward, looked at me, and then at Yin Xiamo.
“In the blink of an eye, several thousand years have passed. Momo is still Momo, and then the hero… Oh, sorry, Nuo’er, the hero has become little sister Nuo’er.”
As we walked away, the singing from Starlight Elementary School gradually became more distant—
? “We keep pursuing the trail of those dissipating contrail clouds, fragile yet always evading the dazzling gaze.” ?
? “Since the time we crossed the hill, everyone has remained unchanged.” ?
? “Just as we have steadfastly anticipated, we can protect that heartfelt wish like the vast sea…” ?
? “Woo—” ?
Just at that moment, a plane flew over our heads.
The plane left behind a long contrail in the sapphire-blue sky, resembling the beautiful dreams of childhood under the azure sky.
“Wow!”
The roar of the plane made Fei Luo look up. “Is that the ‘airplane’ you guys mentioned? Can that thing really carry several hundred people and fly so high? Technology is amazing!”
“The capacity of a regular passenger plane is about the same as that of an ordinary giant dragon.”
Yin Xiamo glanced at me tentatively. “Right?”
“I don’t know.”
I tilted my head. “I… have never been on a plane.”
“But you’ve ridden a dragon?”
Fei Luo leaned over, hugging me in her arms. “Nuo’er is really cute. I can’t resist it either. Momo, can I give her a kiss?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because this is my wife. If you want a kiss, go find it yourself.”
“Stingy! What’s the harm in giving her a kiss? This little elf is so cute, and she won’t be an adult for a few hundred years. I could even be her grandma. A little kiss won’t hurt. Momo, you’re a demon, not an angel…”
“Oh, speaking of angels, how did things go with you and Gabriel after I left?”
“What else could happen? Those angels are all fossils, stubborn and unyielding. They insist that the Black Dragon must be a fallen dragon. Last month, when we met, she didn’t say a word, just took off the ring on her head, tied my hands, and said she had to take me to heaven for redemption.”
“Can that ring really be taken off?”
“You didn’t know that, Momo?”
“I’m not familiar with it. I thought it was just a decoration…”
“……”
On the way to the cafe, with Fei Luo around, the usually quiet streets seemed much livelier in my eyes.
As I lacked memories of the past, I silently listened to Fei Luo and Yin Xiamo chat about the contents of the other world. However, I didn’t find it boring at all, it felt like listening to fellow villagers chatting, creating a sense of familiarity. As a novelist, I naturally hoped for more stories like these, so I wouldn’t have to worry about plotlines and could just draw from my surroundings.
During the casual conversation between Xiao Mo and Fei Luo, we soon arrived at the southern slope of the Nanqi District, and following the green grass, we reached the front door of the cafe.
Unlike usual, today there were two men standing at the entrance of the cafe wearing shirts, sunglasses, wheat-colored skin, and explosive muscles, resembling door gods guarding the entrance.
“Good morning!”
Walking across the small space in front of the cafe, I recognized the two bodyguards. It was Xiongxiong’s, who had been to the cafe several times before.
“What are you doing here?” I asked the two bodyguards.
“Oh, it’s you.”
The two bodyguards gave us a quick glance and then proactively opened the door, saying, “Our young lady is inside.”
Xiongxiong is inside?
I hesitated for a moment and walked into the cafe with Yin Xiamo and Fei Luo.
“Hey!”
At this moment, besides Ouyang Xue and Li Chen, there were also Ai Luodi, who had changed out of her maid outfit after finishing her night shift, and Lan Jiajia, who had recently arrived. They were all sitting around the largest table in the cafe. On the opposite side were Su Yunjin, with dark circles under her eyes, and Xiongxiong, dressed like a young lady.
“We’ve been waiting for you. Come over here.”
Seeing Yin Xiamo, Fei Luo, and me entering, Su Yunjin waved towards us.
“The investor for the cafe on the underground first floor has been found. She should be considered an old friend of yours. Let’s discuss the direction of development together.”
“……”
……
TL Note:
Most of you probably don’t understand this. Simply put, in Mandarin character writing, just adding one stroke can create a new word that is different from the original. In essence, not everyone memorizes all those Mandarin characters.
Also, those are real snack brands.