stjorthotic Chapter 3 Candied Hawthorn
Chapter 3 Candied Hawthorn
Su Changming felt like he had slept for a very, very long time.
It felt like my whole being had been drained, and then something filled me up again.
As he gradually regained consciousness, the first thing he felt was the soft pillow and blankets.
Sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains, casting dappled shadows in the room.
Su Changming opened his eyes.
The first thing that catches the eye is a figure standing by the window.
The girl had appeared in the room at some point and was standing by the window with her back to him.
She had already drawn back half of the curtains, and the sunlight poured down on her without reservation, giving her dark outfit a faint golden edge.
A gentle breeze blew in, ruffling the girl's waist-length black hair, which reflected a silky sheen in the sunlight.
She stood there quietly, gazing out the window, lost in thought.
At that moment, Su Changming had a feeling of unreality.
It was as if the girl before them had not hatched from an egg, but rather emerged from an ancient painting as a celestial being.
In a daze, he even felt that she was glowing.
This enchanting atmosphere lasted for about ten seconds.
Then, the girl spoke.
"If you keep staring at me like that... I'll gouge your eyes out."
Su Changming: "..."
Well, she really is that ruthless Fiora.
Su Changming quickly turned his face to the other side, staring at the Western-style chandelier on the ceiling, pretending that he hadn't seen anything.
"Ahem, you misunderstood. I was just... uh, observing the scenery outside the window."
Su Changming sat up, stretched his stiff neck, and found that his mental state had improved considerably.
The feeling of being completely drained of energy has largely disappeared, replaced by an unprecedented sense of fullness.
"By the way, when did you wake up? And how did you know I was awake?"
Su Changming asked with some curiosity.
He remembered the sensation of the golden mark from last night; the bell should be dormant in some kind of soul space.
The girl didn't turn around, but simply spoke softly:
About an incense stick's time ago.
She paused, a hint of sarcasm in her voice:
"As for how I knew you were awake... your awful aura was almost filling the entire room."
Su Changming: "..."
Fine, I've asked for it.
He awkwardly shut his mouth, deciding not to make a fool of himself any longer.
Getting out of bed, Su Changming stretched his arms and legs, then walked to the window and stood side by side with the girl.
Ling frowned slightly, seemingly somewhat dissatisfied with the distance.
But she didn't say anything in the end, she just turned her body slightly to the side, keeping an arm's length distance from Su Changming.
Su Changming paid no attention; his attention was drawn to the view outside the window.
The hotel was located on the edge of the concession, with a lively snack street downstairs.
Various vendors hawked their wares along the street, steaming baskets emitted heat, and oil pans sizzled.
The old man selling jianbing guozi is skillfully spreading out his dough.
The woman selling tofu pudding is ladling a full bowl for a customer.
And the old man selling candy figurines from his cart was surrounded by a crowd of children.
At the street corner, an old man carried a straw target covered with candied hawthorns, the strings of bright red hawthorns glistening in the sunlight.
Su Changming subconsciously turned his head, only to find that Ling's gaze was fixed on the candied hawthorn stand.
He paused for a second, then chuckled inwardly.
So even this aloof swordswoman craves candied hawthorns!
"Miss Ling," Su Changming suppressed a laugh and asked in a deliberately serious tone, "Do you... want to eat that?"
Ling's body stiffened slightly.
She finally turned her head, a hint of annoyance flashing in her dark eyes.
"snort."
The girl snorted coldly, her chin slightly raised, displaying an arrogant demeanor.
"Why would I... care for such common, ordinary things?"
Su Changming almost burst out laughing.
His hypocritical manner was exactly like those "tsundere" characters he had seen online in his previous life.
"Fine, fine, it's nothing special."
Su Changming nodded readily, then walked towards the door, saying as he went:
"Then I'll go down and buy a skewer to try myself. I heard that the candied hawthorns here are the most authentic in the whole of Sheng Hai, and the sugar coating is crispy and sweet..."
His hand had just touched the doorknob—
"etc."
A girl's cool voice came from behind.
Su Changming turned his head, revealing an expression that said, "Didn't you say you didn't care?"
Ling's expression was somewhat unnatural, and her fair fingers unconsciously twisted the red ribbon around her waist.
She seemed to be going through some kind of intense internal struggle; a very faint blush appeared on her usually expressionless face.
After a long silence, she finally spoke, her tone stiff, as if issuing some kind of command:
"...I want to go too."
Su Changming raised an eyebrow: "Are you sure? There are a lot of people outside, and your outfit..."
He looked Ling up and down at her attire.
He wore a dark black outfit with dark gold cloud patterns, a red belt around his waist, and black cloth boots.
This outfit might have been standard attire for palace guards in the old Daqian Dynasty, but in Tianjin in 1929, it was definitely something for "performing a grand opera".
"Why don't you change your clothes first?" Su Changming suggested. "I can have the hotel staff send you a set."
Ling gently shook her head.
"No need."
She raised her hand and lightly touched her collar with her fingertips.
Su Changming's eyes widened.
A faint luster appeared on the surface of the black outfit, like ripples on water.
The next second, the dark gold cloud patterns disappeared, and the style of the clothes also underwent a subtle change.
When the light faded, what appeared before Su Changming was a simple and elegant Republic-era female student uniform.
She wore a white shirt over a dark blue short-sleeved jacket and a matching knee-length skirt.
Her waist-length black hair was also tied into two long braids, hanging down in front of her chest.
She looked fresh and refined, like a top student who had just graduated from a women's normal school.
"This..." Su Changming was somewhat surprised, "This can actually transform?"
"It's just a trivial skill."
Ling said calmly.
She paused, as if remembering something, and her eyes dimmed slightly for a moment:
"...The Great Qian Dynasty is gone, so there's no need to wear those clothes anymore."
Su Changming keenly sensed the melancholy in her tone, but did not ask any further questions.
"Let's go."
He opened the door and turned to the side, gesturing for the door to open.
"Let me take you to try this new-era candied hawthorn."
Ling didn't say anything, she just walked out.
The two had just stepped out of the room when they bumped into two people walking towards them.
"Brother Changming! Have you slept enough? We..."
Zhao Zimin's loud voice stopped abruptly before he could finish shouting.
He stared wide-eyed, his mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg.
Chen Boran, standing to the side, pushed up his glasses, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his usually composed face.
Their gazes swept back and forth between Su Changming and Ling, finally settling on the door they had just come from.
The air suddenly became quiet.