Chapter 108: Secret Observation
“There’s a lantern festival in the neighboring town tomorrow. Do you want to go?”
On the eve of the Lantern Festival, Xiao Luohan, still pondering Teacher Sui’s advice, heard Jiang Xue ask.
“…If it won’t affect your studies, I’d like to.”
While strolling through the “New Year’s Goods Festival” with Jiang Xue before, Xiao Luohan had already imagined the scene Jiang Xue described.
Light snow falling, snowflakes clinging to the bright red lanterns and colorful lights, crowds of people below admiring the lanterns and solving riddles, carrying and wearing various lanterns bought from the stalls, enjoying the performances on the big stage…
Come to think of it, Jiang Xue had also mentioned a lantern exhibition near the “New Year’s Goods Festival” before the Lantern Festival, but she had been so engrossed in practicing the guqin these past few days that she had forgotten about it.
Fortunately, the Lantern Festival was also a major holiday, and the neighboring town, an ancient town with a thousand years of history, reportedly held a large-scale lantern festival every year, much larger than the “New Year’s Goods Festival.”
“Of course it won’t affect my studies!” Jiang Xue replied, showing her pictures of past lantern festivals from her photo album. “Look, but this year it might just be the two of us and my older sister. A-Xi suddenly has a fever.”
After the beginning of spring, the weather was unpredictable, warm when the sun was out, and cold when it was cloudy.
Xie Xitong had dressed a little too lightly when she came to study in the morning. Carefree, she hadn’t paid much attention, but she developed a fever soon after returning home.
And precisely because she had a fever, she wanted some “sweetness” (relationship developments) to cheer her up, so she asked Jiang Xue if they had any plans for tomorrow.
The venue for the lantern festival had already been set up, but it officially started after dusk, when the sky darkened and the lanterns looked their best.
If they wanted to “study hard,” they could even study all day and then go, it wouldn’t affect their progress.
“Just the three of us?” Xiao Luohan confirmed again.
“Yes… well, four, including Elder Sister Red Fox,” Jiang Xue said. “Sister Cheng and Shizhu Jiejie are going shopping for the new semester tomorrow, and they’ll probably be tired when they get back. Mom and Mom were invited by Ms. Ning for dinner.”
She paused. “Maybe it’s a business discussion, maybe it’s to ‘make connections’ for you, or maybe it’s just a gathering of friends. Anyway, they won’t be free to watch the lantern festival with us.”
She didn’t mention that Jiang Mei usually didn’t go to the Lantern Festival either.
After all, this event was held every year in the neighboring town. If you had been watching it since you were little, you would naturally lose interest as you grew older.
But this year, because of Princess Zhemei’s arrival, Jiang Mei was willing to take this transtemporal friend to see how people celebrated important holidays in the modern world.
Jiang Xue had similar thoughts. At least for Xiao Luo’s first year here, she wanted to celebrate every important holiday with her. As for the future, it would depend on Xiao Luo’s own wishes.
In other words, both sisters wanted to take their “past selves” to experience modern festivals.
Moreover, after the Lantern Festival, it would be time for winter break to end.
She had just submitted the required materials for the “comprehensive evaluation admission” and successfully registered. After school reopened, besides preparing for the final selection exam in April, there was also the N University comprehensive evaluation admission exam waiting for her.
Compared to the former, which she had a good chance of passing due to her consistently good grades, the latter was more important to her.
After turning off the lights, looking at Xiao Luohan beside her, Jiang Xue couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease.
Before Xiao Luo came, she hadn’t had a clear idea or understanding of her future, thinking that as long as she worked hard, got good grades on the college entrance exam, and carefully filled out her application, attending a university with good prospects would be enough.
As for her specific path, her older sister and mothers would arrange it, she didn’t have to worry about it.
But now she had Xiao Luo, and she had her own wish.
But she couldn’t predict how long she and Xiao Luo would be separated while pursuing this wish, how they would endure the time when they couldn’t touch, hug, or kiss each other.
Lost in thought, she couldn’t help but crawl into Xiao Luo’s covers, hugging her and pouring out her worries.
Xiao Luohan had already anticipated this. Hearing this, she immediately suggested, “We can communicate like we used to.”
“…Huh?”
“Send messages to each other, text, voice, video, we can even write letters,” Xiao Luohan said. “Even without the diary that can instantly transport objects, there’s still express delivery and same-city delivery.”
She felt that being in the same world was much more convenient than being in two different worlds.
If she was tired, or really missed Jiang Xue, she could visit her anytime. If public transportation was too slow, she could just take a taxi—this world was very safe for women, at least she didn’t have to worry about safety when taking a taxi alone.
And if Jiang Xue wanted to see her, she could do the same.
“Even if we’re in different cities, I can still hear your voice and see your face,” she whispered into Jiang Xue’s ear, hugging her. “As long as I know you’re under the same sky, living well, I’ll be at ease.”
Actually, at this moment, she could sense the clear difference between her and Jiang Xue.
The things Jiang Xue feared weren’t a big deal to her, just being separated would make her feel a little lonely.
But Jiang Xue was worried, so worried that she couldn’t sleep and crawled into her bed, wanting comfort and guidance.
It was strange that she, a person from another world, could comfort Jiang Xue, who had lived here for so many years, in her own hometown.
Listening to the gradually calming and even breathing in her arms, Xiao Luohan’s mind was filled with both Teacher Sui’s advice and Taoist Master Xuan Nuo’s judgment that day.
—”You didn’t intend to become the rope at first, but now it’s hard to say.”
Now, it was truly hard to say whether it was she who had tied Jiang Xue down, or Jiang Xue who had tethered her.
They slept soundly until morning. The next day, at 8:30 AM, they were woken up by the alarm, got out of bed, and washed up together.
Xiao Luohan had almost completely adapted to everyday life in the new world: electric toothbrushes, facial cleanser, cleansing wipes, skincare products to prevent dry skin in winter… she used these things skillfully and efficiently, no different from Jiang Xue.
…This also included sanitary pads.
Their “magical time” had actually synchronized this time. Fortunately, their flow was light today, otherwise, their evening plans to visit the lantern festival might be ruined.
“You should also get a ‘period calendar’ or keep a record,” Jiang Xue said, opening the period tracking app on her phone and showing it to Xiao Luohan. “Dr. Qi said that if the dates are too far apart, it might be a hormonal imbalance, and you should consult her immediately.”
Xiao Luohan nodded and downloaded the app.
Xie Xitong had a fever today and couldn’t come. Afraid of infecting them, she didn’t want Jiang Xue and Xiao Luohan to visit her, so Jiang Xue had to study alone, and the room they usually used became quiet.
Teacher Sui still came for the lesson. Seeing that Xie Xitong wasn’t there, and having already understood Xiao Luohan’s attitude towards the relationship, she adjusted the teaching plan, having Xiao Luohan review theory for half the day, giving her a test in the afternoon.
It was a special holiday, so she had to treat it specially, creating some extra memories for the young couple.
Jiang Xue hadn’t expected to be able to study with Xiao Luo and was excited. She reminded Teacher Sui proactively, “There’s ink in the printer in the study. Just call me if you need to print anything!”
For convenience, Xiao Luohan sat across from Jiang Xue, so their materials wouldn’t get mixed up, and they could see each other when they looked up.
In a good mood, Jiang Xue’s study efficiency increased significantly. She finished the practice test, which was supposed to take an hour and a half, fifteen minutes before the alarm rang.
Xiao Luohan continued reviewing at her usual pace. Teacher Sui had circled the necessary theoretical knowledge for the exam in the music theory materials. She would mark each point she memorized and review it a few days later. Now, she was copying them into a notebook to further reinforce her memory.
Teacher Sui sat nearby, using her laptop on the desk to prepare the test questions, occasionally glancing at the two girls.
As she had expected, Jiang Xue was the type whose study efficiency was greatly affected by her relationship.
She had already noticed this before talking to Jiang Mei and had subtly mentioned it.
Jiang Mei had said “let the girls experience it themselves,” but her attitude didn’t seem like she was completely hands-off, nor did she seem to fully approve of the relationship. It was more of a “wait-and-see” approach, as if she had already discussed this with someone.
Teacher Sui didn’t mention it further, also adopting a wait-and-see approach.
After observing Jiang Xue, she looked at Xiao Luohan, whom she was teaching, and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
But this wasn’t a big deal. The girls were still young, and she herself hadn’t known anything at their age, even starting to learn about relationships only in her second year of university.
Jiang Xue had no idea what she was thinking. During the break, she even made milk tea with her favorite Dianhong tea for Teacher Sui, adding brown sugar and ginger for herself and Xiao Luo.
“By the way, what are you two wearing to the lantern festival tonight?” Teacher Sui asked, holding her warm milk tea, deciding to give them a little “push.” “Do you have any hairstyles in mind? I can do simple ones here at home.”
Jiang Xue choked on her milk tea.
She actually wanted to wear matching outfits with Xiao Luo again, but… was this something she could discuss with Teacher Sui?
“I want to wear matching outfits with A-Xue, and matching hairstyles,” Xiao Luohan said before she could even make up her mind.
Under Jiang Xue’s surprised gaze, Xiao Luohan explained with a smile, “Teacher Sui doesn’t forbid puppy love.”
“I don’t really care about that, but it depends on the student’s situation,” Teacher Sui said seriously, putting on a teacher’s facade. “If their studies are affected by their relationship, I still have to do some ‘ideological work.'”
“Don’t worry! We’re both good students who focus on our studies!” Jiang Xue quickly said.
Teacher Sui smiled and nodded, but inwardly she was thinking: I don’t believe you at all.
They were just taking advantage of the honeymoon phase of their relationship, which only had positive effects for now!
In the afternoon, Teacher Sui finished preparing the test, printed it out using the printer in Jiang Xue’s study, and then gave Xiao Luohan the rest of the day off. After finishing the test, she could relax. Teacher Sui would help them choose their outfits and style their hair, so they could go to the Lantern Festival looking their best.
As for what would happen if they bumped into their teachers dressed like that?
That wasn’t something a tutor like her should worry about. Besides, if they were truly afraid of that, they wouldn’t be considering matching outfits.
While Xiao Luohan was taking the test, Teacher Sui happily started planning their looks.
