Zhao Zhiyun’s ID card finally arrived on the sixth day.
During this time, Mirror City was so hot that the roads seemed to be slowly melting. Even outdoor at night felt suffocating.
The breeze encountered during walks always felt sticky as it brushed over the skin.
Every time she came back and showered clean, Gan Xun would think of Zhao Zhiyun’s lips—not thin, not thick, carrying a subtle yet rich allure.
Just thinking about having kissed such lips made it hard for her to calm down.
If she had to give a reason, summer probably made creatures more restless, and her post-period body had been set ablaze.
But lately, Zhao Zhiyun was busy during the day and at night too, with no other thoughts in mind. She would fall asleep quickly even lying in bed.
When there were classes, Gan Xun would accompany Zhao Zhiyun back and forth. During this period, she also attended interviews at three companies.
She had prepared thoroughly, and things went better than expected. Whichever company, the salary and benefits were higher than her previous job.
Two companies explicitly wanted her to start, and Gan Xun was considering which one suited her current situation better—there was someone at home who needed caring for.
No, not needed. She wanted to.
If she ignored other factors, she privately wanted to choose the one with the highest base salary, to give Zhao Zhiyun a better life in their limited time.
She wanted Zhao Zhiyun to no longer have to work so hard. If she later found teaching calligraphy boring, she could do what she liked.
There were no accidents like Gan Xun had worried about unnecessarily. Zhao Zhiyun adapted quickly, teaching her calligraphy classes properly, even earning nonstop praise from Cui Can.
Gan Xun never disturbed her during class times. Sometimes after class, she would pass by and hear the students brightly saying goodbye to Teacher Zhao.
She would respond to everyone with a gentle, classical smile.
When making eye contact with Gan Xun, she didn’t switch quickly either, just nodding politely like a refined traditional studies teacher.
Gan Xun, inappropriately, recalled the scene of her resting her foot on Gan Xun’s leg, demanding strongly that Gan Xun trim her nails.
A few days ago, Gan Xun had asked her, “Why not let the students call you ‘Yun Teacher’? Isn’t your noble surname supremely sacred?”
Zhao Zhiyun had a new excuse: “How could This County Princess’s given name be casually shouted by others?”
Gan Xun laughed. “You know ‘Teacher Zhao’ just sounds more natural, right?”
Zhao Zhiyun was uncharacteristically humble. “Just Zhao here.”
Her pronunciation of the English word wasn’t odd; she must have learned the true meaning of the phrase elsewhere.
Not exterminating Gan Xun’s nine clans was already remarkably approachable.
Cui Can wasn’t at the studio today, so Gan Xun took her straight away.
At the door, they ran into Lan Xiaoxi, who asked if Zhao Zhiyun’s class was over and handed them the milk tea she was holding.
She reminded them, “The evening after tomorrow, don’t forget to come.”
Zhao Zhiyun had gotten familiar with her colleagues and smiled politely, saying she had already made time.
Lan Xiaoxi instructed, “Between friends, no need to exchange gifts. It’s just a celebration. Don’t believe me? Ask Cui Can—she never buys me anything every year.”
Gan Xun thought there was no issue with that, but for some reason, Lan Xiaoxi seemed more willing to look at Zhao Zhiyun’s face while speaking.
During dinner, Gan Xun asked, “Should we really not get her a gift?”
Zhao Zhiyun said, “My salary hasn’t been paid yet.”
“Of course I’ll pay.”
Zhao Zhiyun ate her noodles unhurriedly. Unlike Gan Xun’s bowl loaded with chili and cilantro, she preferred plain broth noodles.
“But she already said no. Is that just polite talk here?”
Worried it might be, Gan Xun messaged Cui Can and learned they didn’t need to prepare anything either.
Lan Xiaoxi didn’t enjoy unwrapping gifts, especially store-bought ones.
Gan Xun dropped it, but by then they were already at a jewelry store. On a whim, she said Zhao Zhiyun’s neck lacked a chain and suggested they go in to pick one.
Following local customs, the Clear River County Princess, accustomed to gems and jade, could now graciously pick over these cheap items.
The store lights were bright, shining from all directions onto Zhao Zhiyun’s face. No matter which one she chose, the clerk kept praising how beautiful it looked on her.
When the clerk held up the mirror for Zhao Zhiyun, Gan Xun saw the genuine sparkle in her eyes, not flattery. She realized others truly found Zhao Zhiyun attractive too.
The store was beyond Gan Xun’s budget, but she decided to pay anyway.
At latest, she’d start work next month. Spending all her money didn’t matter, since she wasn’t sure if Zhao Zhiyun would still be around then.
In the end, Zhao Zhiyun chose a simple silver chain. Gan Xun helped her put it on, and with her V-neck short sleeve, even her collarbone looked incredibly kissable.
Back home, Zhao Zhiyun couldn’t help admiring it in the mirror. “Why pick a birthday gift for someone else and end up wearing it myself?”
Gan Xun said, “Just consider it an early birthday gift for you.”
Zhao Zhiyun smiled. “That’s way too early.”
Gan Xun shook her head. “Might not be able to celebrate with you then, so giving it early is fine.”
After saying that, Zhao Zhiyun paused briefly before smiling faintly. “Alright, thank you.”
Gan Xun wondered if she’d said the wrong thing, but Zhao Zhiyun wanting to spend this year’s birthday with family was an undeniable fact.
She never doubted that.
So she would never say something like, “I want to celebrate your birthday with you.”
Zhao Zhiyun’s birthday was in autumn.
Before getting the ID, they had to submit the info. Gan Xun had asked her, “When were you born?”
Zhao Zhiyun gave her full birth details, down to the hour.
“The eighth day of the ninth lunar month.”
Gan Xun realized she needed to convert it and checked the calendar. “That would be late October.”
Three months away—Gan Xun had no confidence at all.
She didn’t want to talk more about birthday gifts. “More than gifts, I’m worried you’ve been here nearly a month, and your… period still hasn’t come.”
Gan Xun minced words.
“My cycle has always been regular, but now with time and stars shifted, who knows the reason.”
Zhao Zhiyun vented. “Perhaps the feng shui here is poor.”
Gan Xun laughed. “Not acclimating is one thing, but blaming our feng shui?”
That night, Zhao Zhiyun didn’t sleep with the necklace on, but she still mentioned it, saying she was very happy.
She could already read prices now and knew Gan Xun was always generous with her.
She probably also knew it had nothing to do with her being a county princess.
Having her feelings seen felt wonderful, but Gan Xun also felt heartache. Zhao Zhiyun had never lacked jewelry before, yet she was so satisfied with a chain that wasn’t even particularly valuable here.
Unsure how to handle these excess emotions—or perhaps handling them drained her reason—she couldn’t hold back and asked Zhao Zhiyun, “Can I kiss you here?” Her finger lightly tapped the hollow between Zhao Zhiyun’s collarbones.
“Why?”
“You looked so beautiful wearing the necklace.”
Zhao Zhiyun agreed. Gan Xun leaned in to kiss her, but as soon as their lips touched, she was quickly pushed away.
Zhao Zhiyun’s hand was still on her shoulder, telling her with difficulty holding back, “It tickles.”
“Kiss somewhere else.”
Gan Xun heard her say.
Then they kissed.
Zhao Zhiyun tasted just like in her memories, even sweeter and moister. The sounds of their shared breaths were the most beautiful nocturne Gan Xun had ever heard.
The ID arrived the next day in a large paper envelope. Gan Xun took it and handed it to Zhao Zhiyun to open.
Zhao Zhiyun tore it open as instructed, cautiously peeking inside, as if afraid of poison or powder hidden within.
Her cautious, life-preserving look made Gan Xun burst out laughing.
She got glared at.
Then Zhao Zhiyun took out the ID card.
Name: Zhao Zhiyun
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Han
The birth year was adjusted two years back per Gan Xun’s figures—fake year, fake date.
It was filled based on this year’s lunar eighth day of the ninth month.
The photo was real.
Gan Xun stared at it. Zhao Zhiyun’s expression was neutral, her innate nobility highlighted by the black shirt collar.
Red lips, dark eyes, emotions hidden at the corners.
Zhao Zhiyun examined it. “One of the fortunes here is that even common folk can capture their appearance each year.”
In Mirror Kingdom, clear bronze mirrors were expensive, and portrait artists weren’t affordable for ordinary families. Most people went through life without a clear view of themselves.
Blurry and vague, toiling away.
Nothing like here, where anyone could go to the office and get a clear likeness on a card.
Gan Xun was always surprised by her perspectives. Thinking about it, it really was.
She was too young, born into an era where photos weren’t so rare. She hadn’t seen it as fortunate.
She had some childhood photos, but due to poor storage and neglect, most were gone. Only her aunt’s place had a couple.
Zhao Zhiyun had Gan Xun fetch her own ID and compared them side by side. Gan Xun’s expression looked much more youthful—after all, she had been younger then.
Gan Xun said, “No need to compare. You’re the most beautiful.”
Neither smiled in their ID photos. Otherwise, placed together, they would look like a marriage certificate.
Gan Xun quietly fantasized.
She pointed it out to Zhao Zhiyun. “Memorize this string of numbers. You’ll need it lots of places later.”
Zhao Zhiyun glanced at it twice, then raised her eyes to Gan Xun’s, reciting the ID number unhurriedly. “Any mistakes?”
Gan Xun had no idea. She hadn’t listened or checked.
She could only see Zhao Zhiyun demonstrating her photographic memory, reciting a string of modern numbers in her elegant, archaic tone.
Her lips were so kissable. Last night, Gan Xun had tasted them over and over until she got annoyed and bit her.
A tingling numbness—Gan Xun had woken suddenly in the latter half of the night still feeling it.
“No mistakes.” She could only brush it off.
Zhao Zhiyun recited the address on the ID. “This your native place?”
“Yes, before junior high boarding, I lived there with elders.”
“No Gan Hua?”
Gan Xun shook her head. “He rarely went home, bad relationship with family. Grandpa passed early, so I lived with Grandma, sometimes visited Aunt. She still lives there now—has money, successful kids, but she says she likes her rooted place.”
“Though twins, she’s nothing like Gan Hua.”
Zhao Zhiyun listened quietly, then softly asked, “Someday, take me there?”
Gan Xun did resemble Gan Hua in not liking to go back, but not from hate—fear of unnecessary pity.
“Why go?”
Zhao Zhiyun smiled. “The ID says I come from there too. If I don’t even know what it’s like, any questions from others would expose flaws everywhere.”
Gan Xun laughed too and readily agreed. “Sure, when the weather cools, I’ll take you back for a tour, learn the lay of the land. Too hot now—countryside’s uncomfortable.”
After she said that, Zhao Zhiyun didn’t immediately reply “Sure.”
Gan Xun found it odd and looked over.
Zhao Zhiyun shook her head, honestly changing her words. “I want to see the place where you truly grew up.”
“I want to understand you more.”
“If one day I leave, this card stays with you. The complete Gan Xun in memories, I’ll take away.”
A numb ache and warmth welled up, birthing courage. No moment made Gan Xun want to confess more than now.
