60. Santa Claus
The full moon hung in the sky, the night long and quiet.
The day had already ended with the stroke of midnight, but the night was far from over.
After returning to her room, Gong Yiling saw a girl on the balcony, leaning against the railing and looking at the scenery.
Her chestnut hair swayed in the gentle breeze, and she wore a simple, single-layered robe, looking quiet, elegant, and incredibly endearing.
—It was Qiu Shui.
Looking at Chun Lian, already fast asleep, Gong Yiling shook her head with a sigh.
If possible, she wished Qiu Shui could be as carefree as Chun Lian, without a worry in the world.
But…
She tiptoed towards the balcony, but accidentally bumped into Chun Lian’s discarded shoes, making a soft sound.
“Master?” The sound was enough for Qiu Shui to turn around, and she saw Gong Yiling tiptoeing towards her. “You’re back?”
Bathed in the moonlight, the girl’s lovely appearance stunned Gong Yiling, making her blush.
No, no.
Miss Gong quickly clenched her fist and coughed lightly. She closed the wooden door to the balcony and said, feigning a different persona, “Young lady, you must have mistaken me for someone else.”
“Hmm?” Qiu Shui was taken aback, not understanding Gong Yiling’s act.
“Ahem… at this time, you should be asking for my name.”
Qiu Shui, seeing her strange behavior, couldn’t help but cover her face and chuckle. “Then who are you?”
“Good question!” Gong Yiling replied seriously. “My name is Santa Claus. Although the date seems a bit off, it doesn’t matter. Santa Claus appears at any time, especially when a young lady needs me.”
“Santa Claus…” Qiu Shui’s eyes flickered, and she asked obediently, “What do you do?”
“To grant your wishes, of course.” Gong Yiling walked to her side, puffing out her chest. “Only kind, gentle, considerate, and serious girls get this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That girl must be you.”
She gently patted Qiu Shui’s head. “What is your wish?”
Qiu Shui tilted her head and grinned. “If Santa Claus is so powerful, you should be able to see my wish, right?”
“You’ve given me quite a puzzle.” Gong Yiling frowned in thought, then her expression brightened. “But I already know.”
With that, she grabbed Qiu Shui’s hand and pulled her off the balcony.
“Eh, eh, eh?” The sudden weightlessness caught Qiu Shui off guard. “Venerable…?”
Although they were only on the fourth floor, falling from this height would surely result in a large bump on the head, if not worse.
“Don’t speak.” As they fell, Gong Yiling put a finger to her lips. “Just feel.”
The short fall was enough to clear their minds.
Just as they were about to hit the ground, two talismans from Gong Yiling’s sleeve suddenly activated.
Two small, spirit-energy-woven cranes appeared beneath them, catching the two women just before they hit the ground.
Then, on Gong Yiling’s command, the two cranes flew towards the sky.
First, the feeling of weightlessness, then soaring through the clouds—it was an incredible experience.
Qiu Shui felt the wind whistling past her ears. When everything fell silent again, she finally opened her eyes.
“This…”
They had passed through the layers of clouds above the mountains, and now, before them was a vast sea of clouds under the moonlight, with a few mountain peaks piercing through, as if they had transcended the mortal world, with only boundless freedom before them.
“Is it beautiful?”
Gong Yiling, riding her crane, approached Qiu Shui and said softly, “This is Santa Claus’s gift to you. A painting.”
“And the name of this painting is… Qiu Shui (Autumn Water).”
“Autumn?” Qiu Shui murmured.
“It has just passed. It should be the dead of winter now.”
“Then what about the water?”
“There’s water everywhere. Take a deep breath, and you’ll inhale plenty of it.”
Hearing her explanation, Qiu Shui couldn’t help but laugh. “So that’s what you mean by ‘Qiu Shui.'”
“It can be any Qiu Shui you want. If you like, this place can be called anything.” Gong Yiling said lightly, “But I still prefer the name Qiu Shui.”
Qiu Shui turned to look at her, her heart fluttering. “Why… this name?”
“Because I hope a certain girl named Qiu Shui can be as free and unburdened as this scenery.” Gong Yiling smiled.
“Master…” Qiu Shui’s nose tingled, but she quickly composed herself, pouting and lowering her gaze. “Are you really Santa Claus?”
“The one and only.”
“Did my master send you?”
“Mmm—she saw that Qiu Shui seemed unhappy about not being able to find her mother, so she asked me to come and cheer you up.”
“Then…” Qiu Shui tilted her head and asked softly, “why didn’t she come herself?”
“She,” Gong Yiling stroked her chin and muttered, “is a big dummy. She doesn’t know how to comfort people. And although she promised to help you find your mother, she hasn’t made any progress. A big liar.”
“Master is not a liar!” Qiu Shui quickly moved closer, trying to cover Gong Yiling’s mouth. “Even if you’re Master’s friend, you can’t say that about her.”
“Master always keeps her promises. I even have a feeling she’ll help me find my mother tomorrow.”
“Is that so?” Gong Yiling held the girl’s hand, then found herself at a loss for words.
This role-playing, as a non-existent Santa Claus, was getting a bit out of hand.
“Mmm.” Qiu Shui looked at their clasped hands, her clear eyes sparkling like stars.
“Master is… the greatest master in the world—”
Before she could finish, an angry voice boomed from afar. “Who goes there! Don’t you know flying so high is forbidden in Qian Yue Academy? And on a private crane, no less!”
Uh-oh—
