Chapter 34: A Morning’s Unexpected Encounter

In the early morning, soft sunlight streamed through a gap in the curtains, illuminating the small bed within the room.

The crisp chime of an alarm clock pierced the quiet, and the little silver-haired maid, still buried beneath her covers, reached out to push them aside. With a decisive ‘snap,’ she silenced the insistent ringing.

Under Huang Beifeng’s insistent demands, she had been forced to sleep in a maid’s uniform last night.

‘Ugh, it wasn’t comfortable at all. Nowhere near as pleasant as a nightgown. Yes, nightgowns are definitely better; they’re one of the few pieces of women’s clothing I don’t feel any aversion to.’

‘No more dwelling on such trivialities. Time to change.’

Slipping out of the maid’s uniform and into her school uniform, she finally felt a measure of ease. Yet, as her gaze fell upon the discarded maid’s outfit on the bed, her hand, poised to toss it into the trash, unexpectedly hesitated.

‘Hmm, what’s wrong with me? I actually don’t want to throw it away.’

‘Never mind. It would be a waste to discard it.’ Using this flimsy excuse to justify her actions, she snatched the maid’s uniform from the bed, pushed open her door, and headed to the bathroom.

The bathroom in their home was quite spacious, accommodating not only basic bathing needs but also a washing machine. With little time to spare now, she could only stuff the uniform inside, planning to wash it later when she returned at noon.

‘Though I have no idea when I might pick up that maid’s uniform again… *Pah, pah, pah!* It would be best if I never had to touch it again.’

By the time I had finished my morning ablutions, the door to Mu Rong Xin Xue and the others’ room had opened. Perhaps their excitement from last night had been too much, for it seemed none of them had slept particularly well.

While they were busy with their morning routines, I decided it would be best to fetch them some breakfast from the stout proprietor’s stall. I certainly had no desire to cook myself.

Pushing open the front door, I was greeted by a truly splendid day. Gazing up at the clear, azure sky, I realized it had been far too long since I had seen such a pristine expanse.

‘Today is a good day. I truly hope my luck holds, and no more unexpected incidents arise.’

As usual, I greeted the master of the steamed bun shop, pretending to be Mu Rong Xin Xue, before collecting my buns and heading homeward.

It was still early; there was no rush for school.

Just then, I unexpectedly spotted an acquaintance.

Though, ‘acquaintance’ might be too strong a word. We had only encountered each other a few times, so we weren’t truly familiar, and I didn’t even know her name.

‘Still, I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of curiosity. Why would that ‘Ice Mountain Senior’ be at the steamed bun stall? I recalled her always disembarking from her ride behind mine, which should place her quite a distance from here. So why was she here?’

‘It’s none of my business, really. I can’t just walk up and ask the ‘Ice Mountain Senior’ why she’s here, can I? Honestly, we’re not even close. How could I possibly ask her directly?’

As Mu Rong Luo Ye turned to depart, Mo Yuyan, who had been standing silently by the steamed bun stall, suddenly noticed the familiar figure.

“Hmm?”

Watching the other person disappear into the distance, Mo Yuyan slowly withdrew her gaze.

Taking the bag of steamed buns from the stout master, Mo Yuyan gently tapped the side of the steamer once more.

Observing Mo Yuyan’s gesture, the stout master smiled and nodded, then reached into his pocket to retrieve a USB drive, which he handed to her.

“Everything you asked for is right here.”

With a subtle glance at the USB drive the stout master offered, Mo Yuyan’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Are you truly unwilling to reconsider our proposal?”

“I’m old, far too old,”

he replied, shaking his head, and said nothing further. It was as if he had never spoken with Mo Yuyan, his gaze quickly reverting to that of a stranger addressing an unfamiliar customer.

Sighing softly, Mo Yuyan knew there was nothing more to say. His expression clearly conveyed his refusal; he would no longer be involved. For them, this represented a significant loss.

Although that matter was closed, seeing how he had conversed with that silver-haired loli earlier, they must be acquainted.

As acquaintances, they would likely know each other well. In that case, she might be able to glean some information from him.

“That person just now, was—”

Mo Yuyan gestured towards the distant figure, her voice devoid of emotion as she inquired.

“Ah, you mean that girl, Mu Rong Xin Xue? She used to come here often to buy buns. She even used to bring her younger brother with her, but now it’s just her.”

“Is that so, Mu Rong Xin Xue?”

Repeating the name several times in her mind, Mo Yuyan felt a strange familiarity. It was as if she had heard it somewhere before.

However, the name she recalled was longer and far more complete than this. Hearing it here now was likely just a coincidence.

Casting one final glance back at the stout master, Mo Yuyan understood this might well be their last exchange.

“Take care, Senior,”

she said, securing the USB drive the stout master had given her. With a slight bow, Mo Yuyan turned and departed.

Watching her figure recede into the distance, gradually vanishing from his sight, the stout master continued to hand out buns to customers, yet his heart felt incredibly heavy.

‘Forgive me. I am old now. This era belongs to you young ones.’

After seeing Mo Yuyan off, the stout master drew his gaze back and resumed his busy work.

Still, it was evident that something was missing from his eyes, or perhaps something had been lost.

Soon enough, his usual demeanor returned, as if nothing had transpired, as if he had never even encountered Mo Yuyan.