Master of Nine Stars

The weather was actually quite nice today. The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, though it was a shame there were no magpies to be seen.

For this group of youths from the Snow Realm, just being able to see the stars and moon was a blessing. After all, the sky was usually shrouded in a cold, hazy mist, making it feel like the end of the world was nigh.

Living day in and day out in such an environment, it was hard not to feel a little depressed.

A bonfire storytelling session on New Year’s night?

’Hmm, not bad, not bad~’

”Flowers of spring, winds of autumn, and the setting sun of winter... In verses of Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon, I grow with each passing year~” In his dorm room, Rong Taotao hummed a little tune as he frantically stuffed snacks into his backpack, seeming to be in an excellent mood.

Especially when he sang the words ”Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon,” Rong Taotao was absolutely delighted. He had somehow managed to sing a youthful ballad tinged with faint sorrow in a way that sounded utterly jubilant.

Hmph... He was really one of a kind.

On the nearby sofa, Si Huan Nian, with no trace of her goddess-like image, was slumped bonelessly, her legs propped up on the coffee table. She watched Rong Taotao with her head tilted, her thoughts unreadable.

SWISH. Rong Taotao zipped up his backpack and finally turned to look at Si Huan Nian. ”You’re really not going?”

Si Huan Nian pursed her lips. ”It’s a kids’ party. What would I do there?”

”Uh,” Rong Taotao scratched his head. ”It’s sort of a Junior Class party. We also invited my sister-in-law.”

”Not interested.” Si Huan Nian snorted. ”If I go, you all won’t be able to relax.”

Rong Taotao asked, ”Why not?”

Si Huan Nian gazed at Rong Taotao inscrutably. ”You think everyone dares to talk to me the way you do?”

Rong Taotao was speechless.

It was true. Si Huan Nian’s attitude was only decent toward Rong Taotao. With everyone else, she was a completely different person. Without a doubt, Si Huan Nian was a strict teacher, and one who didn’t shy away from corporal punishment.

In this Martial Arts Hall, she was the one the students feared most.

If Si Huan Nian were to show up, the Shi Family Sisters would probably be too scared to make a sound all night. They might even spend the entire bonfire party standing...

Rong Taotao thought it over and finally nodded. But then, an idea suddenly struck him. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and said, ”Coach Si, can I ask you for a favor?”

”Speak.”

”Hehe,” Rong Taotao chuckled. ”Ever since the first day of school when I first saw you, the first time I heard your voice, there’s been one thing I’ve always wanted to do.”

”Oh?” At his words, Si Huan Nian’s interest was piqued. Watching Rong Taotao approach, she asked curiously, ”And what’s that?”

Rong Taotao switched his phone to the voice recorder. ”Could you sing a song for me?”

Si Huan Nian’s expression was odd. ”Sing? Why do I spoil you so much?”

Rong Taotao said quickly, ”It’s because your voice is so nice! It’s husky, a little deep, with a hint of laziness... It’s absolutely perfect...”

”Heh,” Si Huan Nian let out a soft laugh. ”When you’re asking for a favor, you really know how to sweet-talk.”

”Come on, come on.” Rong Taotao held the phone straight up, almost shoving it into Si Huan Nian’s mouth. ”Since you’re not going in person, you can at least offer a song!”

He had all the makings of a paparazzi with a move like that.

Si Huan Nian instinctively tilted her head back, dodging the phone. ”Not interested.”

Rong Taotao hastily pulled a Little Rascal candy from his pocket. ”Here~”

Si Huan Nian gave Rong Taotao a disdainful look, but her body was very honest, reaching out to take the candy.

Rong Taotao decided to strike while the iron was hot. ”Help a kid out. At least it’ll add another segment to the bonfire party. All your students are out there, and they only get to have a party once every year and a half. You should at least show some support.”

”Hmm...” Si Huan Nian mulled it over for a moment before saying reluctantly, ”Fine.”

Rong Taotao’s heart leaped with joy as he quickly pressed the record button.

She slowly opened her mouth, and her wonderful voice, like a mellow, fragrant wine, nearly intoxicated Rong Taotao...

”Do you still remember the dreams of your youth, like a flower that never withers, accompanying me through wind and rain...” Si Huan Nian unwrapped the candy, looking at the Little Rascal Cubed Sugar that had been with her for so many years as she sang softly, ”Watching the world’s unpredictability, watching the vicissitudes of time.”

In less than half a minute, Si Huan Nian popped the Little Rascal into her mouth.

Rong Taotao asked, ”Just one verse?”

Si Huan Nian shot Rong Taotao a cool glance but didn’t reply.

Rong Taotao said, ”But that’s way too sad.”

’Hiss... What a vicious woman!’

’This goes completely against the spirit of a bonfire party!’

This group of Junior Class students had come from all over the country to live in this isolated Snow Realm. And she was going to sing ”Go on, go on, people must learn to grow up on their own”?

’What are you trying to do? Rub salt in our wounds?’

Si Huan Nian looked impatient. ”That’s enough. Don’t push your luck.”

Rong Taotao pouted, pressed the stop recording button, grabbed his backpack, and headed for the door, muttering under his breath, ”I’m not letting them hear it. I’ll keep it for myself as a ringtone.”

Si Huan Nian was speechless.

’Did this kid just use the bonfire party as an excuse to trick me?’

Little did she know, after a full year and a half at the school, Rong Taotao’s little scheme had finally succeeded!

Although the song was indeed a bit melancholy, it was perfectly fine as a ringtone. It was just a pity that within the Martial Arts Arena grounds, phones had to be on silent...

Rong Taotao, his bulging backpack stuffed with snacks he’d bought at dinnertime, looked like he was heading out for a picnic. He left his room and knocked on the door to the girls’ dorm. ”Da Wei?”

CLICK. Gao Lingwei, in contrast, was traveling light, her hands empty. She wore a thick, white down jacket, clearly well-prepared for the cold.