The morning sunlight stread in, illuminating the room.
Sam opened his eyes and instinctively glanced at his phone, only to realize he had overslept.
Self-discipline had always been a stringent standard Sam held himself to; after all, if one couldn’t manage self-discipline, there was no point in talking about goals and plans.
It seed the exhaustion from the day before had taken its toll, but fortunately, after a good night’s sleep, Sam felt neither tired nor sore. The benefits of improved stamina were evident, allowing him to tackle each day with renewed vigor.
After getting dressed and quickly freshening up, Sam made his way downstairs.
He found his mother had already prepared a full breakfast, and Ava was casually tying her hair into two braids while scrolling through her phone at the table.
Despite her youth, Ava was tall and leggy, her physique far surpassing that of girls her age. The sunlight bathing her face highlighted her youthful and adorable charm.
Indeed, no one remains young forever, but there will always be those who are currently enjoying their youth.
Reflecting on the events of the previous night, Sam still felt as if it had all been a dream.
So much had happened, so many emotions had seed to burst forth, only to recede as quickly as the tide, leaving behind no trace except for the mories lingering in his heart, as if nothing had actually occurred.
Approaching Ava, Sam felt a tinge of awkwardness.
However, Ava looked up at him as if nothing had happened, her usual disdain barely concealed. "Waking up this late, are you a lazybones, brother?" she teased.
With just a few words, Ava seed to dispel the odd sensation Sam was feeling. He chuckled and stretched lazily.
"Maybe I just haven’t slept at ho in too long. I had an exceptionally good sleep last night."
Ava, with her seemingly endless legs, tapped her shoes on the floor twice like a kitten kneading milk.
"Why don’t you just skip going to Kuhang for your studies? It’s not like your grades are any good, doesn’t seem to be much use..."
"Snap."
No sooner had Ava finished her sentence than their mother, from behind, lightly tapped the girl’s head with a spoon, saying in an exasperated tone, "What nonsense are you spouting to your brother? Is studying at Kuhang the sa as studying at Cedarwood? And you," she turned to Ava, "wait until your exam results co out. I want to see how well you did."
Ava sulked, rubbing her head.
"Are you this strict about your daughter’s education too? Haven’t you heard the fairy tale? A family can only afford to have one child study seriously. If Sam’s grades improve, mine are bound to drop."
Sam’s mother couldn’t help but laugh at Ava’s reasoning.
"I’ve never heard such a twisted logic before, stop making excuses..." She then rembered sothing and turned to Sam, "Oh right, Miss Angel hasn’t gotten up yet, go wake her up."
Before Sam could respond, Ava muttered, "Maybe the wealthy families in Kuhang aren’t used to getting up early. Why bother her? Let her be hungry."
Their mother, hands on her hips, stared at Ava, "Well then, you might as well return the shoes, taking people’s gifts and still having this attitude towards Angel. I don’t recall our family raising us like that."
Ava imdiately looked at Sam. "She’s talking about you, brother. Go wake Angel up, show so hospitality!"
"...Are you two putting on a cody show here?"
Despite his comnt, it seed like it was indeed Sam’s task to undertake, especially if Angel was here because of him.
Sam went upstairs, knocked on the door first, but no response ca from inside. After waiting for two minutes, he pushed the door open and entered.
The room was quiet, so quiet that only Angel’s shallow breathing was audible. She appeared to be still asleep, albeit in an odd position.
She was lying down, but the blanket covered her face, with only strands of her long hair peeking out from the gaps in the blanket.
Sam didn’t wake her imdiately but instead drew the curtains open. Instantly, the bright sunlight flooded in, illuminating the entire room.
He could clearly see the figure on the bed stir slightly, only to settle back into tranquility.
"She really knows how to lounge in bed, doesn’t she?"
Approaching the bedside, Sam then pulled down the blanket a bit, revealing Angel’s sleeping face. Unexpectedly adorable, with slightly closed eyes, her long eyelashes fluttered gently, and her lips pursed as if she were a serene infant.
But in the next instant,
"Whoosh!"
She pulled the blanket back up, covering her head again, as peaceful as if in eternal rest.
Sam paused, then pulled the blanket down again.
"Whoosh!"
She covered herself up once more!
What did this an? Was so programd routine not yet deactivated?
A robotic beauty?
Sam pulled the blanket down once more, this ti firmly holding it in place, preventing Angel from pulling it back up.
Finally, the girl who couldn’t maintain her feigned sleep with her eyes shut opened them, her face brimming with anger, almost contorting cutely.
"What are you doing...uh!"
Originally full of anger, intending to unleash it all on Sam for disturbing her sleep—a unforgivable sin in Angel’s view—she didn’t expect Sam to not utter a word but instead to cup her face and kiss her.
The kiss, entirely different from last night’s, was blocked; gentle as autumn sunshine, like a feather landing softly on a lake surface.
When Sam and Angel parted, Angel couldn’t remain angry. Her mind went blank as she gazed at Sam, who was only inches away, observing his strikingly handso features.
She blinked, her cheeks flushing uncontrollably. "What are you doing?!"
After being forcefully kissed the night before, and now again in the morning, it seed like an addiction!
Sam stood up as if he hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary.
"Ti for breakfast."
"That’s not what I’m talking about. What do you an by suddenly kissing ?!" Angel was particularly discontented, feeling treated like a toy without any warning.
Yet... that kiss, still carrying the drowsiness of sleep and bathed in the morning light, was unexpectedly comforting. Angel suddenly realized she didn’t dislike it at all.
Sam shrugged, "No big deal, just thought you were about to lose your temper, so I did that."
"You kiss when I’m angry?"
What kind of logic was that? As if a kiss was a switch to control Angel’s emotions?
Sam smiled, "No, just thought you looked especially cute afterwards. Now, hurry up and get dressed. Everyone’s waiting for you to eat. I’ll go out first."
"Jerk, stop right there!"
"Bang."
"Bang!"
The first sound was Sam closing the door quickly, and the second was a pillow hitting the door hard.
Sam had realized the night before, although Angel often used overly bold physical interactions to test him, she beca exceptionally genuine whenever Sam took the initiative to kiss her.
This might be one of her weaknesses, a trait Sam could use to his advantage.
Of course, it wasn’t sothing he could do at any ti. There was also the chance that if she was fully alert and sensed Sam’s intentions, she might slap him before he could kiss her.
After waiting a bit, there was so movent inside; evidently, Angel had gotten up.
When the door opened, there stood Angel, now dressed, her hair tied back in a casual ponytail, wearing her familiar black pleated skirt.
The mont she saw Sam, she imdiately adopted a cold deanor. "We’ll settle the matter from before later."
How much later? In the next lifeti, perhaps?
Sam didn’t reply, and Angel took the lead, descending the stairs on her own.
The atmosphere during the al... was it calm, or was it strange? Stay updated through .Côm
Hard to say, as the only conversation was between Sam and his mother, while Angel just ate, her gaze slightly lowered as if she couldn’t hear anyone else.
Ava seed off the mont she saw Angel, becoming quieter not just towards Angel but seemingly affecting Sam too. Whenever he looked at Ava, she would just huff and turn her head away.
"Has dad eaten already? Why isn’t he here?"
Their mother smiled, "He had breakfast early and then went out to work."
Sam found it curious, "Out to work so early? What work?"
His mother pondered for a mont, "I’m not entirely sure, but soone from the south who had left Cedarwood for a long ti ca back a few days ago, needing to repair their house... As you know, your dad is the best bricklayer around, so naturally, they asked him to help."
Sam, finding it odd, said, "The south... I’ve never really been there. But isn’t it quite rundown and inconvenient? And yet, soone wants to go back there to repair a house?"
His mother chuckled, "I don’t know the specifics, but the south has improved a lot now, and the transportation is much better... Anyway, that family is quite generous. Your dad ntioned he’s never heard of such high wages in Cedarwood before. I thought it was a scam at first, but it turned out to be true."
Sam smiled, "Probably because the cost of living is rising, and labor costs are getting higher. That’s a good thing."
"I’m heading out first." Ava, who had finished her breakfast at so point, picked up her backpack and stood up.
Sam paused, wondering where Ava was heading so early during the holiday.
Before he could ask, Ava hurriedly left the house.
Sam could only turn to his mother, "Where is Ava going so early?"
Mother chuckled, "Oh, it’s for the church. Our Cedarwood festival is coming up soon, and your sister, being this year’s priestess, naturally has preparations to make..."
"The church... Wait, since when did she beco a priestess?"
Sam indeed rembered Cedarwood’s church, and the church festival was one of the major holidays in Cedarwood. The festival in Cedarwood was unique compared to other cities, requiring the selection of a priestess, a rather stringent affair.
When had Ava beco a priestess? Sam and Ava used to play at the church often as children, but he never noticed her potential for such a role.
"The previous priestess fell ill, quite seriously, and went out of town for treatnt. Sohow, before she left, she knew Ava and chose her to be the priestess... Ava was initially reluctant, feeling she wasn’t up to the task, but surprisingly, everyone at the church seed very pleased with her, so it just happened," Mother explained.
"I see..." Sam had more questions about this matter.
But then—"Are you done eating?" Angel, wiping her lips, looked up.
Sam nodded, "Done. What’s up?"
"If you’re finished, let’s head out."
Sam looked at her curiously, "Go out for what? Isn’t it nice to stay at ho?"
Angel squinted, "Didn’t you say your hotown has beautiful scenery? I brought my cara."
Angel’s tone sounded increasingly impatient, prompting Sam to quickly respond, "Ah... Mom, I’m going out with her to take so photos and capture so scenery. We might not co back for lunch."
"Alright, be safe. You’re the man, so take good care of Miss Angel, hear ?"
"Got it."
Sam hurriedly changed his shoes and stepped outside, greeted by the natural essence of the countryside. The two walked along a rural path that was neither very smooth nor too rugged.
Sam, holding the cara, observed Angel walking beside him at a steady pace, seemingly in a good mood.
"How do you like it? Feels different from Kuhang, doesn’t it?"
At the sound of Sam’s voice, Angel instinctively frowned, as if his words had disrupted her pleasant mood. She turned her face away.
"It’s alright. Countryside farmlands, filled with the sounds of birds chirping and cicadas singing, and people chatting leisurely. You can even hear pigs squealing occasionally."
Sam looked around. "Where are there pigs? I didn’t hear any."
Only to find Angel staring straight at him, a slight curve forming at the corners of her mouth. Sam quickly realized she was referring to him.
"You must have seen quite the handso pig then."
Angel snorted disdainfully. "I want to take so photos, use them as material when we get back. Take sowhere high up; the views here aren’t cutting it."
Sam shook his head. "Sorry, pigs don’t lead the way."
Angel reached out, pinching Sam’s waist with a threatening expression.
"Lead the way, or choose to strip and stand in the field for to sketch you. Either way, pigs don’t wear clothes, right?"
Reviews
All reviews (0)