Want to Come to My Place?

"Over here, over here!"

Li Changsheng had just arrived at the girls' dormitory and hadn't spotted the Seven Absolute Zither Master at first. He stood there waiting for a moment, but a familiar voice suddenly rang out, causing him to freeze for a split second before he turned around with his usual smile...

However, the corners of Li Changsheng's mouth suddenly stiffened, twitched, and then fell wide open.

At the entrance of the dormitory, a white-haired girl with her hair in a bun walked toward him gracefully. Her petite frame and the clothes she wore were clearly dressed up with intent, but Li Changsheng ignored all of that, because the Seven Absolute Zither Master was actually not wearing her mask today! She wasn't wearing her mask!

For the first time, he finally saw the petite and exquisite face belonging to the Seven Absolute Zither Master.

He made no extra movements, feeling only that his breathing had stalled.

The Seven Absolute Zither Master walked slowly toward him, her figure drawing closer with every step.

It was still the familiar silver-white hair, but unlike her usual loose style or the two braided pigtails, the bun tied at the back of her head made her look exceptionally striking. The face beneath the mask was even more breathtaking, despite her being a child not yet seven years old.

Her exquisite face was fragrant in every pore, and her skin, which was nearly translucent and tinged with a milky white, was completely flawless.

In particular, her features were like those carved from stone; a pair of watery, sky-blue eyes were as clear as crystalline gems, framed by long eyelashes.

Below them, her lips, shaped like a flowing stream, seemed to have a physical sheen as if she had applied lip balm. Without needing any extra movement, her cherry-red lips were slightly pursed, looking like a masterpiece of the heavens, while her slightly pink earlobes seemed to grow even rosier from shyness.

The sunset sky was so magnificent, and while it was already a sight that commanded attention, it now seemed to act as a sheer veil draped over the Seven Absolute Zither Master.

She wore a dress with lace ruffles. While there were similar garments in this world, spirit masters were a combat-oriented group and generally did not wear such attire.

She was significantly taller than her peers!

The neckline of the dress was tailored to be very form-fitting, and even though her chest had yet to develop, it perfectly framed her figure and highlighted her slender waist.

Her exposed limbs were snow-white, and her arms, even thinner than Li Changsheng's, gave her the feeling of a snow sprite.

The long dress was paired with pantyhose unique to this world, a very sheer style.

"What is it? Didn't you always want to see what I looked like? Now that you have, why are you making that face?" The Seven Absolute Zither Master walked up to Li Changsheng with elegant steps, raised her hand, and waved it.

"You, you are the Seven Absolute Zither Master?"

Even though Li Changsheng had lived for ten thousand years, he was incredibly surprised and shocked to see such an elfin appearance. He couldn't help but feel a warmth in his chest, as if a fire had been ignited in an instant.

"If I'm not, then are you?" The Seven Absolute Zither Master's face flushed red under Li Changsheng's stare. Subconsciously, as if flustered, she raised her hand and poked at Li Changsheng's stiff face.

"Damn, so cute..."

Li Changsheng blurted out the compliment instinctively.

"You..."

"Ah, no, no, it's just that I didn't expect you to be this cute. By the way, if you didn't wear a mask, I'm afraid I'd be under your control for an hour just looking at this face." Li Changsheng scratched his head and said with a laugh.

The Seven Absolute Zither Master gave a light huff: "Boys really are all lechers."

Upon hearing this, Li Changsheng immediately put on an icy face. "What lecher? Your mind is truly mature. I just wanted to appreciate beauty. By the way, why aren't you wearing your mask today?"

"Guess."

"I can't guess. Is it some kind of holiday?"

Li Changsheng thought about how the first semester of the Pre-Education Academy would end tomorrow. It was precisely for this reason that Zi Buyu was going to take Li Changsheng to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain his spirit ring, and they would only go on break after obtaining it.

The Seven Absolute Zither Master nodded: "Mm... I suppose you could call it a holiday. But this holiday was introduced from the Sun Moon Empire in recent years. It's the God Sacrifice Festival."

"God Sacrifice Festival?"

Li Changsheng was stunned for a moment before he realized what it was.

As the saying went, customs differed every ten miles. At the border between the Sun Moon Empire and the original empires of the Douluo Continent, there were blended traditions, and the God Sacrifice Festival the Seven Absolute Zither Master spoke of was one such holiday from the Sun Moon Empire.

On this day, people would bring their families to temples to worship a deity known as the Sun God. Those who prayed could make wishes to the Sun God, and if their sincerity was sufficient, their wishes might come true.

This was a custom from the Sun-Moon Continent. Compared to the Douluo Continent, the Sun Moon Empire was much closer to the world of Li Changsheng's past life; with all sorts of holiday customs, the people of the Sun Moon Empire were still quite rich in their thinking.

"Didn't we say we were going to buy ingredients and kitchenware? Why are we suddenly going to worship the Sun God?" Li Changsheng looked at the Seven Absolute Zither Master, who was meticulously dressed and finally maskless, and spoke with a teasing tone.

The Seven Absolute Zither Master clearly never feared Li Changsheng's teasing. She raised her head and said, "So, are you going or not?"

"I'm going. It's perfect, since we're on break tomorrow anyway."

If the Seven Absolute Zither Master hadn't reminded him, Li Changsheng would have truly forgotten that there was a festival to worship the Sun God in Two-Part City today.

Tomorrow they would leave the Pre-Education Academy and head to the Star Dou Great Forest. Once Li Changsheng obtained his second spirit ring, the first academic year would be considered over, and all students would have to leave the school.

Li Changsheng hadn't yet decided where he should go; perhaps he would complete some exploration missions, head to the Far North, or stay near the Star Dou Great Forest to explore.

The two of them subsequently left the Pre-Education Academy. They did not take the main gate, because without her mask, walking through the main gate would surely invite trouble.

This was the first time Li Changsheng had taken a serious look around Two-Part City.

Because of the festival and the approaching nightfall, this was the busiest time in Two-Part City.

It was well-deserved as a major transportation hub connecting the Sun Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire. Now, looking out, no matter which street they entered, it was crowded to the point of being packed with people.

When Li Changsheng arrived, he was stunned at first.

"So many people?"

Indeed, weren't there just too many people? Looking at the crowded streets, Li Changsheng immediately lost interest. He looked at the Seven Absolute Zither Master beside him.

The Seven Absolute Zither Master was too eye-catching. Just by standing there, the gazes of everyone nearby were drawn to her in an instant. Moreover, her attire was somewhat delicate; if they were to squeeze into the crowd like this, it would likely be very problematic.

"Let's find a place to sit for a while and wait for the crowds to thin out before we look around. Paying respects to the gods isn't about the time of day; sincerity is what matters. Besides, you haven't eaten yet, have you? There are vendors selling skewers over there; I'll go buy some."

Li Changsheng made the suggestion first, and the Seven Absolute Zither Master nodded. She leaned closer to him, looking somewhat timid; she seemed quite fearful of the gazes from the people around them.

Li Changsheng finally understood why she wore a mask at all times. She seemed to be terrified of crowded places. When they arrived, they hadn't encountered many people at the Pre-Education Academy, but if they had, it might have been troublesome—after all, the Seven Absolute Zither Master was far too beautiful.

Li Changsheng practically bought out the entire skewer stall, then took the reasonably delicious food and sat down with the Seven Absolute Zither Master on a stone bench.

Taking the skewers, Li Changsheng saw the Seven Absolute Zither Master eat without her mask for the first time. Her posture was elegant, her expressions were vivid, and in short, she was incredibly cute.

Watching the endless stream of people, Li Changsheng ate his skewers, feeling somewhat bored.

At this moment, the Seven Absolute Zither Master spoke up from beside him: "Where do you plan to go after the break?"

"Huh?"

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Li Changsheng didn't react immediately. "After I head to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain my soul ring, I'll likely return to Two-Part City to rent a room and wait for the Pre-Education Academy to start."

Of course, he didn't mention his desire to explore the Star Dou Great Forest or the Far North; after all, those places were far too dangerous for a two-ring Great Soul Master.

"Not going back to Spirit Soul City?" The Seven Absolute Zither Master ate a piece of fried meat, puffing out her cheeks. She seemed to find it not quite to her taste, but she swallowed it anyway.

"Ah, I don't think so. There's no reason to go back."

That was true. How could he go back in his current state? Besides, what would be the point of returning?

The Seven Absolute Zither Master blinked, looking at Li Changsheng, and suddenly suggested:

"If you really have nothing to do, why don't you come home with me after you get your soul ring? Look, you don't have anywhere to go anyway, and I'll be bored at home. We could spar together, how about that?"

Li Changsheng was surprised by the invitation.

He remembered that the Seven Absolute Zither Master's home was near the Far North, which actually sounded quite good...

If she had invited him at the very beginning, he would have certainly suspected she had some ulterior motive. But after a semester of spending almost every day studying together, even Li Changsheng, with his somewhat cynical mindset, had come to trust her. Plus, being invited by such a beautiful girl, he didn't really think about refusing. He could even grind out some tasks in the Far North while he was at it.

"That sounds good," he said with a smile.

"It's a deal, then. My parents will definitely welcome you warmly." The Seven Absolute Zither Master smiled as well.

With that settled, the two of them continued eating their skewers.

"By the way, since I've seen your face, should you tell me your name? Calling you 'Seven Absolute Zither Master' is such a mouthful."

The crowd was thinning out; most people had likely finished their prayers and were heading home.

Li Changsheng and the Seven Absolute Zither Master remained on the stone bench. Li Changsheng sipped the freshly squeezed berry juice he had just bought and spoke.

"My name?" The Seven Absolute Zither Master was also sipping her juice. She had specifically asked for a sweet one, while Li Changsheng's was a bit more tart.

"Shen Yueliang."

"Shen Yueliang? That's a beautiful name." Li Changsheng's expression froze for a moment when he heard the word 'Yueliang'. "I think I know why you asked about my title back then."

Shen Yueliang smiled faintly. "Then why did you choose the title 'Xiangjian Yueliang'?"

"I told you already, I'm missing someone."

"You're clearly just a child... yet you're so mature." Shen Yueliang lightly pursed her cherry-red lips, her tone peculiar.

Li Changsheng glanced at her and flashed a smile. What child? Who was a child? Who was the child?

"Is your berry juice good?" Shen Yueliang held her sweet drink, blinking curiously at the purple juice in Li Changsheng's hand.

"Want to trade?"

"Sure."

Li Changsheng and Shen Yueliang swapped their partially finished drinks.

Taking the sweet berry juice, Li Changsheng took a sip. The taste reminded him of strawberry juice from his past life. He had drunk this kind of juice before, which was why he had chosen a different flavor this time, but for some reason, it tasted a little different today.

He glanced at Shen Yueliang. Her eyes were narrowed into thin lines, and her small face showed surprise as she said, "It's good. It's tart."

The two sat there for about an hour until the crowds finally dwindled.

Li Changsheng stood up first, thought for a moment, and extended his hand, placing it where Shen Yueliang could see it.

Shen Yueliang was startled at first, but then she heard Li Changsheng say, "If you get lost, I'll be homeless for the holidays." Her brows furrowed, but then she relaxed and smiled. "That's true."

She placed her hand in his, gave a light squeeze, and stood up.

Everything was so simple, yet everything was so complex.