Childhood Friendships

Time was like sand, slipping silently through your fingers before you even noticed.

Mo Xie and Mo Fan grew up as time passed and started elementary school.

During the nine years of compulsory Magic education that began in elementary school, teachers gradually taught their students about Magic.

Mo Xie was fascinated. Back when he read novels in his previous life, he had often wondered what they would teach.

Everything felt new, so Mo Xie listened closely in class, soaking up knowledge like a sponge.

Perhaps because he was only in first grade, Mo Xie found the lessons rather simple. They covered things like identifying branches of Magic and the spells available at each level.

Mo Xie was not satisfied. He already knew those things without studying them; all he had to do was search the Memory Palace.

So Mo Xie asked his teacher for all six years of elementary school textbooks. He no longer needed to listen in class.

While everyone else struggled with lessons they found difficult, Mo Xie taught himself the entire six-year curriculum.

As a result, Mo Xie always ranked first in his grade and scored full marks on every test. His classmates' parents called him "that kid everyone else's parents wish they had."

Mo Xie found that title troublesome. After all, it was hard to hide the look of someone who wanted to stab you.

To Mo Xie, elementary school questions were child's play. Not getting full marks would have been a much bigger blow.

Mo Fan's grades were good too, placing him third in the grade, though that was partly because Mo Xie pushed him.

His dream was not to become a Magic mage. He still wanted to be a pirate... No, a scientist!

Mo Xie tried to talk him out of it, but Mo Fan was obsessed. Wanting to be a scientist in this world was no different from dreaming that spiritual energy would return and make you the strongest person alive in their old world.

Mo Xie could do nothing about it. As long as Mo Fan's grades did not slip, it was fine.

Mo Xie found elementary school dull, but he did make a few friends who brought some color to his boring days.

Zhang Xiaohou was nicknamed Monkey because both his looks and his personality resembled those of a muddy little monkey.

Zhang Xiaohou was something of an admirer of Mo Xie and Mo Fan. He followed the brothers around all day, calling them "Brother Xie" and "Brother Fan."

Mu Bai was a child of the Bocheng Mu Family. Good-looking, well-mannered, and an excellent student, he was the school's young gentleman.

Mu Bai got along well with Mo Xie, but he and Mo Fan could not stand each other. Mo Fan was always teasing Mu Bai by calling him "Green Tea Man." The two would have remained at each other's throats if Mo Xie had not helped smooth things over.

Zhao Kunsan was Mu Bai's little sidekick—a lackey, in short. They could skip right past him.

The last one was a girl named Mu Ningxue.

Mu Ningxue was the daughter of Mu Zhuoyun, head of the Bocheng Mu Family. She truly was Bo City's "little princess."

Mo Xie and Mu Ningxue sat together in class. They had been ordinary classmates, but Mo Xie had thought it would be nice to find some friends for Xin Xia. Ever since he introduced Mu Ningxue to Ye Xinxia, Mu Ningxue had started clinging to him.

Mu Ningxue and Ye Xinxia had indeed become good friends, but not in the way Mo Xie had hoped.

Go cling to Xin Xia. Stop clinging to me!

Mo Xie did not want the hassle, so he hid whenever he could. Right now, for example, he was hiding on a rooftop, sunbathing.

He had liked doing this since he was little. Whenever he was bored, he climbed onto a roof to lie down and rest. Despite being in the sun every day, Mo Xie's skin never tanned; it stayed fair.

"Little Evil, I found you!"

A voice like tinkling bells rang beside Mo Xie's ear.

Of course, she always found him in the end... Mo Xie sighed helplessly and opened his eyes. Before him stood a girl in a white dress, with glossy black hair falling to her waist and a mischievous smile on her face.

Mo Xie blinked and blurted out, "White..."

"Ah!" Mu Ningxue hurriedly held down her skirt. Her cheeks flushed bright red, and her eyes flashed with embarrassment and anger. "Little Evil, you hentai!"

"You're standing right there. How could I not see?" Mo Xie retorted, then added, "Where did you learn that word? I'm not admitting I'm a pervert."

"Hmph. I don't care. Little Evil is a hentai!" Mu Ningxue said, pouting.

"Fine, fine. Call me whatever you want." Mo Xie dusted off his clothes and stood up. "Xue, you don't have to be so persistent. And it's dangerous up on the roof."

"If I didn't catch you every time, would you play with me?" Mu Ningxue demanded, glaring at him.

"You have a point. Come on, then." Mo Xie gave an awkward laugh.

"Hmph!" Mu Ningxue crossed her arms and turned her head away. "Don't think I've forgiven you!"

Mo Xie looked at Mu Ningxue's stubborn pose and sighed. "I really can't do anything with you."

He extended a hand and bowed with impeccable gentlemanly courtesy.

"Then please come with me, my princess."

"That's more like it."

Only then did Mu Ningxue put her hand in his and let him help her down the wooden ladder.

"So what are we doing this time? Not playing that boring game of house again, right? Please, have mercy on me!"

Mo Xie clasped his hands together, his face twisted in misery as he pleaded.

Mo Xie was going crazy. Every time they played house, Mu Ningxue forced him to be the husband. If he refused, she cried, and he had no choice but to keep playing with her.

Once, Mu Ningxue had caught him off guard and stolen his first kiss.

Since then, Mo Xie had refused to play house. He was genuinely afraid she would devour him whole the moment he let his guard down.

Playing house had left Mo Xie with a fear he could not shake.

"Hmph! You should be honored to be my husband. Plenty of others would jump at the chance!"

Mu Ningxue sounded angry at first, but her voice grew quieter as she went on.

"But... if it's... if it's Little Evil... then maybe... getting married wouldn't be so bad..."

After stammering through the words, Mu Ningxue's face turned bright red. She quickly looked away from Mo Xie.

Mu Ningxue had spoken softly, but Mo Xie had sharp ears. After hearing her, he gave her an odd look.

"Xue, you know I don't like little kids."

Mu Ningxue stared at Mo Xie, her wide eyes unblinking, as though she had been frozen in place.

"I'm going to grow up too! Besides, you're a kid right now yourself. We can do it when we're both grown up!"

Mu Ningxue spoke angrily, her face full of indignation.

Mo Xie shook his head, speechless. Mentally, he was at least twenty years old. He was interested in mature, intelligent women in their twenties. He really could not bring himself to fall for a ten-year-old girl.

Maybe I'll feel differently when we grow up, Mo Xie thought.

"Little Evil, we could..."

Mu Ningxue was thinking about how to get some time alone with him.

From the distance came an impatient shout: "Big brother, hurry up and come play!"

"Oh, coming!" Mo Xie ran off with a smile, leaving Mu Ningxue standing there alone.

"Little Evil, you... Mo Xie!" Mu Ningxue watched his figure recede and stamped her foot hard.

When I call you, you hide. When your little brother calls, you scamper right over. What's that supposed to mean?

Mu Ningxue had once thought her greatest rival was her good friend Ye Xinxia. Later, she realized how wrong she had been. Her greatest rival was definitely Mo Fan.

Childhood was often fleeting, but its memories were always worth treasuring.

Mo Xie enjoyed the carefree days of childhood. What was wrong with living them a second time?

All Mo Xie wished for was to pass through this childhood in peace. But fate rarely gave people what they wanted.

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