Zheng Qing paid little mind to Xiao Xiao's melancholy musings.
Rather than listen to someone ramble, Zheng Qing was more concerned with the little fire before him. Watching the orange-red flames rise, the young scholarship student let out a long breath and waved a hand in satisfaction as he replied:
"As the saying goes, 'A sword's edge is honed through grinding; plum blossoms earn their fragrance through bitter cold.' If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight."
Having just gotten the fire going, Zheng Qing was brimming with confidence, holding forth with sweeping gestures:
"Even the ancients knew that before Heaven entrusted a man with a great responsibility, it would first torment his spirit, exhaust his body, starve him, leave him destitute, and thwart his endeavors. How much more should we understand that?!"
Dr. Xiao narrowed his eyes at the suddenly invigorated Zheng Qing.
"Did you take the wrong medicine?" He was deeply suspicious of Zheng Qing's current state.
The question left the scholarship student feeling deeply wounded.
"We're running low on firewood. Go gather some... stop standing around gossiping." Zheng Qing shot the Doctor an irritated look. "Since we're already here, could you show a little enthusiasm and get to work?"
He was saying that to Xiao Xiao, but also to himself.
Originally, Zheng Qing had planned to skip today's spring outing.
He had rather a lot to worry about lately—the Faceless Monster still hadn't been caught; his coursework for the coming semester was growing increasingly demanding; conflicts between the school's clubs were intensifying, and as the leader of both the Sin Absolution Knight Order and the You Zui Hunter Team, he had to devote more time to balancing club affairs. On top of that, the work in Professor Montria's laboratory was a headache, and