127: There are other ways to live life

Perhaps, it was the fear that once a confession was made and failed, this beautiful relationship couldn't be maintained.

But Jiang Hanwen felt there might be another explanation, a niche, yet truly existing one.

It was his deskmate, a scrawny little boy.

As soon as he entered school, he fell in love at first sight with a girl in his class. Every day, just to get another glimpse of her, whenever she cleaned, he would intentionally be late to help her clean.

Near graduation, he asked the boy, since he liked her so much, why didn't he confess.

Not saying anything guarantees nothing will happen.

Saying it gives a fifty-fifty chance, so we wouldn't lose anything.

The boy didn't explain first. Instead, he told Jiang Hanwen that this girl had boyfriends outside of class, and she changed them every one or two months. From a senior when she first entered school to a junior when she was about to graduate, over three years, she had no fewer than twenty boyfriends.

Despite knowing the girl's scandalous past, he still couldn't help but like her.

His voice would tremble when he spoke, his steps would quicken excitedly when he passed her desk, and his cheeks would flush instantly when their eyes met.

Why did he like her?

He only learned this answer from the boy on the day of their graduation photo, when they went their separate ways.

What he liked was the girl in his concept—intellectual, gentle, fond of smiling, and beautiful—not the real-life girl who was strongly jealous, smoked, and liked riding motorcycles with tattooed men.

His deskmate liked the girl for three years. After graduation, he went to work at a construction site, his hands developing calluses. Once, while pushing a cement cart, the brakes failed, and he almost lost his life on the site.

After two months of back-breaking work, he bought a makeup box that was quite expensive for a student.

But he didn't give it to her. Instead, after removing the packaging, he threw it in a desolate wilderness.

Shattered along with the wooden makeup box was his three years of unrequited youthful love, buried in the dense forest where he discarded the box, slowly decaying in the unseen darkness.

His first romantic stirrings, his first mad pursuit of someone, ended with such a result.

Reason could curb his impulses, but emotion struggled desperately.

Too strong an emotion, falling at too young an age, is bound to break something.

"Hurry up! The instructor is coming out to judge poems! There's also a ‘Flying Flower Order’ later!"

"Go, go, go, let's go together!"

"Wait for me, my candied hawthorns!"

...The boisterous shouts interrupted his memories. Jiang Hanwen looked into the distance and saw hundreds of people surging towards the large red platform far away.

Jiang Hanwen glanced back at the Ascending Cloud Tower. Unbeknownst to him, he had already walked several hundred meters away.

Fortunately, Huang Ying, whether from their meeting or from gossip, seemed decent. That was a stroke of luck.

Two poems. I hope that kid has the guts to confess. If he doesn't dare to make a move now, then he has no one to blame.

Turning his head to look forward, Jiang Hanwen stepped to follow.

There are many ways to play the Flying Flower Order. The common method in this world is to follow a sequence.

For example, the first line is "Flowers drift and water flows," with 'flower' as the first character.

The second line must be, "When flowers fall, I meet you again," with 'flower' as the second character.

The third line must be "Spring River Flower Moon Night," with 'flower' as the third character, and so on.

Overall, the difficulty is quite high.

Jiang Hanwen's lips curved slightly. He wondered what great talents there might be among the more than 100,000 people.

With his agile movement technique, he easily pushed his way forward.

In the fourth row, Jiang Hanwen stopped. He looked in surprise to his left, where a woman in a pink cotton robe stood. She wore no makeup and had an ordinary appearance, nothing special.

But Jiang Hanwen smelled a familiar scent on her.

He didn't continue to move forward, choosing to stand beside her.

"They're here!"

Someone shouted.

A middle-aged man, about forty years old, walked onto the two-meter-high platform. He wore a dark blue Confucian crown, a light green brocade robe, a jade pendant at his waist, and held a crimson ruler. The ruler's edge had markings, and in the middle were four powerful characters—"Establish Virtue and Nurture People."

Snowflakes drifted down, sliding off his clothes like willow catkins, not clinging to him at all.

Jiang Hanwen narrowed his eyes. A Qi Induction Realm cultivator, joining in the fun with ordinary people?

Interesting.

"This old man, Jiao Mengde, greets you all."

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd below bowed in response, shouting sincerely, "Welcome, Instructor."

What's going on?

Brother Mengde, that Mengde who liked other men's wives?

Unfortunately, his surname is Jiao.

Seeing the crowd's demeanor, this instructor's prestige was not low. Jiang Hanwen's heart was even more expectant. He decided he would write a poem later to see the old man's level.

"Today, this old man, on behalf of the Dean, will recruit students under eighteen. You all can bear witness to the process."

After speaking, the old man beckoned behind him. With the thud of footsteps on the stairs, seven men and three women walked from the back to the front, appearing before everyone.

Jiang Hanwen noticed that among these ten people, except for one boy who was dressed quite elaborately, the other nine were all dressed plainly, most likely from ordinary families.

So, this is an open audition?

How fresh, this is the first time I've seen something like this.

It's just that this place is a refuge. In the past, Blackrock City never cared about such things.

Today, they're sending people and holding selections. Behind this, there must be something he doesn't know.

Could it be that the rumors of city-building, which have been circulating for several years, have a chance to come true?

The ten people introduced themselves in front of everyone, spoke of their ambitions, and then began the Flying Flower Order.

"In spring, the stepside grass first turns green; as wind passes, the screen window whispers softly."

"In late spring, I leisurely face a courtyard of flowers, sketching the evening glow with light ink and a single brush."

"..."

For half an hour, they competed one by one, from flying 'spring' to 'summer,' from 'moon' to 'frost.'

As they listened, Jiao Mengde also provided live explanations, citing classics, explaining origins, and highlighting subtleties. The crowd below was thoroughly entertained, or as they say—"eating fine bran."

Finally, only two people remained on stage: Lin Xibing, the elaborately dressed young man, and Xiao Fu, wearing a blue short jacket, with a gentle smile always on his lips, appearing refined and elegant.

"It's getting late, everyone, that's all for today." Jiao Mengde cupped his hands to the crowd, without any pretense.

"They can go to the city now."

"They're really amazing."

"So many people, and only two..."

As they were lamenting, a mumble broke the farewell.

"Instructor, didn't you say you would judge our poems?" a seven or eight-year-old child shouted, waving a crumpled piece of Xuan paper in his hand.

Even though his small face was red from the cold, the sparkle in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

Jiang Hanwen narrowed his eyes. Although Cultivation is the Great Dao, it doesn't prevent other choices in life, even if those choices are a bit unconventional, aren't they?

The love in the child's eyes was burning, surpassing the awkwardness between adults, and even surpassing the swirling wind and snow.

"Oh, I had forgotten." Jiao Mengde smiled kindly, flicked his ruler, and a clear Qi flew from the ruler, retrieving the poem from the child's hand.

"At dawn, I shoulder a hoe, at dusk, I return home.

Father is older than Mother, and Nunu is younger than me."

"Hahaha!"

After hearing the little one's poem, everyone burst into laughter.

Jiao Mengde smiled gently, "Little one, who is Nunu?"