Lanqi and Talia's Walk to School

Across the horizon, the morning sun had already climbed high. Lanqi and Talia had taken only a few steps out of the School of Sages dormitory building when melodious chimes drifted to their ears. Today was the first Monday Talia had greeted since moving into Ikerite Academy. "The first time the two of us came to Ikerite Academy, didn't we hear chimes the moment we arrived as well?" Cradling the little black cat in her arms, Talia walked alongside him, embarking on the path to the School of Magic Engineering together. Back when she first arrived in Ikerite with Lanqi, they hadn't gotten along so well, and she had merely served as his bodyguard and teacher. Back then, she had accompanied the newly arrived Lanqi on a full lap around Ikerite Academy, the two of them relying on signposts to find their way until Lanqi finished the registration and revision procedures for the entrance examination. "I think it happened to be three in the afternoon back then. I remember you were so disgusted with me, always acting cold as ice," Lanqi thought for a moment and said aggrievedly. The campus's iconic red-brick clock tower struck nine times before falling quiet, announcing the arrival of nine in the morning. The two strolled beneath the clock tower. It loomed majestically amid an expansive meadow, surrounded by verdant trees where sunlight filtered through the canopy, scattering dappled patches across the lush green grass and painting a morning scene of interwoven light and shadow. "It's because you were always thinking about cursed things. Even back then, I knew something was wrong with you," Talia gave a cold scoff, remarking with irritation. She had never expected that more than a year later, she would be walking companionably across campus with him once again. "Still, I remember back then you wouldn't talk to me at all. On the entire journey from South Vantina, you spoke to me only a handful of times in total," Lanqi reminisced. "I've always been a woman of few words. It's only because I'm slightly more familiar with you now that I say a few extra sentences." Talia shook her head aloofly. "The two of you haven't stopped chatting lately, meow," Boss Cat couldn't resist chiming in. Even if, the vast majority of the time, they were just bickering. Yet as an onlooker, Boss Cat was quite certain that in the past, they wouldn't even argue. "That's not true," Lanqi and Talia denied in unison. Chatting along the way, they weaved between buildings of diverse architectural styles. They passed the School of Sages' Ancient Tower Library, inlaid with relief carvings, and strolled past the School of Knights' arena, steeped in classical charm behind its pointed-arch latticed windows. Looking closely, these were all paths they had once traversed. And the more buildings they passed with glass crystal panes, the more self-conscious Talia felt. "Lengthen this skirt for me," Talia finally said to Lanqi. Her thighs felt chilly; as a dignified demon princess, she had never worn a skirt this short in her life. And wearing stockings in the summer was simply too hot. "Yesterday when I offered to alter the uniform for you, you were worried that rashly changing Lanfu's habits might give us away. Now the moment we step outside, you've gone back on your word. So should I alter it or not?" Lanqi spread his hands helplessly, looking just like a contractor thoroughly tormented by his client. "..." Talia was momentarily lost for words. "Then do you think I look better in a short skirt or a long skirt? After all, you're the designer and sample-maker." She took a few steps and asked. Cradled in Tata's arms, Boss Cat looked up at Lanqi. The two of them were playing tug-of-war again. When faced with a question like this, the easiest move was simply tossing the ball back to the other person. If Lanqi answered "short skirt," Tata would probably reply, "If you want me in a short skirt so badly, I suppose I could reluctantly humor you to play Lanfu properly." "You're the one wearing the outfit. Even if I want to alter it, I have to ask for your opinion first," Lanqi blinked, speaking with utter earnestness. "I don't care. It's you who ends up looking at it most of the time anyway, so you decide," Talia said, crossing her arms. They were inseparable right now anyway; whatever she wore was basically reflected first in Lanqi's eyes. "Uh..." Truth be told, Lanqi found Tata's short-skirt outfit to have a rather strange appeal, though holding in his laughter was sometimes quite painful. "What on earth are you thinking?" Talia's gaze locked onto Lanqi instantly, her murderous intent surging. "!" Lanqi realized with a start—with their minds connected right now, whatever thought he had would be detected by her. "Each has its own merits. Even if you wore track pants under a short skirt, you'd still look great. You've got the foundation for it, after all," Lanqi paused, looking her over and offering a serious analysis. "...Stop staring." Feeling instinctively self-conscious, she averted her eyes. "Forget it. We're setting off in less than a week anyway, and once we return to the Hutton Kingdom, I won't ever dress up as Lanfu again. I'll just make do for now. Altering Lanfu's clothes recklessly might end up making her mad." Talia quickened her pace, walking ahead on her own. After a few minutes' walk, the two traversed a garden and found the red-brick building situated at the edge of the School of Magic Engineering—the School of Magic Engineering's Old Liberal Arts Building. "Our workspace is on the second floor. With the Poet of Great Love's ID card, you have the clearance to enter the Dean of the School of Magic Engineering's Experimental Workshop on the second floor," Lanqi explained to Talia as he led her inside the Old Liberal Arts Building. "Mm." Talia and Lanqi had already agreed that they could directly inform Professor Borao of Lanfu's current situation. Otherwise, pretending to be Lanfu in the workshop all day would be far too difficult for Talia. They climbed the stairs to the second floor and used the ID card to open the heavy door sealed by multiple layers of anti-magic steel. The Dean of the School of Magic Engineering's Experimental Workshop. The colossal laboratory resembled a square labyrinth pursuing the limits of knowledge and magic. Light sources hanging from the ceiling cast a cool white glow, illuminating magitechnical devices pieced together from steel, glass, and exotic metals. Bookshelves seemed to form the very walls, reaching all the way to the lab's vaulted ceiling. Following Lanqi through corridors of bookshelves scattered with research records and ancient magitechnical texts, Talia arrived at the innermost depths of the laboratory. Professor Borao was seated at his desk, surrounded by blueprints of magic engineering components and measuring tools. His slightly tufted white hair twitched occasionally, completely immersed in the work before him. "Professor Borao, we're here!" Lanqi greeted him. "Hm? Lanqi, Lanfu?" Old Man Borao raised his head, took off the silver-rimmed spectacles perched on his nose, set them on the desk, and smiled warmly like a grandfather seeing his grandchildren. Much as he detested being interrupted while working, his own students were an exception. Professor Borao pulled open a drawer and tossed two pieces of candy toward the far end of the desk. Whenever Lanqi and his friends came by, he would offer them selected snacks from Ikerite Academy; as an employee benefit, the academy distributed special gift boxes to all faculty and staff every quarter. Just then, Professor Borao gradually took in the figure beside Lanqi, furrowing his brows in question. "Lanfu, today you... Wait, you're not Lanfu?"