Chapter 22: Children Don't Need to Understand

"Brother Hang, can we consider our past grievances buried now?"

Fu Shuhang did not reply.

Ji Xun, sprawled on his back, had gone through a hundred and eighty mental gymnastics. After rehearsing his speech, he chuckled and said, "Brothers don't hold grudges overnight, right? I was really too narrow-minded before, sulking by myself. But look, you're still so good to me—I sprained my ankle, and you're even carrying me!"

Fu Shuhang was already in a foul mood. "Shut up."

Ji Xun, having been rebuffed, pouted; he was no longer in the mood to curry favor with Fu Shuhang.

By now, they had walked out of the Sentinel building. The Sanctuary was exceptionally quiet. Ji Xun turned his head while resting on Fu Shuhang's back, watching the evening glow in the sky. As he watched, his mood slowly began to lift. It was truly beautiful, like strands of silk layered together, adorning the very edge of the sky.

With Ji Xun behind him now silent, Fu Shuhang spoke up again, his voice cold and hard: "Make it yourself."

Ji Xun had been lost in thought. "Huh?"

"Make what myself?"

"Breakfast."

"But..." *I don't know how.*

Ji Xun thought to himself, *This is too hard on the future strongest Guide! I can do anything, except cook!*

Fu Shuhang: "You can't?"

Hearing the mocking tone in Fu Shuhang's voice, Ji Xun swallowed his words. "But Brother Hang, you get up very early every day, don't you?"

"Get up earlier. I'll wait for you."

"...Oh."

"It's a deal then! I'll get up early to make you breakfast, and you have to wait for me!" Ji Xun was not easily defeated. He reached out one hand from around Fu Shuhang's neck and extended his pinky finger toward him. "Pinky promise!"

Fu Shuhang glanced at it. He was about to free one hand from carrying Ji Xun, but after moving his fingertips half an inch, he pulled them back.

"Childish," Fu Shuhang said, pursing his lips, and quickened his pace.

Ji Xun truly felt that this was intolerable. Fu Shuhang was going too far! He had to awaken sooner. Once he underwent his second awakening, he would not only have a spirit beast, but his mental power would surge! Then he would see how Fu Shuhang continued to act so arrogant!

After Qian Peng's series of explanations, Ji Xun became increasingly convinced that his second awakening was related to the strange experiences he had after every ritualistic bathing and incense burning. If he could just figure that out, he would make a huge breakthrough!

Although facing the unknown alone was a terrifying thing, how could the strongest Guide shrink back from this?

Therefore, that night, Ji Xun brought out the incense burner again and began another round of bathing and incense.

However, this time, Ji Xun didn't go anywhere. He simply fell into a deep, sound sleep, without a single dream. When he woke up the next day, it felt as if his hollowed-out body had been refilled; Ji Xun was full of energy!

While brushing his teeth, he pulled back the curtains to scout the enemy. The sky was just beginning to brighten. The light was already on in Fu Shuhang’s bedroom across the way. *The First Sentinel, truly a workaholic!*

Ji Xun hurried through his washing and ran downstairs. He turned on the lights and entered the kitchen. He dropped two eggs into a pot to boil, found some ham, a tomato, and opened a pack of bread... Ten minutes later, he ran out of the house.

In the dim light of dawn, Fu Shuhang was wearing a cotton casual T-shirt and trousers, with a black shoulder bag slung over his shoulder. He stood by the white fence, a pale blue photonic screen glowing in front of him. Seeing Ji Xun, Fu Shuhang gave a light flick with his fingers, and the screen vanished.

Ji Xun ran up to him and asked, "What was that?"

Fu Shuhang: "Children don't need to understand."

"?" *Don't go too far, you brat! We're the same age, okay?!* Ji Xun ground his teeth. *Endure it!*

"Breakfast?"

"Here, here!" Ji Xun immediately raised his hands to show Fu Shuhang.

Fu Shuhang took one look at Ji Xun and then at the breakfast in his hands. It was a warm sandwich—the bread slices were a bit uneven in thickness, but the filling was rich and perfect. Beside it were two eggs with cracked shells.

"I tried it, and the sandwich really just takes having hands to make!"

Fu Shuhang heartlessly exposed him: "This was made by Mrs. Ji, wasn't it?"

Ji Xun said, "I cut the bread slices!"

Fu Shuhang gave a cold scoff. "I can tell."

Ji Xun felt his attitude was problematic. He pouted and argued, unconvinced, "It's just because my mom got up too early today; I had everything ready myself."

Fu Shuhang looked at Ji Xun’s puffed-up expression and shoved his hands into his pockets. He stopped there and said nothing more.

Ji Xun handed him the sandwich. "For the sake of me cutting the bread, just eat it while it's hot!"

Fu Shuhang took it, but his gaze shifted to the eggs still in Ji Xun's hand. Those two eggs had clearly not been boiled at the right temperature. Boiling eggs required technique; one had to turn the heat down after the water boiled, otherwise, the violently boiling water would cause the eggs to collide with the bottom of the pot, causing the shells to crack and the egg white to leak out.

Just then, someone walked over from not far away, yawning.

Zhao Zhanlei complained from a distance: "Xunxun, why do we have to get up so early today..."

Seeing Zhao Zhanlei arrive, Ji Xun ran over a few steps and shoved the hot eggs into his hand. "For you!"

"Wow!!" Zhao Zhanlei was flattered, but immediately felt the air pressure around him shift. He looked up and was startled. *Whoa!* He hadn't seen Fu Shuhang standing by the white fence in his blind spot earlier. Now, this was truly...

Zhao Zhanlei’s scalp tightened. He wanted to tell Ji Xun he wouldn't eat the eggs after all, but his peripheral vision caught what Fu Shuhang was holding. The words on the tip of his tongue turned into dissatisfaction: "Xunxun! Why does Brother Hang get a sandwich and I get two eggs? You're being way too obviously biased!!"

"There wasn't enough time," Ji Xun said. "I haven't even eaten yet myself."

"Not enough time? Are you in a hurry?"

"Brother Hang is in a hurry."

Zhao Zhanlei choked.

By this time, Fu Shuhang had walked out from the Fu family entrance and stood beside them.

"You like eating sandwiches?" Fu Shuhang said.

Zhao Zhanlei dared not snatch food from the tiger's mouth and quickly shook his head. "I don't want to eat it, I don't want to eat it."

"I don't want to eat it either." With that, Fu Shuhang tossed the sandwich into Zhao Zhanlei’s hands, took the two boiled eggs from him, and walked ahead. "Ji Xun."

"Coming!"

"Peel the eggs."

Ji Xun: "..." *Don't you have hands of your own!!*

Ji Xun bared his teeth at Fu Shuhang's back, but soon ran up to him, acting like a diligent lackey: "Alright, alright. But Brother Hang, these eggs weren't boiled very well."

Fu Shuhang said nothing.

Ji Xun secretly cursed him for being difficult to serve, then cracked the shells, peeled them bit by bit, and handed them back to Fu Shuhang with a welcoming smile: "All done, Brother Hang, please enjoy!"

Fu Shuhang took them.

Zhao Zhanlei, having been left behind by Fu Shuhang and Ji Xun, had long legs and a quick stride, and he soon caught up. Ji Xun turned, saw Zhao Zhanlei opening the bag containing the sandwich and about to take a bite, and snatched it away.

Zhao Zhanlei, having bitten into thin air, looked at Ji Xun in disbelief: "???"

Ji Xun said, "I haven't even eaten yet, how can you snatch my food?"

Zhao Zhanlei said, "Brother Hang gave it to me!"

"I gave it to Brother Hang!" Ji Xun glared at him. "Did you forget what you said before?"

Zhao Zhanlei: "..."

Fu Shuhang, walking in front, tightened his jaw and said with some impatience, "We're going to be late."

"Oh, oh, right away!" Ji Xun nudged Zhao Zhanlei with his elbow. "It's all your fault, hurry up!"

After saying this, he chased after Fu Shuhang. Zhao Zhanlei, feeling aggrieved, also hurried to follow.

Over the next few days, in order not to give Fu Shuhang any chance to nitpick, Ji Xun went into the kitchen to learn the "just need hands" sandwich. Later, he discovered a very labor-saving method: preparing the ingredients the day before and just frying them in order the next morning. It was perfect!

His plan to lie low and keep up with Fu Shuhang was going very smoothly. However, the second awakening hit a bottleneck. Ji Xun bathed and burned incense every night, trying his best to clear his mind and meditate, but he never entered his mental realm again. He never saw that terrifying scene of flying sand and stones, and he barely even dreamed. The image of Fu Shuhang’s mental rampage gradually blurred in his memory.

Just like that, at the end of the month, Uncle Gao and Uncle Fu returned in victory.

Having failed to manifest a spirit beast before the victory banquet, and with the second awakening having no leads, Ji Xun was extremely frustrated.

Mother Ji held a small suit in front of her son, comparing it, looking unsatisfied, hanging it back, picking out two more, and comparing them again.

"Xunxun, which one do you like? How about this royal blue one?"

Ji Xun looked down, feeling dejected. In the past, he didn't understand; he loved attending because he could eat good food, make new friends, and see all kinds of spirit beasts. But now, he knew that as a late-blooming Guide without a spirit beast, he was just an out-of-place little failure in an environment full of outstanding Awakened ones. How could he still be happy?

Father Ji couldn't find his new cufflinks and came to ask Mother Ji. Seeing her dressing up their son again, he said, "That's enough, we're just going for a meal, not a blind date."

"What do you know?" Mother Ji turned and glared at her husband. "This victory was a joint operation between several districts. Many people from Districts 10, 11, and 13 will be coming. There will be many Guides and Sentinels of Xunxun's age who will enter the same intermediate Sanctuary. It's better to leave a good impression now. What are you doing here anyway?"

Father Ji couldn't win an argument with his wife, so he could only say, "Where are the star-stone cufflinks you gave me for my birthday last time?"

Mother Ji snorted, "We're just going for a meal, not a blind date. Why do you need cufflinks? Just wear it like that!"

Father Ji: "..."

Mother Ji looked back at her son, her face full of smiles again: "How about it, Xunxun, do you like it?"

Ji Xun lowered his eyes and replied, "Yes."

"Then it's this one! Mom will go find you a brooch to match."

Father Ji: "............"