Early in the morning, as the sunlight just pierced through the gaps in the curtains, Gu Xiao awoke from her dreams.
"Ugh~"
Sitting up in bed and stretching, Gu Xiao opened her smart bracelet to check the time.
6:15, fifteen minutes earlier than the 6:30 alarm she set. Gu Xiao was already used to this.
She didn't know why, but ever since her college entrance exam in her previous life, she had gained an ability.
That is, before going to bed at night, as long as she thought about what time she wanted to wake up the next day, repeating it several times in her mind, she would genuinely wake up at that exact time.
Even if she stayed up very late, she would still wake up the next day, even if her eyes were too tired to open.
Although she could just lie down and go back to sleep, she had indeed woken up.
Despite this, just in case, Gu Xiao would still set an alarm every time she went to bed, but she would always wake up a few minutes before the alarm went off.
It was quite magical.
Gu Xiao couldn't understand the principle behind it, only attributing everything to her biological clock, except that her biological clock could adjust its time according to her will.
Because Gu Xiao had a habit of going to bed early, after waking up, apart from an initial slight disorientation, she didn't feel sleepy.
Pulling open the curtains, the outdoor sunlight streamed in, bathing Gu Xiao's room in a golden glow.
Opening the window, she let the outside breeze blow in, her slightly messy hair fluttering behind her.
Although it was summer, the morning breeze was still very cool.
With the last trace of sleepiness gone, Gu Xiao washed her face and brushed her teeth, then changed into her training clothes and went out for a morning run.
Today, this road was much livelier than usual. Gu Xiao saw several students from her school who lived nearby. She wasn't very familiar with them, having only glimpsed them in passing, but her good memory allowed her to recognize them.
There were also one or two from Gu Xiao's class. They all lived in residential areas near the commercial street, and because it was spacious enough for a morning run, they all came here.
Gu Xiao could see an unprecedented sense of relaxation on everyone's faces, no longer the hurried expressions they usually had when doing anything.
Some were jogging side-by-side with headphones, while others walked in pairs or small groups, chatting as they went.
Although it might seem impolite, high school students, once free from high school, were truly like birds leaving a cage, their faces beaming with smiles.
"Gu Xiao, you come here for morning runs too."
A classmate from Gu Xiao's class turned and greeted her as she passed by.
"My home is on this street, I come for a few runs every morning."
Gu Xiao slowed her pace and chatted with them.
"Self-disciplined."
The classmate raised a thumb, acknowledging Gu Xiao's effort.
They, for one, couldn't achieve such self-discipline. Rather than going for a run, they'd prefer to sleep an extra hour in bed.
Their morning run today was mostly a whim after finally graduating; it would be a one-time thing, definitely not a second.
After a brief chat, Gu Xiao continued her slow jog at her own pace.
Gu Xiao ran five full laps around the commercial street in one go. By the time she was on her fifth lap, the shops in the commercial street had already begun opening.
Especially on their snack street, the aroma of food and the steam from the steamers began to waft through the street. There were early risers eating breakfast, and delivery robots carrying food boxes flew out of various shops, quickly filling the street with a lively atmosphere.
When Gu Xiao returned, the fast-food restaurant was already bustling with people. Her father was busy in the back kitchen, while her mother helped out, occasionally coming out to deliver meals.
At a table near the back kitchen, Gu Xiao saw a figure in white.
Slender and graceful, she sat upright, perfectly showcasing her delicate curves. Long white hair cascaded over her shoulders. Just from her back, one could tell she was a peerless beauty.
"Lu Li."
Gu Xiao walked over and greeted Lu Li, who was eating.
Lu Li ate very gracefully. Although she was holding a steamed bun, she still ate it in small bites, like a little rabbit.
Gu Xiao often joked with Lu Li that she was a born young lady from a prominent family.
Leaving aside other things, even her Older Sister, when encountering food she liked, would try to open her 'abyssal maw' for fear of not getting enough, but Lu Li would not.
Of course, this was only when she was in front of him; in front of outsiders, Jing Hanshuang's every move would be textbook-level elegance.
Gu Xiao couldn't learn this ladylike demeanor. When she ate slowly, it was one bun at a time; when she ate fast, it could be two at a time.
It wasn't that she didn't want to put more, but three would completely stuff her mouth, forcing her to swallow without tasting the bun.
"Xiao Xiao, sit down and eat."
Lu Li moved further in, motioning for Gu Xiao to sit beside her.
"You eat first, I need to take a shower."
After greeting Lu Li, Gu Xiao went straight upstairs.
"Older Sister, you're back."
As Gu Xiao went upstairs, Gu Jingchuan was coming down, carrying a shoulder bag.
"Going so early today?"
Middle school still had more than half a month before summer vacation, so Gu Jingchuan was still attending school.
"Our group is on duty today, so we have to go a bit earlier."
After a quick word with Gu Xiao, Gu Jingchuan moved past her and went downstairs.
"Be careful on the way."
"Got it."
By the time Gu Xiao had washed up, changed, and come downstairs, Lu Li had finished her steamed buns and was tackling a bowl of millet porridge in front of her.
Gu Xiao got two baskets of steamed buns, a tea egg, and a bowl of millet porridge from the back kitchen and sat opposite Lu Li.
"Xiao Xiao, do I need to prepare anything?"
Taking a small sip of her porridge, Lu Li looked up and asked.
Today was the day they were going to the Jing Family. Since they were visiting unfamiliar people, Lu Li wanted to ask what to pay attention to.
"You don't need to bring anything; you just need to go there yourself."
From Gu Xiao's understanding of Her Majesty the Mother and Older Sister, their first stop after arriving at the Jing Family would be the Central Commercial Plaza.
"Then what about clothes?"
To the left of Lu Li's chair was a white suitcase, containing the clothes and daily necessities Lu Li had packed all morning.
"Someone will have them ready."
Gu Xiao naturally saw the suitcase next to Lu Li, but it was completely unnecessary.
"Ah? Isn't that bad?"
Lu Li was slightly stunned. She understood what Gu Xiao meant, but who goes to someone else's house and expects them to prepare clothes?
"You'll know when you get there. Trust me, you won't be able to refuse."
Honestly, she felt that Her Majesty the Mother and Older Sister would very likely treat Lu Li as a future daughter-in-law, or younger sister-in-law.
But at the moment, she/he truly had no such worldly desires.