"You're a meanie, Xiao Mo! I don't know you at all."
Bai Ruxue turned her head away and huffed.
"..."
Xiao Mo could tell at a glance that Bai Ruxue was angry.
It was understandable, though. He had said he would come see her in the spring, but he'd forgotten to tell her the examinations would take a whole month.
On top of that, the County Magistrate had delayed him for a few more days.
'Ruxue must have been waiting for me ever since she woke from her winter sleep.'
"Oh, is that so? I guess I have the wrong person."
Xiao Mo took a wooden Deer God Hairpin from his sleeve.
Upon seeing the wooden hairpin, Bai Ruxue blinked her eyes curiously.
Xiao Mo sighed and said in a dejected tone, "I promised a friend I would come see her in the spring. But taking the qualifying exams this time really took a while. And then the County Magistrate had me stay for a meal, which delayed me for a few more days.
I knew she would definitely be angry when I got back.
So in my free time, I carved this hairpin to apologize to her.
But it seems she didn't wait for me after all.
So I guess this hairpin isn't needed anymore."
The moment he finished speaking, Xiao Mo raised his hand, pretending he was about to throw the hairpin away.
"Who says it's not needed? I want it!"
Bai Ruxue stood on her tiptoes and quickly snatched the hairpin from Xiao Mo's hand, playing with it gleefully.
"Miss, this hairpin is for Miss Bai Ruxue." Xiao Mo feigned distress, reaching to take it back.
Bai Ruxue spun around to dodge him, clutching the hairpin to her chest. "But I am Bai Ruxue..."
"But the young lady just said she wasn't..."
Bai Ruxue blinked, her peach-blossom eyes as clean and clear as a snowy spring. "Did I say I wasn't Bai Ruxue?"
Xiao Mo paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "Indeed, you did not say that, Miss."
"That's more like it." Bai Ruxue held out the hairpin with both hands, looking at Xiao Mo with expectant eyes. "Xiao Mo, help me put it on."
"Alright."
Xiao Mo took the hairpin and slid it into the silk of Bai Ruxue's hair.
The girl's eyes curved into crescents. "How is it? Does it look good?"
"Mm, the person is beautiful, but my hairpin doesn't seem to be good enough. How about I practice some more and carve a better one for you?" Xiao Mo studied the hairpin he'd carved and reached out as if to pull it out.
"No! I want this one!" Bai Ruxue protected her hair and quickly backed away.
"Alright." Since Ruxue liked it, Xiao Mo couldn't very well take it back. "But Ruxue, are you not mad at me anymore?"
Bai Ruxue huffed and turned her little head away. "Since you gave me a gift, I'll forgive you."
Bai Ruxue had actually been very angry.
But for some reason, the moment she saw Xiao Mo, much of her anger simply vanished.
"This humble scholar thanks you for your magnanimity, Miss." Xiao Mo bowed with his hands clasped.
"No need to thank me~"
The girl stood openly before Xiao Mo, her smile like a blossoming flower.
But a moment later, as if she'd thought of something, the girl walked up to Xiao Mo.
She stood on her tiptoes, raising a hand to measure the height of Xiao Mo's head.
Then she measured her own.
"How can this be..." A flash of disappointment crossed Bai Ruxue's eyes. "How am I still not as tall as you... I've clearly grown so much..."
Xiao Mo said, "Miss Bai, could there be a possibility that I've grown taller too?"
Bai Ruxue's eyes lit up, as if she'd had an epiphany. "Oh! So that's how it is!"
"..." Xiao Mo was speechless for a moment.
'Even though Bai Ruxue has grown into a young lady, she still doesn't seem all that bright.'
"Oh, right, Xiao Mo, how did you do on your exam?"
Bai Ruxue stopped fussing about their height. Last time she was a head shorter than him; now she was only half a head shorter.
'Next time I shed my skin, I'll definitely be able to catch up to him.'
"I passed and became a Scholar."
"Does that mean you can be an official now?"
"I'd have to at least become a Provincial Scholar. Becoming an Imperial Scholar would be the most secure path."
"So you still have more exams to take?" Bai Ruxue lowered her head, thinking she wouldn't see him for a long time again.
"The next exam is the provincial examination, and it's three years from now. That's a long way off."
"Oh, I see. That really is a long way off~" Bai Ruxue's mood brightened instantly. She tugged on Xiao Mo's sleeve and started walking up the mountain. "Come on, Xiao Mo, let's go! I'll take you somewhere you'll definitely love."
"Then let's go take a look."
The two of them walked up the mountain side by side.
Before long, Bai Ruxue led Xiao Mo to a clearing.
The clearing was filled with Purple Sun Grass and Cyan Dragon Flowers.
Xiao Mo said in astonishment, "How are there so many here?"
"A lot, right?~" Bai Ruxue said proudly. "I planted all of these. When I plant some more and fill the whole mountain, you can have as many as you want. Then you won't have to work so hard gathering herbs~"
Hearing the girl's words, Xiao Mo lowered his head, his expression growing a little heavy.
"Xiao Mo, what's wrong?" Seeing Xiao Mo's expression, Bai Ruxue couldn't help but feel nervous.
"Ruxue, there's something I have to tell you." Xiao Mo looked up, meeting Bai Ruxue's eyes directly. "I might be coming up the mountain less often from now on."
"Huh?" Bai Ruxue looked as if she'd been struck by lightning, her face paling. "W-Why..."
"The new County Magistrate in our Qingshan City is a decent man. He said the Government Office will give us a monthly stipend until we take the next provincial examination."
Xiao Mo explained to Bai Ruxue.
"Besides, the village chief said he has nothing left to teach me, so I'll need to travel frequently to seek further studies. The number of times I can come up the mountain will probably be much lower."
To be honest, Xiao Mo didn't want to leave Bai Ruxue either. After all, he still had to help her transform into a dragon.
The problem was, as an ordinary person, he had no idea how to help her do that.
'All I can do now is obtain an official rank as quickly as possible.'
Obtaining an official rank and serving in the imperial court wasn't just about completing a task.
This was a world of Cultivation, and the Qi Kingdom was the greatest nation of the Human Race in this world.
The Qi Kingdom had numerous connections with the various top-tier Sects.
'Once I achieve a high position with great authority, I might have the power to help her.'
Listening to Xiao Mo's words, Bai Ruxue lowered her head even further.
Xiao Mo wasn't anxious; he just waited for her to sort through her emotions.
'To her, besides her younger sister, I'm probably her only friend.'
'It's normal for her to have a hard time accepting it.'
But soon, tears began to fall, drop by drop, from the corners of the girl's eyes.
The girl's fists were clenched tightly at her sides, her body trembling slightly.
"Ruxue... don't worry, as soon as I have a free moment..."
Just as Xiao Mo was trying to comfort her, Bai Ruxue suddenly lifted her head. Her peach-blossom eyes shimmered with a mist of tears, like peach blossoms veiled in morning dew.
"You meanie, Xiao Mo! You said you'd play with me properly after you came back!"
Bai Ruxue spun around and ran off, wiping her tears as she went. The girl's choked sobs echoed through the mountain forest.
"You big liar! I'm never speaking to you again!"