Bi Bo Lake was a serene setting of blue waters, green hills, yellow rocks, and a few scattered white birds gliding slowly over the water. A cool breeze swept over, rippling the pale blue surface of the lake and blurring the reflections of the rolling hills.
A group of boys quickly found a good spot along the yellow pebbled riverbank, pulling out tools and materials from their bags to set up.
Galon glanced over at the girls' side, where Phinestine and a few others stood under the shade of trees. The dazzlingly beautiful girl, in a white cinched-waist dress that fluttered in the breeze, had her light golden hair tied to one side, looking as if she stepped out of an opera as a princess. Her skin was porcelain-like, seemingly glowing, with her cool gaze holding a hint of pride, pure as the finest sapphire.
Turning back to his own group, Galon, Caledo, Fein, and Jek were all in a mishmash of attire – dull yellow, gray, white, black – without any sense of coordination or fashion. Compared to the other side, their casual dress now seemed starkly inferior.
"That girl is Phinestine, invited by Fein for some relaxation. She seems to have such a fine demeanor…" Caledo, squatting to set up a fire, whispered.
"Man, never seen someone with such a presence even at school," Jek added quietly, "Having a girlfriend like that would be unbeatable."
"That's my cousin's friend; I don't really know her. Didn't expect my cousin to bring her along; I just asked her to come with her friends," Fein explained, shrugging.
Galon chuckled and squatted down to sort through the dirty firewood. Compared to the pristine Phinestine, they were literally grappling with dirt and disorder, worlds apart.
"How about playing cards?" Caledo suggested, joining them. The game he referred to was a simple childhood favorite, made by folding paper into rectangles marked with different numbers, played with rules similar to poker.
Interest piqued, Galon, Jek, and Fein looked at the worn yellow deck Caledo brought out: "What are we playing for?" "Loser grills the meat, one piece at a time."
They huddled on the ground, using a flat stone as their table, quickly becoming engrossed in the game.
From a distance, Phinestine watched the boys play with makeshift cards among the muddy stones. Her jewel-like eyes held no disdain, but she naturally placed herself on a higher level, observing from afar. She was merely passing through this city, coming out only at a classmate and close friend's invitation for a leisurely day.
A red-haired girl approached Phinestine, watching the boys together: "That Fein is my distant cousin. Their favorite thing here is to have a big bonfire and barbecue at night. Interested? I'll ask them to include you."
"No thanks, it's too dirty…" Phinestine frowned slightly, "I just came to relax. I'd rather be alone for a bit."
After a while of playing cards, Galon and the others noticed their peers' glances drifting towards the girls, sparking a bit of amusement. Galon, with a sleight of hand unnoticed by the others, added an extra card to his hand, then layered it with another.
After a few rounds, he suddenly declared, "Sorry, I win."
"Huh…?" The others were stunned, their expressions a mix of confusion and surprise.
Galon, smiling, smoothly gathered the cards. Watching his friends' speechless reactions, he couldn't help but think of the old Galon.
Before the crossover, any dispute with his sister ended with him thoroughly beaten, with no chance to retaliate. His sister Ying'er, strong in archery, martial arts, and athletics, was not as fragile as she appeared, delivering solid punches. From their parents' marriage when he was three, he had been dominated by his two-year-old sister.
Playing cards, or anything else, the old Galon lacked confidence and adaptability, leading to constant failures and a spiraling loss of self-esteem. His venture into physical training and martial arts was largely driven by his inability to best his sister…
Recalling how he was once reduced to tears by his sister before high school, Galon's smile twitched involuntarily.
"Crying over a fight with my sister at over ten years old, hiding in my room… No wonder our sibling relationship was so strained…" Galon regretted his transition into this body somewhat…
Bang!
A black feathered arrow shot from the bowstring, hitting just off-center on the distant target.
Ying'er, in a pristine white archery uniform, slowly lowered her long bow, exhaling softly: "Still unstable…"
"That's already impressive from
such a distance," a blue-haired girl commented lightly, "If you maintain this performance, I'll hand over the deputy head position of the archery club to you."
"Thank you for your support, senior!" Ying'er bowed gratefully.
Saint Ying Academy's student positions, unlike other schools, granted rights to participate in school governance, affording certain powers over major decisions, not just typical student leadership roles.
The blue-haired girl nodded: "Also, about that fight you got into last time, I've taken care of it for you. Try to avoid such incidents in the future, or at least don't injure them too badly. It makes things difficult to handle."
"Thank you so much, captain. I'll be more careful…" Ying'er bowed again, knowing the archery club captain held high hopes for her and had been assisting with minor issues. Her demeanor was soft yet firm, feeling indebted to the captain for her constant support. If not for the fighting incident, she would have been deputy head by now.
But the reason she fought…
The blue-haired girl, satisfied with the response, moved on to coach other members.
Ying'er continued practicing alone until a brown-haired girl rushed in, whispering urgently.
Ying'er's expression darkened: "No matter what, he's my brother! Anyone who messes with him is disrespecting me! Let's go!" She stormed out of the dojo, her fiery temperament reminiscent of a gang leader, followed by a few valiant girls.
The blue-haired girl watched, shaking her head: "How many times now… Is she overly protective of her brother? Every time it's the same fiery reaction… Xiaoling, keep an eye on them, make sure nothing serious happens. Ying'er is our best hope for the competition, don't let her injure someone too badly, affecting her eligibility."
A petite redhead nodded silently, quickly following out the door.
The remaining members, accustomed to such scenes, continued their practice, some shaking their heads in amusement. Ying'er's dual nature – docile and understanding at home, yet fiercely protective outside – was well-known among the older members.
The sky was a clear, pale blue, adorned only by thin streaks of clouds at the edges.
Galon sat on a white rock, slowly turning a skewer of lean meat over the flames, the spicy and crispy aroma wafting up. The golden-brown surface of the meat bubbled slightly.
He set the skewer on the rack, looking at the others, busy seasoning their meat, too occupied to notice him. Standing up, he walked to the lake's edge, crouched down, scooping water to rinse his face, washing away the smoky residue.
The cold lake water revitalized his spirits.
Turning, he saw the girls had moved far off, setting up a clean white cloth on the riverbank, arranging various foods and drinks.
He exhaled, "It's been so many days since I crossed over…" He glanced at his attributes below.
Agility and constitution had each increased by 0.01, results of his personal training. His potential remained at 89%.
"Still 11% short, depending on Fein's jewelry. If that doesn't work, I'll need to find another way… Jewelry with potential is too rare. Wonder where that etiquette teacher got that black pearl, absorbing full potential in an instant."
A cool breeze brought a chill, making him feel cold. He stood, returning to the warmth of the fire.
"Follow the river downstream to the right, and you'll find the suburban paper mill. My uncle works there; want to visit?" Caledo pointed towards the river on the lake's right.
"What's there to see at a paper mill…" Fein began, but a scream from afar interrupted. Something had startled the girls, their cries carrying over the distance.
The boys stood, looking towards the commotion. Two girls had fallen, retreating in terror, while another stood far off, afraid to approach. Phinestine was among those who fell.
"Something's wrong, let's check it out!" Galon reacted first, the boys dropping their barbecue to rush over.
On the dusky yellow riverbank, amidst the stones, a black and purple snake reared up, hissing menacingly with its tongue flicking. Two girls lay fallen, terrified, one with a dark red wound on her leg.