As Chen Yifei pondered, he stepped outside, and a few snowflakes flashed across his vision.
He paused slightly, looking up at the sky.
"...Is it snowing?"
Under the azure aurora, snowflakes fluttered down from the sky like floating cotton. Chen Yifei reached out his hand to catch one, and the eight-pointed crystal gradually dissolved in the warmth.
"The Aurora Realm is different from other realms. There are no four seasons, only perpetual winter," Chu Muyun slowly walked out of the house, similarly catching a snowflake in his hand, speaking with some confusion, "But, isn't this snowfall somewhat sudden?"
"Is it very sudden?" Chen Yifei asked.
"Just a few days ago, there was a once-in-a-decade heavy rain, and today it suddenly starts snowing... I feel like the weather in the Aurora Realm is getting more and more chaotic."
Chu Muyun pondered, his brows furrowing deeper.
"Brother, the snow is falling so fast."
Chen Muxu, wearing a theatrical robe, quickly rushed onto the street. Standing in the gradually thickening snowflakes, his chestnut-colored eyes were filled with surprise and anticipation. "At this rate, there'll be enough snow for making snowmen tomorrow!"
Looking at the red-clad teenager catching snowflakes, a gentle expression emerged in Chen Yifei's eyes. He smiled and said:
"Every year we make snowmen, haven't you had enough?"
"This time is different," Chen Muxu said seriously. "This snowfall is heavy. Maybe I can make over ten snowmen in one breath... We'll build a tall platform, and I can practice my acting on it, with the snowmen as my audience."
"Isn't it enough that I'm your audience?"
"Brother, how can someone perform with just one audience every time..." Chen Muxu pouted. "If I never have an audience, what if I get stage fright when I perform at school?"
"...That's true." Chen Yifei smiled, slowly lifting his head to look at the sky.
"Then it would be good if this snowfall could continue."
"If it continues, it'll turn into a snow disaster," Chu Muyun pushed his glasses, hesitated for a moment, then took out a wool coat from inside the house and put it on. "I need to go out."
Chen Yifei and Chen Muxu exchanged a glance.
"Will you be back for dinner?"
"Yes."
As Chu Muyun's figure gradually disappeared at the end of the street, Chen Yifei checked the time. "I should also leave. The mountain road is treacherous in the snow..."
"Wait!" Chen Muxu seemed to have thought of something, quickly ran back into the house, and handed the cotton coat he had mended overnight to Chen Yifei.
"Brother, I've mended it for you... Be careful on the mountain today, and don't fight with others again."
Chen Muxu's tone was unusually serious.
Chen Yifei carefully examined the coat and found almost no trace of damage, it was as good as new. He couldn't help but praise:
"Our Muxu is really skilled..."
Chen Muxu giggled.
"I'm leaving."
Chen Yifei waved his hand and walked straight towards the second district.
Just as Chen Muxu had hoped, the snowfall grew heavier. By the time Chen Yifei was halfway there, the snow had already covered the soles of his shoes. The chilly snowmelt seeped into his feet, making him feel cold from the inside out.
As he rubbed his hands and walked forward against the snowflakes, he thought to himself:
Could it really turn into a snow disaster?
He walked for a long time, and the pedestrians on the street became increasingly scarce, but there were more and more law enforcers rushing past hurriedly.
They wore black and red uniforms, hastening towards some direction on horseback, not even glancing at Chen Yifei as they passed. The snowflakes disturbed by the airflow hit Chen Yifei's face. He wiped his face and looked at the direction they left with confusion...
"What's going on?"
Chen Yifei didn't know and had no interest in following them to investigate. As long as they weren't heading towards Cold Frost Street, he didn't care where they were going.
After walking for about three hours, Chen Yifei returned to the familiar Ice Spring Street. The ruins had been mostly cleared, and the desolate half of the street looked even more desolate under the cover of snow.
Just when he was planning to find Qian Fan and the others to ask about today's mission, several figures walked quickly towards him, warmly waving at him.
"Younger brother Chen Yifei!"
It was Qian Fan and the others.
"Mr. Qian."
Chen Yifei still politely added the suffix 'Mr.', as he and Qian Fan had not completely torn their faces off, and it was necessary to maintain a polite appearance.
"What's the mission today?"
"Mission? No need for a mission anymore." Qian Fan waved his hand. "Given your... uh, excellent performance yesterday, the higher-ups have decided to give you a spot as a law enforcer. You can go home today and report to the headquarters in District Three tomorrow."
Chen Yifei was stunned.
He had thought of ten thousand possibilities on the way, such as being ambushed by a group of people from Ice Spring Street seeking revenge, or Qian Fan and the others completely tearing their faces off and making things difficult for him, or being told to be removed from the list of law enforcers and sent home...
But he never expected to be accepted directly?
It couldn't be... Did Ma Zhong really appreciate his abilities and want to recruit him?
Chen Yifei had only met Ma Zhong once and didn't know much about him, so he couldn't figure out what the other person was thinking...
"From now on, we are colleagues." Qian Fan smiled and patted Chen Yifei's shoulder as if they were close friends for many years. "There may have been some misunderstandings between us before, but don't mind it, younger brother Chen Yifei?"
"Yes, younger brother Chen Yifei, come to District Two and play cards with us when you have time. We welcome you anytime."
"I almost forgot, there's also this... This exam is different from the previous years. Although you are on the reserve list, you did work for us, the official law enforcers, for three days. So the higher-ups have decided to give you a subsidy. The amount is not large, but there's still a long way to go... The salary of a law enforcer is quite substantial."
Qian Fan handed a small tube of oil paper to Chen Yifei. The latter took it with surprise, peeled off a corner, and peeked inside.
Ten silver coins.
Chen Yifei was startled.
In this world, the purchasing power of one silver coin was equivalent to 250 copper coins, and the purchasing power of a copper coin was comparable to that of the previous world's currency. The small tube of oil paper contained 2,500 in equivalent...
Although it was not a large amount, it should be noted that Chen Yifei had only worked for two days.
Zhao Yi and the others worked hard for the Road Bureau to melt frost, and two people only received 20 copper coins for a whole day of labor... Just the subsidy for two days as a reserve member was so high, so how high would the salary of an official law enforcer be?
Chen Yifei looked at them deeply and couldn't help but feel that sometimes, respect and politeness were truly only shown to the strong...
Yesterday, they had forced Wu Youdong away. If he didn't have the "Dance of Killing," he would have suffered the same fate... And now, they could only smile at him because he now had the qualification to be on equal footing with them.
Chen Yifei didn't consider himself the protagonist of some Chinese web novel featuring a protagonist who becomes powerful and achieves great success through various means. He couldn't just impulsively kill these hypocrites on the spot because of his passion or the sentiment of "If you mess with me, I'll kill you till the end!" Such an act would be tantamount to declaring war on the entire law enforcement system of the Aurora Realm.
His home was still on Cold Frost Street, he had a younger brother who was about to return to school, and he needed the identity of a law enforcer to pursue the "Path of the Martial God"... From any perspective, he should have gone along with the flow and let this matter end here.
"Then thank you all," Chen Yifei said indifferently, not even lifting his head.
"Younger brother Chen Yifei, the snow is heavy and the road is slippery. Walk slowly when you go back," Qian Fan said with a smile that didn't fade, "The list of provisional members for official positions should be announced at noon today. You can keep an eye out for it on your way back. It's been a pleasure knowing you, and we'll see each other again if we have the chance."
Chen Yifei responded with a lukewarm couple of sentences, turned around, and headed towards home.
As Chen Yifei walked away, the enthusiastic smiles on Qian Fan and the others' faces gradually faded, replaced by coldness and disdain.
"This Chen Yifei, he really doesn't know how to appreciate others' kindness," one of the law enforcers sneered.
"Once Brother Ma finishes up, things will change in District Three... Let's see where he can go then?"
"Has there been any news from Brother Ma's side?"
"I don't know..."
"If we calculate the time, it should be soon."
Just as they were talking, a figure hurriedly ran from the distance, stumbled in the heavy snow, and nearly fell to the ground.
"He's dead...!"
"Who's dead?"
"Han Meng, the Chief Law Enforcer of District Three, is dead!!" He stood up and said loudly, "The news from District Three says he fought two disasters alone and ended up dying together with them!"
"Law Enforcer Ma Zhong is temporarily taking over as the Chief and has ordered that District Three be immediately unsealed, and District Two will be unsealed soon too!"
Upon hearing this news, everyone's eyes suddenly lit up!
"It's done!!"
"Confirmed? Is that Han Meng really dead?" Qian Fan asked again.
"That's what the news from District Three says. It was personally delivered by Brother Ma's confidant."
Qian Fan suddenly felt relieved and beamed with joy.
"With the fall of Han Meng, our days will be easier."
"The business on Ice Spring Street can finally be operated... Go, gather Gu Dao and his gang, find some more dancers and prostitutes, get some good wine and meat, and hold a celebration banquet! Let them know who they should follow for a good life."
"Got it, Fan Bro!"
...
Chen Yifei, clutching ten silver coins, slowly walked over the rear mountain. The flying snow turned his black hair into a frosty white.
It had taken him two hours to walk from District Three, and after staying for no more than five minutes, he had to return the same way... By the time he returned to Cold Frost Street, it would probably be noon again.
But no matter what, he had also received some good news and got ten silver coins. This money was enough for him to buy some new clothes for himself and Chen Muyu, and he could also find someone to fix the leaks in the house, so they wouldn't suffer from the cold on snowy days.
"There's still some anticipation left. I can have a few peaceful days," Chen Yifei muttered, glancing at the characters flashing in the snow.
However, compared to when he just arrived after his transmigration, it seemed that he was really doing much better now... Since the time he took back his body from the "audience", the "audience" had not interfered with things around him for a long time, and everything was developing in a better direction.
He walked in the snow for a long time until the snow had piled up over his ankles, and finally returned to Cold Frost Street.
He was about to head straight home, but his eyes caught the pastry shop that was about to close. Something stirred in his heart, and he slowly stopped his steps.
"Boss, how much is this cake?"
Chen Yifei asked, pointing to an exquisite cake in the window.
"Two hundred copper coins," the boss looked up and saw Chen Yifei, his eyebrows slightly raised, "Is it Yifei? Why do you suddenly want to buy a cake?"
They were neighbors on Cold Frost Street, so the boss of this shop knew Chen Yifei. However, given the conditions of Chen Yifei's family, they had never bought anything from the shop... To be honest, there were very few households on Cold Frost Street that could afford a two-hundred-copper-coin cake, and even the fifty-copper-coin small cake cups were rarely bought.
"I've passed the martial arts exam." Chen Yifei smiled, "Let's buy a cake to celebrate. My younger brother has never eaten a cake since he was a kid."
"You've become a full-fledged enforcer?"
The shopkeeper exclaimed in surprise, "That's indeed worth celebrating... Alright, I'll give you a discount. 150 coins should do."
"Thank you, boss."
"You're welcome. Hanshuang Street will need your attention in the future."
The shopkeeper packaged the cake, tied it with a festive red satin ribbon, and handed it to Chen Yifei with both hands.
Chen Yifei received the cake, paid for it, and then headed straight home. After just a few steps, he heard several enforcers rushing past:
"The calamity is gone! District Three is unsealed!"
"The calamity is gone! District Three is unsealed!!"
"..."
As the voices of the enforcers gradually faded away, some residents of Hanshuang Street began to step out of their houses, feeling relieved.
Since the disaster bell rang, District Three had been sealed off for five days, and everyone was panicked. Now that the calamity was dead, everyone's life could return to normal... Thinking about this, they suddenly found the heavy snowfall pleasant to the eye.
When Chen Yifei heard this news, he was startled.
The calamity is gone?
But he's still here... Could it be Muyu?!
Chen Yifei subconsciously sped up his pace and hurried home. But when he arrived at his doorstep, he knew his worries were unnecessary...
He saw the familiar red-clothed teenager squatting at the door, carefully rubbing snowballs together. He carefully stacked the snowballs to create the outline of a snowman, but his hand slipped, and the two snowballs instantly collided into fragments.
Chen Muyu sighed. Seeing Chen Yifei walking from afar, his tightly furrowed brows instantly relaxed, and he said with surprise,
"Brother, why are you back so early?"
"I passed the assessment early, so I came back early." Chen Yifei breathed a sigh of relief and smiled with relief.
He didn't know what happened to the enforcers or which calamity they had eliminated... Since both he and Chen Muyu were safe and sound, nothing else mattered.
"You passed?" Chen Muyu opened his mouth wide. "Brother, you're really an enforcer now?"
"That's right."
Chen Yifei walked into the house, placed the cake on the table, and beckoned to him, "This is a rare opportunity. I bought a cake. Let's celebrate together."
Upon hearing the word "cake," Chen Muyu's eyes immediately lit up. He quickly ran into the house, his fluttering robe catching large snowflakes. He sat down by the table in a flash and curiously watched Chen Yifei unwrap the packaging box.
"Brother, is this cake very expensive?"
"Not expensive." Chen Yifei smiled and took out a handful of silver coins from his pocket, spreading them on the table. "Brother has money now... In the future, our family will have even more money."
"So much money." Chen Muyu widened his eyes in shock. "We can use it for a long time..."
"Just in time for you to go to school. Now the tuition issue is solved."
Chen Yifei unwrapped the packaging, revealing a large cream cake on the table. For Chen Yifei, the workmanship and materials of this cake were not comparable to those from his previous life, but for Chen Muyu, it was something he had longed for countless times while gazing at the shop window.
Chen Muyu couldn't help but swallow.
"Brother... Should we wait for Dr. Chu?"
"Let's not wait for him. We don't know when he'll be back. Just leave a piece for him." Chen Yifei took out a few complimentary candles, inserted them into the cake, and lit them one after another.
The orange candle flames swayed inside the room, illuminating the faces of the two young boys and the flying snowflakes outside the window.
"Muyu, you blow them out."
"Can we blow out candles even if it's not a birthday?" Chen Muyu asked.
"Of course... Remember to make a wish before blowing."
"Okay!"
Chen Muyu immediately folded his hands, lowered his head seriously under the candlelight, like a devout prayer.
Chen Yifei didn't know what wish Chen Muyu had made. He only saw Chen Muyu open his eyes and smile at him, his chestnut-colored pupils clear as water.
"What did you wish for?" Chen Yifei asked.
"I can't tell you. If I tell, it won't work..."
"Right..."
"Excuse me, is Chen Yifei home?"
As they were talking, a figure cautiously approached the door and stood under the heavy snow, looking into the room.
"Wu Youdong?" Chen Yifei recognized the figure holding a crutch and raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Why are you here? Come in and talk."
Wu Youdong smiled embarrassedly and slowly walked into the room. He looked at the cake and candles on the table, his eyes full of envy...
"I just saw the list posted on the street. You've become a full-fledged enforcer?"
"That's right."
"...Congratulations." Wu Youdong's smile was tinged with bitterness. "I thought you would be forced to leave like me. I didn't expect... You really succeeded."
When he said this, Chen Yifei heard the sourness and helplessness deep in his words.
"Brother, who is he?" Chen Muyu curiously looked at Wu Youdong.
"His name is Wu Youdong. He's the friend who went to Bingquan Street with me these two days."
Wu Youdong was stunned.
"A friend?" Chen Muyu thought for a moment. "Should we also give him a piece of cake?"
"Yeah, of course we should."
"Should I cut it or you?"
"No hurry. The candles aren't blown out yet."
As Chen Yifei spoke, he waved to the bewildered Wu Youdong beside him. "Youdong, don't just stand there. Sit down and have a piece together."
"Ah? Oh... Okay."
Wu Youdong slowly sat down by the table.
He looked at Chen Yifei with a strange expression and then looked beside him...
"Chen Yifei..."
"Hmm?"
"Can I ask a question?"
"What?"
"Since just now... Who have you been talking to?"
Chen Yifei was stunned.
A sudden cold wind blew into the room, and the burning candle flames extinguished abruptly.