Days passed by.
The heavy white of the snow faded away, turning into delicate water that gently awakened the earth.
Flower buds bloomed quietly under the warm sun, and as the temperature rose, they gradually turned back into spring soil.
The scorching sun baked all things in heaven and earth, and the College Entrance Examination (Gaokao) was fast approaching.
During the break before the exam, the teachers motivated the students, heavily emphasizing that they must not slack off even during the holiday.
Xuan He, however, was nonchalant. Having worked hard for three years, it was impossible for her to do poorly on the exam just because of two or three days off.
After much deliberation, she took Jiang Li to an amusement park.
Coincidentally, a newly opened amusement park in the suburbs was holding a summer festival event—a character costume parade during the day and fireworks at night.
She certainly wouldn’t admit that she was simply curious and wanted to go play!
Much less would she admit that the promotional poster made by the amusement park was actually quite attractive!
It was Jiang Li’s first time visiting an amusement park.
She had read reviews online before, but experiencing it firsthand still brought a strong sense of novelty.
The spinning frenzy of the crazy ride made one experience a 540-degree inversion in just five seconds.
Jiang Li didn’t feel much, but when Xuan He came down, she was dizzy and almost threw up.
It must have been because she hadn’t eaten breakfast!
Jiang Li worriedly patted Xuan He’s back, wondering if she should suggest trying some milder rides instead.
Xuan He recovered quite a bit, slapped her thigh, and pointed at a spot to try out next.
When Jiang Li looked, it was a ride called Rolling Seas and Raging Waves.
This ride could perform three consecutive 720-degree rotations right over the water surface.
“Are you sure?” Jiang Li asked doubtfully.
Stumbling on wobbly legs, Xuan He walked over and said, “This is one of the famous special features here! We have to ride it, otherwise the admission ticket will go to waste!”
After coming down from Rolling Seas and Raging Waves, Xuan He was completely wilted.
The little light orb was covering its mouth and giggling nearby.
It didn’t dare to laugh out loud openly, as it was afraid of getting slapped to death by the Lord God.
Frowning, Xuan He sat on a bench, pressing her temples with trembling hands as she tried hard to alleviate the dizziness. “It must be that the machinery here has a problem!”
As a Lord God who had once traveled through the heavens and the earth, how could she possibly be knocked out by just two amusement park rides!
She absolutely refused to admit that it was because she had spent the past few years constantly eating, drinking, and lounging on the sofa watching TV without ever exercising, which made her out of shape!
Actually, she hadn’t gotten particularly fat, which was already quite fortunate!
Well, she really had put on some weight.
There was now a small spare tire around her waist.
With doting affection, Jiang Li patted Xuan He’s back to help her smooth out her breathing, frowning as she complained, “It’s all these machines’ fault. They spin incorrectly and made you uncomfortable!”
The little light orb thought: Little brat, doesn’t your conscience prick you when you say things like that?
Unconvinced of defeat, Xuan He recovered a bit and insisted on riding the pirate ship.
Jiang Li was somewhat worried, but seeing Xuan He’s persistence, she accompanied her onto the pirate ship.
The pirate ship wasn’t as intense as the first two rides, but it was still full of weightlessness.
During the violent plunges and drops, it felt as though her blood was rushing upward and her heart had leaped into her throat. Only by shouting could she find some relief.
To save face, Xuan He gritted her teeth and stubbornly held back her screams.
With every drop, the sensation of weightlessness and speed made Xuan He feel her stomach churn, and her heart almost jumped right out of her throat.
Embracing Xuan He, Jiang Li watched her turn pale, sighed inwardly, and continued to pat her back soothingly in an attempt to ease her discomfort.
After getting off the pirate ship, Xuan He’s legs were so weak that she never brought up riding thrilling attractions again.
To take care of Xuan He, Jiang Li suggested going on the carousel, teacups, bumper cars, haunted house, and other mild rides.
Xuan He figured she had no choice; since the child wanted to play, she had to tag along.
Except inside the haunted house, she always felt as though Jiang Li was terrified, continuously hugging her and burying herself straight into her arms.
Finally, they lined up and boarded the Ferris wheel.
Stepping into the cabin, their movement caused it to sway gently.
Once the two of them were seated and the door closed, the environment instantly grew quiet.
The Ferris wheel climbed upward, and looking down through the glass, the entire amusement park transformed into a brightly glowing astrolabe.
Xuan He looked down and saw the carousel near the Ferris wheel gradually shrinking, its lights casting shimmering golden dust over its dome.
Not far away, the tracks of the Speeding Cobra roller coaster were also strung with light strips, making the track wind through the night like a silver cobra.
As they rose higher, looking further into the distance, the urban area had also lit up; high-rise buildings and roads intertwined with layers of streetlights, sending thin threads of light flowing slowly.
Jiang Li looked at Xuan He, who was admiring the scenery across from her, love flowing unrestrained in her eyes.
It was only in this night sky that she could recklessly let out the emotions hidden deep within her heart.
Just as the cabin was about to reach the highest point, a muffled sound suddenly came from the sky not far away, immediately followed by a booming bang!
Turning their heads, fireworks burst not far above their heads, as if they could reach out and touch those scattering points of light.
Interwoven gold and red blossoms exploded from the center, shattering into millions of shooting stars that fell in all directions and illuminated the entire cabin completely.
Jiang Li widened her eyes slightly, her pupils reflecting a golden brilliance. Within that radiance was that bright and flawless person, surrounded by gorgeous colors that made her so breathtakingly beautiful that one couldn’t look away for a long time.
The image of this moment was engraved deep in Jiang Li’s memory, making it impossible for her to ever forget for the rest of her life.
On the way home, Jiang Li asked, “If I don’t do well on the Gaokao, will you be disappointed?”
Xuan He was somewhat baffled.
What did Jiang Li’s Gaokao have to do with her?
Still, she pondered for a moment and replied, “This is your life. No matter the outcome, as long as you tried your best and have no regrets, that’s enough. I won’t be disappointed.”
Jiang Li turned her head away, the corners of her lips curving upward unconsciously.
What Xuan He didn’t say was that it didn’t matter what the result was; this was Jiang Li’s own life, and besides, once she left in the future, all her assets would be left to Jiang Li to manage.
On the day of the Gaokao, Jiang Li woke up half an hour early as usual and made breakfast.
Just like always, after eating, she shouldered her backpack and left.
With anticipation in her heart and carrying expectations for Xuan He, Jiang Li stepped into the examination hall.
“In this world, eighteen is considered an adult, right?” Xuan He asked.
The little light orb nodded, then looked somewhat reluctant. “Lord God, the kid started school a year late and is nineteen now. Although she’s an adult, going to university still requires money.”
“That’s nothing,” Xuan He said dismissively, though she felt a hollow emptiness inside her heart.
She attributed this feeling to not being able to regularly eat the food Jiang Li cooked anymore.
After all, Jiang Li’s cooking was truly delicious, and most importantly, it carried an inexplicable sense of familiarity that she had never figured out the origin of.
On the first day of exams, Jiang Li felt things went well and entered the kitchen as usual.
This was something the two of them had agreed upon.
Xuan He had once suggested ordering takeout directly during the Gaokao period.
However, Jiang Li brought up the time Xuan He got a stomach ache to prove that takeout wasn’t good, and Xuan He finally agreed.
Xuan He had already prepared and processed the ingredients. Looking at the sliced green and red bell peppers along with the marinated meat slices, Jiang Li knew Xuan He wanted to eat Sichuan-style stir-fried pork today.
The meat slices were pork belly, marinated with baking soda, starch, cooking wine, soy sauce, and a little sugar until they took on the color of the sauce, topped with a spoonful of oil to seal in the moisture.
In a hot wok with cold oil, minced garlic was added first to sizzle and release its aroma, instantly filling the space with the scent of cooked garlic.
A spoonful of fermented black beans (douchi) was added and stir-fried until fragrant, their savory scent immediately overpowering the cooking fumes.
The bean paste was stir-fried until the oil separated from the sauce, each bean distinct, coated in hot oil, and bursting with a rich, savory aroma.
The marinated pork belly slices were added and stir-fried quickly. Upon touching the hot wok and hot oil, the raw meat began to develop browned, crispy edges, and the pork fat started rendering, producing a sizzling, mouth-watering aroma.
The meat slices began to curl, mingling and combining with the fermented black bean sauce.
When it reached the right stage, green and red bell peppers were tossed in, mixed together again, followed by light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a pinch of sugar to enhance the flavor.
Once the peppers were tender-crisp, it was ready to be dished up.
The stir-fried pork was scooped onto a plate, and without washing the wok, the remaining oil was used to toss in the washed baby bok choy.
With a loud sizzle, the bok choy hit the hot wok and oil, rapidly shrinking as its vibrant green leaves gleamed brightly.
After a few quick tosses to separate the greens, a dash of oyster sauce was added and mixed evenly.
The dish of oyster sauce baby bok choy was also ready.
Two people and two dishes were more than enough to eat, especially since one shouldn’t eat too much at night.
Before Xuan He even sat down at the table, the aroma aggressively forced its way into her nostrils.
First, she picked up a chopstick of the stir-fried pork. The pork belly had been rendered until slightly curled, with crispy edges yet a tender center. With a single bite, the fat instantly burst between her teeth.
Meanwhile, the green and red bell peppers were crisp and tender, carrying sweet and slightly spicy juices that perfectly neutralized the greasiness of the meat.
The finishing touch was the fermented black beans—savory and rich, with every single grain clinging to the meat slices and peppers, instantly giving the entire dish depth.
Salty, savory, spicy, and fragrant progressed layer by layer in her mouth, making her even want to use the oily sauce at the bottom of the plate to mix with rice. The thoroughly satisfying feeling made people unable to stop taking bite after bite until the plate was licked clean.
The side dish of oyster sauce baby bok choy was an even more refreshing and palate-cleansing delicacy.
Without excessive seasonings, the crisp bok choy highlighted its own fresh juiciness, allowing one to better taste the natural flavor of the ingredients.
Intertwined with a hint of pork fat aroma from the stir-fried pork, it elevated the savory flavor of the greens even further.
Xuan He praised this meal endlessly.
As expected, her little Li’s culinary skills were top-tier!
Well-fed and content, Xuan He happily went to wash the dishes.
Jiang Li returned to her room to continue reviewing, preparing for the final sprint of the next day’s exams.
“Ring-a-ling-ling…”
The final examination subject ended. Jiang Li quickly packed her schoolbag and ran out of the classroom door in high spirits.
The Gaokao was finally over, and she finally had time to do what she wanted to do!
However, when she returned home full of anticipation, she didn’t see Xuan He anywhere.
She searched every corner of the house and found a note and a bank card on the living room coffee table.
Xuan He wrote that since Jiang Li’s Gaokao was finally over, she was going on a global tour.
She stated that the bank card contained tuition and living expenses for Jiang Li’s university.
Jiang Li was so angry she laughed.
Yet even as she laughed, she began to cry.
“You jerk, you liar!”