Good Morning, Mr. Sun.

---

The autumn morning air was brisk, biting at my skin, coaxing me to curl up under layers of warm blankets. My body sought the sanctuary of warmth, and just as I attempted to rise, my head flopped back onto the pillow with a soft “thud.”

Third attempt to get up—failed.

It's not unusual for someone to stay in bed all morning after a sleepless night, right?

Snuggling deeper into the blankets, I felt sleep creeping back over me. Only when the increasing warmth of the sunlight began to caress my face did I finally stir. I rubbed my eyes hazily and stretched with a contented sigh.

"Good morning, Mr. Sun. Or should I say good afternoon?"

The house was empty, save for my presence, of course. Not surprising—there were only two of us living here, Yejia Yin and me. If she was out, it was only natural the place would be quiet.

A faint sense of loneliness flickered in the back of my mind, but I brushed it aside. No time to dwell on that. After fumbling around a bit, I found my way to the kitchen, raiding the fridge to assemble what could loosely be called a meal: some noodles, eggs, a loaf of bread, and a jar of fruit jam.

I ended up compromising by having a mishmash of bread and scrambled egg noodles as my breakfast-lunch combo deal. Afraid of messing up the living room, I stood awkwardly in the kitchen, wolfing down noodles while leaning over the countertop. I even ate bread directly over the trash can to prevent crumbs from littering the floor.

I had no choice. Yejia Yin isn’t the most forgiving of people; she’s quick to mock, and I could practically feel the heat of her murderous glare every time I’d so much as left a stray hair behind.

With nothing much to do at home, I decided I might as well head out to see Qingli. After all, she started school yesterday. Assuming she’s keeping normal hours, she should be in the middle of class right about now.

I glanced up at the grand clock mounted on the living room wall. It bluntly informed me of the time: 1:30... in the afternoon.

Alright, let me edit that thought. By normal standards, she should currently be on her lunch break.

"The late riser doesn't only miss the morning but naps, too," I muttered to myself, my voice soft and mellow as it echoed through the empty house. Hearing my tone, I couldn’t help but sigh. This gentle, lilting voice—how’s that supposed to command respect on the battlefield someday?

Fingers brushing through my bed-mussed hair, I tried to smooth out what little havoc the pillow had wrought. That said, my repertoire of hairstyling techniques is... limited, to put it mildly. One day, I’d have to learn proper grooming, like Qingli kept suggesting.

I felt a flush rise in my cheeks just recalling what she'd said about "bridal training." Ahem, it’s for practical daily life, not for... becoming a bride!

After finally settling my hair to something approximating public-facing, I threw on a plain blouse, slipped out of the house, and locked up behind me.

With no better option in sight, my feet naturally carried me toward the school. And why not? Qingli was probably there, and she was as good a company as any. Conveniently, Yejia Yin’s place was just a short walk from the school gates. A mere turn and a few dozen steps, and it loomed before me.

I stepped forward confidently but was promptly stopped in my tracks.

"Hey there, little lady. Are you even a student here?"

Oh no. My stomach sank. I hadn't enrolled yet, which meant no student ID. Worse, today’s gatekeeper was the same one I’d met last time, yet his tone suggested he didn’t recognize me at all.

“Um… Uncle, I…” I tilted my head slightly, trying to gauge his reaction.

“What’s the matter, little miss? If there’s no issue, you should head back. There are rules here—no outsiders allowed on campus."

Fortunately, my appearance must give me an air of innocence, as the gatekeeper’s tone carried more warmth than suspicion. Yet even so, he clearly had no memory of me.

I nodded inwardly, confirming my hypothesis. People don’t retain any recollection when they’re under the effect of my **Charm** ability. That settled it, then—

“Uncle, I need a favor… just this once," I murmured, my tone soft and sweet, carrying a hint of coquettish allure.

The sparkle in my wide eyes must have been convincing; his pupils enlarged ever so slightly, his expression turning blank as he nodded.

Perfect. He won’t remember any of this, anyway. Surely a little compromise is harmless if no one knows, right?

“Please, would you be so kind as to open the gate for me? I have something really, really important to take care of.”

From my lips to his ears, my words seemed to settle like silk over his will. Entranced, the gatekeeper dazedly reached out and unlocked the gate.

That wasn’t so difficult. Actually, this is kind of... fun. I inwardly smirked. Maybe I’ve been under too much pressure lately. A little innocent mischief now and then won’t hurt anyone, right? …Right?

“Xiao Yao?”

The sound of my name, spoken in a distinctly familiar voice, struck me like a thunderclap straight to the skull. Rigid, I turned my head with all the grace of a malfunctioning puppet, coming face-to-face with Qingli herself.

Beneath the golden glimmer of her eyes lay a deep well of curiosity. My brain stalled as I glanced between her and the gatekeeper, who was still standing there, blank-faced, holding the gate open.

I could barely get the words out. "...Qingli, let me explain."

---

Minutes later, we were sitting side by side on a worn wooden bench outside the school grounds.

"So," Qingli began, her expression unreadable, "you wanted to look for me but didn’t have a student ID, so when the security guard stopped you, you used that Charm magic you randomly discovered... to make him let you in?”

"Mm-hmm!" I nodded vigorously, hoping she’d see the desperation in my eyes.

"And your first independently developed skill just so happens to be…"

"Qingli!" I lunged forward, grabbing her hands in mine. "Please! Teach me that—whatever training thing you were talking about!”

Learning Charm spells without instruction—not exactly something I can be proud of. Just thinking about my unsupervised experiments made me want to crawl into a hole and never come out.

But Qingli looked almost delighted with my interruption. "You mean… the **bridal training**?"

“Stop calling it that! It’s **life skills training**! For everyday life!” I groaned, tugging at my hair, then sighed. "But yes. Please."

A teasing smile danced across her lips. “Alright then. Come over to my place this afternoon.”

Both relieved and vaguely mortified, I tugged at my hair again and muttered, “I told you it’s not for being a bride…”

“Sure, sure,” she said dismissively, a sparkle in her eyes as she moved right on. "By the way, where’s Xiao Rui? You left her alone? And wait—don’t you have class to teach or something?”

Questions tumbled from my lips faster than I could catch them, a stream of concern that I couldn’t stop no matter how much I tried. I sounded like a worried parent.

Qingli smirked. "Whoa, slow down. One thing at a time. First of all, staying at the school dorm last night was just a formality. I'm only registered at Lanying Academy as a courtesy; I don’t actually have to attend lessons."

“Wait, what? Why?”

"Because you’re a fool, my dear Xiao Yao.” Qingli gave a knowing smile, tweaking my cheek playfully. “Think about it: Lanying is owned by your Yejia Yin. Me being on its student list makes it clear where I supposedly stand. It’s a statement—it ties me to her in a visible way. Get it now?”

I batted away her hand, pouting. “She’s not **my** Yejia Yin! Don’t spew nonsense, Qingli!”

“Oh sure, sure, she’s not yours,” she said lightly, brushing past the topic before I could protest further. "As for Xiao Rui, don’t worry. She’s staying at the place I rented near the back street of the academy. It’s a small house but cozy enough for the two of us. She’ll be fine—I came to campus alone today since the school dorms are all single-rooms.”

“Just you alone—where did you put Xiao Rui?”

“You care about her that much? Hm, looks like your motherly instincts are waking up.”

“Don’t even start! Xiao Rui is adorable—that’s all!” My face puffed up, partly from embarrassment and partly from indignation.

“Relax,” Qingli said with a rare touch of fondness, brushing a finger against my nose. "She’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself, trust me. Now, about lunch—have you eaten yet?”

“Of course I have!” I claimed triumphantly. "Yejia Yin’s house is stocked with food, so I whipped up some lunch all by myself!”

Qingli chuckled, her amber eyes twinkling. “Wow, our Xiao Yao can cook! Impressive stuff!”

I puffed out my chest, far too pleased with her praise. But an hour later, I found myself face-to-face with something that humbled me completely: an array of exquisitely crafted desserts Qingli had prepared for our afternoon tea.

One bite, and the inadequacy of my earlier egg noodles was so painfully obvious I nearly wept.

Little Xiao Rui sat beside me, devouring the treats with gusto. Watching her, I couldn’t help but note how young she seemed for someone with such a hearty appetite.

“Uh, Qingli, are these okay for someone her age?” I asked hesitantly, gesturing to Xiao Rui, who seemed utterly absorbed by the little cakes. “I mean, she’s adorable, but isn’t she, like, two or three? Won’t that hard icing hurt her teeth?”

Qingli waved off my concerns. “She’ll be fine. Trust me, she can handle herself. You don’t have to baby her. Treat her like she’s the same age as the rest of us.”

“What?”

Qingli’s words didn’t make the slightest sense, and her smirk only added to my annoyance. Once more, I puffed out my cheeks.

“Well, enough snacking!” Qingli said with a clap of her hands. “Time to start your training.”

So soon? Swallowing the last bite of cake, I rose reluctantly, steeling myself with exaggerated melodrama.

"O-okay… let's do this."

For any other normal guy, being subjected to "girl training"—learning the intricacies of a young lady’s daily routine—might not be so different from embarking on a treacherous quest fraught with perils.

Then again… My shoulders drooped slightly. I doubted anyone would consider me a "normal" guy these days anyway.