Chapter 25

Su Yue resolutely went into the kitchen. The refrigerator was filled with a dazzling array of ingredients, neatly categorized and stacked, like a miniature supply station. He quickly searched his mental database for his cooking skills, but the only results he could find were: scrambled eggs, steamed eggs, and boiled eggs.

This is not his fault. In an era dominated by fast food and cafeterias, apart from chefs aspiring to Michelin stars, few high school students can navigate this maze-like kitchen with ease.

But for Noah, he was willing to go all out—making egg pancakes, which would be the first time in his life he had tried a dish combining two ingredients.

However, while his hands were busy, his mind was wandering.

"Crack the eggs, stir... Mmm, the egg whites are so smooth... like Noah's tongue..."

"Damn, too much salt! Add flour, add water... tsk, too much water again! Add more flour..."

"The feeling of it touching my skin is so burning..."

Half an hour later, a plate of oddly colored "egg pancakes" was barely ready. Su Yue instructed the Wolf King to go upstairs to call for help. A moment later, Noah came down the stairs. He also exuded the dejection of someone who hadn't slept all night, and the dark circles under his eyes were exactly the same as Su Yue's.

The two stared at each other across the dining table, both with dark circles under their eyes, speechless and the atmosphere so awkward it could fill a three-bedroom apartment.

"Good morning, Su Yue." Noah coughed lightly, his voice carrying a hint of restrained detachment.

Su Yue felt a pang of bitterness: yesterday you called me "Yue" in a completely different tone. Now that the mission is over, you've even switched back to using my full name. This "disowning me after I've done my job" attitude made him purse his lips, his face showing displeasure.

Noah, however, seemed a little slow on the uptake. He stared at the several plates of dark-colored things on the table and asked hesitantly, "You made breakfast? Is this... black rice cakes?"

"It's an egg pancake!" Su Yue corrected her irritably.

"Oh...that's quite unique," Noah reassured him, his survival instincts kicking in. "The quantity seems a bit excessive?"

"If you add too much flour, you'll only make more and more," Su Yue said frankly.

Noah glanced down at the wolf king wagging its tail at his feet: "It's alright, give the wolf king a plate."

But the wolf king knew its stuff. It sniffed the plate of black pancakes that exuded a strange aroma, and instantly reacted as if it had seen a deadly weapon. It tucked its tail between its legs, took five steps back, and frantically shook its head in protest.

"How have I always taught you? Don't be a picky eater!" Noah picked up the plate and pressed closer. The wolf king was so frightened that he ran out the door with two howls and disappeared into the forest.

"If it doesn't want to eat, then forget it, just throw it in the trash." Su Yue lowered his head in frustration.

"Don't waste it, Da Bao is over there." Noah took Su Yue's hand and led her to the front yard.

Da Bao, that silly bear, was indeed more loyal than the wolf king. It wriggled its plump rear end and came forward like a giant plush toy. Noah handed it the cake, which Da Bao swallowed whole without a word. Just as Su Yue was about to praise it for being so obedient, Da Bao suddenly began to gag violently, pounding its chest with its paws, tears streaming down its face. Its eyes clearly seemed to be accusing: "Dad, are you trying to poison me?"

Su Yue, unconvinced, stepped forward and said, "I did this!"

After hearing this, Da Bao turned to look at Su Yue, his expression even more aggrieved, tears streaming down his face: "Mom, are you trying to kill me?"

"Is it really that bad?!" Su Yue stormed back into the stone house, grabbed the remaining cakes and stuffed them into his mouth. "Ugh..." An indescribable taste shot straight to the top of his head, and he was so disgusted by the taste that he shed tears of regret.

Noah silently followed in, cut off a piece of the less dark part from the plate, chewed it expressionlessly, swallowed it, and ate a total of six bites.

Su Yue felt utterly hopeless: It's over. I've failed to win people's hearts. I'm definitely going to be thrown off the mountain now.

Sure enough, Noah swallowed the last bite, his tone as cold as the snow on a mountaintop: "Rest for ten minutes, we'll leave at eight, I'll take you back."

The moment of parting.

At eight o'clock sharp, the stone house was shrouded in mist. The wolf king followed beside the two, as if he knew that this farewell meant goodbye forever, listlessly swishing his tail and looking dejected.

Su Yue changed back into the T-shirt and jeans she had worn when she first arrived, and the bag on her back contained the portrait of Noah.

After Noah helped frame it, he said it wasn't finished yet and asked for it back.

Firstly, it was indeed his masterpiece, which he had spent four hours creating; secondly, he wanted to keep it as a memento.

The two remained silent, the air heavy with tension. Noah caught a glimpse of the edge of a canvas peeking out of Su Yue's backpack and, trying to make conversation, spoke up:

"Where is the drawing still...complete?"

Su Yue seemed to snap out of his daze, a dry smile curving his lips:

"Lower body".

The thought that it might never be finished passing through my mind silently weighed heavily on my breath.

Parting is imminent.

At the gate, Da Bao suddenly rushed over as if belatedly realizing something. It sensed the almost desperate despair emanating from Su Yue.

"Da Bao!" Noah's voice was stern, but Da Bao ignored him and howled at Su Yue, its huge head burying itself in his chest.

Su Yue understood—it was reluctance, an awkward attempt to keep him.

He crouched down, opened his arms, and hugged the sturdy "bear" tightly. His arms struggled to encircle its broad shoulders and back, his fingers digging deep into its thick fur as he rubbed and patted it: "Silly Big Treasure... Stupid Bear! You're the dumbest one in the whole family!"

Da Bao's eyes were wet, and he made whimpering sounds in his throat.

Su Yue felt a lump in her throat, but smiled and nuzzled its forehead: "But you're the cutest too."

Da Bao nodded repeatedly.

"I'll come back to see you when I have time," Su Yue coaxed it softly. "Be good, go back and keep the wolf king company... I promise you, I'll definitely come back."

Da Bao finally stopped rubbing against him, turned around, and walked slowly away, glancing back every step of the way.

Noah was fully armed. He was still wearing that simple white shirt and blue trousers, but his limbs were covered in metal armor inlaid with fine circuit patterns. He took out two short, faintly glowing rods from his left arm armor and casually tossed them into the air—they instantly extended and transformed into two smooth, light panels, each about a meter long and nearly half a meter wide, hovering quietly twenty centimeters above the ground, their bodies shimmering with colorful light, like creations from the future.

Noah pointed to one of the light panels with his eyes.

"This...is a ski?" Su Yue stared at the floating, glowing object, his throat a little dry. "You're not going to take me...down the mountain on these, are you?"

“Yes,” Noah answered readily, “after gliding over three mountains, there’s a long-distance bus station that goes straight to Unnamed Town.”

“Three, three mountains?!” Su Yue swallowed subconsciously, looking at the dazzling yet unfamiliar hoverboard in front of him, his legs felt heavy. “Big brother, I… I don’t know how to ski at all.”

Although he was born at the foot of the Alps, he was a complete homebody from a young age, with absolutely no talent for any outdoor sports—especially skiing. His few skiing experiences, even on a beginner's slope of less than 100 meters, resulted in him falling terribly and without any dignity.

"Come on up, I'll show you."

Noah put away the other plank, reached out and gently pulled Su Yue onto the same plank.

"If you're afraid of falling, hold on tight."

Su Yue hesitated for a long time, unsure of where to put his hands. To choke? Inappropriate. To hug her chest? Too shameful. In the end, he embraced that hot and resilient waist.

The moment the smooth plate was activated, the transparent protective shield locked the two people tightly together.

For the next half hour, Su Yue experienced the craziest "land flight" of his life. They glided between cliffs and made short leaps over deep valleys, the intense feeling of weightlessness almost making him scream his lungs out. He clung tightly to Noah's back, and at that moment, he wished this road had no end.

However, we still arrived at the long-distance bus station.