Chapter 1228: Given to You

"Big Brother! Take care on your journey!"

"Thank you for clearing the path and blessing us! Do you know?! Xiaoyu's illness is cured!"

"Big Brother! As soon as this war ends, we'll formally hold our wedding! You absolutely must come then!"

"Yeah, Big Brother! Don't forget to bring a gift! Hahahaha..."

"I bought the ingredients for double-skin milk pudding for you, but we didn't get to eat it this time. I'll definitely make it up to you next time!"

The boys' shouts, like the calls of magpies breaking the silence, seemed to restore a touch of color to the gloomy sky when they appeared.

Rattles clattered crisply, and high-pitched horns blared, echoing through the streets. These children's toys, painstakingly borrowed from the kids at the base, were strapped all over their bodies, making them look like a comical children's band.

All the chaotic sounds came together; if an elder had been standing nearby, they would likely have grabbed a slipper and started hitting them.

Yet, the moment such "noise" erupted, Sun Bumian's painful coughing began to subside, and his breathing gradually stabilized.

Brother Pao and the others couldn't hear Sun Bumian's coughs; they were simply following Chen Ling's instructions, making loud banging noises and shouting as they walked forward. Although their voices were hoarse, they remained full of enthusiasm!

"Big Brother! You must be well! Don't forget us!"

"Big Brother! We will definitely meet again!"

The boys' voices faded into the distance amidst the ruins.

Beneath the thick layers of earth, Sun Bumian's coughs had completely vanished.

He lay peacefully beside the awakened lion, his chest gently rising and falling, a faint smile gracing his lips, as if he were having a joyous dream.

At the end of the misty, rainy street, the figure in the bright red opera robe also had a slight smile.

Code 129439: Time limit expired.Reading interrupted.

Ding-a-ling—

A crisp bell rang in the classroom. Teacher Ye glanced at the time and gently closed her book:

"Class dismissed."

The creaking of chairs being pushed back filled the air. In the last row, Sun Bumian, who had been secretly dozing off, failed to keep his head up, and his forehead hit the desk with a thud. He groggily opened his eyes and yawned lazily.

He had slept very soundly!

Just as Sun Bumian got up to go eat, Teacher Ye approached him.

"Sun Bumian."

"Oh, Teacher Ye!" Sun Bumian immediately stood at attention, but the red mark from resting his head while dozing was still visible at the corner of his mouth. He asked earnestly, "Teacher Ye, is there something you need?"

"..." Teacher Ye spoke with a hint of helplessness, "Next time you sleep in class, please don't snore; it disturbs your classmates."

Sun Bumian: ...

"I'm sorry, Teacher Ye..." Sun Bumian gave an awkward smile.

"No need to apologize. I know there's not much I can teach you. In fact, for many history-related questions, I might even have to consult you..." Teacher Ye said gently, "I'm already very happy that you're willing to attend class."

"I actually quite like attending class.""After all, that's when I sleep best."

Teacher Ye nodded slightly. After a moment of hesitation, he continued:

"It's been hard on you, staying by Chen Ling's side for the better part of a year since Jian Changsheng and Jiang Xiaohua left."

"Teacher Ye, you've misunderstood," Sun Bumian waved his hands repeatedly. "My staying with the Fusion Faction has absolutely nothing to do with Red Heart 6... I just genuinely like the atmosphere here. The children here are always full of enthusiasm for life and take every festival seriously. It's hard to find such a vibrant and pure place anywhere else among the major realms."

Sun Bumian was speaking the truth. The Fusion Faction was isolated from the outside world, and the children were taught very well by Teacher Ye, living happily like in a utopia. During the better part of a year he had spent there, Sun Bumian had already reached the fifth rank, even vaguely touching the threshold of the sixth rank.

In other human realms, this process would take at least a year and a half.

"Speaking of which, I should really thank you... Since you arrived, the children have been very happy. They absolutely love everything, whether it's the awakened lion, the candied hawthorns, or the various crafts you taught them to make." Teacher Ye smiled genuinely.

"This is what I've always wanted to do."

"By the way, why didn't Chen Ling come to class again today?"

"He entered the Era Archive again today... Calculating the time, he should be out soon."

"Alright, go eat."

After saying goodbye to Teacher Ye, Sun Bumian, who had been "kept after class," immediately dashed out of the classroom and ran straight to the cafeteria.

Usually, Sun Bumian would be the first to rush into the cafeteria, as the Fusion Faction's food was perfectly to his taste. But today, being delayed for a while, he worried his favorite dishes might already be gone.

Sure enough, his worries proved to be true.

When Sun Bumian saw the glistening empty serving dishes that had already been cleared out, he felt like his world had collapsed. He stood there for a moment, clutching his tray, before reluctantly moving to scoop up just two servings of vegetables. With a sigh, he walked to a corner table.

"Big Brother Sun, did you not get any meat?" a voice came from behind him.

Sun Bumian turned to see Xiao Tao, wearing a small animal hair clip, holding her tray and standing behind him. "I have a few pieces of meat here; I'll give them to you."

Though Sun Bumian was tempted, he couldn't possibly take a child's meat. After silently swallowing, he said earnestly:

"I'm on a diet recently."

"Oh? Oh... okay then."

Sun Bumian quickly averted his gaze, forcing himself not to look at the painfully tempting fatty meat. He dejectedly found a corner table and sat down.

His small round sunglasses reflected the simple lunch. Sun Bumian sighed softly, then quickly lowered his head, shoveling the rice and vegetables into his mouth, finding it tasteless. He silently decided that he would skip class early tomorrow. Since his academic performance was already at the bottom, being the first to grab food in the cafeteria wouldn't be too much, would it?

Just then, a figure sat down across from him.

Sun Bumian didn't look up, knowing who it was, but when a plump, braised chicken drumstick was placed in his bowl, he froze.

He looked up, bewildered.

One drumstick, two drumsticks, three drumsticks...Chen Ling expressionlessly put all the drumsticks from his own bowl into Sun Bumian's bowl.

"Red Heart 6... What... what are you doing?"

"Don't ask," Chen Ling said, lifting his chin."Eat."

"Did the sun rise in the west today??" Sun Bumian gazed at the small mountain of drumsticks piled in his bowl, looking as if he doubted he was fully awake.

As if he hadn't heard Sun Bumian's muttering, Chen Ling silently pulled out another small cup from behind him and handed it to Sun Bumian. A rich, familiar aroma wafted into Sun Bumian's nostrils!

"This is...""Double-skin milk pudding," Chen Ling said calmly. "For you."