Chapter 41: Good Child
“What is your name?”
Yifu couldn’t resist the enthusiasm of the mother and daughter. Looking at the little girl who was still nimble despite carrying a large pile of fabric, Yifu felt a sense of inferiority.
Clearly an adult, but her stamina was no match for that of a child. This kind of situation would be considered lacking in strength in her circle; even if given the opportunity to go up, she wouldn’t have the stamina for it.
With Yifu’s current stamina, she estimated she wouldn’t last long before needing to rest.
“Umi.”
The little girl, who possessed a natural Mambo Saint Body, said softly. There was a hint of evasion in her gaze towards Yifu, as if she were reluctant to meet her eyes.
After exchanging names, the two fell into an awkward silence, and Yifu genuinely didn’t know how to start a conversation.
This little girl named Umi also seemed uninterested in talking, simply following her silently, neither complaining about the heavy fabric Yifu was carrying nor asking where they were headed.
“Miss Yifu, did you also graduate from the Church Academy?”
After a long silence, Umi finally opened up the first topic of conversation with Yifu. Just as they were about to reach home, they broke the awkward silence.
“I… I did not graduate from the Church Academy.”
Yifu said softly. In her memory, before she even tried to integrate into human society, she had studied at the Witch Academy.
Moreover, she had completed her studies with the best grades; there was simply no comparison between the Church Academy and the Witch Academy from which Yifu graduated.
After all, how could a phoenix be compared to a wild chicken?
“Studying magic must require a lot of money, right?”
The wind gently blew Umi’s slightly messy hair, a few strands getting blown to her lips, and she couldn’t do anything since her hands were full.
Yifu, being attentive, helped her clear the strands of hair from her mouth and tidied up the mess caused by the wind.
“Thank you.”
Umi politely expressed her gratitude as they arrived in front of the luxurious apartment building.
“Studying magic doesn’t really require that much money; as long as you’re willing to learn, there are plenty of opportunities. Just like the Church Academy, it doesn’t seem so unattainable. As long as you can pass the exams, you can apply for a student loan even if you have no money.”
“This kind of loan has no interest; once you graduate and find a job, you can pay it back slowly.”
Listening to Yifu’s introduction, Umi lowered her head and didn’t respond. Her stamina was indeed impressive, climbing the stairs with a large pile of things without even panting.
“I actually don’t want to go to school because I’m really stupid and can’t pass any exams. But my mother insists on sending me to school. I find studying very boring, and not only does it stress my mother out more, but the business at the stall also suffers without my help.”
“An agent came by before and said that for thirty gold coins, I could be guaranteed admission to the Church Academy, or at the very least go to the Empire Academy to study. My mother has been working tirelessly for this goal, getting up early and staying out late. But she’s saved for five years and is still far, far away from it…”
“So I want to ask Miss Yifu for a favor; could you please not encourage me to go to school? I want to stay by my mother’s side to help her.”
Hearing Umi’s words, Yifu fell into silence.
“I’ve delivered the things, so I should head back now. My mother needs help at the stall…”
Umi carefully set down the fabric, then nodded slightly to Yifu, preparing to leave.
“Wait a minute, you’ve helped me with such a big task; you have to eat a meal before you go. Just in time, my daughter will be back from school soon. I’ll introduce you to each other.”
Yifu unceremoniously pulled Umi into the room. At first, Umi was a bit resistant, but she couldn’t withstand Yifu’s enthusiasm.
Besides, she really was hungry.
As they talked, Qianzhi and Leia also returned. It was lunchtime, and with Yifu’s cooking as an allure, they naturally wouldn’t consider eating the food from the academy.
