Time

Chapter 1.1 : Caught His Eye

It was already spring, the warm season of blossoming flowers. Yao Yuan looked at the peach blossoms outside her classroom window and thought that it would be a pity not to go out when the weather was so nice.

The school bell had already rung, but the teacher had not arrived yet. It is very loud inside the classroom when a boy walked in. His gaze swept across the classroom, and finally went over to the empty seat beside Yao Yuan and sat down.

Because he seemed unfamiliar, Yao Yuan could not help but turn her head to the side and glance at him.

Once that boy sat down, he leaned on the chair and closed his eyes, with an expression that looked as if he had not slept enough.

The girl sitting on the other side of Yao Yuan reached out and tugged on Yao Yuan's sleeve. In a very quiet voice, the girl said: "Hey, I know this person, he is a senior in fourth year."

This boy wore a pale blue turtleneck. His hair was thin and soft. His five facial features combined was indescribably eye-catching. Only now, that he is asleep, he seems a little tired, or his complexion did not look very good, as though he is sick.

The girl asked Yao Yuan in a low voice: "I say, should we tell him that he's in the wrong classroom?"

Yao Yuan thought for a while: "Forget it, we don't know him anyways, just pretend we don't know."

In the next second, this person opened his eyes, turned to look at Yao Yuan, both eyes glimmering black, making the person he is looking at feel nervous. He said: "Why are you so immoral?"

Yao Yuan woke up from her dream, baffled, "Why would I have such a strange dream?" she thought. She had already finished her postgraduate degree but still dreamt about a class in her first year of university.

"It must be because I have read too many books lately," Yao Yuan concluded. "When I wake up, I must play a round of online games to compensate."

Since she was young, Yao Yuan was a model student. She majored in Chinese language and literature for her undergraduate studies at the renowned Jiang Ning University, and afterwards, she was recommended for admission to a graduate school in Canada. After graduation, Yao Yuan returned to Jiang Ning University to work as a teacher for electives courses. She taught Introduction to Aesthetics for two months.

She didn't have any great ambitions, and only hoped for a peaceful and simple life.

Like when she plays online games, she prays that the internet connection must be fast and stable.

Sunday at noon, Yao Yuan had brunch, opened her computer, and signed in to Legend of the Prosperous Century. Right after she signed in, she saw her character Ruo Wei Jun Gu [1] standing in a courtyard with high walls and a crooked footpath. In front of her was a small pond and the water lilies in the pond were blossoming brightly.

[1] Ruo Wei Jun Gu (若为君故) can be interpreted as "you are the reason". It is a play on Dan Wei Jun Gu (但为君故), a line from Cao Cao's poem, Duan Ge Xing. Click for more info.

Everywhere in the courtyard there were willow trees. The greenery accentuated the courtyard's spiritual serenity. She found it while she was aimlessly wandering around.

Because this place didn't have anything to do, players never came here.

Swordswoman Ruo Wei Jun Gu stood quietly under a willow tree with swords on her back. Her long black hair were fastened by three silver hair pins behind her head. Loosely hanging on her body were lilac chiffon undergarments and a grey and purple double layered outer dress. She also wore a matching silver and purple vest and a tunic, making her look valiant and heroic.

"Such a nice meeting place, but there's only a lonely person like me here. What a waste."

Yao Yuan lamented, little did she know that at this moment, at the high wall behind Ruo Wei Jun Gu, stood a swordsman with silver white hair, sleeves flapping in the wind, quietly looking in her direction.

Yao Yuan also could keep up interest much longer, her clan-mate sent her a message:

"Xiao Jun (Little Ruo Wei Jun Gu), I heard you recently committed your life to Legend of a Prosperous Century's true expert Jun Lin Tian Xia [2]."

[2] Jun Lin Tian Xia (君临天下) can be interpreted as "Lord/Prince who rules the world". Jun (君) was used to refer to male members of the royal family (ie. princes) or lords. Lin (临) in this context means to dominate or rule. Tian Xia (天下) literally translates to "everything under the sky" and means "world".

Ruo Wei Jun Gu: "Huh?"

Hua Kai (Blossoming Flower): " You didn't know? You didn't go online in the past two days, the world chat has gone insane, saying that after you were saved by Jun Lin Tian Xia, you plan to repay your debt with your body."

Ruo Wei Jun Gu: "What?!"

To say that this great Jun Lin Tian Xia and I got to know each other... thinking carefully, this is something that happened just this week right?