Life's Purpose

Morning rose and with it, Lei Mingxing.

She slowly opened her eyes to the unfamiliar and bright room. Quietly getting up with a yawn while leisurely stretching her body.

Glancing back at the still-sleeping Chang Liuyun, Lei Mingxing took extra care not to disturb the other.

After everything that had happened yesterday and the day before, Chang Liuyun fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, sleeping so deeply that Lei Mingxing almost thought that he was unconscious.

The cause of this was no mystery, exhausting your inner Qi, sleeping in a cave and traversing a rough forest terrain immediately after, all that while injured, surely took its toll on the body, Lei Mingxing imagined.

Even if she didn't experience it herself.

Lei Mingxing softly picked up the brush and walked to the farthest corner of the room to gently comb her hair while looking out the bright window.

She couldn't see much, just a few bits of the gradually awakening marketplace and other buildings, but it still fascinated her.

Through the clear glass, she observed men and women setting up various stalls, mercenaries passing by with weapons strapped to their backs and hips, as well as several birds welcoming the new day by sitting on windowsills and sailing through the air, waiting to pick at any dropped food.

It felt impossibly peace- and uneventful.

Causing a sour squeezing sensation to envelope Lei Mingxing's heart.

She knew it was yearning.

Yearning to also live such a drifting life.

And for a moment the idea of just staying here and abandoning her revenge flashed through her mind.

But,...

Lei Mingxing knew, no matter how peaceful and mundane her surroundings, she would forever be restless, fearful even, if she didn't complete the one and only mission she had set herself for this life.

The only purpose that justified her current existence.

Why else was she sent back to the point in the carriage when a group of beasts attacked the royal entourage? The moment when everyone was distracted and didn't pay attention to her? The one and only chance at escape that haunted her every day until her death, the biggest regret in her past life?

All this was just too much of a burden to ignore, there was no way her reincarnation had happened by mere coincidence.

So she had to change her and many other people's futures no matter the cost.

After that, there would still be enough time to quietly spend the rest of her days.

Or at least that's what she told herself.

A rustling sound came from the bed and snapped Lei Mingxing from her dim thoughts.

Only now did Lei Mingxing realize that she had stopped combing her hair at some point.

"Good mornin'" Chang Liuyun mumbled while sleepily rubbing his face.

"Good Morning," Lei Mingxing replied in turn, just like any day.

After their greetings, they both began tidying their appearances.

Of course, Lei Mingxing assisted Chang Liuyun with the things that were currently troublesome for him.

Their morning routine now merely consisted of putting on their clothes, combing their hair and, as a new addition, washing up as they now had a water basin.

But not just any water basin, a full-blown artifact with Water Spirit Core in its center that would produce water if provided with Qi.

A true luxury. Usually, only exceptionally wealthy and noble families possessed something like this.

Who else would pay an exorbitant price for an artifact which only function was to be a water basin?

That said, the washing-up part actually took the shortest time.

Styling their hair was a much bigger challenge.

Chang Liuyun barely managed to bundle Lei Mingxing's hair in a casual bun but was unable to do anything about his own. So, Lei Mingxing did it in his stead with great difficulty, completing their morning routine.

Lei Mingxing happily stepped next to Chang Liuyun and hooked their arms.

"Let's go to the 'living room'?"

"..."

Chang Liuyun silently stared Lei Mingxing, or rather, speechlessly.

Well, actually, he had a pretty hard time even seeing her.

With Lei Mingxing tieing his hair, this result was to be expected.

Thanks to her, he now had something akin to a bird's nest on his head, leaving Chang Liuyun to wonder whether Lei Mingxing seriously didn't find anything wrong with that.

But he didn't mention it, just quietly joining her to meet Jing Jiang.

Together they walked down the wooden corridor to what Jing Jiang had called 'living room' yesterday. Already sitting inside this 'living room' were Jing Jiang and an unknown elder, although Lei Mingxing and Chang Liuyun presumed that this was the father Jing Jiang had mentioned yesterday.

"Good Morning you two! Here, have some breakfast!" Jing Jiang enthusiastically greeted them while pointing at the few dishes strewn about the small table, which could barely fit four people.

Tactfully ignoring Chang Liuyun's strange hair-do.

The older man also looked up from his food to give them a brief greeting.

"Morni-"

He quickly turned away, not even finishing his sentence before hiding his face while his shoulders began to tremble slightly.

Jing Jiang glared at his father, but the other didn't seem to notice his son's gaze.

Chang Liuyun: "…"

So it's as bad as he thought.

To disperse the awkward atmosphere, Jing Jiang once again motioned for them to sit down at the table.

Lei Mingxing was oblivious to the former exchanges, and she didn't really care to find out what they meant, just dragging Chang Liuyun along to their seats.

The older man had already calmed down when they finally sat down and warmly smiled at them, although the corners of his lips were still twitching when looking at them as Chang Liuyun begrudgingly discovered.

But this wasn't the most important detail, no, much more eye-catching was the fact that the older man had a familiar face.

The older man also realized that he had met them before, now that they were a bit closer and he could see them properly.

With a pleasantly surprised face, the older man exclaimed:

"I had a feeling it was you! You're the couple that bought the lotus candy from me!"

Jing Jiang turned to look at his father with confused eyes.

"You know my apprentice?"

Nodding, Jing Jiang's father continued:

"Yes, we met at the market. That young man wanted to buy a sugar figure from me, but some rich brat interfered," he snorted in displeasure, "Really, these annoying spoiled rich bas-"

"Ahem!"

Jing Jiang abruptly cut off his father and glared at him once again.

"Oh…" realizing that he had misspoken, the other just laughed awkwardly, "Doesn't matter, hehe. Anyway, my name is Jing Hai, but you can just call me Grandpa Jing, alright? Nice to meet you."

"Father!", Jing Jiang protested with an embarrassed expression on his face.

Jing Hai stretched out his arm over the table.

Chang Liuyun quickly grabbed it.

"Nice to meet you too, I'm Chang Liuyun."

Now it was Lei Mingxing's turn.

Jing Hai curiously looked at Lei Mingxing while she stretched out her hand as well.

"Hello, I'm Lei Mingxing."

She enthusiastically shook Jing Hai's hand with bright eyes and he 'seriously' reciprocated the gesture.

They shook hands for a whole minute, as Jing Jiang and Chang Liuyun speechlessly watched.

Small theater:

Jing Hai: This future granddaughter of mine is really cute, and just as silly as my son! Truly a perfect find! Grandpa approves!

Jing Jiang:...

Jing Jiang: What do you mean silly?