To achieve one's dreams.

Chu Miaomiao almost always skipped and hopped when she went out.

But Lin Mo stopped her.

After all, Chu Miaomiao was an E-rank powerhouse—her bouncing around would cause intense tremors, posing a serious threat to passersby.

So Lin Mo decisively held her back.

"Want some ice cream?"

Spotting the open KFC downstairs, Lin Mo pointed at the dessert stand.

Chu Miaomiao thought for a moment and said, "My treat—let’s get sundaes!"

With that, she went ahead to buy them.

Though introverted, Chu Miaomiao wasn’t incapable of handling daily life. Especially with Lin Mo around, her sense of security made her bolder.

Of course, this was only true as long as she stayed within his line of sight.

After grabbing two sundaes, the two strolled while eating. Since they were already out, they decided to explore the area.

Back in 2012, this place had already become Goat City’s new central district, heavily developed for commerce and finance.

Lin Mo visited occasionally but preferred the old town for its abundance of delicious food.

Still, the new district had its own novelties to try.

Unlike Jiang Yunlu, Chu Miaomiao wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about street food or shopping.

After just a few floors of stores, she quietly told Lin Mo she wanted to head back.

Lin Mo checked the time. "Sure, but let’s grab lunch first."

Though it was only a little past eleven, they hadn’t eaten breakfast before rushing out.

Lin Mo picked a place with fresh cuts of meat for barbecue.

When it came to grilling, Lin Mo had impeccable control over the heat—especially when no one else was around, allowing him to freely use his flame-manipulation abilities.

Every piece of meat sizzled perfectly, glistening with oil and edged with a caramelized crisp.

It was the epitome of the Maillard reaction.

Even Chu Miaomiao couldn’t resist the golden-brown pork belly.

"Here, have some."

For someone with Lin Mo’s appetite, all-you-can-eat barbecue was ideal.

Though even this buffet had a time limit.

Chu Miaomiao’s appetite wasn’t small either—after all, those with E-rank artifacts rarely ate lightly.

So whenever Lin Mo served her freshly grilled meat, she accepted gladly.

Lin Mo made it his mission to fill her up first.

Beef brisket, pork belly, sausages—wrapped in kimchi and lettuce for a refreshing crunch.

Chu Miaomiao was particular about food. Coming from a well-off family, she never lacked for good meals.

But she wasn’t like Jiang Yunlu, whose background was stratospherically elite. So while she didn’t chase novelty, she still sought out delicious flavors.

A bit... bourgeois, perhaps?

As Lin Mo chewed on a slice of grilled brisket, he casually asked, "Do you want to be a writer someday?"

Chu Miaomiao, who had just stuffed her mouth with meat, froze on the spot.

She tried to speak but remembered her mouth was full.

After hurriedly chewing, she blurted, "How did you know?!"

"Just a guess. You’re always scribbling things—seemed like you had an interest."

Lin Mo would never admit his divine sense had scanned many of her notes.

Chu Miaomiao fidgeted, then cautiously admitted, "I like writing stories. You won’t laugh at me, right?"

"Why would I? Writing’s great. If it’s your dream, why mock it?"

She twisted her fingers. "In middle school, I wrote something... my classmates got hold of it and mocked me for a whole semester. So..."

"So you stopped telling people you wanted to write."

It was self-preservation, really.

"Most people who mock you don’t do it because you’re bad—it’s because they can’t do it themselves and don’t want you to succeed either."

Some people were like living drowners, desperate to drag others down to their level.

Many even resented others’ happiness enough to sabotage it.

Lin Mo knew firsthand how many writers in author groups hid their book titles.

It was a dark forest—reveal your title, and you might get bombarded with reports.

Of course, that only happened if your book took off.

If it flopped, they’d all rush to console you.

But if it succeeded? Some would quietly file complaints to get it taken down.

A perfect case study in realism.

Lin Mo met Chu Miaomiao’s gaze. "Don’t worry about the thorns on the path. Keep going—at least until you choose to stop, not because outside forces make you quit."

His words kindled something in her.

Still, she hung her head. "But that means I’d have to pick the humanities track..."

"Chase your goals bravely."

"What if... after the split, we’re not in the same class anymore?"

She suddenly looked up, locking eyes with him.

They say eyes are the windows to the soul.

Lin Mo saw a pair of beautiful ones—their owner timid and introverted, but everyone needed time to grow.

So he reassured her, "We’ll still be in the same school, even the same hallway. You’re not going to pretend we’re strangers after the split, are you? I’d have to file a complaint—forgetting your lifesaver like that."

Chu Miaomiao flushed and immediately focused on grilling meat for him.

Barbecue was forgiving—as long as you paid attention, it was hard to mess up.

If you burned it to charcoal, your mind was clearly elsewhere.

She placed a slice of beef on Lin Mo’s plate.

The quality here was decent—no freezer-burnt meat. Lin Mo ate it without hesitation.

"Don’t overthink it. If you consider me a friend, then go fulfill your dream. As your friend, I’ll support you. If you hit a snag, tell me—I’ll handle it."

A month ago, Lin Mo wouldn’t have had the confidence to say that.

But now?

He could protect whoever he wanted.

After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage and mastering the Seventy-Two Divine Abilities, even firearms didn’t faze him much.

Not that Chu Miaomiao would ever get tangled up in that kind of trouble.

Knowing Lin Mo had her back, Chu Miaomiao felt a surge of courage.

After the meal, they headed back.

At Chu Miaomiao’s place, Chu Lintian was already gone—as a CEO, even managing to drive her daughter to school was impressive.

As for Lin Mo, he packed his things to leave.

Just then, the door to the girl’s bedroom opened.

Now in casual clothes, she beckoned shyly.

"Would you... like to read what I’ve written?"

Her flushed face radiated hesitant anticipation.

Lin Mo set down his uniform and nodded solemnly.

"Absolutely. It’d be an honor to be the first reader of a future literary giant."