Wendy

At the bar, Lucy was, as always, slumped over the table, wailing.

"How am I going to pay the rent... I'm going to be broke again next month..."

Just then, the guild's wooden door was gently pushed open, and a petite figure walked in.

Her long, dark blue hair was tied into pigtails, swaying gently with her steps.

Is Mr. Riyao here?

Wendy's soft, sweet voice rang out, like cotton candy melting into the air.

Lisanna's eyes lit up instantly. She put down the rag in her hand, rushed over in three steps, and hugged Wendy tightly to her chest, like she was hugging a plush toy.

"Little Wendy's here again! I really want to steal you away~ My brother-in-law's farming at the estate, do you want me to take you there?"

Wendy's face was covered by Lisanna's clothes, her cheeks flushed red, and she patted Lisanna's arm with her little hands, her voice muffled.

"Sister Lisanna... I can't breathe..."

Lisanna then let go of her hand and chuckled, "Little Wendy, want to join our guild? Our guild is so much fun, there's fighting every day!"

Wendy waved her hands and shook her head frantically, her pigtails swaying like rattles.

"No, no, the seniors in my guild have been so kind to me!"

Following behind Wendy, Carla crossed her arms and glanced disdainfully at the chaotic scene in the guild. Gray was shirtless again, Natsu was dancing on the table, and Cana was singing while lying on a barrel of liquor. She snorted coldly.

"Hmph, that scheming, dramatic guy is so lazy, he's actually farming? What a waste of his talent."

A blue figure flew over with a "whoosh." Happy's eyes were sparkling with hearts, its wings flapped like little fans, and it held a grilled fish in its paws.

"Carla! You're here! Do you want some fish? This is my favorite grilled fish! I specially saved it for you!"

Carla gave him a disdainful look, her nose wrinkling slightly.

I don't want to eat your greasy food.

Happy's heart shattered in two, but he quickly rallied.

"Then I'll make you steamed next time!"

Carla ignored him and pulled Wendy's hand to walk out.

"Let's hurry and find that drama queen! There's some shirtless pervert over there, let's go!"

Gray's face turned bright red, and he frantically searched for his clothes.

"Where are my clothes?! Who stole my clothes again?!"

Natsu pointed at Gray and laughed.

"Haha! You've taken your clothes off again! You pervert!"

Gray threw a punch, Natsu dodged to the side, and the two immediately started fighting, damaging the tables and chairs.

The infatuated Happy followed closely behind Carla, and the two cats and one person arrived at Riyao Manor.

Riyao squatted in the field, busy with his work. He held a small shovel in his hand and was muttering to himself while working on a grafted fruit tree.

He was wearing a white vest, a towel around his neck, revealing his lean arms, and beads of sweat on his forehead.

"To make apple trees grow mangoes that taste like peaches..." he muttered to himself.

Beside him, Mirajane, wearing a straw hat, sat in a wicker chair with a magazine on her lap and a fruit knife in her hand, slowly slicing a watermelon.

She cut off a slice and held it to Riyao's lips. "Here, have a bite~"

Without turning his head, Riyao opened his mouth and took a big bite. After chewing twice, his eyes lit up.

"Wow! This strawberry-flavored watermelon is really great! The sweetness is just right!"

Not far away, two cats and one person stood frozen in place, their eyes twitching simultaneously.

Carla's sharp-tongued rant.

"Is strawberry-flavored watermelon some kind of evil research result?! What on earth are you guys doing?!"

Wendy's deep blue eyes widened, her mouth formed an "O" shape, and she muttered something under her breath.

"Mr. Riyao's magical research... how strange..."

Happy had already flown over, grabbed a slice of watermelon with his paw, stuffed it into his mouth, and mumbled, "Riyao! Next time, could you make a watermelon that tastes like black-backed bass?"

Riyao tidied up his tools, stood up, brushed the dirt off his knees, turned around and saw Wendy, and smiled.

"Isn't that Little Wendy? Is she going to join Fairy Tail?"

Wendy's face flushed red, and she shook her head vigorously.

"No! I just came to ask a question!"

Luckily Wendy is young, otherwise Mirajane would definitely be jealous and beat up Riyao. That man is always thinking about luring young girls into the guild.

Wendy heard the word "small" again, lowered her head, and muttered in a very low voice, "It will grow up..." Her voice was so soft it was like a mosquito's buzz, but Riyao's ears still caught it.

He pretended not to hear, but Mirajane had already run over, hugged Wendy tightly, and rubbed his face against hers, tilting his straw hat to the side.

"Little Wendy's here again! Why don't you stay here tonight? I'll make you your favorite little cake!"

Wendy blushed even more as she was enveloped in Mirajane's fragrance, her little hands unsure of what to do.

"Thank you... thank you, Miss Mirajane..."

Happy squatted next to the watermelon plate, eating as he said, "Riyao, is the black-backed bass flavored watermelon really not good?"

Riyao packed up his tools, got up and walked towards the hut, casually tossing the shovel into the bucket by the door.

"If I can't do it, how about I sprinkle some cumin on it?"

As he walked, he pulled off his vest, revealing his lean upper body, with beads of sweat sliding down his back.

"I'm going to take a shower when I get back. I'm all sweaty and sticky, Mira won't even put a patch on me."

Mirajane, blushing, kicked Riyao in the butt.

"Can't you be a little more mindful of your image! We have guests here!"

Riyao chuckled and slipped into the house.

Splash splash~ Drizzle drip~ Wash, wash~

The sound of running water came from the bathroom, and not long after.

Riyao emerging from the bath. jpg

He changed into a dark green shirt, black shorts, and flip-flops, and walked out with a slapping sound.

Her hair was still wet, and water droplets dripped from the ends onto her shirt, leaving dark stains.

Mirajane's eyes lit up, like a cat spotting its prey, and he pounced, trying to rub his face against Riyao's sweaty face.

"Hehehe, little darling, let your big sister put it on you~"

Riyao nimbly dodged to the side and reached out to cover her face.

"Now it's my turn to complain about you; you're covered in sweat."

Mirajane relentlessly chased after him.

The two of them started circling around Wendy, one in front and one behind.

Wendy stood in the middle, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She held her forehead with her little hand and stumbled a couple of steps.

"Mr. Riyao... Ms. Mirajane... stop spinning... I... I'm so dizzy..."

Poor Riyao ended up getting covered in sweat from Mirajane's touch. Taking advantage of the moment he stopped, she hugged him from behind, pressed her face against his, and smiled triumphantly.

Mirajane went to take a bath, completely satisfied, while Riyao looked at the mischievous Mirajane with a mixture of helplessness and indulgence.

Parasol Trees, stone tables and benches stand quietly in the dappled shadows.

Riyao sat on the stone bench, crossed his legs, and shook them back and forth. He even put on gold-rimmed glasses to look like a scholar, and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"Little Wendy, is there a problem with your visit this time?"

Wendy pulled out a huge book and slammed it on the stone table with a "bang," causing the teacups on the table to jump and Happy and Carla to be thrown into the air.

"Where did you get such a big book from?!"

Lucy's voice came from beside her. She stared wide-eyed at Wendy in disbelief.

Natsu and Gray had just finished "cuddling" at the guild when they realized Happy was missing. Lucy, who was also curious about what Riyao Manor was like, decided to have Natsu bring him along.

Riyao's less of a manor and more of a farm, but far more luxurious than a farm.

The cobblestone path was lined with lavender and roses, the orchards were laden with oddly shaped fruits, and there was a delicate fountain in the distance.

In Lucy's eyes, it was a combination of a manor and a farm, yet it possessed an indescribable elegance.

There's no way around it; Riyao was built like an ancient resort, which in their eyes is a combination of manor and farm.

Natsu held a bunch of grapes in his arms, tossing them into the air one by one, tilting his head back to catch them with his mouth, chewing them until the juice splashed everywhere.

Mmm! These grapes are so sweet!

Wendy opened the book, pointed to the magic circle diagram, and began asking Riyao questions about healing and Enchantment Magic.

Riyao pushed up his glasses, picked up a twig, drew a magic circle on the ground, and began to explain it to Wendy.

"This pasta should be mixed with No. 42 concrete, because the length of this screw can easily affect the excavator's torque..."

As Riyao drew, he talked, the branches drawing smooth lines on the sand.

Wendy nodded, seemingly understanding, her deep blue eyes sparkling with a thirst for knowledge.

Happy and Natsu, who were listening nearby, were getting sleepy. Happy was lying on the stone table, his eyelids getting heavier and heavier.

Natsu yawned, spitting grape seeds all over the ground; Igneel's teaching qualification was still gaining value.

Lucy leaned closer, trying to learn something new, but the magical terms were like gibberish to her; she could only secretly jot down a few keywords in her notebook.

Mirajane walked over carrying desserts; the mango cake was garnished with fresh mint leaves, and its aroma was irresistible.

Carla gracefully scooped up a piece with a small spoon and savored it.

Riyao and Wendy finally finished speaking, Lucy raised her hand like a schoolchild, still holding a pen in her other hand, her eyes sparkling.

"Riyao Teacher! Virgo said you know how to wear the Star Dress, could you teach me some tips and tricks?"

Riyao pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting a white light, his tone flat.

"Virgo probably said your magic power is too low."

Virgo appeared out of nowhere, dressed in a maid outfit, bowed slightly, and then nodded expressionlessly.

"Does Your Highness think there's a shortcut we can take here, sir?"

Lucy's face flushed instantly, her fingertips nervously pressed together, gently poking back and forth, the sound growing softer and softer.

"I... I just wanted to ask... is there any way... without using so much magic..."

Mirajane walked over, gently patted Lucy's shoulder, and said softly, "It's alright, your magic power is already half of mine when I first awakened my magic."

Lucy was stunned for a moment, then burst into tears and hugged Wendy tightly.

"Why am I so weak! I'm not even half as strong as Mirajane when she was little! Waaaaah..."

Wendy was breathless from Lucy's embrace, but she still gently patted Lucy's back to comfort her.

"It's alright, Miss Lucy, you'll grow up eventually..."

As she spoke, Wendy's voice trailed off. She looked down at her flat chest, her eyes dimming, and murmured, "I guess I'll... grow up eventually..."

Mirajane and Riyao exchanged a glance; they didn't have this problem.