Little Thoughts

On the way home with Gu Yue Na, Huo Yuhao's eyes held a trace of contemplation.

"What's wrong?"

"The girl we met today reminded me of something."

Hearing the ethereal voice beside him, Huo Yuhao explained.

"Thinking about it, Shrek Academy seems to be on break too. Little Ya-jie should have come back by now, right?"

He remembered that Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan had been roommates in his previous life. Since Jiang Nannan had already returned, Tang Ya might be home soon as well.

"Is she the girl Aunt mentioned before, the one you brought home?"

In my mom's eyes, you're in the same situation.

The corner of Huo Yuhao's mouth twitched as he nodded. In his mind, however, surfaced that final hug when he had sent Tang Ya off to school, as well as—

Just thinking about it gave Huo Yuhao a headache.

How had things suddenly turned out like this?

He felt like he had not done anything...

Though he was troubled, if he had to choose again, he would still make the same choice.

Some things had to be done even if lightning struck from the heavens. He would not regret it.

Forget it. He would take things one step at a time.

The excessive drain on his Spiritual Power left Huo Yuhao unable to dwell on these matters any longer. As they headed home, the sky gradually darkened. The streets bustled with people, shops closed one after another, and vendors made their way home.

Before long, a vendor pushing a cart approached them. It was the very same one they had bought Popsicles from that afternoon. Perhaps their looks had left too deep an impression, because he recognized them right away and teased them with a smile.

"Young man, not getting another one for your little girlfriend?"

"Uh..."

For some reason, the Popsicle that had been shoved into his mouth that afternoon surfaced in Huo Yuhao's mind. He subconsciously looked to the side, only to find that Gu Yue Na was looking at him too.

Meeting those amethyst-like eyes, he asked hesitantly, "Do you want one?"

"Yes."

Hearing that, Huo Yuhao looked at the vendor and nodded. "Then give us one."

"Sure thing."

The vendor immediately stopped his cart. After taking Huo Yuhao's money with a smile, he lifted the lid of the insulated box, took out a Popsicle wrapped in wax paper, and handed it over.

"Young man, here you go."

Gu Yue Na took the Popsicle from Huo Yuhao and tilted her little head. "You're not having one?"

Huo Yuhao glanced at the Popsicle in Gu Yue Na's hand and smiled as he shook his head.

"No need. You eat it."

"Is that so?"

Gu Yue Na tore open the wax paper and, just as she had that afternoon, extended her soft pink tongue to lick the Popsicle before continuing.

"You looked like you were enjoying it this afternoon. I thought you liked them."

Huo Yuhao's expression twitched.

"...Let's get home."

With that, his pace unconsciously quickened. Gu Yue Na merely blinked twice, said nothing, and silently followed after him.

The moment he opened the front door, the sound of stir-frying came from the kitchen. Seemingly hearing them arrive, a little head with a ponytail peeked out from behind the door.

"Yuhao, you're back."

"Little Ya-jie, when did you get back? Oh, right, this is—"

"Gu Yue Na, right?"

Before he could finish, Tang Ya emerged carrying a plate of food. After setting it on the table, she smiled at Gu Yue Na.

"Aunt already told me about you. Hello, hello. We'll be family from now on."

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Huo Yuhao felt that Tang Ya's smile was a little stiff as she looked at Gu Yue Na. Meanwhile, Gu Yue Na calmly nodded in greeting.

"Hello."

Only then did Tang Ya turn back to Huo Yuhao. "I came back this afternoon. But Yuhao, why are you only getting back now? Did something happen?"

"When I went to the Medical Hall to buy medicine, I ran into a patient, so I helped out. It's already been taken care of."

After thinking it over, Huo Yuhao decided not to mention Jiang Nannan's mother. After all, in his previous life, she had never told them about it. There was probably something inconvenient about it. Looking at Tang Ya, who seemed somewhat different from before, he asked softly, "How was your year at the academy?"

"Hehe, not long after enrolling, I reached level twenty. With the help of the academy teachers, I obtained my Second Soul Ring, and I'm already a Great Soul Master now."

Seeing Huo Yuhao take the initiative to ask, Tang Ya's lips curved upward. She swayed her little head, her tone full of pride.

"Also, my roommate and I won first place in the New Student Assessment. We were named Outer Court Core Disciples, so I'm considered somewhat famous in the Outer Court now."

"Is that so?"

Huo Yuhao raised a brow, but he was not too surprised. After all, Tang Ya, no longer suppressing her Devouring Ability, absolutely possessed top-tier talent even within Shrek Academy. Being chosen as a core disciple was only natural.

And after becoming a core disciple, she would receive more resources, allowing her cultivation to improve faster.

Thinking of this, he looked at Tang Ya. "Little Ya-jie, what's your Soul Power Level now?"

"Level twenty-five."

As though she had been waiting for him to ask, Tang Ya raised her head, her little nose nearly pointing at the sky.

"What? Do you think I'd get carried away by such a tiny achievement and neglect my cultivation?"

That was indeed what I thought.

Huo Yuhao coughed awkwardly twice, feeling deeply relieved.

At this pace, Tang Ya could reach the Soul Elder realm in her second year. Compared to reaching Soul Elder only after finishing her third year in his previous life, she could now barely rival Bei Bei and Xu San Shi.

If she used Dark Blue Silver Grass's ability to devour Life Force, her Cultivation Speed would likely become even faster.

It was time to put training on the agenda.

As he pondered this, he suddenly noticed Tang Ya moving before him. He instinctively looked up and saw her lifting both arms, staring at him with an expectant expression.

"Hurry, hurry. We haven't hugged in a year."

Huo Yuhao's face twisted. After hesitating for a moment, he still gently embraced her.

Her soft, delicate body fell into his arms, carrying a faint fragrance that eased his exhausted mind somewhat. Before Tang Ya had gone to school, her favorite thing had been wrapping her arms around him from behind while pretending to read.

Yet after an entire afternoon, she would not even have turned two pages...

Girls generally developed much earlier than boys, and Tang Ya was three years older than him. She was currently a full half head taller than he was.

Still, this was not too bad. Whenever Huo Yuhao remembered how Zhang Lexuan had held him in her arms like a doll in the Star Dou Great Forest, he could not help but feel overcome with sorrow.

Fortunately, not many people saw that.

After Tang Ya hugged Huo Yuhao, her gaze seemed to casually sweep over Gu Yue Na.

Seeing the other girl sitting nearby with an expressionless face, a faint ripple passed through Tang Ya's beautiful eyes. Only then did she rest her head on Huo Yuhao's shoulder, gently inhaling his scent while her hands roamed restlessly over his body, feeling how much he had grown over the past year.

"Yuhao, why do you seem to have become fairer?"

At first, Tang Ya thought it was merely an illusion, but after examining him closely, she found it was true.

"When I absorbed a Soul Ring in the Star Dou Great Forest, I turned out like this."

Huo Yuhao explained softly. Then, as if recalling something, he hesitated for a while before asking, "Little Ya-jie, since you're already somewhat famous in the Outer Court, haven't any classmates or upperclassmen tried to strike up a conversation with you?"

"Of course they have. Back when I first enrolled, people came running over every day, but—"

Huo Yuhao felt the arms around him tighten. Then Tang Ya's smiling voice sounded beside his ear.

"But after I scolded them, most of them didn't dare bother me again."

"I only need my little Yuhao."

PS: There are still seven days left in the double monthly ticket event at the beginning of the month. Please cast your monthly tickets. @@