Morning light pierced the thin mist, gilding the flying eaves and bracket sets of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect with a warm sheen of gold. Wang Chuan walked slowly, Dugu Bo beside him in an ink-dark robe, the subtle patterns embroidered along his cuffs appearing and disappearing in the morning light. The food box in his hands was piled high. The sweet fragrance of Osmanthus Cake and the crisp aroma of Almond Crisp drifted through the bamboo gaps, drawing frequent glances from passing sect disciples—Wang Chuan had gone out of his way to buy them from an old pastry shop in Heaven Dou City, all of them Ning Rongrong's favorite flavors, before placing them in his Soul Tool.
"You brat, going three miles out of your way to buy snacks for some little girl. You've certainly put a lot of thought into it." Dugu Bo shot him a sidelong glance, his tone teasing, though his fingers unconsciously brushed the candied hawthorn skewers hidden in his sleeve—Dugu Yan's favorite, which he had bought from a roadside stall the previous night while Wang Chuan was resting.
Wang Chuan rubbed the edge of the food box with his fingertips, a faint yet genuine smile curving his lips. "Rong Rong's a bit spoiled. She's been away from home for half a year, so I should bring her something to remember it by." He did not admit it outright, but the tenderness in his eyes had already revealed his feelings. Seeing him like this, Dugu Bo recalled his own younger days. In the end, he stopped teasing him and merely looked toward the gradually sharpening outline of the sect ahead, a hint of complexity appearing in his eyes.
When they were nearly at the sect gates, Wang Chuan stopped. "Old monster, wait here for