Dong'er, Do You Like Daughters?

By the main pier, the river stretched wide, its surface glittering with ripples. Countless lanterns floated upon it like stars fallen into the water, drifting with the current.

Many couples and friends stood devoutly by the river, setting lanterns afloat and whispering their wishes.

Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong found a quieter set of steps and walked down toward the water.

Then, Qian Xunji crouched down and removed the stick from the lantern in his hand.

"Dong'er, come here. Hold the other side of the lantern."

Bibi Dong nodded, standing beside him and taking hold of the other side.

Then, the two of them carefully placed the lantern onto the water.

Qian Xunji released a wisp of golden Soul Power beneath its base, keeping it steadily afloat instead of letting it drift away at once.

"Close your eyes. Let's make a wish." With that, Qian Xunji closed his eyes.

Bibi Dong closed her eyes as well, clasping her hands together.

I hope... I hope I can always be with Teacher, just like this.

The wish was so bold that it startled even her, yet in that moment, it rose from the depths of her heart as naturally as breathing.

After making her wish, she opened her eyes and happened to see Qian Xunji lowering his clasped hands as well.

"Finished?"

"Mm."

"Then let's send the lantern off."

The two gently pushed it with their hands. The lantern slowly drifted away from the shore, joining the river of starlike lights and floating leisurely downstream.

He stood and looked at Bibi Dong. "I heard there's an ancient legend about Yelin City's Lantern Festival."

"If a man and woman whose hearts are in harmony set afloat the same pair of lanterns and make a wish together tonight, they will receive the gods' blessing. They will never leave each other for the rest of their lives and grow old together."

"!!!"

Bibi Dong's face, which had only just cooled down, flushed red again.

W-Why did Teacher suddenly bring that up?

Was he hinting at something?

Or was he just mentioning it casually?

Setting lanterns afloat together... wasn't that what they had just...

"R-Really?"

Seeing her bashful expression, the smile in Qian Xunji's eyes deepened. He deliberately pressed on, "By the way, Dong'er, what did you wish for just now? You looked so serious."

Bibi Dong's mind raced. Those embarrassing words about always being together absolutely, absolutely could not be spoken aloud.

"What did Teacher wish for? Before asking someone else, shouldn't you say yours first?"

Bibi Dong thought that was incredibly clever. That way, Qian Xunji would not keep questioning her.

But she had underestimated Qian Xunji.

"My wish? Naturally, it was for peace throughout the world."

Bibi Dong gave him a look that clearly said, As if I'd believe that.

"Teacher's aspirations really are lofty."

"Are they? But that was a lie."

"..." Bibi Dong was speechless.

"Let me tell you the truth. My wish was to marry a wife and have a daughter."

Bibi Dong watched him stare at her. It seemed as though he was not speaking to the gods, but to her.

"R-Really? Then I hope Teacher's wish comes true."

"And what was your wish?"

"I-I wished... to break through soon and become a Titled Douluo. To bring glory to Spirit Hall."

That was right! This wish was grand, righteous, reasonable, and perfect!

"Oh?"

Qian Xunji raised a brow. "You wished to become stronger... then why was your face so red just now? Your ears too."

"It-It's hot!"

"R-Right, why hasn't Ling Yuan come back yet? She's been gone for so long. She didn't get lost, did she?"

"Should we go look for her?"

Watching her flustered little act of protesting too much, Qian Xunji finally could not hold back a soft laugh.

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore."

"Ling Yuan is clever. She won't get lost."

"She probably saw something interesting and stayed out a little longer."

"Why don't we sit on the steps above, wait for her, and watch the lanterns?"

"O-Okay!"

As though granted a pardon, Bibi Dong hurriedly nodded. She turned around first, almost jogging up several steps before finding a clean spot to sit.

Qian Xunji followed at an unhurried pace and sat beside her, leaving the space of one person between them. It was neither overly intimate nor distant.

That distance made Bibi Dong secretly breathe a sigh of relief, yet for some reason, her heart also felt a little... empty.

The two sat side by side, watching the endless lanterns floating across the river below.

After a moment of silence, Qian Xunji suddenly asked, "Dong'er, do you like daughters?"

"..."

A daughter?

Teacher was asking whether I liked daughters?

Could it be... could it be... Teacher was confessing to me indirectly?

Asking whether I liked daughters was the same as asking whether I wanted a future with him, a family, children?

Heavens! Wasn't this moving a little too fast?

I'm not ready yet, but... if it were Teacher's child... a girl... I might actually be looking forward to it.

Qian Xunji waited for a while without hearing an answer. Turning to look at her, he saw that she had frozen in place, her gaze unfocused as if her soul had left her body.

He paused, then suddenly understood. His question... seemed rather easy to misunderstand?

Especially after they had just set afloat a couple's lanterns.

Just as he was about to explain, Bibi Dong answered, "I-I like them... Daughters are very cute, soft, and smell nice..."

"That's good." Qian Xunji nodded, his tone carrying relief.

What he had actually wanted to ask was whether, if Qian Renxue were born in the future and Bibi Dong had not gone through all that pain and darkness, she would be willing to accept and treat the child well.

He needed to find out Bibi Dong's attitude toward children in advance.

Now, it seemed... her reaction had been a little intense, but at least her answer was that she liked them.

Meanwhile, Ling Yuan returned near the main pier, carrying a koi lantern and some roasted buns as she strolled along.

She did not immediately go looking for Bibi Dong and Qian Xunji to play third wheel. Instead, she walked onto an arched bridge.

The bridge offered an excellent view, allowing her to take in the dazzling lantern-lit river across more than half its length.

She leaned over the white marble railing, listlessly watching below.

But the sight left her feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

Along the riverbank beneath the bridge, couples who had finished setting lanterns afloat nestled together and whispered softly.

Some held hands as they watched the river of lanterns side by side. Some boys were fixing the hair their girls had had blown messy by the wind.

Others stole passionate kisses beneath the shifting lantern light before separating with red faces.

The air was filled with something called romance, making Ling Yuan, all alone, suddenly feel that even the koi lantern in her hand had lost its charm.

She pursed her lips, her heart inexplicably feeling a little empty.

Ling Yuan sighed inwardly. Why hadn't I noticed before that these lovey-dovey couples were so... irritating?

Before, she had either been training desperately, carrying out missions, or watching the Saintess get scolded by the Pope. She simply had no time to spare for anything else.

She had always thought becoming stronger was the only proper path. Men and such only slowed down the speed at which she drew her blade.

But... looking at all those pairs below, then thinking about the atmosphere between His Holiness the Pope and the Saintess tonight...

Maybe... having someone by her side would not be so bad?

At least she would not be standing alone on a bridge like this, watching other people flaunt their affection.

"Ah, I wonder where my destined one is... Could I really end up alone for life?"

Just as her thoughts ran wild, a cry suddenly rang out from the opposite bank nearby.

"Thief! He stole my money pouch! Stop him!"

Ling Yuan's spirits lifted. She had been worrying about having nothing to do, and now an opportunity to uphold justice had come right to her.

She instantly cast all thoughts of romance to the back of her mind, and the professional instincts of a Spirit Hall elite Soul Master immediately kicked in.

She tossed the lantern into the river, then followed the direction of the voice into an alley.

There, she saw a plump middle-aged man, panting heavily as he pointed anxiously at a dark figure weaving nimbly through the crowd ahead.

The surrounding crowd stirred, but the thief was extremely fast. He was about to dart into a pitch-black alley nearby.

Ling Yuan rushed over to the fat man in a few steps. "Uncle, which way did the thief go? What did he look like?"

The man was so exhausted that he could barely speak coherently. Trembling, he pointed toward the alley. "H-He went ahead... wearing b-black clothes... h-he went into that alley."

"Alright, wait here!"

A sharp glint flashed through Ling Yuan's eyes as she stopped deliberately concealing the aura of a Soul Emperor.

Then she shot into the alley with a whoosh.

The alley was not deep, but it had many forks.

"Little thief, where do you think you're running?"

She poured Soul Power into her legs, and her speed suddenly increased again.

In the dim light, only a pale blue afterimage could be seen streaking past.

Several dozen seconds later, she had chased the thief to the depths of the alley. Ahead, a black-clad figure was fleeing desperately, his silhouette looking quite agile.

"You still dare run." Judging the distance, Ling Yuan stomped hard and leaped into the air, her long leg cutting a graceful arc through the darkness.