Lin Chen walked up beside Yun Ming, looking completely at ease. "Dad, I'm heading home to cultivate." He acted as though he'd just done something utterly insignificant.
Yun Ming's gaze settled on Lin Chen. He gave a slight nod. "Go on. Be careful on the way. Your mother and I will be back tonight."
Lin Chen nodded, said goodbye to Yun Ming and Ya Li, then headed for the gates of Shrek Academy.
With Ya Li's treatment, Ye Xinglan managed to get back to her feet. The arrogance had left her eyes, replaced by a firm resolve to grow stronger.
As Lin Chen strolled home, he planned to visit Na'er at the Spirit Pagoda the next day. But along the way, he somehow wandered into the snack street.
The boy patted his forehead and thought, I'm way too careless. How did I end up here? He shook his head. "Whatever. I'm already here."
The charcoal crackled, and grease dripped from the meat. The stall owner asked, "The usual? Mildly spicy?"
Lin Chen smiled and nodded. "That's right, boss."
The stall owner briskly sprinkled on his secret seasoning, and the beef skewers were instantly coated in a charred, savory aroma. Holding them as he walked, Lin Chen took a bite. Music drifted over from behind him.
"Come on, shake up a cup of good tea, shake it up, shake it up."
"May good fortune shine upon you, shake it up, shake it up."
"Tea fragrant, play a hand, welcome wealth, wealth come, wealth come, lucky draw in hand, raise your cup and drink together, welcome good fortune."
"Come on, shake up a cup of good tea..."
Lin Chen looked toward the sound and froze in shock.
The beef skewer in his mouth nearly slipped from his hand. Outside the milk tea shop, several burly men with gleaming bald heads wore frilly white maid dresses. They swayed their bodies in perfect rhythm, humming along to the background music in hoarse voices.
There were quite a few people inside buying milk tea. Lin Chen swallowed his bite of meat. He'd spent years on Shrek City's snack street, but he'd never seen a milk tea shop this thunderous.
But his thoughts drifted back a few years, and Lin Chen still remembered it clearly: "Could I trouble you for a cup of QQ Milky Miepu Tea..."
A bald-headed maid spotted Lin Chen standing there, stunned. He strode up, deliberately pitching his gruff voice into a delicate lilt. "Hey, handsome! Want to try our signature shaken tea? Special price for our new product!"
Lin Chen ignored him and silently took out his phone, snapped a picture, and sent it to the East Sea Four Heavenly Kings group chat.
Xie Xie: What in the world is this? It's downright painful to look at!!!
Tang Wulin: Good heavens, Shrek City really is something else!!!
Gu Yuena: ?
Lin Chen quickly locked his phone and put it away. After finishing his last beef skewer, he fled for home.
The bald man's soft, coaxing sales pitch drifted after him in fits and starts, accompanied by the mind-melting song. Lin Chen couldn't help sighing, "With a forest this big, there are bound to be all kinds of birds."
The assorted street snacks couldn't heal the grievous wound to Lin Chen's heart, either. Tomorrow, he'd go find Gu Yuena. Only after stepping into his courtyard and returning to his room did he finally breathe a long sigh of relief.
After taking a good while to calm down, Lin Chen gradually entered a meditative state. He didn't know how much time had passed when he opened his eyes again; outside the window, it was already pitch-black.
He slowly left his room. Yun Ming and Ya Li were seated at the table. Seeing that something seemed off about Lin Chen, Ya Li asked, "Lin Chen, what happened? You don't look quite right."
Once Lin Chen had taken his seat, he finally spoke at an unhurried pace. "Mom, do you know about the new milk tea shop that opened on the snack street I usually visit?"
Ya Li furrowed her brow and thought for a moment. "I think a new one did open."
Yun Ming spoke calmly. "What's wrong with that milk tea shop?"
Lin Chen didn't answer. Instead, he silently took out his phone. Even Yun Ming and Ya Li couldn't help twitching their mouths at the photo on the screen.
The boy wore a long face, his voice full of helplessness. "It was so painful to look at. It did terrible damage to my young, fragile heart. Then that weird uncle came right up and tried to sell me milk tea."
Yun Ming touched his fingertips to his lips, coughed twice, then gestured for Lin Chen to pick up his chopsticks. "All right, all right. Eat first."
Ya Li raised her chopsticks to hide her smile and served Lin Chen a helping of spirit vegetables. "Try these. They're good for your spiritual power."
At the dinner table, Lin Chen said to Yun Ming and Ya Li, "Mom, Dad, I'm going to the Spirit Pagoda to see Na'er tomorrow morning."
At that, Yun Ming seemed to remember something and asked, "Lin Chen, do you know who Na'er's teacher is?"
Lin Chen glanced at Yun Ming, then at Ya Li. "Uh... the Spirit Pagoda's vice tower master, Heavenly Phoenix Crown."
Ya Li nodded slowly, her expression dawning with recognition. "So it's her."
Yun Ming coughed twice and said nothing, simply continuing with his meal.
After dinner, Yun Ming and Ya Li set out for Shrek Academy. Lin Chen was left alone in the single-story villa.
Lying on the sofa, he idly swiped his finger across his phone a few times. Xie Xie and Tang Wulin were still chattering away in the group about the photo of the bald maids at the milk tea shop. Lin Chen replied briefly, then opened Gu Yuena's chat.
Na'er, are you free tomorrow?
Gu Yuena: I'm free. What's up, Lin Chen?
Lin Chen: I'm bored at home. I'll come see you at the Spirit Pagoda tomorrow.
Gu Yuena: All right. I'll let my teacher know.
Early the next morning, Lin Chen set off for Spirit Pagoda Headquarters. He passed through without a hitch and, following the staff's directions, arrived at Leng Yaozhu's office.
The elevator doors opened onto a huge office, where Gu Yuena and her teacher, Leng Yaozhu, sat together.
When Leng Yaozhu saw Lin Chen, her eyes curved with amusement as she teased, "Na'er, your little boyfriend is here."
Lin Chen stopped short, his ears quickly turning pink. The remark had caught him completely off guard.
His glassy, turquoise eyes darted awkwardly toward the girl in white beside him. A blush spread across Gu Yuena's pale cheeks as she shot Leng Yaozhu a reproachful look. "Teacher!"
Leaning back in her office chair, Leng Yaozhu wore a teasing smile. "All right, all right, I won't tease you two anymore. Na'er gave me a heads-up yesterday. Go have fun. Enjoy yourselves."
Gu Yuena walked over to Lin Chen and blinked her big purple eyes. She turned to Leng Yaozhu and said softly, "Teacher, we're heading out."
Leng Yaozhu waved them off with a smile, watching as they left the office side by side.
As they walked out of the Spirit Pagoda, the strands of hair beside Gu Yuena's temples swayed gently. A faint blush still lingered on her cheeks as she muttered, "Teacher's so mean, always saying nonsense."
Lin Chen scratched the back of his head. His glassy eyes shifted as he smiled. "All right, all right. Don't be mad. I'll take you to look around the snack street."
Gu Yuena cast him a dubious look. "Lin Chen, was that photo really from the snack street?"
Lin Chen looked at Na'er beside him, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "You want to go see it?"
Curiosity filled Gu Yuena's purple eyes. She nodded lightly. "Mm. I want to see it with my own eyes."
Lin Chen's mouth twitched slightly as he braced himself to have his eyes assaulted all over again.
Before long, the mind-melting song drifted over with the crowd. They turned the corner, and the milk tea shop came into view, its burly dancers swaying to the music.
Gu Yuena froze in place. Her purple pupils shrank slightly, and her usually cool face went wide-eyed. After a long pause, she finally spoke. "Lin Chen, let's go..."
Lin Chen turned his head and spread his hands helplessly. "See? It gave me psychological scars yesterday."
The Silver Dragon King's astonishing intellect went to work. She decided this was a good chance to deepen their bond. Her purple eyes curved into a lovely smile, and she poked Lin Chen's arm with a slender, pale fingertip. Blinking, she said bluntly, "Then I'll heal your wounded heart today."
The simple, direct words made Lin Chen, a pure-hearted boy in his previous life, blush furiously. "Th-that's... fine."
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