Encountering Dai Huabin

Sunlight filtered through layers of canopy, leaving dappled spots of light across the forest floor.

The humidity of the forest mingled with the scent of earth and grass, at once unique and refreshing.

The group moved along a shaded trail.

They say that in a forest, there are no paths until many people walk them, but that adage did not hold true for the Star Dou Great Forest.

Starting from the outer perimeter, no matter how much one walked, a path would never form; after all, even ten-year-old plant-type Soul Beasts were still Soul Beasts, possessing vitality and reproductive capabilities far beyond those of ordinary flora.

Yet, this was a forest even further out than the outer reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest.

A path had truly been worn here.

A shaded trail.

Lu Ran walked at the very back of the group.

One meter to his left, Jiang Nannan followed a half-step behind, keeping close.

He turned his head slightly.

Even though she kept her head bowed, her face largely obscured by her flowing golden hair, he could clearly sense Jiang Nannan's body stiffen, her gait becoming somewhat unnatural.

He turned his head back, looking toward the trail extending through the trees.

Its end was nowhere in sight.

Jiang Nannan's rigid body relaxed involuntarily, and the frantic pounding of her heart eased slightly.

Her long lashes trembled of their own accord.

That figure occupied her entire field of vision, firmly rooted, unable to be shifted away.

Roots twisted and tangled beneath her feet as she stepped forward one by one.

Her mind was in a chaotic mess.

She did not know what to do next.

The composure and resolve she once possessed seemed to have departed forever.

As they continued to advance, Lu Ran turned his head again, and her body reflexively stiffened once more, her very breathing becoming cautious and light.

"..."

Lu Ran turned his gaze back to the front.

He had been pondering this the entire way:

This wasn't Jiang Nannan's usual personality, was it?

How did she end up like this?

He remembered her personality as not exactly cold, but certainly not this soft and doughy version of herself.

Soft, doughy little... Nannan?

Curiosity stirred within him. He wondered how long they would remain at this impasse if he didn't speak first, so he had no choice but to initiate a topic.

"Is your mother's health doing better?"

His tone was gentle, tinged with concern.

"Ah?"

Jiang Nannan looked up instinctively, her pale violet eyes meeting Lu Ran's gaze.

She immediately averted her eyes, feeling guilty, and turned her face away just a fraction.

Her gaze drifted, not daring to meet his, and her voice was soft and pleasant to the ear:

"She's... she's much better."

She took a slight breath and paused.

"Other than still being a bit weak, she is otherwise very healthy. Her complexion is rosy, she can walk around normally, and she can even..."

Speaking of her mother's condition, she found herself rambling, her tone rising slightly.

In the end, she even looked up at Lu Ran with excitement.

After a momentary blankness in her mind, she did not dodge his gaze this time.

She took a deep breath, her beautiful eyes filled with sincerity.

Her tone was soft yet firm:

"Thank you."

If not for Lu Ran and Zhang Lexuan, she didn't know if she would have remained in the Star Dou Great Forest forever, nor did she know how worried her mother would be.

If not for those two medicinal herbs, her mother's illness would likely have worsened long ago...

It was Lu Ran's appearance, That allowed her to see a light piercing through the dark night amidst her despair, to see hope.

"I'm glad I could help,"

Lu Ran said in a relaxed tone:

"You don't need to keep running to the Star Dou Great Forest anymore, otherwise it will only make your mother worry."

Jiang Nannan gazed at that familiar profile, listening to his words of concern, The corners of her mouth curled up slightly without her realizing it, Her heart felt warm.

She instinctively leaned closer to Lu Ran, narrowing the distance between them, The sunlight that had been filtering through the gaps in the fallen leaves seemed to fall right between the two of them, The atmosphere became harmonious.

Jiang Nannan plucked up her courage and voiced her question:

"Are you also a student at Shrek?"

She couldn't figure it out; for Lu Ran to appear in the team, he must be a Shrek student, and at his age, he could only be an Outer Academy student. Yet, she had never seen Lu Ran in the Outer Academy. It couldn't be that she just hadn't noticed him—she even dreamed of Lu Ran, It was impossible for him to truly appear in her line of sight and for her to not notice.

Then he wasn't an Outer Academy student, But he couldn't be an Inner Academy student either, given his age.

If he was neither, then he wasn't a Shrek student.

But he had appeared in the team...

He was a Shrek student... yet he wasn't a Shrek student, Jiang Nannan was completely confused.

"Ah, about that..."

Lu Ran scratched his hair: "If we're talking strictly about being a student, I'm not one yet,"

He paused, "But I am indeed one of Shrek's own."

"..."

Jiang Nannan blinked her beautiful eyes in bewilderment, What did that mean?

Lu Ran said:

"It's hard to explain the specifics, but I'll be enrolling in a couple of years anyway."

Jiang Nannan nodded obediently, She could sense, There were definitely things involved that she didn't know about, but since Lu Ran didn't want to say, she would certainly not ask, And she would never speak of it to anyone else.

"Then... what about that exceptionally beautiful big sister? Is she also from Shrek?"

I've never seen her either.

Lu Ran explained: "She is the head senior sister of the Inner Academy,"

Counting the time, Jiang Nannan should have enrolled before Zhang Lexuan's accident. Zhang Lexuan was naturally quiet and didn't like to show her face; after lying in bed for over half a year following her accident, she began executing Inspector Group missions and handling academy affairs, So it was even less likely she would appear, It was normal that she hadn't seen her.

Jiang Nannan nodded in sudden realization: "So that's how it is..."

No wonder she was so young and powerful.

"Then which Soul Ring are you absorbing this time?"

Jiang Nannan had countless questions piling up in her heart waiting to be answered, as if she could never finish asking them, She was almost pressing her entire body against Lu Ran.

Lu Ran looked at her earnest and curious expression, suddenly feeling amused, and the words on the tip of his tongue became: "Well, about that..."

"I cannot say."

"Huh?"

Jiang Nannan's mouth hung open slightly in surprise, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

What could there possibly be that he couldn't say?

Why couldn't he say it?

Was it something incredible?

Could it be that he was absorbing... a fifth Soul Ring?!

Or perhaps a sixth?!

Could it even be... a seventh Soul Ring??!

As soon as this thought crossed her mind, Jiang Nannan startled herself. How could that be possible?

But on second thought, Lu Ran had a close relationship with Yan Shaozhe and had appeared alongside the mysterious Inner Academy senior sister.

All of these things...

He certainly wasn't an ordinary person. If he wouldn't say, he must have his reasons.

Jiang Nannan couldn't help but glance at Yan Shaozhe at the front of the group, then turned to look at Lu Ran beside her.

In that instant, Lu Ran's five-foot-nine frame seemed to tower to six-foot-seven in her eyes.

He became tall and mysterious, yet made her want to understand him all the more.

And so, Jiang Nannan nodded heavily, her face full of sincerity:

"Mm-hmm!!"

A small spark of anticipation rose in her heart.

Clutching the hem of her clothes with her small hands, she hesitated, then mustered her courage, her delicate, pretty face flushed with shyness.

"...I'm called Jiang Nannan... I still don't know your name..."

"Lu Ran,"

Lu Ran said earnestly, "My name is Lu Ran."

Jiang Nannan's eyes brightened instantly, the corners of her mouth curling upward uncontrollably as happiness welled up from the bottom of her heart: "Lu Ran..."

"Lu Ran... Lu Ran!"

Like a little squirrel that had discovered a private treasure, her soft, sweet voice was filled with irrepressible joy.