Leaving, Taken In

Half a year later, the day had come for Na'er to awaken her Martial Soul.

Su Jiu personally presided over her Martial Soul Awakening ceremony. Just like in the original story, she failed to awaken any Martial Soul.

"Na'er, are you upset? Your big brother Su will take you out for something delicious!"

"I don't want to eat. I want to be alone for a while."

Na'er was about to turn and leave, looking for somewhere quiet to be alone. Quick as a flash, Su Jiu grabbed her. Like Gazi snatching a dog, he swept her into his arms with no regard for her protests.

Without letting Na'er get half a sentence out, Su Jiu tore open a deep, dark rift in space and took her to the park where they'd first met.

It was early spring, warm one moment and chilly the next.

"Na'er, I know you're feeling awful right now. If you want to cry, then cry. If you want some quiet, I'll stay with you. You don't have to force yourself..."

Na'er's body stiffened. Those words falling beside her ear felt so familiar. Warmth spread through her heart, and an inexplicable sense of safety wrapped around her. It was as if someone had said these words to her long ago.

The emotions she'd held back for so long could no longer be contained. Tears welled in her eyes, swirling before finally bursting their banks.

She couldn't hold back any longer. She flung herself into Su Jiu's broad embrace, and tears of hurt and bitterness poured down, soaking the front of his shirt in an instant.

"Waaah... Waaah... Brother Su, am I completely useless...?"

"I don't even have a Martial Soul. All I do is cling to you every day, eat your food, and cause you so, so much trouble..."

"Does a useless Na'er like me seem awful to you? Like a burden... Waaah..."

Su Jiu didn't try to comfort her with words. He simply tightened his arms around the little Na'er.

Six years ago, little A-Jiu had been by the side of the much larger Gu Yuena, keeping her warm and keeping her company.

Now little Na'er had met Su Jiu, someone she could lean on.

She could tell him about all her grievances, all the sadness in her heart.

After a while, Na'er gradually stopped crying, her soft sobs slowly subsiding.

She slowly raised her reddened eyes. In their clear depths lurked a trace of unease she couldn't hide.

"Brother Su, do you still want Na'er?"

Su Jiu could feel the little one in his arms. Her small fists had clenched tightly around his soaked shirt, and it was clear that Na'er cared very much about his answer.

"What are you talking about, my little child bride? You must be hungry after all that crying. I promised to take you for something delicious. It's my treat today, Na'er—you can pay. Eat your fill!"

"Hmph! Old Su is so stingy. Na'er has plenty of money now. You pick the place, and Na'er will treat!"

"Hehe~"

"Coming right up! Her Majesty Na'er, please mount your steed. Your personal horse, Su Jiu, is ready and waiting."

Su Jiu crouched and offered Na'er his back. She grinned and hopped right on.

"Giddy-up! Old Su, charge!!!"

Two and a half years later, at a small park in Aolai City.

"Brother Su, my family found me. And I remembered my name, too. It's Gu Yuena."

Su Jiu looked mildly surprised, though he was only pretending.

He'd learned through A-Jiu long ago that the seal on the little girl's memories had mysteriously broken on the day she failed her Martial Soul Awakening.

Fine, fine. So Gu Yuena had been pretending to be innocent little Na'er, while he, Su Jiu, played the role of her strategist, A-Jiu?

"Gu Yuena, huh? That's a lovely name, just as beautiful as my little child bride."

Su Jiu's cheeky words made Gu Yuena blush. Shyly, she punched him in the kidney. The little ingrate sure had a lot of strength.

"Na'er, today is the last day of our relationship. I've been happy these past three years. Thank you, Gu Yuena."

Su Jiu didn't want Gu Yuena to leave without a word that night. He offered her an easy way out, so she wouldn't feel so guilty when she left—and might even be a little happier.

"Mwah~"

Gu Yuena rose onto her tiptoes and copied Leng Yaozhu, kissing him. Right on the lips.

When they parted, the little Silver Dragon's pretty face was completely flushed, red as a little apple. She looked adorable.

She shyly lowered her head, her long lashes trembling lightly as she refused to meet Su Jiu's gaze.

"B-Brother Su, I copied Sister Leng. I heard people only do this with family members who mean everything to them. D-Don't get the wrong idea..."

Suddenly, Gu Yuena felt her hand being taken. An irresistible force tugged her forward, making her stumble toward Su Jiu.

His warm breath brushed slowly past her ear, intimate and scorching, and her heart gave an instant flutter.

"Gu Yuena, so you've learned how to flirt, too? If you were nine years older, maybe I would've gobbled you up right here without a second thought. But you're still too young..."

"Old Su, at least you have some conscience. If you really did that, you'd be waiting in jail!"

Gu Yuena said the words, but she made no move to leave Su Jiu's warm embrace.

"Na'er, if anything makes you unhappy or uncomfortable in your new home, come to me. You're always welcome here!"

Gu Yuena gave no verbal reply, but tears were already welling in her eyes. Her head gave a small, involuntary nod.

Would she still be herself after she went back this time?

"Enough of this sad talk. What do you want to eat today? I'll get you anything you like."

Gu Yuena pointed in a direction. It was the shady restaurant where they'd eaten together for the first time.

That night, after Gu Yuena gave Su Jiu a Silver Dragon Reverse Scale, a golden-eyed man with black hair streaked by a single lock of gold took her away. It was Di Tian.

Su Jiu didn't try to stop her. With A-Jiu around, he'd have plenty of chances to trick the little Silver Dragon into coming back.

Two months later, at Lake of Life.

"A-Jiu has to come with me! Na'er, you can go to Shrek by yourself!"

"No! Gu Yue, A-Jiu belongs to Na'er!"

The newly separated Gu Yue and Na'er had started fighting over A-Jiu as soon as they woke up.

They both knew that with strategist A-Jiu around, their plans would go twice as smoothly!

Of course, it wasn't because they were lonely and had no one to talk to!

"A-Jiu, who are you choosing?"

"A-Jiu, choose me!"

A-Jiu displayed a helpless expression on the screen and wriggled free of their clutches.

"Gu Yue, Na'er, I can split apart, too..."

With that, A-Jiu split into two identical copies. Gu Yue and Na'er immediately hugged one each and held on tight.

"Now can you two calm down? You're the same person. There's no point getting mad at yourself."

"Hmph~ That's more like it!"

"Hehe~ A-Jiu really is the best!"

Shrek City.

"A-Jiu, do you think Na'er can pull it off?"

Na'er held A-Jiu in her arms, her little hand stroking him over and over again, uneasily.

"Na'er, you have to believe in yourself. With your innate twentieth rank and your god-level Martial Soul, the Silver Dragon Spear, a whole crowd of Limit Douluos outside will be fighting to take you as their disciple! Some measly second-strongest person in the world..."

"Really?"

Su Jiu marveled inwardly. No wonder she was the incarnation of the Silver Dragon King's humanity. She was much easier to get along with—and fool—than that other tsundere.

"Really."

"Actually, I have an idea. I wonder if Na'er..."

Na'er's eyes lit up at once. When the strategist stepped in, it was sure to be a brilliant plan!

"I heard Gu Yue's going to become Sister Leng's disciple. Instead of going to Yun Ming, the second-strongest person on the mainland, how about we go back to Su Jiu and keep being his child bride?"

"Huh? Wouldn't that be bad?"

Na'er said so, but she showed no sign of actually wanting to refuse.

"Na'er, Gu Yue bullies you like this. Don't you want to get back at her? Sister Leng would be Gu Yue's martial aunt, after all. She wouldn't dare do anything to you openly—and she'd have to show you respect!"

"Besides, hasn't Su Jiu treated you well? Do you really not like him?"

A-Jiu's words brought a blush to Na'er's cheeks. She was so shy she could hardly stand it.

"I-I do..."