Shrek City, the Leng Family.
The moment Su Jiu stepped inside, he was greeted by Leng Yaozhu, beaming with delight.
For this usually stern, formidable woman to be smiling so brightly, something extraordinary must have happened. Su Jiu's curiosity was instantly piqued. There had to be some juicy gossip!
"Eh? A-Jiu, who's this?"
Seeing Su Jiu lead a little girl more exquisite than a doll by the hand, Leng Yaozhu couldn't help marveling inwardly. How could there be such an adorable child in the world?
Na'er timidly hid behind Su Jiu. She looked soft and sweet, so lovable that she instantly touched the gentlest part of Leng Yaozhu's heart, unleashing a flood of belated maternal affection.
Looking at the scene before her, she couldn't help fantasizing: when she and Su Jiu had a child someday, it would surely be this adorable too!
"Hehe~"
"Sister Yaozhu, don't you remember? I told you about her three years ago. You forgot?"
Su Jiu's words made Leng Yaozhu feel vaguely uneasy. The smile on her face stiffened.
The hazy memories of that day three years ago gradually grew clearer. Su Jiu had mentioned it in passing, and at the time she had nearly been scared out of her wits. But the more she thought about it afterward, the more ridiculous it seemed, and she figured he had most likely been joking.
Who would've thought... little brother's bride-to-be was real!
And she was just a little girl who didn't know anything. Could it be that Su Jiu had taken after her and liked raising them from childhood, too? Was he planning to raise his future wife from a young age?
If so, that was a disaster!
Leng Yaozhu was facing a crisis unlike any she'd ever known. But she didn't believe she'd lose to this little brat, who hadn't even awakened her Martial Soul yet!
She lowered her eyes. Mm~ She couldn't even see her toes. A peerless beauty!
She was far better than this little flat-chested girl. Leng Yaozhu had plenty of advantages herself. At the very least, she could still... with little A-Jiu...
"Come on, Na'er. Step forward and introduce yourself to your Sister Leng. Don't be afraid. Sister Yaozhu's a very kind person."
Na'er took a deep breath. Naturally shy, she summoned what little courage she had and stepped forward. Some instinct deep inside her insisted she had to do this, or she might miss out on something precious.
"S-Sister Leng, hello! It's nice to meet you. My name is Na'er, and I'm Old Su's child bride!"
She looked straight at Leng Yaozhu, not a trace of fear in her eyes.
As soon as she finished introducing herself, she darted behind Su Jiu like a little chick seeking shelter.
"Crack..."
It seemed something had broken in the air...
"Haha... Sister Yaozhu didn't lie to you, did she? My little child bride hasn't disgraced our Leng Family, has she?"
"Crack!"
Something seemed to quietly crack once more. This time, Leng Yaozhu's heart had shattered into three pieces.
Bug roller!
Su Jiu paid no further attention to Leng Yaozhu's changing expression. He quietly moved to her side and immediately spotted the delicate little booklet with blue-and-gold trim in her hand.
Right in the middle of the guest list, the bright red words "Wedding Invitation" stood out. The names "Chen Xinjie" and "Long Yeyue" were written on either side, conspicuously clear.
Huh?!!!
O-Old Man Chen and Long Yeyue were getting married?!
No way!
Had Old Man Chen's manual for being a lovesick puppy just skipped straight to the final stage?
Don't make your Ninth Brother laugh!
If Su Jiu remembered correctly, Shrek's Big Moon and Old Man Chen weren't supposed to get together until after the Abyssal Plane crisis ended. Why had their storyline jumped forward by almost twenty years?
Su Jiu quickly realized what might have happened. Could that shot he'd fired with Flame Demon Roar have thrown the storyline off course?
But then he thought it over and let out a breath of relief. The plot was still in familiar territory, and nothing major had changed. Everything was still under control.
"The Sea God Family. Three days from now?"
"Sister Yaozhu! With our Leng Family and this wedding, plus Na'er, she..."
Su Jiu sized up Na'er, who was as little as a potato. She didn't even look a meter and twenty tall. Free admission!
"Old Man Chen's loaded, so I doubt he'll be too stingy. He should be able to cover one extra meal."
"F-Fine. Whatever A-Jiu says goes..."
Leng Yaozhu replied to Su Jiu with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She couldn't very well hold it against a little kid, could she? As the elder one, she had to be magnanimous, broad-minded, and big-hearted!
At that thought, her expression softened at once as she looked at Na'er. If Su Jiu had noticed, he would've recognized it immediately: that was the familiar look of the big sister next door.
"Na'er, you're as dirty as a little kitten. Come on, let your big sister wash you up. Everyone will adore you even more when you're all clean."
Na'er hesitated. She immediately lowered her head and looked at A-Jiu in her arms, seeking its opinion.
"Na'er, A-Jiu thinks Sister Leng seems kind. It should be fine. Go on. A-Jiu will wait for you by the door..."
"F-Fine. Don't go too far away, A-Jiu..."
A-Jiu rubbed its face affectionately against Na'er's cheek. It was cold, but Na'er didn't mind. In fact, she liked it.
After Na'er went inside, Su Jiu picked up A-Jiu and silently sighed by the doorway.
For now, Na'er's bond with his disguise was still too strong. But he didn't dare expose the truth outright. The Little Silver Dragon didn't have a favorable view of humans at the moment, and A-Jiu had only managed to become family to her by posing as an extraterrestrial machine life-form.
What if she found out the truth and the Big Silver Dragon went berserk? That would be a disaster...
It seemed the only way for now was to have A-Jiu keep "betraying" Na'er, until she willingly gave herself away.
A short while later, Na'er came out, clean and dressed in a little white dress. She rose onto her tiptoes and spun lightly before A-Jiu.
The plain white skirt swirled in a soft arc, and a bright, innocent smile spread across her face. Her bell-like laughter rang out again and again, filling the little courtyard.
She skipped along in tiny steps, dancing with clumsy little movements like a tiny elf, twirling freely around the small courtyard.
"A-Jiu, you have a good eye~ I'll claim this little sister."
Leng Yaozhu didn't call Na'er her sister-in-law. Instead, she directly called her her little sister. The more she looked at Na'er, the more she liked her.
Besides, there was nothing wrong with having one more little sister. The Leng Family could afford to raise her.
"Sister Yaozhu, thank you for the kind words..."
Shrek Academy, beside Sea God Lake.
A handsome, refined young man with a gentle, restrained air knelt there. Beside him stood a stunningly beautiful woman, graceful and serene, her eyes filled with concern.
"Ming, get up. You've been kneeling for over a month. Tianjuan must have seen your sincerity by now."
"No!"
"Li'er, I'll kneel until their wedding is over! I was an unfilial and useless disciple. Even after my master passed away, he still had to endure this indignity. I've failed him!"
"Ah... Then, Ming, I'll represent Shrek Academy at the wedding three days from now..."
After that, Sea God Island returned to its usual tranquility. Only those involved knew what had happened.
A month earlier, beneath the Golden Ancient Tree, Chen Xinjie had boasted that on his wedding day, with the late Tianjuan as his witness, he would marry his widow, Long Yeyue. He had promised to keep her safe and make the rest of her life full of happiness. He'd also hoped to receive his dear friend's silent blessing.
But the furious Yun Ming had ruined it all. He'd overruled all opposition and, that day, with a single Heaven-Propping strike, churned the vast seas. Old Man Chen was blasted out of Shrek Academy.
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