Na'er's Farewell

After finishing a day of cultivation, Su Chen headed home.

At present, Su Chen spent most of his time cultivating at the Blacksmith Association while earning a bit of pocket money to buy Mecha materials.

Leng Yaozhu had left the Spirit Pagoda two and a half years ago, after all, she still needed to oversee the headquarters and handle a great many affairs.

Leng Yaozhu represented more than just herself; she also stood for the entire Leng Family, and there were countless matters to deal with.

Even so, Leng Yaozhu still came to visit Su Chen every month, staying for a few days to check his health and make sure he kept up with his cultivation.

"Bzz—"

As Su Chen walked home, he received a message from Na'er.

[Big brother~ Are you back yet? I'm waiting for you at Star-Moon Restaurant~]

[Almost there.]

Su Chen put away his communicator, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

Perhaps because Na'er's memories had begun to return, she had also grown more outgoing. In her second year, she started attending the academy and taking some ordinary classes.

Na'er was beautiful, so it was only natural that she attracted unwanted attention.

But after Su Chen secretly protected her for a while, that sort of thing never happened again.

The only thing that left Su Chen a little frustrated was this:

Mu Xi and Ouyang Zixin's favorability had both reached 99, with only the final step left.

But Na'er's favorability was stuck at 90, and wouldn't rise any further.

Su Chen guessed it was because Na'er's memories had awakened, causing her progress to get stuck...

He sighed softly, pushed down his thoughts, and quickened his pace.

The gentle lights of Star-Moon Restaurant looked especially warm against the night.

After giving his name, the attendant respectfully led him to the private room he had reserved.

As soon as the door opened, a breeze carrying a sweet, fresh fragrance rushed toward him.

"Big brother, you're here~"

A silver-purple figure let out a delighted cheer and flung herself into his arms, deftly wrapping both arms around his neck and hanging from him.

Her soft, warm body pressed close, carrying a fragrance unique to a young girl.

Then Su Chen felt a warm, soft touch on his cheek.

"Muah~"

"Big brother, did you miss me today~?"

Na'er tilted her little face up at him, her bright purple eyes fixed on his, brimming with undisguised affection and joy.

"Of course I did~"

Su Chen naturally reached out and gently rubbed Na'er's soft, chubby cheek. It felt smooth and warm, wonderfully soft beneath his hand.

His tone held a trace of helplessness, but was full of indulgence too. "All right, all right, get down now. You're the goddess of all the boys at the academy. If someone saw you clinging to me like this, they'd probably be up all night~"

"Hmph, who cares about them~"

Na'er gave a coquettish huff. Not only did she stay where she was, she used her position hanging from Su Chen to kick her legs and push him backward. He stumbled two steps and fell onto the soft sofa behind him.

She promptly sprawled across Su Chen's chest and began twitching her little nose, like a small animal sniffing out a scent, starting her daily "routine inspection."

"Sniff, sniff..."

Fortunately, Su Chen had showered before leaving the Blacksmith Association.

"Hmph, my stinky big brother always washes up so thoroughly. He's obviously guilty. He can't really think I'm an idiot who can't smell anything, can he..."

As Na'er rubbed against Su Chen, she secretly thought to herself.

Su Chen had never said it outright, but she wasn't a fool. She had long known that his relationship with Ouyang Zixin, as well as Mu Xi, the daughter of the Blacksmith Association president, was a little unusual.

She knew, but she said nothing and pretended not to.

She didn't want to make things difficult for Su Chen. She didn't want to see him looking so awkward in front of her, fumbling to explain himself.

She only held on tightly to the promise they had made.

Once she grew stronger and surpassed Su Chen, he would have to listen to her!

Then she would take Su Chen and elope, leaving all this clamor behind to find a place where there were only the two of them, and live a life that belonged to them alone!

"Stop sniffing. There really aren't any other scents..."

Her rubbing was making Su Chen a little ticklish. He placed a large hand on Na'er's fluffy head and helplessly stopped her from sniffing any further.

The girl in his arms was no longer the clueless, expressionless girl he had first met.

Na'er had grown up. Her legs were long and straight, her waist slender and supple, and her chest had quietly begun to develop, like a flower bud just opening, hinting at the limitless potential ahead.

When she used to rub against him like this, Su Chen had only thought she was being affectionate as his little sister. But now...

The girl's soft body had an astonishing springiness and warmth. Every casual brush against him left him feeling rather flustered.

"All right, all right, you pass~"

Na'er seemed to sense something too. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she slipped off Su Chen and sat snugly beside him on the sofa, her body still pressed tight against his arm.

"Here~ These are all your favorites. Eat plenty~"

Na'er picked up her chopsticks and kept piling food into the bowl in front of Su Chen.

All kinds of Soul Beast meat, along with vegetables and fruit, soon formed a little mountain.

"Mmm... Thanks, Na'er. You eat too~"

Su Chen had been ravenous for a while, so he didn't hold back. He picked up his bowl and dug in.

Na'er didn't hurry to eat. She simply picked up her little bowl, took a tiny portion, and nibbled at it.

Her eyes hardly ever left Su Chen's face. Her beautiful purple eyes brimmed with endless tenderness, like honey melting in the sun.

Yet beneath that tenderness lay a trace of conflict and struggle...

"Na'er, what's wrong today?"

Although Su Chen was eating heartily, his powerful mental strength made him exceptionally sensitive to changes in the emotions of those around him.

After eating his fill, he set down his bowl and chopsticks and turned to Na'er, his voice full of concern. "Did something upsetting happen at the academy? You seem to have a lot on your mind."

"Big brother..."

Na'er gripped Su Chen's arm tightly, her gaze lowered. After struggling for a long while, she finally spoke in a quiet voice. "...If one day... I had to leave... would you miss me...?"

As she said this, her little hand tightened around Su Chen's arm of its own accord, and her eyes filled with deep reluctance.

"Ah... So this day has finally come..."

Su Chen's voice was low, tinged with unmistakable melancholy.

"Huh?"

Now it was Na'er's turn to be completely bewildered.

She had imagined Su Chen being shocked, questioning her, feeling reluctant, or even getting angry.

She had never once imagined he would react like this.

"Actually, Na'er..."

Su Chen turned to look at Na'er, his expression serious. "I've known your secret for a long time."

"What?"

At his words, Na'er's whole body stiffened, and her pupils shrank to pinpricks.

The terrifying power sealed inside her nearly burst out.

She tensed up almost instinctively, shock and disbelief flashing through her eyes.

How could that be?

She had never told Su Chen anything about herself, nor had she ever let the slightest hint of anything unusual slip.

How had Su Chen found out?

After the initial shock, thoughts raced through Na'er's mind, and something began to feel off.

She looked up at Su Chen and cautiously probed, "Big brother... what... did you find out?"