Long Jinyu slept deeply.
When he regained consciousness, he felt as if his whole body had been hollowed out. He was limp and utterly drained, his mind blank. Only the faint ache deep in his Spiritual Sea reminded him of how recklessly he had overexerted himself.
He struggled to open his eyes. His blurry vision gradually focused, and the first things he saw were the ceiling of Phoenix Perch Pavilion's room and... Ma Xiaotao's face, right beside him.
She sat in a chair by the bed, leaning slightly forward, her arms resting on the edge of the mattress and her head pillowed on them. It seemed she had accidentally fallen asleep while watching over him.
Her fiery red hair hung loosely in a disheveled cascade, and her usually spirited brows were knitted tight. Even in sleep, a trace of lingering worry and exhaustion clung to her.
Sunlight filtered through the lattice window, casting a soft glow across her face. Her long eyelashes fluttered gently with each breath, like two tiny fans.
Long Jinyu stared at her, a little dazed. Something in his heart quietly softened. He didn't move, simply watching her, afraid to wake her.
But Ma Xiaotao seemed to be a light sleeper. The slightest change in his breathing made her start awake. She jerked her head up, her eyes still hazy with sleep, but the instant her gaze met his, they cleared and lit up with delight.
"You little brat! You're awake?!"
Her voice was a little hoarse, but urgent. She immediately reached out to feel his forehead, then instinctively checked his pulse, her movements slightly frantic.
"How do you feel? Does your head still hurt? Is your Soul Power circulating smoothly? Does anything feel wrong?"
The questions came tumbling out, her concern utterly undisguised.
"Cough, cough... S-senior..." Long Jinyu's voice was just as dry and hoarse, barely audible. "Water..."
Ma Xiaotao hurriedly poured him a cup of warm water. Carefully supporting the back of his neck, she brought the cup to his lips.
The cool liquid slid down his throat, easing his discomfort a little and clearing his mind.
Long Jinyu felt warm inside and managed an embarrassed smile. "Senior... well... I think I'm still a little weak... I'm hungry enough to swallow a whole cow..."
Ma Xiaotao froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. Much of the worry in her eyes faded. She lightly jabbed his forehead, pretending to be annoyed. "Then starve to death! Wait here!"
She started for the door, then stopped and looked back, adding sternly, "Lie still and don't move!"
Long Jinyu chuckled. The gloom brought on by overexertion lifted considerably. He tried to examine himself internally. His meridians were empty but undamaged, and his Spiritual Sea was slowly repairing itself. Only then did he finally relax.
System... Bao, you there? Give me an update.
[Beep! Host, you're finally awake! I nearly thought you were going to sleep until the end of time!]
The System's voice brimmed with exaggerated relief.
[Medical Pavilion Update: The condition of more than 100 injured people is stable, and they are doing well.]
[Battle Damage Report: Host's Soul Power Level has temporarily dropped to Level 41. Mental strength remaining: 30%. Estimated time for full recovery: 5–7 days. No permanent physical damage.]
[Harvest Report: Successfully resolved a potential crisis in Shrek City, saved tens of thousands of civilians, and foiled the Holy Spirit Cult's conspiracy. Greatly increased the favor and trust the Shrek Academy holds toward the host, especially the Sea God Pavilion. Successfully played the role of the Silver Dragon King, "Gu Yuena," delivering a tremendous psychological shock to the Holy Spirit Cult. Secured Shrek Academy's promise to do everything in its power to help find the host's "family." Obtained unlimited access to the Sea God Pavilion Library. Obtained...]
[Overall Evaluation: Although the process was dangerous and the host nearly got himself killed, the gains were tremendous! Host, you're freaking awesome!!!]
Long Jinyu: Cough, cough... You don't have to shout so loud...
Though he grumbled, his mood brightened too. It seemed this risk hadn't been for nothing. He'd saved people and won their hearts.
Before long, Ma Xiaotao returned with a pot of steaming Soul Beast meat porridge. She filled a bowl and carefully carried it over, but instead of handing it to him, she sat down beside the bed, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it carefully, and brought it to his lips.
Long Jinyu: "???"
"Um... Senior, I can manage..."
Long Jinyu was a little flustered by the attention, his ears warming slightly. He wasn't used to Ma Xiaotao taking care of him like this. (Not!)
"Quit talking nonsense!"
Ma Xiaotao glared at him with her phoenix eyes.
"Your hands are shaking like a sieve. You think you can feed yourself? What if you spill it? Open your mouth!"
At the sight of her expression—"Just try refusing to eat"—Long Jinyu's mouth said no, but his body eagerly obeyed. He opened his mouth, and the warm porridge slid down his throat, its pure energy quickly easing the burning in his stomach and the weakness in his body.
Wonderful... just wonderful...
She fed him spoonful by spoonful. The only sound in the room was the occasional light clink of the spoon against the bowl.
The atmosphere felt a little strange, filled with the quiet of having survived a catastrophe and a closeness that was hard to put into words.
After finishing the bowl, Long Jinyu felt much better. He asked tentatively, "Senior, how long was I asleep?"
"Three whole days and nights!"
"Three days?! That long?"
Ma Xiaotao put down the bowl and folded her arms, ready to settle accounts. Her voice held both lingering fear and reproach.
"Do you know how terrifying you were? You were as pale as paper, and your breathing was so faint I could barely feel it! And you still dared to force out such a powerful spatial Soul Skill. Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"
The more she spoke, the angrier she became. She reached out as if to pinch him again, but when she saw how bloodless his face still was, her hand stopped in midair. In the end, she only rested it on his arm and gave him a gentle pinch. "If you ever pull a stunt like that again, I... I won't let you off!"
It sounded less like a threat than worry trembling in her voice.
Long Jinyu's heart turned to mush. "I know, Senior. I won't do it again." He paused, then glanced at the dark circles beneath her eyes and said softly, "Thank you... for staying by my side."
"Cough, cough...! W-who stayed by your side? I was afraid you'd die, and then no one would be left to suppress my Evil Fire!" Ma Xiaotao still insisted on putting up a front, but the faint redness of her ears gave her away.
Long Jinyu: "..."
He hesitated, then asked, "By the way, Senior, how are you feeling? That day, in the Spiritual Sea..."
Ma Xiaotao's ears turned even redder. She interrupted him, forcing herself to sound composed. "I'm fine! I've never felt better! As for... as for the rest, I-I don't remember much! Anyway... um... thank you!"
Long Jinyu smiled and didn't call her out. He tried channeling some Soul Power. Though he was still weak, it circulated without issue, so he thought he might get out of bed and stretch a little.
"What are you doing?!"
The moment he moved, Ma Xiaotao pressed him straight back onto the bed.
"Your injuries haven't healed properly. Why are you moving around? Lie still!"
"Senior, I'm just stretching my legs..."
"No! Elder Mu said you have to rest!"
"I feel a lot better..."
"Your feelings don't count! If I say no, then no!"
"..."
In the end, Long Jinyu promised he would only "take a slow walk around the room," and Ma Xiaotao reluctantly agreed. But she stayed right beside him every step of the way, as if he were a baby who had only just learned to walk...
He shuffled along at a leisurely pace when a faint but familiar warmth of fragrance drifted across his nose.
He stopped and sniffed the clean inner robe he was wearing, letting out a puzzled "Huh?"
"Senior."
He turned his head, his eyes filled with pure confusion.
"Why do I still smell so nice? Did someone bathe me? And these clothes... who changed them?"
Ma Xiaotao's expression froze. A moment later, her face flushed bright red, all the way down to her neck. Her eyes darted frantically from side to side. Her voice rose without her meaning it to, charged with flustered urgency.
"Ahem! N-no, it wasn't me! I absolutely did not change your clothes!"
She waved her hands vigorously, as if trying to shoo away some nonexistent image.
"It was... it was the nurses sent by the Medical Pavilion! Right! They wiped you down and changed your clothes! It had nothing to do with me!"
The moment she finished speaking, a warm liquid suddenly surged uncontrollably from her nostrils.
Ma Xiaotao: "!!!"
She scrambled to grab the tissues waiting on the bedside table, clamped them over her nose, and tipped her head back. Only her panicked phoenix eyes, which plainly said "I'm doomed," remained visible.
Seeing her guilty protest that only made things more suspicious, recalling the familiar fragrance and noticing her nosebleed, Long Jinyu suddenly understood.
Holy crap?!
He cried out in his heart. Along with his shock, a strange sense of realization—and even secret satisfaction—rose within him.
That reaction... S-senior Xiaotao, you definitely changed my clothes yourself, didn't you?!
He thought about the body that had been reshaped by the System and nourished by his Dragon God Bloodline—
Its lines were sleek, its muscles clearly defined, and then there was... a certain part, unusually well endowed thanks to his bloodline...
It was nothing like the little peanut Huo Yuhao had in the original story...
Long Jinyu's ears quietly turned red too.
No wonder... no wonder she got a nosebleed... That visual impact really was a little too much for a "fiery-blooded" young woman.
She didn't secretly play with me while I was unconscious, did she?
No, no, no, what am I thinking? Why am I turning into such a lecher? Could it be that "dragon nature is lustful"?
He fought back a laugh as he watched Ma Xiaotao, so embarrassed she looked ready to vanish on the spot, and decided not to expose her.
He casually looked away and pretended to study the patterns on the window lattice, giving her time to compose herself and straighten her appearance.
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