After quickly getting his emotions under control, Xu Tianming pretended to sigh in difficulty. Then he stepped forward and forcibly helped all three members of the family to their feet.
"Uncle Ye, Aunt Lin, why go to such lengths? Having Guyi stay by my side doesn't guarantee she'll be safe. Besides, you haven't even asked Guyi what she thinks, have you?"
At the very same moment he said this, Mavuika, who had witnessed the whole thing from within his Mental Sea of Consciousness, suddenly teased him in a playful tone.
"Tsk, tsk. You get all the benefits and get to play the good guy, too. I can't believe you actually stumbled into such a sweet deal!"
Hearing her, Columbina responded as naturally as could be.
"Perhaps it's because he took the initiative to help this family earlier, and fate is rewarding him for his good deed."
Mavuika's words had made Xu Tianming feel a little embarrassed, but after hearing Columbina's, he immediately felt much better and nodded in deep agreement.
"Wow, Yaya, if you're going to say things like that, you should say them more often. You're always so quiet—how am I supposed to discover your good points?"
When Xu Tianming affectionately called her "Yaya," Columbina's pretty face instantly flushed. She grew bashful, but felt no resistance to the name. Instead, the sudden endearment filled her with a sweetness she could hardly put into words.
Was this the sort of feeling only family could share?
She didn't dislike it. In fact, she rather liked it.
Mavuika, however, reacted quite differently.
Hearing the affectionate nickname "Yaya" didn't make her feel warm or sweet. It just made her skin crawl all over.
She had meant to remind the two of them to tone it down, but after seeing the tender, ambiguous atmosphere that had sprung up between Columbina and Xu Tianming, she couldn't bring herself to interrupt. She could only force herself to endure the discomfort, turn her head away, and pretend she saw nothing.
Mavuika thought that would give her a moment's peace. But when Xu Tianming saw her turn away, for some reason his mind went off the rails, and he couldn't stop himself from addressing her in the same tone.
"Weiwei, why did you suddenly turn away? Are you jealous of how sweet Yaya and I are together?"
The moment he blurted out those thoughtless words, Xu Tianming regretted them.
After all, Mavuika's personality was worlds apart from Columbina's. Columbina could accept this kind of suggestive banter, but with Mavuika, it was easy to guess how the Pyro Archon would react.
And sure enough, just as Xu Tianming had expected—
Even when faced with an invading army of Abyssal Monsters, Mavuika had remained unflinching. But when she heard the words "Weiwei," her body first stiffened, then began to tremble against her will.
Those two words had clearly struck a nerve.
But just as Xu Tianming braced himself for Mavuika to fly into a rage, her trembling body soon settled down.
She turned back around. Her face showed no hint of emotion, only a faint blush that had yet to fade, betraying how unsettled she had been.
After taking a deep breath, she did her best to speak to Xu Tianming in an even, composed tone.
"Traveler, I really can't accept that nickname you just used. Just call me by my name, or Haborym, Kiongozi—even 'Pyro Archon' is fine. Just please don't make me hear those two words again, all right?"
Mavuika didn't snap at him. Instead, she discussed it with him in all seriousness, which both surprised and delighted Xu Tianming.
It seemed she didn't truly dislike the nickname. It was just that after so many years as the Pyro Archon, she found it hard to let go of her reserve and accept an endearment as intimate as the ones young Columbina welcomed.
Once he'd figured out the heart of the matter, Xu Tianming promptly shook his head.
"First of all, since we've all ended up in this world, there's no need to call me Traveler anymore. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. My name now is Xu Tianming. You can call me that from now on. Of course, you can use something more affectionate, too. I don't mind my family calling me something harmless and affectionate."
After finishing, Xu Tianming paused. When Mavuika and Columbina both nodded in agreement, he changed tack.
"Second... Weiwei, I can tell you don't actually dislike that nickname. Can you tell me why you don't want me to call you that?"
Mavuika fell silent for a moment, and a hint of hesitation passed through her eyes. But before long, her furrowed brows relaxed, and she spoke frankly.
"Because that used to be the nickname my parents called me when I was little. Hearing those two words so suddenly just now brought back memories of my parents, who passed away many years ago..."
As soon as she said this, Xu Tianming's casual demeanor vanished. He straightened up, and his gaze toward Mavuika filled with genuine remorse.
But before he could apologize, Mavuika waved a hand.
"Don't apologize. It's my own problem."
After saying that, Mavuika took another deep breath, as if she were making some kind of decision.
A moment later, she broke into a hearty laugh.
"But if you really want to call me that without restraint from now on, you can. Just fight me. Once you beat me, you can do whatever you like."
Xu Tianming was stunned by this. But when he saw the seriousness in Mavuika's eyes, the thought he'd already been preparing to abandon sprang back to life.
And he thought he could hear something else in her words.
Whatever I like...
If I wasn't reading too much into it...
He looked into Mavuika's eyes again. This time, Xu Tianming understood.
They hadn't said anything outright, but Mavuika's gaze made it perfectly clear: what she'd just said meant exactly what he thought it did!
Xu Tianming's heart immediately blazed with excitement. He wished he could take on Mavuika in three hundred rounds right then and there.
But unfortunately, this wasn't the time.
Before entering his Mental Sea of Consciousness, he had asked young Ye Guyi whether she was willing to stay by his side. Since she hadn't answered yet, there had been no problem with letting his consciousness sink into the Mental Sea of Consciousness.
But now young Ye Guyi had come to understand after her parents' encouragement and persuasion.
She nodded to her parents, who looked reluctant to let her go, then turned her shy gaze back to Xu Tianming.
With her parents encouraging her, she took a deep breath and summoned her courage.
"I'm willing to go with you! You saved Mom and Dad, so I believe you're a good person!"
Before you continue