Ning Tian's Heart Fluttered, Wu Feng Was Helpless!

The first light of dawn touched the entrance of the Xiao Mansion in Heaven Dou City.

A carriage sat quietly beside the stone lions.

Uncle Fu sat on the driver's bench, holding the reins and watching with a chuckle as the family on the steps said their goodbyes.

The month-long vacation had passed in the blink of an eye.

Xiao Xiao's eyes were red-rimmed. She clung tightly to her mother Qing Wan's waist, burying her head in the crook of her neck and rubbing against her, her voice clearly choked with sobs. "Mother, I'll miss you, and I'll miss your osmanthus cakes even more."

Qing Wan patted her daughter's back, her fingers running through her long, green hair, her eyes filled with maternal love.

Throughout the past month, to accompany Xiao Yan's grueling Bone-Forging Marrow-Cleansing Melody, Qing Wan had personally taken the lead, playing the Nine Phoenix Flute until it rang out crisp and clear.

The energy refinement that struck straight to the bone marrow had left Xiao Xiao so exhausted every day that she couldn't even climb into bed, a torture that felt like teetering between heaven and hell.

Yet, Xiao Xiao knew clearly in her heart that this was her mother's genuine love.

Moreover, every time the refinement ended, the steaming plate of osmanthus cakes Qing Wan brought out, with its sweet and glutinous texture, was enough to soothe all the soreness.

These tears were half from the sorrow of parting and half from the cravings of a glutton.

On the other side of the steps, Xiao Yan and his father Xiao Zhan stood facing each other, the atmosphere somewhat awkward.

Xiao Zhan coughed twice, putting on the dignified air of a stern father, and reached out to pat Xiao Yan's shoulder heavily, exhorting him earnestly, "Yan'er, once you return to the academy, study hard and strive for progress every day!"

Xiao Yan's previously calm face instantly collapsed, and black lines hung across his forehead.

Hearing those eight words from the mouth of a dignified Level 96 Super Douluo felt incredibly out of place.

"Father, if you have nothing to say, you don't have to say anything."

Being poked at mercilessly by his son, Xiao Zhan's old face flushed slightly.

He quickly changed his tune, attempting to salvage his paternal dignity. "Ahem, what I mean is, make sure to get along well with your classmates at the academy. Don't go around beating them up at every turn. Everyone is there to learn; harmony is the most precious thing."

Xiao Yan's eyelid twitched twice as he held down Xiao Zhan's hand, which was about to pat him again.

"You'd better stop talking; the more you say, the more ridiculous it gets." Xiao Yan stepped back half a pace, steering the conversation back to the main point. "After we leave, you'll be taking Mother to hunt for her ninth spirit ring, right?"

During this entire month of hellish special training, not only had Xiao Xiao made rapid progress, but Qing Wan had also accumulated enough to break through, successfully crossing the final threshold and pushing her spirit power past Level 90.

Given Qing Wan's current physical condition and the foundation she had built over years of tempering at the peak of Level 89, absorbing a Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring was well within her capabilities.

Once this final piece of the puzzle was filled, Qing Wan would become a true Title Douluo, and the Xiao family would usher in a prosperous era of having two Douluos.

"The core area of the Star Dou Forest is full of fierce beasts. Please be careful and don't be overconfident," Xiao Yan said, looking at his father with a solemn expression.

Xiao Zhan set aside his joking demeanor and laughed heartily.

"Don't you worry, your mother and I know what we're doing. We will naturally act with caution. It's just a spirit ring; nothing will go wrong."

It was getting late.

Xiao Yan pulled Xiao Xiao away from her lingering embrace with Qing Wan, and the two turned to board the carriage.

Uncle Fu raised his whip and cupped his hands toward Xiao Zhan and Qing Wan on the steps to bid farewell. "Master, Madam, we are leaving!"

The crisp sound of the whip echoed through the morning street.

The carriage wheels rolled forward, carrying the siblings steadily toward Shrek City.

The scenery along the way receded continuously, and after several days of travel, the silhouette of Shrek City finally appeared at the end of the horizon.

The midday sun scorched the ground, and outside the magnificent east gate of Shrek Academy, a constant stream of returning new and old students created a bustling, noisy scene.

The Xiao family's carriage pulled to a stop at the edge of the plaza.

Xiao Yan pushed open the carriage door, jumped down from the bench first, and then turned back to help Xiao Xiao down.

Coincidentally, not far away, another luxurious carriage bearing the emblem of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect pulled up as well.

The door opened, and Ning Tian and Wu Feng stepped down one after the other.

The gazes of the four met in the air, and they all froze for a moment.

"Brother Yan! Xiao Xiao!"

Ning Tian's eyes lit up, a bright smile blooming on her face as she lifted her skirt and hurried over.

Wu Feng followed beside her, carrying two heavy bags. When she saw Xiao Yan, her footsteps faltered slightly, but she followed along nonetheless.

"Sister Ning Tian! Wu Feng!"

Xiao Xiao cheered and lunged forward.

The three girls immediately huddled together, chattering away as they shared what they had seen and heard during the vacation.

After a vacation of separation, the joy of reunion washed away the fatigue of the journey.

The girls examined each other's changes, their happy laughter drawing frequent glances from many of the surrounding returning students.

After hugging Xiao Xiao, Ning Tian turned to look at Xiao Yan, who stood to the side with a gentle expression.

Driven by the excitement of their long-awaited reunion, and carrying a bit of selfishness she hadn't even realized herself, Ning Tian opened her arms and naturally gave Xiao Yan a hug.

Their bodies pressed together.

Xiao Yan had originally intended to offer a polite, perfunctory hug before pulling away, but he keenly sensed that something was wrong.

Ning Tian, leaning against his chest, suddenly found her breathing becoming rapid.

Through the thin summer fabric of his clothes, he could clearly feel the heart within Ning Tian's chest pounding at a speed far exceeding a normal rhythm.

Ning Tian was stunned herself.

The moment she embraced Xiao Yan, a crisp, clean scent of vegetation drifted into her nostrils—the unique aura that Xiao Yan carried from years of playing the zither and practicing the Art of the Fuxi Emperor.

Her nose brushed against his broad shoulder, and feeling that composed, steady warmth, an unprecedented sensation struck her instantly.

It was a raw, intense flutter that flowed through her blood to every part of her body, making her limbs unresponsive and leaving her feeling soft and powerless, while a flush rapidly climbed up her cheeks.

How sharp Xiao Yan was.

This heart rate and the sudden rise in body temperature were clear signs of a young girl's heart being stirred for the first time, fluttering in disarray.

He was a man who feared nothing more than getting entangled in these endless romantic ties; as a cultivator, where would he find the spare time to dally in love with a young girl?

Without a moment's hesitation, Xiao Yan placed his hands on Ning Tian's shoulders and, without leaving a trace, pushed her half a step away, cleanly and decisively putting distance between them.

"It seems Ning Tian is a bit tired." Xiao Yan remained composed, his voice gentle and calm as he took the opportunity to find an excuse.

"The long journey is indeed exhausting; let us head to the dormitory to rest first."

Ning Tian's cheeks were burning, the flush spreading all the way to her earlobes.

After being pushed away, she lowered her head, her hands twisting together with nowhere to rest. She didn't even have the courage to look Xiao Yan in the eye, so she could only nod frantically, her heart still pounding violently in her chest.

Standing behind them and carrying the luggage, Wu Feng was quite thick-skinned.

Hearing Xiao Yan's words and seeing Ning Tian's weak appearance—head bowed and cheeks flushed—she didn't think anything of it, assuming her Young Mistress was simply worn out from the journey.

After all, it was common knowledge that support-type spirit masters had weaker constitutions.

"Sister Tian, are you alright? Was the carriage too bumpy?" Wu Feng hurriedly dropped one of the bundles in her hands, stepped forward, and firmly supported Ning Tian's arm, her face full of concern.

"Lean on me, I'll help you back to the dormitory to lie down for a while!"

Watching Wu Feng's loyal and dutiful display of protecting her mistress, Xiao Yan stood where he was and unconsciously rubbed his nose.

This scene looked bizarre no matter how he viewed it.

Wu Feng looked like a devoted husband, caring meticulously for his frail wife.

And his own hug just now, combined with Ning Tian's current reaction, made him feel like the illicit neighbor from some cliché melodrama.

This development felt exactly like the trope of an incompetent husband and a long-suffering wife.

Xiao Yan shook his head, casting those absurd associations out of his mind.

His conscience was perfectly clear; he was, after all, a person of excellent character and noble virtue.