I'll Go with You

Watching the little hooligans disappear down the street, Xu Mengqing let out a slight sigh of relief and withdrew the Blue Silver Grass into his body.

He looked fierce and fearless, but inwardly, he was panicking like crazy.

His Martial Soul was weak, his Soul Power was low, and even with the Holy Light Lizard, though he could defeat those few, he would probably have to pay a considerable price.

Xu Mengqing turned his gaze to the little girl he had protected behind him.

"Are you all right?"

The little girl looked up at him, making her large violet eyes seem even more beautiful.

Perhaps sensing that Xu Mengqing meant her no harm, Na'er shook her head.

"My name is Xu Mengqing. What's yours?"

A friendly smile appeared on Xu Mengqing's face as he pretended to ask without knowing.

"My name...?"

Hearing Xu Mengqing's question, Na'er's beautiful violet eyes blinked several times. Her voice was hesitant, as though she were trying to recall something.

"Na'er! My name is Na'er!"

After standing there blankly for a moment, Na'er finally seemed to remember something and answered in a sweet, bell-like voice.

"Na'er? That's such a lovely name! And your voice is lovely too!"

Hearing Na'er's pleasing voice, Xu Mengqing smiled faintly and spoke.

"Th... thank you... And thank you for helping me just now!"

At Xu Mengqing's words, Na'er's pretty face reddened slightly. She answered in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, her heartbeat involuntarily quickening.

For some reason, she found the aura around Xu Mengqing very familiar, and he smelled nice too. It was as if... she had met family.

"It was nothing, just a small matter."

"Oh? By the way, Na'er, why are you here? Did you get separated from your family?"

Na'er shook her head.

"I can't remember."

Whenever she tried to recall her memories, her head began to hurt, as though something were blocking her recollection. She could only shake her head and answer hesitantly.

Seeing Na'er's adorably dazed expression as she thought so seriously, a trace of affection flashed involuntarily through Xu Mengqing's eyes.

Such a young Silver Dragon King was simply adorable!

It was truly hard to imagine what breathtaking beauty she would become once she grew up!

Her title as the greatest beauty on Douluo Continent was indeed well deserved.

Grrr... grrr...

At that moment, an inharmonious sound suddenly came from Na'er's cute little stomach.

Hearing her stomach's uncooperative protest, Na'er's pretty face reddened like a rosy apple, and she involuntarily lowered her head.

"Na'er, are you hungry? If you can't remember, how about you come home with me first? My mom makes really good food! Then we can ask them to help you find your parents. That's better than waiting here alone." As Xu Mengqing spoke, he extended his hand.

Looking at Xu Mengqing's concerned eyes and outstretched palm, along with the faint sense of familiarity around him, Na'er hesitated for only a second before extending her own fair, creamy hand and clasping his. She followed at his side.

"Okay, I'll go with you."

Less than a minute after Zhang Ran led Na'er out of the alley.

A little boy with short black hair, slightly taller than others his age, clear black-and-white eyes, and long eyelashes was none other than Tang Wulin.

At that moment, though he had been happily making his way home from school, he suddenly felt an ache in his chest and an inexplicable sense of loss, as though something precious had been taken from him.

"Huh, that's strange. What's going on today? Forget it, I should hurry home. Dad and Mom are waiting for me to eat!"

Although he felt that something was off, the little boy—or rather, little Wulin—did not think too much about it. He quickly calmed down and continued hopping home.

"Mom, I'm back!"

Xu Mengqing pushed open the door and called out loudly.

Meng Ling'er, who was preparing dinner, poked her head out from the kitchen at the sound. At a glance, she saw her son and the unfamiliar little girl whose hand he was carefully holding.

The girl's short silver hair was somewhat messy. Although Xu Mengqing had wiped her little face clean, dust still clung to her clothes. Her amethyst-like eyes looked over timidly, filled with the confusion of lingering fright, yet she was strangely beautiful.

Meng Ling'er froze for a moment, then put down what she was holding, wiped her hands, and walked over. In a gentle tone, she asked, "You're back, Xiaoqing. And this is... your new classmate?"

Xu Mengqing shook his head, raised his little face, and asked seriously, "No, Mom. I picked her up on the road."

"Picked her up?" Meng Ling'er asked in confusion.

"Mom, this is what happened..." Xu Mengqing vividly recounted what had just occurred.

After hearing him out, Meng Ling'er's expression changed dramatically. She pulled Xu Mengqing in front of her and quickly checked him over. Only after confirming that he was uninjured did she let out a slight sigh of relief.

"You child. Do you know how dangerous that was? How could you..." Meng Ling'er was clearly breathing a little rapidly. She knew very well that those young men in the slums were capable of anything.

"Mom, don't worry! You know me... I'm fine."

"You..." Seeing the confidence in her son's big eyes, Meng Ling'er could no longer bring herself to scold him.

Xu Mengqing had always been very clever since he was little. Ah...

Xu Mengqing smiled and stepped forward to hug his mother's leg. "Mom, Na'er and I are both hungry. Can you make us something delicious?"

Meng Ling'er truly had no temper left for this cute, well-behaved son of hers. Seeing the pitiful look on Na'er's face behind him, her heart softened at once.

She crouched down until she was level with Na'er and asked even more gently, "Little one, can you tell Auntie your name? And where are your mom and dad? Did you get separated from them?"

Na'er only pressed her lips tightly together, her violet eyes lowered and her long lashes trembling. Her little hand unconsciously tightened around Xu Mengqing's fingers, and she remained silent.

The helplessness and faint, barely perceptible fear in that silence made Meng Ling'er's heart tighten as a mother.

She sighed softly and stopped asking.

If the child did not want to speak, perhaps she had her reasons.

"Forget it, let's not talk about that for now. Look at how dirty your little face is, and your clothes too... Come on, Auntie will take you for a bath first."

She stood and instructed Xu Mengqing, "Xiaoqing, go to your room and find a few clean clothes you've outgrown for your little sister to change into."

"Okay!" Xu Mengqing replied. He released Na'er's hand and gave her an encouraging smile. "Don't be afraid, Na'er. My mom is really nice. Go take a bath with her first, and I'll find you some clothes."

Na'er looked at Xu Mengqing, then at the kind-faced Meng Ling'er. At last, she loosened her tightly clenched fingers and let Meng Ling'er take her other little hand and lead her toward the bathroom.

Xu Mengqing turned and ran to his small room, beginning to search for suitable clothes.

His body had grown slightly faster than normal after his Martial Soul awakened, so he indeed had quite a few clothes that were still fairly new but had become too small.

Very soon, the sound of running water and Meng Ling'er's soft voice came from the bathroom.

Xu Mengqing found the clothes and placed them outside the bathroom door, then returned to the living room by himself.