Returning Home (Two Chapters Combined, A Bit Wordy)

After a while, Na'er looked up at Chu Yan, her voice softer than before as she asked:

"Big Brother, is it really okay?"

"It is."

"Then... will you throw me away?"

Her voice was very faint, as if she were somewhat afraid to hear the answer.

Hearing this, Chu Yan looked into her earnest eyes and said softly, "I won't."

Na'er fell silent for a moment after hearing this, then she nodded, her voice slightly louder than before as she said, "Okay, Big Brother, I'll go back with you."

Chu Yan smiled without saying anything more, simply turning around and walking back the way they had come.

"Let's go then, it's getting dark."

Hearing this, Na'er paused for a moment before hurrying to catch up, walking by his side.

The two walked shoulder to shoulder along the streets of the small seaside town.

"Big Brother, where is your home?"

"East Sea City. It's much bigger than this place, about an hour and a half away by car."

"Is it far?"

"Not really."

The two chatted in this disjointed manner as they followed the road back.

Chu Yan opened the door, let Na'er get in first, and then walked around to the other side to get in himself.

Pang Shan, standing to the side, closed the car door, returned to the driver's seat, and turned the ignition, the low hum of the engine filling the air.

"Young Master, heading straight back to East Sea City?" Pang Shan asked, glancing through the rearview mirror.

"Yes, straight back."

The SUV pulled smoothly out of Aolai City, heading north along the coastal highway.

Na'er sat in the back seat by the window, her small face pressed against the glass as she looked out, watching the scenery recede as if it were her first time in a car.

Chu Yan didn't disturb her; he leaned back against the seat with his eyes closed, his fingers tapping a rhythm against his knee.

After about an hour of driving, Chu Yan opened his eyes and looked at Na'er.

"When we get home in a little while, I'll introduce you to my family. From now on, you'll live in the courtyard of my house."

Na'er turned to look at him, her purple eyes filled with a hint of confusion, as if the concept of "home" was still a bit vague to her, but she nodded nonetheless.

"Okay."

The hour-and-a-half drive passed quickly.

By the time the car entered the urban area of East Sea City, the sun was already dipping low, casting orange-red light diagonally across the streets and gilding the entire city in a warm hue.

The gates of the Chu Clan estate gradually loomed larger in their field of vision.

Pang Shan parked the car at the entrance and stepped out after killing the engine.

Chu Yan pushed his door open and looked back at Na'er. She followed him out from the other side, standing before the estate gates and looking up at the vermilion doors, her purple eyes filled with a strange curiosity.

Chu Yan walked to her side, stood still, and pointed to the plaque above the gate.

"This is my home, and from now on, it's yours too."

Na'er withdrew her gaze and looked at him, saying nothing, but she stepped a little closer to his side as they walked.

Chu Yan led Na'er through the front courtyard and the central atrium toward his own living quarters.

Along the way, they encountered several servants of the estate, all of whom looked on with curiosity at the silver-haired, purple-eyed little girl their Young Master had brought home.

He offered no explanation, however, and simply led her all the way to the door of the main room in his courtyard.

Pushing the door open, the room was simple yet clean, with bright windows and a tidy interior.

"Na'er, you'll stay in the west wing of my courtyard for now," Chu Yan said, pointing to the door across the yard. "I'll have someone change the bedding and linens in a moment. If you need anything, just let me know."

Na'er stood in the center of the courtyard, looking around at the space, which was cleaner and tidier than any house she had seen in Aolai City. A faint ripple passed through her purple eyes.

She turned to look at Chu Yan and whispered, "Thank you, Big Brother."

"You don't need to keep saying thank you."

With that, Chu Yan turned to arrange for the housekeeper to prepare Na'er's daily necessities.

In the evening, Chu Yuntian and Qin Mengyao returned.

As Chu Yuntian walked into the main hall and saw the silver-haired little girl sitting there drinking tea with Chu Yan, his footsteps faltered slightly.

He looked at Na'er's silver-white hair and purple eyes, then at his son, and raised an eyebrow. "Who is this?"

"Father, Mother, this is Na'er. I met her in Aolai City."

Chu Yan gave a brief introduction of Na'er's background. He didn't go into too much detail, only saying that she had been wandering alone without family, so he had brought her back.

Chu Yuntian remained silent for a moment after listening, then glanced at Na'er a few times. He didn't voice any objections, simply nodding as he said, "Since you've brought her back, let her stay for now. We'll have someone register her identity information later, and we can figure out the arrangements for school afterward."

Qin Mengyao had already walked over and crouched down in front of Na'er. She reached out to gently stroke the girl's short, silver-white hair, her eyes filled with a maternal softness as she smiled warmly, "This child is truly beautiful."

Na'er felt a bit unaccustomed to the touch, her body tensing slightly, but she did not pull away.

After dinner, Chu Yan escorted Na'er back to the west wing.

The housekeeper had already arranged for fresh bedding and pillows, and a small potted plant with blooming pale yellow flowers sat on the windowsill.

Na'er stood in the center of the room, looking at this space that was now hers, remaining motionless and quiet for a long time.

Chu Yan stood at the doorway, watching her back, and said softly, "Get some rest early. If you need anything or aren't used to something, just tell your brother."

With that, he turned to leave.

Just as he reached the door, Na'er's voice came from behind him.

"Brother."

Hearing this, Chu Yan turned back.

Na'er stood in the center of the room, the last traces of twilight from outside the window falling upon her silver-white hair, making her purple eyes appear exceptionally bright in the dim light.

Her lips moved, and in the end, she simply whispered three words.

"Thank you."

Chu Yan looked at her, nodded with a smile, and then gently pulled the door shut.

Back in his own room, Chu Yan sat down at his desk.

Today's events had gone more smoothly than he had anticipated—so smoothly, in fact, that he felt a bit uneasy.

From finding Na'er to bringing her back, he hadn't encountered any unexpected interference; there were no thugs like those in the original story, nor did he sense the gaze of any powerful figures.

But Chu Yan knew very well that this was merely a facade.

The fact that Na'er appeared in Aolai City could not possibly be a coincidence. Her presence there meant that there were eyes watching her from the shadows, even if they hadn't revealed themselves or intervened in his actions.

Furthermore, there was someone in Aolai City who was far from simple: Tang Wulin.

Chu Yan leaned back in his chair, gazing at the night sky outside the window, and let out a soft breath.

His current strength was insufficient to deal with variables of that level; all he could do was grow as much as possible before those people decided to make a move.

He sat at his desk for a while longer before washing up and lying down on the bed to sleep.

Days passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was September 13th.

Early that morning, Chu Yan woke up before dawn.

He rolled out of bed, washed up briefly, changed into a clean, sharp black training suit, and pushed the door open to step into the courtyard.

He stood still in the center of the yard, took a few deep breaths to stretch his limbs, then took the Ironwood Staff from the weapon rack nearby and began practicing the basic movements of the Hunyuan Staff Technique.

After nearly half a month of repeated refinement, his starting stance was as steady as a rock, and the basic movements—cleaving, sweeping, parrying, and thrusting—had become extremely fluid.

Every strike carried a solid force, and the Ironwood Staff emitted a low hum as it cut through the air, no longer as stiff as it had been at the start.

After practicing the basic movements three times, he switched to the Yan Divine Weapon. Holding the dark golden staff in his hand, he stood silently for a moment before attempting more fluid transitions between offense and defense.

Although the connections between the moves were still a bit rigid, he had improved significantly since the days he first awakened.

Just as he was preparing to practice for the fourth time, a light sound of footsteps came from the courtyard entrance.

Chu Yan retracted his staff and turned his head to see Na'er standing at the gate, wearing the pale blue dress that Qin Mengyao had bought for her a few days prior. Her short, silver-white hair shimmered with a soft luster in the morning light.

She stood quietly at the entrance, as if she had been watching for a while.

"Morning," Chu Yan said.

"Morning, Brother," Na'er replied softly. She walked into the courtyard and sat down on a stone stool not far away.

She didn't speak, just sat there quietly watching him practice with the staff.

Chu Yan didn't ask any questions and continued his practice.

After two more rounds, he put down the Yan Divine Weapon and walked to the stone table in the corner of the yard to wipe the sweat from his face with a towel.

Just then, a familiar voice drifted in from outside.

"Brother Yan! Sister Na'er!"

The voice was crisp and bright, carrying a sense of energetic urgency. A second later, Xu Xiaoyan's figure popped up at the courtyard gate.

She was wearing a goose-yellow short-sleeved top, white cropped pants, and a pair of light-colored cloth shoes. Her light blue twin tails were tied high, bobbing behind her as she ran.

She dashed into the courtyard, spotted Na'er sitting on the stone stool, and her eyes lit up as she skipped over.

"Sister Na'er! You're up so early today!"

Na'er stood up from the stool, a slight curve forming on her lips as she called out softly, "Sister Xiaoyan, you're here."

Xu Xiaoyan sat down on the stool next to Na'er without ceremony, tilted her head to look her over, and said with a grin, "That dress looks really good on you today! My mother bought me one just like it yesterday; I'll wear it over for you to see another day!"

"Okay," Na'er nodded, a look of genuine anticipation in her purple eyes.

Chu Yan stood a few paces away watching this scene, hanging his towel back on the rack without interrupting.

Ever since he brought Na'er back to the Chu Clan, Xu Xiaoyan had come over to see her the very next day.

At first, the little girl had some reservations; after all, Chu Yan had always been her "Brother Yan" alone, and bringing home a strange, pretty little girl so suddenly—it was already quite sensible of her not to make a scene.

But she only cast a few extra glances at Na'er on that first day and didn't say anything unpleasant. By the second and third day, the two little girls were already huddled together whispering secrets.

By now, Xu Xiaoyan ran over to Chu Yan's courtyard every few days, mostly to play with Na'er—though whether that was the only reason, no one knew.

Chu Yan didn't know how Xu Xiaoyan got along with Na'er, but regardless, whenever these two five or six-year-old girls got together, they always had endless things to talk about.

Chu Yan walked over to the stone table, sat down, poured himself a cup of cold tea, took a sip, and asked casually, "Xiaoyan, no need to cultivate today?"

"I practiced this morning!" Xu Xiaoyan turned her head and said righteously, "I got up before dawn to practice my soul power, and I didn't come out until I had practiced for an hour!"

Chu Yan glanced at her and smiled. "So self-disciplined?"

"Of course!" Xu Xiaoyan puffed out her small chest and said proudly, "I'm going to be a powerful soul master; I can't be lazy!"

Chu Yan chuckled without replying and took another sip of tea.

Xu Xiaoyan sat on the stone bench for a while, then as if suddenly remembering something, she turned her head to look at Chu Yan. "Brother Yan, are you packed for registration this afternoon?"

"It's just a few things, nothing much to pack." Chu Yan set down his teacup and continued, "I've already read the freshman guide the academy issued, and I've brought everything required."

"Me too!" Xu Xiaoyan nodded, then turned to take Na'er's hand, her eyes curving into crescents. "Little Sister Na'er, when I get back from school, I'll tell you all about the academy, okay? I heard Tianheng Primary Academy is huge, and they even have special training grounds!"

Na'er, held by her, nodded obediently and said, "Okay."

At noon, Xu Xiaoyan stayed at the Chu Clan for lunch.

At the dining table, Qin Mengyao specially added a few extra dishes, watching with a smile as the three children sat around the table, the two little girls chatting intermittently while they ate.

The more Qin Mengyao looked, the more satisfied she felt. Although her son was only six, his steady temperament meant he would certainly have no trouble taking care of others in the future.

After resting for about half an hour following the meal, Chu Yan returned to his room to change into clean clothes.

The uniforms for Tianheng Primary Academy had been issued two days prior: a set of dark blue short-sleeved shirts and long trousers, with the academy's emblem—a rising sun supporting a book—embroidered on the chest.

When he came out dressed, Xu Xiaoyan was already waiting in the courtyard, also wearing her uniform.

Na'er stood by the courtyard gate, clutching the few candies Qin Mengyao had given her that morning. Seeing Chu Yan emerge, she took two steps forward and looked up at him.

"Brother, Sister Xiaoyan, when will you be back from school?"

"A little after four in the afternoon."

Chu Yan looked down at her, his tone softening more than usual as he said, "Just stay at home. Mother is here too, so if you need anything, go to her."

Na'er nodded and didn't ask again.

Xu Xiaoyan leaned over, bent down to wave at Na'er, and said with a grin, "Wait for me to get back, Little Sister Na'er! I'll tell you all the fun things that happen in class today!"

Na'er smiled, her eyes curving as she said, "Okay."

Afterward, Chu Yan left the house with Xu Xiaoyan, where the butler had already parked the carriage outside the gate.

The two boarded the carriage, which pulled steadily out of the alley and headed toward Tianheng Primary Academy.

Tianheng Primary Academy was located in the educational park of the East Sea City's East District and occupied a vast area. Its main entrance was an iron-wrought gate with the academy's nameplate embedded in the pillars.