Hugging Bing'er While Flying

If Shui Bing'er carried him while flying, then no matter how he looked at it, he would have to hold her waist to stay steady.

He turned to look at Shui Bing'er, only for her to turn and look at him at the exact same moment.

Their gazes collided in midair. Shui Bing'er was the first to look away, lowering her head to straighten her sleeves.

Just as he was about to ask whether this arrangement was really a good idea, he caught Shui Qinghan giving him a wink with her left eye.

He froze for a second, then immediately understood.

The headmistress was setting him up.

Now, this headmistress had already—

Since the headmistress herself had stepped in to help, he accepted her goodwill.

Wu Changkong stopped refusing. "All right."

Shui Qinghan asked, "Bing'er, do you accept this arrangement?"

"I... I'm fine with it."

Shui Qinghan nodded and turned to Xue Wu. "Xue Wu, come with me."

Xue Wu raised a brow, her gaze moving back and forth between Wu Changkong and Shui Bing'er. Then she walked over to Shui Qinghan and winked at Shui Bing'er.

"Bing'er, I'm leaving the class monitor to you. Don't throw him off halfway through."

Shui Bing'er glared at her. Before she could retort, Shui Qinghan had already wrapped an arm around Xue Wu's waist, a pair of ice-blue luan bird wings spreading from her back.

With one flap of those wings, the two of them shot into the air.

Wu Changkong withdrew his gaze and turned to face Shui Bing'er.

Their eyes met, but neither of them spoke.

"Um... let's go too," Wu Changkong said, breaking the silence first.

"Mm."

Shui Bing'er responded and took a step forward.

The two stood facing each other, then simultaneously ran into another problem.

Where were they supposed to put their hands?

"How about... I hold you? You're a little taller than me."

Hearing that, Wu Changkong remembered that although he was a few months older than Shui Bing'er, girls developed earlier than boys.

At this age, boys' frames had yet to fill out, and he was actually nearly half a head shorter than her.

Shui Bing'er was already tall among girls her age. At one meter sixty-eight, she made Wu Changkong look like a young boy who had yet to hit his growth spurt.

If they embraced face-to-face, all she had to do was lower her head slightly to rest her chin on top of his head.

"Fine."

Wu Changkong asked, "Did you just laugh?"

"I didn't."

"Hey, what are you two dawdling around down there for? Hurry up!" Shui Qinghan's voice called down from the air.

Shui Bing'er wrapped both arms around Wu Changkong's waist, firmly securing him in front of her.

He was nearly half a head shorter than her, and that cool, delicate fragrance rushed into his nose without warning.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

At his answer, Shui Bing'er summoned her ice-blue phoenix wings. Then, with a fierce beat of her wings, the two of them rose into the air, swaying unsteadily.

The moment Wu Changkong's feet left the ground, his arms tightened around Shui Bing'er's waist.

Her waist was slimmer than he had imagined, a slender curve held in place by the belt of her ice-blue academy uniform.

His face pressed against the hollow of her shoulder. Even through several layers of winter clothing, he could feel the warmth of her body and the tremor of her heartbeat.

He had lived for so many years in his previous life and flown countless times, yet never had any flight felt this enjoyable.

The wind howled past their ears, tangling their long hair together until it was impossible to tell whose was whose.

Before they could recover from that subtle atmosphere, Xue Wu's teasing voice came from ahead.

"Oh? You're hugging face-to-face... I thought the class monitor would turn his back to you so you could hold his waist from behind. Wouldn't that be less tiring?"

"You two really thought of the same thing?"

Shui Bing'er's expression stiffened. "We didn't think of that."

A hint of awkwardness appeared on Wu Changkong's face as well. "That makes sense. Should we go down and change positions before flying again?"

Shui Qinghan said impatiently, "You're both just kids. What are you being so shy about? Hurry up and catch up."

"Then let's stay like this. It's not like I'm going to take advantage of you."

"You wanted to take advantage of me?"

"No, I never had that thought."

Hearing that, Shui Bing'er felt a little disappointed.

She huffed. As if you'd dare. Then she accelerated, catching up to Shui Qinghan and Xue Wu ahead.

After an entire day of flying, they finally arrived at Northguard Pass, the northernmost border fortress of the Heaven Dou Empire.

This mighty pass stood with the endless Ice Ridge Mountains at its back and the boundless Far Northern Wasteland before it.

The sentries atop the walls were wrapped in thick fur coats. Their white breath froze on their eyebrows and stubble, yet they still stood as straight as pines.

Inside the pass city, the buildings lining the streets were all rough, heavy structures of stone and wood. Their roofs were covered in thick snow, and strings of icicles hung beneath the eaves.

There were not many pedestrians on the streets, but every one of them was bundled up tightly and walking in haste.

This was the last supply point before entering the Far North, as well as the Heaven Dou Empire's first line of defense against the soul beast tides of the Far Northern Wasteland.

Every winter, the soul beasts of the wasteland were driven south by the blizzards farther north. The defenders of Northguard Pass had to battle the beast tide amid ice and snow.

Shui Qinghan and Xue Wu landed first in the snow about half a kilometer from the city gates.

A moment later, Shui Bing'er also landed steadily while holding Wu Changkong.

Their faces had both been reddened by the cold wind at high altitude.

Shui Qinghan looked up at the sky. "It'll be dark soon. Nights in the Far Northern Wasteland are much more dangerous than the daytime."

"We'll stay at Northguard Pass tonight and set out early tomorrow morning for the Far North."

Wu Changkong nodded. "All right. We'll do as the headmistress says."

The four of them tightened their fur coats and walked toward the city gates through the snow.

After the guards at the gate verified Shui Qinghan's identity, they immediately let them through respectfully. They even kindly pointed them toward the best hotel in the city... the Northward Welcome Hotel.

Inside the lobby of the Northward Welcome Hotel—

Several mercenaries in heavy leather armor sat around a table in the corner, gambling.

A few people who had just returned from the edge of the Far Northern Wasteland were gathered around the stove, warming their hands. The bloody stench left behind from fighting soul beasts still clung to them.

Shui Qinghan walked to the counter and took several silver soul coins from her robe, placing them on the countertop.

Behind the counter stood an old shopkeeper in his sixties, with graying hair but a lively, sharp spirit.

He looked up at the four of them, then smiled apologetically. "My lords and ladies, unfortunately, several soul-hunting groups arrived in the city today and took all the rooms. There are only two vacant rooms left. What do you think...?"

Shui Qinghan frowned and glanced back at the three behind her.

After a moment of silence, she nodded. "Two rooms will do. Changkong and I will take one, while Bing'er and Xue Wu take the other."

At those words, Shui Bing'er hesitated as if she wanted to say something.

Shui Qinghan took in Shui Bing'er's reaction without showing anything on her face.

Of course she knew what Shui Bing'er was thinking.

The girl probably thought Shui Qinghan would take the opportunity to arrange for her and Changkong to share a room. She had indeed considered whether to keep creating opportunities for the two of them.

But that would only be under her watch. If two thirteen-year-old children were really left alone in one room for an entire night, and something got out of hand, how was she supposed to explain it to her elder brother as Bing'er's aunt?