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At the exit, Butler Carson stood waiting.

He looked as he always did—his black tailcoat was pressed without a single wrinkle, his silver-gray hair meticulously combed, and his expression carried that perfectly measured respect. He stood with his back ramrod straight, like an old tree planted in King's Cross Station. Several passing Muggles gave him extra looks, probably thinking that anyone dressed like this to pick someone up had to be either a butler or an actor.

Su Yu pushed his trolley over to him. It was piled high with luggage, stacked taller than a person. Nine-Tailed Fox lay sprawled atop it, her tail dangling over the edge and swaying back and forth.

Carson took the trolley, glanced at the luggage, then at Nine-Tailed Fox lying on top of it. Nine-Tailed Fox blinked at him and curled her tail once in greeting.

Carson said nothing more and merely smiled back at Nine-Tailed Fox. The young master had his own secrets, and he never asked questions. Otherwise, he would not have worked for the Fuli family for sixty-three years.

Just then, Ginny came running over.

She was in a bit of a hurry, her boots clicking across the stone floor while her red hair streamed behind her. She had deliberately made her family wait just so she could wait for Su Yu. Mr. Weasley's car was parked outside the station with the engine still running, and Ron had urged her several times from inside. She pretended not to hear him.

When she reached them, she was breathing lightly, her cheeks flushed red—whether from running too fast or something else, no one knew. Her eyes were bright yet shy as she looked at Su Yu, as though she wanted to look at him but did not quite dare.

"Hi, Su Yu," she said much more softly than usual, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes—twist, release, then twist again. "I... I wanted to ask whether the fudge you got for Christmas was good?"

Su Yu looked at the adorable girl and gave her a gentle smile. "Slow down. The fudge was delicious. Nine-Tailed Fox is even looking forward to when you'll make more for her. How about you? Have you been well lately?"

Nine-Tailed Fox poked her head out from the luggage and nodded along. Ginny saw her and smiled even more brightly.

Ginny visibly relaxed. "Then I'll make more for you! I've been pretty good too. I read lots of interesting magic books." As she spoke, she grew bolder, boldly meeting Su Yu's gaze. "Actually... actually, I'd been looking forward to school starting so I could see you again."

The moment the words left her mouth, she blushed first.

Then Ron's voice rang out from afar as he shouted her name at the top of his lungs. "Ginny! Let's go! Dad says we'll be too late if we don't leave now!"

Ginny's face reddened further. She nervously wrung her hands and said softly, "I have to go back now. We can talk again next time. I'll remember to make you fudge!" With that, she hurriedly turned and jogged toward her family. After running a few steps, she looked back once, then quickened her pace and disappeared toward the exit.

Su Yu watched her departing figure.

Then he left the station with Carson.

Sitting in the car, Su Yu looked at the bustling metropolis beyond the window and felt like a savage who had suddenly traveled into modern society. After spending a year at Hogwarts, all he had seen were stone castles, the Forbidden Forest, and Black Lake, plus a few owls at most. Now, suddenly faced with streets full of cars, skyscrapers, traffic lights, and billboards, his eyes could barely take it all in.

Nine-Tailed Fox was secretly peeking around as well. She stuck half her head out beside the car window, pressing her nose to the glass until her breath fogged it over. One moment, she asked about this; the next, she asked about that.

"What's that?"

"A candy shop."

"Is it good?"

"I haven't tried it either."

"What's that one?"

"A cake shop."

"Why is it so small?"

"Maybe London housing prices are high."

Su Yu stroked Nine-Tailed Fox and answered every one of her questions. From the candy shop to the bakery, from the bakery to the pigeons, and from the pigeons to the bottle held by the hot dog vendor by the roadside—that was ketchup. When Nine-Tailed Fox heard the word "tomato," she frowned and stopped asking.

Suddenly, Su Yu said to Carson, "Carson, let's find a Chinese restaurant and eat before going home."

Carson glanced at him through the rearview mirror, said nothing, turned on the signal, and made a U-turn.

London Chinatown. At Lido Restaurant, 41 Gerard Street, a pair of red lanterns hung outside the entrance, and faded characters for good fortune were pasted on the windows. The smell of food could be sensed from far away.

Carson parked the car. Su Yu carried Nine-Tailed Fox and pushed open the door. Quite a few people were already seated inside, all Chinese. Conversations, the clatter of bowls and chopsticks, and Cantonese news from the television blended together in a lively din.

A waiter led them upstairs and found them a seat by the window. Su Yu sat down, took the menu, and flipped through it.

Then he ordered a whole table full of roast duck, roast goose, char siu, shrimp dumplings, chicken feet, and steamed spare ribs.

They ate with great relish. Su Yu picked up a piece of roast goose, dipped it in plum sauce, and stuffed it into his mouth, his eyes narrowing in pleasure. Then he picked up a piece of char siu, chewed twice, and went for a shrimp dumpling. His chopsticks never stopped moving.

Nine-Tailed Fox was also nibbling delicately on egg tarts and coconut milk pudding. Flakes from the egg tart crust fell all over the table, and she used her paws to scoop them into her mouth. After finishing one, she licked her lips and went for another. The coconut milk pudding was cold, cut into small squares and laid on banana leaves. She pushed a piece to her mouth with her paw, took a bite, shook her head, then took another bite.

Carson sat beside them with only a cup of tea before him. He did not eat and simply watched Su Yu and Nine-Tailed Fox eat. Occasionally, he refilled Su Yu's water, and occasionally, he used a napkin to wipe away the crumbs Nine-Tailed Fox had scattered across the table.

The two of them had a grand feast. Su Yu leaned back in his chair, rubbed his stomach, and burped. Nine-Tailed Fox lay on the table too, her belly round and plump while her tail swayed gently behind her.

When they paid the bill, the owner gave them two extra bowls of red bean soup. Nine-Tailed Fox tasted a mouthful, lowered her head, and licked the bowl clean. The bottom was shinier than if it had been washed.

Only after they had eaten did Carson take them back to Fuli Manor.

The car passed through the manor's wrought-iron gates and drove down the road lined with plane trees. The trees' leaves had only grown in a few months ago and were a tender green. The lawn was trimmed neatly, and the fountain was still spraying water.

Su Yu finally lay down on the big bed he had missed so dearly. It was still the same bed, covered in his favorite down quilt, with pillows at exactly the right height. His whole body sank into the mattress as though he were sinking into a cloud, and every joint and bone in his body relaxed.

Nine-Tailed Fox bounced around on the bed too. She liked the softness as well—one bounce sent her springing up, then another bounce sent her springing up again. Su Yu reached out to catch her, but she dodged and bounced to the other side. Su Yu tried again, and she dodged again. In the end, Su Yu stopped trying. Once she had tired herself out, she flopped down, panting, her tail sweeping back and forth across the bedsheets.

The two of them slowly fell asleep like that. Outside the window, the sky shifted from pale violet to deep blue, and the stars lit up one by one.

They did not get up until Carson called them to dinner that evening. Su Yu came downstairs rubbing his eyes, while Nine-Tailed Fox followed by his feet, still yawning. Carson stood beside the dining table with a soup bowl in hand, waiting for him to sit down.

The other young Slytherin wizards returned to their respective homes and gave their families quite a shock as well.

Especially Malfoy's father, Lucius Malfoy. He stared at Malfoy in disbelief—after not seeing the boy for one term, his eyes had changed, and even the way he spoke to him had changed.

Lucius felt it was necessary to test him. So he proposed a duel with young Malfoy. Of course, he had only intended to play around with him, stopping at the right point and merely going through the motions.

But who could have known?

Young Malfoy suddenly patted the badge on his chest. Golden light poured from it, flowing across his entire body like water. It glowed faintly beneath his clothes, and even his face was covered in a light halo. Lucius froze for a moment—what was that? He had never seen magic like this before.

Then young Malfoy raised his wand. Without an incantation or even a wand movement, Expelliarmus, followed immediately by Stupefy.

Lucius had no time to react. His wand flew from his hand, spun twice through the air, struck the ground, and bounced once. Then his vision went black, and his body fell backward. He heard only Narcissa's scream before he knew nothing more.

Just like that, Malfoy lost his dinner.

Draco still had a grin on his face as he went upstairs. Missing one dinner was nothing! Only beating his own father could prove how impressive he was! He was so excited that he could barely sleep, tossing and turning in bed.

The same scenes played out again and again in the homes of the young Slytherin wizards. Some defeated their older brothers, some defeated their older sisters, and some even defeated their uncles.

Goyle went home and fought the family dog. He won. Goyle needed five stitches in his head because he had forgotten to activate the badge on his chest.

But his father patted his shoulder and said, "Good lad," then took him out for drinks. Goyle collapsed after half a glass, and his father carried him home.

Pansy went home and sparred with her mother. Her mother had once been a professional Quidditch player and was in excellent physical condition, but Pansy was far faster than her. Before her mother could react, Pansy's Disarming Charm had already knocked away her wand. Her mother stood stunned for a long time, then hugged Pansy and cried. Pansy did not know why her mother was crying, but she cried too.

Su Yu sat by the window with a cup of black tea in hand.

Nine-Tailed Fox lay asleep on his lap. Her belly rose and fell, and her ears occasionally twitched, as though she were dreaming. Her tail hung down from Su Yu's knees, its tip swaying gently.

Carson stood beside him with a teapot in hand, ready to refill his cup at any moment.

Su Yu told Carson about everything that had happened over the past year, then told him that Sister Fa would be coming in a few days and that Carson could simply bring her in when she arrived.

Carson's hand holding the teapot paused slightly. The pause was brief, less than a second, but on this old man, who did everything with the precision of a clock, it was already a very obvious reaction.

A faint blush finally appeared on his ever-unchanging old face.

The young master had really grown up. He knew to bring a fine young woman home.

God bless.