Early in the morning, Na'er poked her fluffy little head out from beneath the blankets.
Sunlight had already slipped through the gaps in the curtains, painting several long, narrow streaks across the bedsheets. Outside came the whistles of Eastsea Academy's morning drills, along with the students' orderly chants. Mixed with the faint sizzling of frying oil from the snack street, they formed the unique background noise of the morning. The scent of grilled fish drifted over on the breeze, faint yet tantalizing, making one's stomach growl.
Na'er's hair was a mess, several silver strands stuck to her cheeks, while one stubborn tuft stood straight up atop her head like the down of a freshly hatched chick. She squinted, her eyelashes trembling, clearly not fully awake from her dream. Her little lips were slightly pouty and rosy from sleep, making her look like a baby kitten that had just crawled out of its nest.
"Gu Yue~" she called softly, dragging out her voice like a strand of pulled cotton candy. "Let me sleep a little longer~."
That voice was so soft it seemed one could squeeze water from it. Combined with that sleepy little face, anyone would have softened at the sight.
Last night had truly exhausted her.
Ever since discovering that she could not forge, the little girl had kept fighting with herself. It was not that her talent was lacking; she simply did not have that talent at all—she was an emotional avatar split from the Silver Dragon King, an ordinary person by nature. But Gu Yue needed her to forge. More precisely, she needed her to purchase forging materials. Because if Gu Yue bought them herself, the Golden Dragon King would immediately find out. So Gu Yue wanted Na'er to learn forging, to come into contact with those