Chance Encounter with Xue Qinghe

Shui Bing'er thought for a moment, then took out a card and handed it to Jiang Lan. "How about this? I'll rent you a room for a year first. If anything comes up, write to me, and I'll help you deal with it."

After spending this time together, she had truly grown fond of this adorable child.

More importantly, his talent was terrifying—level 19 at six years old.

Why level 19? Jiang Lan had only broken through recently.

They had all been utterly astonished by it.

Jiang Lan tucked the card into the pocket on the belly of his penguin onesie, looked up at Shui Bing'er, and nodded seriously. "Got it, Sister Shui Bing'er."

Watching Jiang Lan put the card into his penguin suit pocket, Shui Bing'er reached out to straighten his crooked hat. Her fingertip lightly poked his chubby cheek before she stood and headed for the front desk.

The check-in process was quick. Shui Bing'er deliberately chose a well-lit suite and prepaid the room fees for an entire year.

When the receptionist took the card and saw the amount on it, her expression nearly collapsed on the spot. Still, her professionalism kept her from asking the question that was on her mind.

Shui Yue'er stood in the middle of the lobby, clutching Doro and refusing to let go.

Over the past two months, she had become attached to Doro. Every night, if she did not sleep with the little white fluffball in her arms, she felt as though something was missing.

At that moment, Doro lay in her embrace and seemed reluctant to part as well.

"Doro, Sister won't be holding you while you sleep anymore. You have to listen to Jiang Lan, don't run around, and don't eat strange things. Especially don't eat any more black oranges." Shui Yue'er's voice was uncharacteristically serious at first, but the more she spoke, the more wrong it sounded. By the end, even her eyes had reddened. She hurriedly rubbed the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand, pretending Doro's fur had tickled her nose.

Doro let out a soft, sweet "Doro~," then stretched out her little stubby arm and patted the back of Shui Yue'er's hand, as if saying, Don't cry, don't cry. I'll miss you too.

"Alright, alright. It's not like you'll never see each other again." Xue Wu came over and patted Shui Yue'er on the shoulder, but when she turned toward Jiang Lan, she could no longer keep the smile on her face.

Though she had not hovered around Jiang Lan all day like Shui Yue'er had over the past two months, she had been there every time Jiang Lan sent a roadside bandit flying with one punch.

That visual impact had completely changed her impression of the little guy from merely adorable to absurdly adorable.

Now that they were separating, she really was not used to it.

Xue Wu reached out and pinched Jiang Lan's cheek. She had been pinching that little chubby face for two whole months, and it felt even better than when they had first met—soft like freshly steamed sticky rice cake.

She crouched down and met Jiang Lan's eyes, her tone unusually gentle. "Little Guga, if anyone bullies you in the future, just tell them our names. Skywater Academy may not be the strongest among the five elemental academies, but we can still protect a child."

Jiang Lan's face had been pinched out of shape. He replied vaguely, "Mm... I usually don't get bullied... Usually, I'm the one bullying others... Guga..."

The moment he said that, everyone remembered the sight of him knocking bandits flying with a single punch. The sorrowful atmosphere was instantly diluted.

But after they finished laughing, they found it even harder to part.

The other three girls also gathered around him, chattering away as they gave Jiang Lan instructions.

Outside the lobby, the coachman knocked on the carriage wall, signaling that it was about time.

The two Ice Soul Horses snorted, lightly pawing at the stone road with their hooves. Ice crystals glittered in the morning light.

Shui Yue'er took a deep breath, hugged Doro tightly, then gently placed her back in Jiang Lan's arms.

When she straightened up, her eyes were visibly red, but she forced out a bright smile. She reached out and vigorously ruffled Jiang Lan's head, knocking his newly straightened hat crooked again.

"Little Guga, you're the only unofficial little man of Skywater Academy. In Heaven Dou City, make sure you eat well and sleep well. Don't go causing trouble everywhere just because you're strong."

"I won't cause trouble!" Jiang Lan straightened his hat and puffed out his chest, making the belly of his penguin suit bulge. "I came here to find something. Once I find it, I'm going back!"

Shui Bing'er was the last to step forward.

Unlike the others, she did not pinch his cheeks or ruffle his hair. Instead, she crouched in front of Jiang Lan and adjusted his collar.

"Jiang Lan, you said you'll be staying in Heaven Dou City for half a year. I don't know what you're looking for, but I know you're no ordinary child." Shui Bing'er's voice was soft enough that only Jiang Lan could hear it. "If you run into trouble you can't handle, come to Skywater Academy and find us. Even if we can't solve it, it's still better than you carrying it alone."

Jiang Lan looked into her ice-blue eyes and nodded solemnly. "Mm!"

Shui Bing'er stood, her gaze lingering on Jiang Lan's face for several seconds before she turned and walked toward the carriage.

The other girls reluctantly followed behind her. Shui Yue'er looked back every few steps, waving to Doro each time. Doro raised her little stubby arm and waved back. The girl and the soul went back and forth like that several times, making the scene both touching and funny.

Before the carriage door closed, Shui Yue'er shouted one last time at the top of her lungs, "Jiang Lan! Doro! Remember to write to us! Just address it to the Skywater Team at Skywater Academy! You have to write!"

"Got it!" Jiang Lan and Doro stood at the hotel entrance, raising their hands and waving hard toward the carriage.

The two Ice Soul Horses let out long neighs. Their hooves rose and fell, and the carriage slowly rolled away along the street.

Jiang Lan stood where he was, watching the carriage bearing Skywater Academy's emblem travel farther and farther away. Its large outline slowly shrank into a tiny dot at the end of the street before vanishing around the corner, blending into the morning light.

"Doro, let's go look around!"

"Okay!"

The moment he finished speaking, Doro ran off first, leaving Jiang Lan standing there alone.

Jiang Lan gritted his teeth. "Damn Doro, you actually got a head start. Wait for me."

Jiang Lan's little legs pumped rapidly down the street while Doro ran ahead, her own tiny legs moving so quickly they nearly left afterimages.

"Doro, stop right there! We said we'd explore together! Getting a head start doesn't count!"

"Bleh, bleh, bleh!" Doro did not even look back.

The boy and the soul chased each other through the street. Just as Jiang Lan was about to catch Doro, she suddenly made a sharp turn into an alley.

Jiang Lan could not stop in time. His feet slipped on the stone road, and the non-slip flippers of his penguin onesie failed him at the crucial moment, sending him straight past the alley entrance.

Then he felt himself crash into someone.

"Ah!" Jiang Lan landed on his butt, and his hat flopped down over his face.

Jiang Lan hurriedly lifted the hat, only to see a young man.

The instant Jiang Lan saw that young man, he froze.

The man looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight. Though not particularly handsome, he had a straight nose and a square mouth. Dressed in a clean blue cloth robe, he gave off a refreshing impression.

His long black hair was tied with a blue cloth ribbon and hung neatly behind his back.

Although his clothing was entirely ordinary, he possessed a distinctive air.

Xue Qinghe.