Farewell

The mood between them was subdued on the way home.

"Jiujiu."

Huo Yuhao called out to Xu Jiujiu, feeling a little embarrassed.

He had promised to attend Star Luo Royal Academy, only to change his mind at the last minute and choose Shrek Academy.

"It's all right, Yuhao. I understand."

Xu Jiujiu turned around with a gentle smile.

If she had been facing someone she hated, she probably would have acted just as rashly.

Her words only made Huo Yuhao feel worse.

Suddenly, he felt a hand reach up and pinch his cheek.

Xu Jiujiu said in mock reproach, "I understand, but you still owe me something to make up for it."

"Just tell me what you want, Jiujiu. I'll do it."

"I'll cook for you tonight. Consider it a farewell dinner."

Huo Yuhao's face stiffened. He truly didn't dare eat Xu Jiujiu's cooking. The grilled fish that morning had been all right—at least it hadn't upset his stomach.

But one of Xu Jiujiu's dishes had once poisoned a century-old soul beast kept by the royal family to death.

Seeing his expression, Xu Jiujiu said unhappily,

"What? Is my cooking really that bad? I followed every step. Why do you and Imperial Brother both make that face?"

"Oh, it's nothing, Jiujiu. I was so happy at the thought of eating your cooking that I went a little blank."

"That's more like it."

Apparently satisfied with his answer, Xu Jiujiu gave a little huff and walked off.

That night, Huo Yuhao sat at the dinner table prepared to die.

He eyed the strange feast Xu Jiujiu had made and swallowed nervously.

Then she brought out a bowl of dark-purple lotus root soup, and cold sweat broke out on his skin.

Staring at the bubbling purple soup, Huo Yuhao raised a trembling finger toward it.

"Jiujiu, what's that?"

Xu Jiujiu gave him a puzzled look.

"It's the purple sweet potato and lotus root soup I made. Haven't you had it before?"

Huo Yuhao felt like crying. The last time Xu Jiujiu had brought him this soup,

he had asked Tian Meng to taste it for him. Tian Meng had passed out after a single mouthful.

He had slept for three whole days, then woken up, clung to Huo Yuhao, and cried,

"Yuhao, that stuff is terrifying! I think I saw my great-grandma."

Ever since, Tian Meng had privately nicknamed the dish "Time of Judgment."

Seeing the expectant look on Xu Jiujiu's face, Huo Yuhao could only force a smile.

He scooped up a spoonful and put it in his mouth. In an instant, a burst of flavors even more varied than the morning's grilled fish exploded across his tongue.

A wave of dizziness surged through his head.

Gradually, Xu Jiujiu seemed to split into two before his eyes.

"Jiujiu, when did you learn my cloning trick?"

"Yuhao! Yuhao! What's wrong?"

By the time Huo Yuhao regained consciousness, half an hour had passed.

Xu Jiujiu sat beside him, looking rather put out.

"Is my cooking really that awful? Why can't I taste it?"

Strangely, the food Huo Yuhao and Xu Jiawei found awful tasted only a little burnt and bitter to Xu Jiujiu. Otherwise, she thought it was quite good.

That had made Xu Jiawei wonder whether something was wrong with his sister's sense of taste. He had even called Ye Fei over to examine her, but Ye Fei had found nothing wrong.

In the end, the two concluded that Xu Jiujiu's sense of taste was simply different from everyone else's.

Now that Huo Yuhao was awake, Xu Jiujiu no longer asked him to eat her cooking.

Instead, she told him to get plenty of rest and promised to see him off tomorrow.

The next morning, Huo Yuhao emerged from meditation and began packing.

Though he had lived in the little courtyard for nearly five years, he had very little to take with him.

He packed the Soul Tools he had made into his Storage Soul Tool.

Finally, his gaze fell on the smiling-face mask Xu Jiujiu had bought him.

He carefully placed it in a box and tucked it deep inside his Storage Soul Tool.

He had just finished packing when Xu Jiujiu pushed the door open.

"Yuhao, come give me a hand!"

She was carrying a pile of things almost as tall as she was.

"Jiujiu, what's all this?"

Huo Yuhao took the stack of boxes from her with some difficulty.

"These are medicinal herbs. The Soul Tool at my waist holds some rare materials."

Looking at the heap she had brought, Huo Yuhao asked,

"Jiujiu, you didn't take all this from His Majesty, did you?"

At his question, Xu Jiujiu puffed out her chest and declared with perfect confidence,

"So what if I did? He's my big brother, and an elder brother is like a father. What's wrong with giving his younger brother and sister a few things?"

Huo Yuhao's mouth twitched. He silently mourned for Xu Jiawei.

He had taken a quick look. The herbs and rare metals were all treasures of the highest order, yet here they lay piled before him as though they cost nothing.

At that very moment, Xu Jiawei opened his private treasury, ready to admire his collection, and found it in shambles.

The cabinets holding medicinal herbs and rare metals had been almost emptied. All that remained were valuable paintings and calligraphy, antiques, and dozens of chests of Gold Soul Coins.

"XU! JIU! JIU!"

"Yuhao, be careful on the road!"

At the gate of the little courtyard, Xu Jiujiu held Huo Yuhao's hand, reluctant to let go.

Five years. Throughout those five years, she had never been apart from him for long.

This would be the first time they would be separated for so long.

Huo Yuhao looked at her with the same reluctance.

In truth, he didn't want to leave her either.

His mother was gone, and Jiujiu was one of the few people he considered family.

"Don't worry, Jiujiu! I'm going away to study, not leaving forever."

With that, he gently released her hand, turned, and added,

"I'll come back when school's out."

"Yuhao!"

Xu Jiujiu called after him. Huo Yuhao turned back instinctively.

"Mmph!"

Her lips pressed against his, cutting off whatever he had been about to say.

A long while later, Xu Jiujiu let him go. She wiped her mouth and said fiercely,

"Remember, you have to come back. If you don't, I'll come and drag you home myself."

Without waiting to see his reaction, she pushed him away and ran out of the little courtyard.

Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eyes Martial Soul gave him eyesight far beyond an ordinary person's. Even after Xu Jiujiu had run far away, he could still make out her flushed cheeks and ears burning red.