First call her big sis, then little sis; once grown, she'll sleep in your arms

After helping Xiao Wu buy her bedding, Qin Chao returned to Grandmaster's room. He was from Spirit Hall, after all; if he ran into Tang San, he might well expose his identity.

Under Grandmaster's guidance, the group took a brief tour of Nuoding Academy.

The novel had devoted little ink to Nuoding Academy, and now that he had toured it, Qin Chao felt somewhat relieved.

Just as he had expected, the cultivation facilities here were far too primitive. Never mind an advanced Imitation Training Ground-they did not even have a decent playing field. Luckily, he had not given in to the temptation of Luck Value and chosen to join Nuoding Academy alongside Tang San.

In Qin Chao's view, talent mattered, but it accounted for only sixty percent. The other forty percent depended more on one's surroundings and luck. For Tang San to have become a god despite cultivating in conditions like these, his talent really must have been formidable...

As night approached, Qin Chao and his two companions declined Grandmaster's invitation to dinner and boarded the carriage back to the village.

Throughout the journey, Hu Liena kept pestering Old Jack for every detail about Qin Chao, big and small. Old Jack already liked the lovely young girl, and once he learned that she had become a Soul Elder at such a tender age, he held nothing back, telling her everything he knew. He even spilled the story of Qin Chao still wetting the bed at four, leaving Qin Chao scarlet with embarrassment.

Some things really could not be controlled just because one wanted to. Even with a mental age of thirty, he had failed to resist his body's instincts, losing himself completely in nightmares of searching for a toilet...

Of course, that was beside the point.

It was already late at night when the three returned to the village. With a guest in the house, Old Jack hurriedly took down the cured meat hanging from a roof beam and set about cooking. Qin Chao deftly lit a fire beneath the stove, while Hu Liena curiously examined everything in the humble room.

The shabby little house was divided into two spaces. The smaller inner room appeared to be the bedroom, containing nothing but two beds and a small chest for clothes.

A brick stove that also heated the sleeping platform stood in a corner of the outer room, while a large square table occupied the middle. Though shabby, everything had been kept very clean.

By village standards, these living conditions were fairly good. To Hu Liena, who had grown up in Spirit Hall, however, the poverty was almost shocking. Who would have imagined that a genius like Qin Chao had grown up in such a dilapidated little house?

Her gaze shifted, settling on the old man and young boy beside the stove.

Qin Chao sat on a small stool, deftly feeding firewood into the stove and adjusting the heat according to Old Jack's instructions. Old Jack held a spatula; though his back was somewhat stooped, his movements were nimble. The old man and the boy worked in perfect harmony, occasionally exchanging a few words, their eyes overflowing with happiness.

Watching this, Hu Liena suddenly felt a little envious.

Spirit Hall had taken her in before her earliest memories. Although her teacher, Bibi Dong, treated her like a mother, her position meant she could never be a tender, doting one.

Hu Liena knew very well that she was already one of the lucky ones. Yet after seeing how Qin Chao and Old Jack interacted, she still felt a little more envy in her heart.

Poor surroundings did not mean true poverty. Even if Qin Chao had not been a genius, he would still have been Old Jack's most beloved grandson. Old Jack's love was his greatest source of confidence as he lived in this world.

So what if he could not become a Soul Master? At worst, he could return to the village and farm. Life might be hard, but he could always survive...

Dinner was hardly lavish, but it was already the best Old Jack could offer. He was a good cook, and Hu Liena thoroughly enjoyed the meal. After they swept through the food like a gale scattering clouds, Old Jack busied himself tidying the room, while Hu Liena and Qin Chao went out into the courtyard.

The two lay on a stack of straw in the courtyard, the faint scent of wheat straw lingering around their noses, warm and sweet as sunshine.

Looking up, they saw clear, lovely moonlight and little glimmers of silver. Everything seemed so peaceful and beautiful.

Beautiful surroundings always stirred reflection. After a while, Hu Liena spoke first. "Qin Chao, did you think your life before this was hard?"

Scenes from his past and present lives replayed through Qin Chao's mind like a revolving lantern. He sat up and looked toward the warm candlelight inside the house, a gentle smile unconsciously appearing on his face.

"Hard? Perhaps... but at least I have a home now..."

Qin Chao had also been an orphan in his previous life. Having grown up in an orphanage, his greatest wish had been nothing more than to make it through life and have a home of his own.

Ordinary as that wish was, it had been difficult to fulfill. After working overtime until late at night, Qin Chao had lain in bed, idly scrolling through his phone. A couple of offhand complaints had brought him to this world, which, though not entirely unfamiliar, was riddled with danger.

He had felt resentment and anger, but he had never thought his life was bitter.

In this world, Qin Chao had family and a system. Most importantly, he had hope-the hope that he would no longer have to remain ordinary.

Mediocrity was nothing to fear, but nobody wanted to remain mediocre forever. Who had never dreamed of standing unrivaled beneath the heavens?

Qin Chao's words seemed to stir something in Hu Liena. She sighed softly. "Actually, you don't know this, but my brother and I are orphans too..."

Oh, what's there not to know? Not only do I know you're an orphan, I even know you wore little pink panties when you went down Hell Road...

Familiar with the plot, Qin Chao grumbled inwardly, but said nothing and simply listened in silence.

"Spirit Hall took my brother and me in when we were little, and our teacher treats us very well. But in the end, we're still children without parents. I always thought Spirit Hall was our home, but today, after seeing you with your grandfather, I realized I was wrong..."

Hu Liena raised her head and gazed steadily at Qin Chao, little ripples of light seeming to shimmer in her eyes.

"I really envy you. We're both orphans, but you've received so much more love than I have..."

At this point, Hu Liena hesitated, as though what she was about to say was difficult to voice. Her lips moved several times before she finally chose to speak.

"I really love the atmosphere between you and your grandfather, so... could I ask Grandpa Jack to be my adoptive grandfather...?"

WTF? Adoptive grandfather? Wouldn't that mean I'd have to call her my adoptive big sister?

As always, language was vast and profound. Qin Chao had ideas about turning that word into a verb, but if it was a noun...

Qin Chao was about to say something when Hu Liena interrupted him. "I know this request is a little presumptuous, but I'm sincere. Don't worry. If you really become my little brother, I'll take good care of you and protect you. I won't let you suffer the slightest harm!"

Why did those lines sound a little familiar?

A flash of inspiration struck Qin Chao. An adoptive little sister becoming a sweetheart-wasn't that Tang San and Xiao Wu's storyline?

"Would that be all right?" When Qin Chao remained silent, Hu Liena asked again.

"Big sis!" Remembering Tang San and Xiao Wu, Qin Chao cast aside every trace of hesitation and promptly changed how he addressed her.

First call her big sis, then little sis; once grown, she'll sleep in your arms.

A ready-made template was right before my eyes. Why let it go to waste!