People's Joys and Sorrows Are Not Shared

"Reading can increase your wisdom and make you smarter."

As Fang Yuan spoke, he saw Bibi Dong's adorably blank expression and could not help raising a hand to ruffle her hair.

"You don't want other people tricking you in the future, do you?"

Bibi Dong's face reddened.

"Stop it! Don't touch my head. You're a year younger than me, so why are you acting like a grown-up?"

As she spoke in an annoyed, reproachful tone, she pushed Fang Yuan's hand aside, her heartbeat involuntarily quickening.

Still, he does have a point. I need to read more and become smarter. I can't let myself be fooled again!

Bibi Dong thought this to herself and decided to keep up both her cultivation and her studies. If she was going to do this, she would become someone capable in every field!

Following behind the two young highnesses, Yue Guan spoke up with a timely reminder. "Your Highness the Holy Son, please follow me this way. It's time to choose your residence."

"As long as a palace is unoccupied, you can tell me whichever one catches your eye, and I'll make the arrangements."

Fang Yuan had not yet been named Holy Son, but Yue Guan felt it was only a matter of time. After all, the Great Enshrined had said so himself.

Fang Yuan did not object to the title either. He motioned with his eyes for Yue Guan to lead the way. "Uncle Yue Guan, sorry for the trouble. Please lead the way."

Yue Guan thought that His Highness the Holy Son really was polite.

"It's no trouble. This is my duty."

With that, he walked ahead to lead the way and said little more, leaving His Highness the Holy Son and Her Highness the Saintess room to talk.

Yue Guan dearly wanted to declare his loyalty right then, but he knew when to speak and when to keep quiet.

Besides, he felt that he was not yet familiar with His Highness the Holy Son. Declaring his loyalty out of the blue would be too abrupt.

Fang Yuan followed behind Yue Guan. Just then, Bibi Dong came up beside him and said, "Fang Yuan, why don't you choose somewhere next to me?"

"That way, we'll live close to each other, and I can come over to play!"

In the year since she had become the Saintess, she had hardly had any friends. Every day, she was either cultivating or being forced to study, without even someone her own age to talk to.

Elders such as Yue Guan and Gui Mei were all very respectful toward her because she was Qian Xunji's disciple.

When Bibi Dong spoke to them, it felt as though they were afraid of her, which she found very dull.

She had explored every part of the Pope's Hall, but what fun was there in playing alone? Qian Xunji would not let her go out, either.

The last time she had left Spirit City had been to obtain her first soul ring. Ever since then, she had stayed in the Pope's Hall and had never made any friends.

But now that Fang Yuan had arrived, Bibi Dong felt she would have someone to keep her company from now on. She certainly would not be bored.

Seeing the anticipation filling Bibi Dong's eyes, Fang Yuan felt like teasing her. "Your teacher is my teacher's son. What should you call me?"

"Huh?" Bibi Dong froze, then knitted her delicate brows and thought hard, finding it quite a brain-burner.

"I don't know."

After puzzling over it for a moment without figuring it out, she simply asked Fang Yuan, "Then tell me, what should I call you?"

Smiling, Fang Yuan helped Bibi Dong work it out.

"Your teacher also counts as my teacher's disciple, so you're now one generation below me. You should call me martial uncle."

Understanding dawned on Bibi Dong when she heard this, and she pursed her lips with a little huff.

"You're a year younger than me! I'm not calling you martial uncle. Don't think you can take advantage of me!"

Fang Yuan found teasing a child rather fun. "Martial uncle sounds too old. Just call me senior brother from now on."

Bibi Dong could accept that form of address. Remembering how Fang Yuan had spoken up for her earlier, and how she had secretly decided to repay him, she could not help blushing slightly.

"Then... let's go with that!"

As she spoke, Bibi Dong's eyes began to dart away, not daring to meet Fang Yuan's gaze.

Seeing her agree, Fang Yuan thought of Rakshasa Bibi Dong in his Sea of Consciousness and found it quite thrilling.

"Junior sister, let me hear you call me senior brother."

Bibi Dong lowered her head as she walked, her two little hands unconsciously rubbing the hem of her clothes, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"S-senior brother..."

After saying it, her face turned scarlet. She felt strange and inexplicably a little hot.

Fang Yuan leaned closer, pretending not to have heard her clearly. "I didn't hear you. Speak up. How do you expect to protect Spirit Hall when you speak so quietly?"

"Senior brother!" Bibi Dong raised her head and glared at Fang Yuan in annoyed reproach, calling out much louder this time.

Seeing that she was getting a little annoyed, Fang Yuan quit while he was ahead and patted her head with a satisfied expression.

"Very good. Full of spirit!"

Bibi Dong shoved Fang Yuan's hand away, looking thoroughly displeased. "I told you not to touch my head! I won't grow tall if you do that!"

As she spoke, she took Fang Yuan's arm and ran toward her palace with quick steps.

"I've already called you senior brother, so you have to live next to me now, right? Come on, I'll take you there!"

With that, Bibi Dong pulled him along at a mad dash, regardless of whether Fang Yuan agreed.

Yue Guan did not stop them. It was a good thing that the two highnesses got along so well!

And with his perceptive mind, how could he fail to notice Her Highness the Saintess's unusual behavior?

But Yue Guan would not point it out, nor would he tell Qian Xunji. He felt this was a good thing too.

After all, rich waters should not flow into an outsider's fields. If the two highnesses developed things to that stage, nothing could be better.

Yue Guan followed behind them just like that, watching the two highnesses ahead as an indulgent, auntie-like smile unconsciously spread across his face.

Sometimes, people's joys and sorrows were not shared.

At that moment, inside Fang Yuan's Sea of Consciousness, Rakshasa Bibi Dong grew angrier the more she watched, gritting her teeth.

"Little Yuan! Feeling very pleased with yourself, aren't you?"

Hearing Rakshasa Bibi Dong's words, Fang Yuan inexplicably felt a twinge of guilt. While keeping up with the young Bibi Dong, he played dumb.

"Aunt Dong, what did I do to upset you?"

Seeing him feign ignorance, Rakshasa Bibi Dong was so angry that her chest rose and fell in waves.

"Don't play dumb with me!"

"Little Yuan, you've really grown bold. You even dared to make my younger self call you senior brother."

"Do you want me to call you that too?"

Fang Yuan thought that would not be out of the question, but his emotional intelligence was not that low. He sent his voice through his thoughts, laughing it off.

"Aunt Dong, what are you saying? Little Bibi Dong isn't the same as you. I'll always love and respect you!"

Rakshasa Bibi Dong gave a light huff at his words. "You slippery little rascal. Spare me your glib tongue!"

As she spoke, she recalled her younger self's blushing face just now and issued a warning.

"I can let the form of address slide, but you have to promise me that you won't get any ideas about my younger self!"

Rakshasa Bibi Dong knew herself all too well.

Earlier, she had been so occupied with how to set Qian Xunji up and arguing with that unfilial daughter that she had not noticed.

Now, seeing how her younger self had eyes full of nothing but Fang Yuan, Rakshasa Bibi Dong felt that something was amiss.

After all, she had raised Fang Yuan as her son all these years!

If her younger self fell for Fang Yuan and Fang Yuan accepted her feelings, what kind of situation would that be?!

If those two became lovers, how would she face Fang Yuan then?