"Sister Han Yue, my brother isn't dull at all. He's usually very calm. It's just that today's a little special..." Ling'er came over, hugged the girl's left arm, and whispered.
"Special? How so?" Han Yue grew interested too.
"Because he's met someone he likes!" Ling'er suddenly said loudly.
Han Yue quickly understood. Remembering their collision earlier and his burning gaze, she blushed too.
"That'll teach you to talk nonsense, that'll teach you..." Flustered and embarrassed, Han Yue lightly swatted Ling'er.
Ling'er immediately darted away. "Sister Han Yue, I never said it was you! Why are you so worked up? I get it, you're embarrassed. Looks like you've fallen for my brother too. This must be the legendary love at first sight. I'll have to call you sister-in-law from now on..."
"You're still talking..." Han Yue chased her, looking even more bashful. As she ran, the ribbons of her moon-white dress fluttered up and down. She looked like a beautiful butterfly flying among the flowers. Yet her colors outshone them all, as though she were the garden's true mistress.
"Looks like spring is coming," Janice said softly, having come up beside Andrew at some point.
Aida chimed in, "You're right, madam. Even I can feel spring in the air." Holding Milly's hand, she followed behind Janice. The three quietly left the garden, both adults smiling as they went.
"Mom, Aunt Janice, shouldn't autumn come after summer? How could it be spring..." After they left, Milly's innocent voice reached Andrew's ears, making him blush.
Whatever the case, Andrew was happier that day than he had ever been.
Han Yue was a fourth-year student at Divine Grace Academy and a fourth-level Light Element mage. She was two years older than Ling'er and one year younger than Andrew. On the Yulan Continent, the existence of magic and battle-qi gave humans stronger constitutions, and they matured earlier too. Andrew, for instance, was not yet thirteen, but he was already 1.8 meters tall.
Thus, people here also married and had children young. Marriage after the age of twelve was very common.
In fact, Janice had long been worrying about Andrew's marriage. As a mother, she very much hoped to see her child marry, establish a family, and have children soon. However, Andrew had always devoted himself to cultivation, and Howard did not want her disturbing her with such matters either. Deep down, Janice felt some regret.
Until today, when she saw Andrew's expression as he faced Han Yue, and her heart instantly blossomed with joy.
This boy always seems so mature. Who would have thought he could lose his composure too! Janice could not help thinking. Andrew had been obedient ever since he was little and had never given her cause to worry. Barely past ten, he had already shouldered the family's burdens. While this made Janice happy, it also left her feeling a little lost. She always felt she had done nothing for her child and lacked the sense of accomplishment that came with being a mother.
Today, she finally had her chance.
Han Yue did not stay for dinner and soon left. Originally, she had intended to stay a little longer, but even her normally cheerful self could not bear the looks everyone around her was giving her, and she hurriedly said goodbye and left.
Before parting, Andrew showed no awkwardness and personally escorted her to Divine Grace Academy. He even hoped they might have some time alone together. Unfortunately, Han Yue was not as thick-skinned as he was. In the end, she brought Ling'er along, foiling his plans.
"Ling'er, I'm going back to my dorm. You and Andrew should head home too!" At the academy gates, Han Yue held Ling'er's hand and spoke softly.
Ling'er smiled. "Aren't you going to say goodbye to my brother alone?"
Han Yue swatted her, then turned her beautiful eyes toward Andrew. As it happened, Andrew looked over too. Their gazes met in midair, then quickly shifted away.
"I'm done talking to you. I'm leaving!" With those words, Han Yue turned and entered Divine Grace Academy, leaving only a fragrant breeze in the air as proof she had been there.
On the way home, Andrew pretended to ask Ling'er casually about Han Yue. Ling'er did not give him a hard time either and told him everything she knew.
In fact, she had only known Han Yue for half a year and was still far from knowing her well. However, Ling'er knew that Han Yue's family background was extraordinary. She seemed to come from a great noble family in the imperial capital. Moreover, she had an excellent talent for Light Element magic and had been accepted as a disciple by a grand magister at Divine Grace Academy.
A noble, talented, and beautiful too. This could be a little troublesome. I hope this isn't like one of those melodramatic plots where she already has a fiancé or something...
After hearing all this, Andrew could not help letting his thoughts run wild. He had seen far too many such plots in the novels he used to read. Marriage alliances were very common among nobles, and that was the same in any world.
Ling'er watched his shifting expressions with great amusement. This was the first time in her life she had seen Andrew like this.
"Brother, do you like Sister Han Yue?"
Andrew blushed. His two lives added together made him almost forty, yet he had fallen for an eleven-year-old girl. Of course, no one else would know that. In this life, he was only twelve.
"Well, I suppose so." There was no need for Andrew to deny it in front of his own sister.
An unusual gleam lit Ling'er's eyes. Propping her chin on her little hands, she put on a worldly air. "I see. Looks like I'll have to keep a close eye on Sister Han Yue from now on, so no one else steals her away."
Andrew found it rather amusing, but he understood what Ling'er was thinking.
"You don't need to keep an eye on her. Just invite her over more often."
Ling'er rolled her eyes at her. "Even if I invite her over, you're never home."
Andrew rubbed his chin. That was indeed a problem. It seemed his plans to train in the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts would have to be postponed. Golden Peng needed time to recover from his injuries anyway.
With this attachment, Andrew stayed. During this time, Ling'er brought Han Yue over every two or three days. Han Yue was somewhat bashful at first, but gradually grew accustomed to it.
As they spent more time together, Andrew and Han Yue grew familiar with each other. At the same time, Andrew's affection for Han Yue deepened.
"Yue'er, do you think this flower is pretty?" Before long, Andrew thickened his skin and began using a pet name. Fortunately, Han Yue did not explicitly object. It was apparent that she had some feelings for Andrew too.
"This is called a rosy cloud flower. Look, doesn't its corolla resemble the rosy clouds on the horizon?" Han Yue knew a great deal about plants and could name every flower and plant in Andrew's residence.
Andrew hastily nodded. "It really does!" In truth, no matter how he looked at it, he could see no resemblance between the flower and rosy clouds.
Han Yue saw that he was merely humoring her and rolled her eyes at him.
Andrew suddenly grew serious. "Yue'er, do you know..."
"Know what?" Han Yue quickly asked. She was curious about everything, a trait Andrew had long since discovered.
"It's just... you look especially pretty when you roll your eyes!" Andrew looked utterly earnest.
"Drop dead!" Han Yue scolded sweetly, unable to hide the smile on her face.
"Andrew, something terrible has happened!" Janice suddenly rushed into the garden, her face full of panic.
A bad feeling rose in Andrew's heart. These days, everyone in the family knew about him and Han Yue. Even little Milly would not interrupt them when they were together. Janice was particularly careful about this. Anything that made her break that rule certainly could not be good!
"Whatever it is, take your time and tell me!" Andrew gave Han Yue an apologetic smile and walked over to Janice. His youthful awkwardness immediately gave way to maturity, and his steady, calm manner affected those beside him.
Janice handed him a letter. There was quite a lot written on it, and it was signed by Howard.
"Father's letter? Could something have happened to them?" Andrew took the letter, skimmed it, and gained an understanding of the situation.
Howard said in his letter that he and the mercenary squad had set out in search of an Earth Dragon Beast. An Earth Dragon Beast was an eighth-level magical beast, and the mercenary squad already had a peak eighth-level warrior. With Golden Tiger's help as well, capturing an Earth Dragon Beast should not have posed much of a problem.
Who could have known that another mercenary squad had also accepted the mission? They were considerably stronger than Howard's group. The two squads met in a canyon in the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts and eventually worked together to capture the Earth Dragon Beast.
This had originally been a good thing. Although everyone would receive a smaller share in the end, the risk was lower too. However, on the journey back, the other mercenary squad suddenly launched a sneak attack, severely injuring the eighth-level warrior in Howard's squad in one strike. By the time Howard and the others reacted, their opponents had already gained an overwhelming advantage. At the critical moment, Golden Tiger unleashed his might and saved the survivors.
"Damn them! Not only did they launch a sneak attack, they want to wipe everyone out!"
Andrew burned with anger. At the end of the letter, Howard wrote that the seven of them who remained, along with Golden Tiger, were hiding from their pursuers.
"Leave it to me. I'll find Father and bring him back as soon as possible." Andrew committed the letter's contents to memory. With a pulse of battle-qi, the paper vanished into the air without leaving even a scrap.
Janice hesitated. "Andrew, can you manage it if you go? There's a ninth-level warrior among the people hunting your father!" To her, Saint-level experts were already figures of legend, and ninth-level warriors were immensely powerful. She did not want her son to fall into danger too because of what had happened to her husband.