Two days later
Heaven Dou City, inside a luxury hotel room.
"Rongrong, Nana... You two can stay here for the day. I'll go and meet Teacher before taking you two out to play."
"And Nana, take care of Rongrong," Xie Yue instructed the two of them.
"Mm, okay, Brother. I'll take care of Rongrong," Hu Liena assured.
"Mm~ Big Brother... Come back quickly; Rongrong wants to play more~~" Rongrong replied as she closed her eyes to sleep.
She was already tired from playing all day. Because of her, they took nearly two days to travel from the STGT Sect to Heaven Dou City. But even after all that, she still wanted to play more.
"Yeah, I'll come back soon." Xie Yue patted the sleeping Rongrong's head as he spoke.
"Additionally... Nana, if some people try to bother you two, you know what to do, right?" Xie Yue asked Hu Liena meaningfully.
"Brother... I know," Hu Liena replied.
"Okay then, I'll leave." Xie Yue left the room.
He was not worried about their safety; many guards were hidden in the dark to protect them, already stationed throughout the hotel and its surroundings. Even before anything happened to Hu Liena and Ning Rongrong, they would take action.
Because of Ning Rongrong, Ning Fengzhi had arranged tighter protection for them. But since he didn't want to interfere with their fun, most of the guards remained hidden.
After leaving the hotel room, Xie Yue called out softly:
"Uncle Long..."
"Yes, Young Master..." With an old voice, a man appeared, wearing a black hooded cloak.
"Please take care of their safety while I'm away, and if they need anything, assist them," Xie Yue instructed.
"As ordered," the man replied.
Although there were many guards, Xie Yue was most familiar with this man, Uncle Long, and had a good impression of his attitude. So, he specifically entrusted him with this task before leaving.
---
Soon after, Xie Yue reached the Moon Pavilion and met Tang Yuehua.
Since Tang Yuehua was still teaching her students, he went upstairs to his room (which Tang Yuehua had given him) to take a short rest until she was free.
'The academies all started last month; it's better if I can meet Dugu Yan this time,' Xie Yue thought as he sat on the bed.
Last month, he hadn't come to meet Tang Yuehua; instead, he had gone near Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, hoping to meet Dugu Yan. But he hadn't succeeded.
Dugu Yan was one year older than him, so now, at the age of 12, she had already joined Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. Since the academic year had only started a month ago, she had only been at the academy for a short time.
Before, that was also the reason why six-year-old Xie Yue had five months after awakening his martial soul before school started. He had used those five months to travel to Heaven Dou City and explore his options before deciding on an academy.
Now that Xie Yue was 11 and a half years old, the academies had already been in session for over a month.
Last month, Xie Yue had waited near Heaven Dou Imperial Academy for three days, hoping to catch a glimpse of Dugu Yan when she left to play with her friends. But he hadn't even seen a trace of her.
In Xie Yue's plan regarding Dugu Bo, Dugu Yan was the key. So, even though waiting like this was inefficient, he had to try.
He knew the chances of meeting her this way were slim, so he had already prepared alternative plans.
'If I can't meet her this time, I'll have to go with my next best option,' Xie Yue thought as he drifted off for a short nap.
---
After a while, Tang Yuehua finished her lesson and went upstairs to see Xie Yue.
Finding no one in the hall, she headed toward Xie Yue's room, her expression carrying a hint of anger. Seeing the open door, she stepped inside, only to find Xie Yue sleeping.
'He's sleeping so peacefully... I better not disturb him,' Tang Yuehua thought, holding back her frustration.
She had many questions for him—especially about why he hadn't visited her last month. Other than her two brothers, Xie Yue was the closest person to her.
As she grew older, Tang Yuehua had come to terms with the fact that she wouldn't marry or have children. Her ill-fated love had left wounds too deep to heal.
Amidst all this pain, she had come to see Xie Yue as her own son, pouring all her motherly love into him. In this regard, she was similar to Liu Erlong, who had adopted Xiao Wu and showered her with affection.
But unlike Liu Erlong, who had met Xiao Wu when she was 13, Tang Yuehua had known Xie Yue since he was young. She had spent far more time with him, making her attachment to him even stronger.
The closer she felt to him, the more it hurt when he distanced himself from her. She had been heartbroken when he hadn't visited last month. Over the past year, she had thought of ways to mend their relationship, but nothing worked. Xie Yue remained as distant as ever.
'Sigh... If it weren't for my decision, things wouldn't have reached this point,' Tang Yuehua sighed inwardly, regretting a choice she had made when Xie Yue was just ten years old.
Now, she felt her decision had been wrong. With her growing motherly love, she began to question why she had ever insisted that Xie Yue sleep alone.
What did age matter? What did it matter that he was growing up? What did it matter that she wasn't his blood mother?
None of it seemed important anymore. She had even subconsciously forgotten why she had made that rule in the first place.
Emotions truly worked wonders. If Xie Yue knew what she was thinking, he would surely be baffled.
'What happened to love-minded women? Aren't they supposed to keep their distance from any man other than their lover?' He would be dumbfounded.
But the truth was, Tang Yuehua hadn't changed. Her love for Tang Hao was still there, growing stronger with time. However, Xie Yue had become just as important to her.
Now in her early thirties, she was at the age when women longed to become mothers more than anything. Her focus had shifted from romance to motherhood, and her motherly love for Xie Yue had deepened.
After all, in this world, most women became grandmothers by forty. Most married at twelve, so her feelings were understandable.
Tang Yuehua had few people she truly cared about. Her father had never shown her much love and was already dead.
Among the three most important people in her life, the first was Tang Hao, her second brother and true love—but he was gone. The second was her eldest brother, Tang Xiao, but due to their circumstances, they rarely met. And the third was Xie Yue.
Xie Yue had carved a deep place in her heart. After many unexpected situations and encounters, he had become an irreplaceable presence in her life.
She was willing to do anything to mend their bond and give him all the motherly love she had to offer.
'He was so adorable when he was clingy and affectionate. If only he were still like that...' Tang Yuehua thought wistfully, gazing at Xie Yue's handsome face.
She stood there for a while, watching him sleep before finally turning to leave.
Hearing her footsteps fade, Xie Yue slowly opened his eyes.
'This woman...' Xie Yue mused.
Yes, he had been awake the whole time. He had sensed Tang Yuehua's presence the moment she stepped inside. If he had slept through it, he might as well die early rather than be a burden to this world.
A soul master must always be vigilant in a cruel world like Douluo. If Xie Yue slept like a dead turtle, he would never be qualified to become a powerful soul master or achieve his grand ambitions of eternity. Having ambition alone wasn't enough—one needed the right mindset.
He had pretended to sleep because he sensed her anger. He knew why she was upset but didn't care. He also knew she wouldn't wake him.
But what caught his attention was that she had stayed much longer than expected.
'Did this woman become obsessed with my handsome face?' Xie Yue couldn't help but wonder.
Although he hadn't opened his eyes, he could easily guess what had happened.