Chapter 17 – A Mother's Warmth
After finishing his training, Ryuga stood waiting in front of the academy gate.
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the stone road as students passed by in small groups.
A few minutes later, Lingling and Yan Yan arrived together.
They had both changed into different clothes from their academy uniforms.
Ryuga's eyes immediately lit up, and he smiled teasingly at Lingling.
"Lingling, you didn't need to dress up so carefully just to meet my mother. It's not like I'm introducing you as my girlfriend yet."
Lingling froze for a moment.
A faint pink spread across her cheeks, and her eyes shimmered with shy embarrassment.
She was wearing a long blue-and-white dress decorated with small floral patterns.
The soft colors matched her hair perfectly and made her look gentle and elegant.
"This dress looks really cute on you, Lingling," Ryuga added sincerely.
"It suits you very well."
Then he glanced to the side where Yan Yan was standing.
Yan Yan wore a light green and white skirt with a matching top.
Subtle snake-like patterns inspired by her martial soul adorned the fabric, making her look lively and charming.
Her wavy purple hair bounced lightly in the breeze, and her bright green eyes sparkled like gems.
"You look cute today too, Yan Yan," Ryuga said casually.
Yan Yan's heart skipped a beat at his sudden compliment.
But as she noticed his attention quickly return to Lingling, a complicated emotion stirred inside her chest.
She had always been raised like a princess by her grandfather, Dugu Bo.
Everyone around her treated her with excessive care and admiration.
From childhood until now, boys had always surrounded her with praise, gifts, and attention.
But Ryuga was different.
From the very beginning, he had treated her like an ordinary girl.
And worse — he only focused on her best friend, Lingling.
That strange sense of being ignored had irritated her, confused her, and stirred feelings she had never experienced before.
The angrier she became, the more she unconsciously wished for his attention.
Now that he had finally praised her, her heart beat uncontrollably fast.
Yet she could not understand whether that feeling was happiness, frustration, or something else entirely.
After their brief exchange, Ryuga led both girls toward his house.
Eliza was already in the kitchen preparing food, confident that her son would come home that evening.
When she heard the front door open, she asked the maid to continue cooking and walked toward the entrance.
The moment she saw Ryuga standing there — with two girls behind him — she froze.
For a second, she stared in disbelief.
Then tears welled up in her eyes.
She rushed forward and hugged Ryuga tightly.
"My baby boy… you've grown up so fast," she cried.
"You're already bringing girls home," she sobbed emotionally.
"And two at the same time!"
Ryuga felt a headache coming on instantly.
"Mom, this isn't what you think—"
"I'm so proud of you," Eliza continued through her tears.
"If your father saw this, he would be overjoyed."
Behind Ryuga, Lingling and Yan Yan stood stiffly, both blushing hard.
They did not know whether to laugh, cry, or hide.
Ryuga quickly calmed his mother and explained that they had only come to visit and eat together.
After finally understanding, Eliza regained her composure and wiped her tears with a smile.
She turned to the girls warmly.
"Hello, I'm Ryuga's mother, Eliza. It's nice to meet you."
She looked at them kindly.
"Please take good care of him in the future."
Ryuga turned red instantly.
Lingling and Yan Yan also felt their hearts flutter at those innocent yet dangerous words.
"I'm Ye Lingling," Lingling introduced herself politely with a small bow.
"It's very nice to meet you, Aunt Eliza."
"I'm Yan Yan," the purple-haired girl added with a shy smile.
"You're very beautiful, Aunt Eliza."
Eliza laughed softly, clearly pleased by the compliment.
Then she paused slightly.
"Yan Yan… are you related to Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo?" she asked gently.
"Yes," Yan Yan replied honestly.
"He is my grandfather."
Eliza nodded with understanding and glanced briefly at her son.
Seeing Ryuga smiling calmly, she said nothing further and returned to the kitchen.
Ryuga showed the two girls around the house while his mother prepared dinner.
They walked through the small garden Eliza tended with care, admiring the flowers under the fading sunlight.
Soon, Eliza called them in for dinner.
The table was filled with warm, fragrant dishes.
They ate together while chatting happily.
The atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable.
"Aunt Eliza, your cooking is really delicious," Yan Yan said after the meal with sparkling eyes.
"Ryuga didn't exaggerate at all."
"Yes, it's very good," Lingling added softly with a smile.
"See?" Ryuga said proudly.
"I told you my mother is amazing."
"Then you should come every weekend from now on," he added casually.
"Yes, you two should come with Ryuga whenever you're free," Eliza said warmly as well.
Both girls nodded without hesitation.
They could feel genuine care and warmth in this house.
Yan Yan felt it even more deeply than she expected.
Since childhood, she had only had her grandfather.
She had never experienced this kind of gentle motherly hospitality.
For the first time, she truly wanted to return somewhere because it felt like home.
After dinner, Eliza shared some of Ryuga's embarrassing childhood stories.
Both girls laughed until their stomachs hurt.
Ryuga pouted angrily at his mother while the girls enjoyed every word.
Seeing him act so differently in front of her, they found him even more endearing.
When it was time to leave, the girls said goodbye to Eliza.
Ryuga walked them back through the noble district, the distance to their residence only a few streets away.
At the gate to their house, Ryuga turned back and asked,
"Lingling, Yan Yan… do you want to go play in the city tomorrow?"
The night wind brushed gently past them as the question hung softly in the air.
Written by:- Ashborn_
Edited by:- Chat GPT