"Ow! What was that for?"
"For being an idiot." She punched him again. "And that's for making me worry."
"I was captured by slavers!"
"I don't care. You should have fought harder." But her eyes were suspiciously shiny. She blinked rapidly. "Stupid. Making everyone think you were dead."
"I'm clearly not dead."
"I can see that." She looked him up and down critically. "You look different though."
"Different how?"
"I don't know. You're standing differently. Talking differently." She squinted at him. "Did they hit you on the head? Should I be worried about brain damage?"
Shen Tianxu couldn't help but smile. "No brain damage. Just... gained some perspective."
"Perspective." She snorted. "Is that what we're calling near-death experiences now?"
"Sounds better than 'got my ass kicked by reality.'"
That got a surprised laugh from her. "Okay, now I know something's different. The old you would never say 'ass' in public."
"The old me was uptight."
"Very uptight." She studied him for another moment, then shrugged. "Well, whatever. I like this version better. Less boring."
"Thanks?"
"You're welcome." She noticed the twins watching from near his mother. "Who are they?"
"Friends. From Moonlight Tribe."
"Friends?" Feng Qingge's expression became sly. "They're looking at you like you're the last piece of meat at a feast."
"They're just grateful I helped them escape."
"Uh huh. Sure. That's definitely 'gratitude' in their eyes." She patted his cheek mockingly. "You've gotten popular in two days. How does it feel?"
"Confusing."
"I bet." She looped her arm through his and started pulling him toward the celebration.
"Come on. If we're doing this, we're doing it properly. I want to hear every detail of how you bonded with a Fourth Order beast. That's supposed to be impossible."
The village center had transformed. Tables appeared from nowhere.
Food was being carried out from various households. Someone had started playing music on a stringed instrument.
Children were already running in circles, excited by the sudden festival atmosphere.
Shen Tianxu found himself seated at a central table with his entire family somehow squeezed around it.
Feng Qingge had claimed the seat next to him with aggressive efficiency.
His mother had the twins on her other side and was already piling food onto their plates.
Shen Chen and Shen Ling were across from him, staring at him like he might disappear again.
Shen Ming sat at the head of the table with a cup of wine, looking pleased with the chaos.
"So," Feng Qingge said immediately. "The bird. How?"
"I don't actually know," Shen Tianxu admitted. "She just... decided she liked me."
"Birds don't just 'decide' things. Especially Fourth Order ones."
"This one did."
Shen Chen leaned forward excitedly. "Is she smart? Can she understand us?"
"Very smart. Smarter than most people."
"Can she really breathe fire?" Shen Ling asked.
"I haven't seen her do it yet, but probably."
"That's SO COOL!"
Lin Yue had been loading the twins' plates while they talked. "Eat, eat. Both of you are too thin. When was the last time you had a proper meal?"
Shen Xian answered quietly. "Before we were captured. Three days ago."
"Three days!" Lin Yue looked horrified. "Those monsters. Well, you'll eat properly now. I won't have girls starving at my table."
Shen Yue picked up her chopsticks hesitantly. "Thank you, Lady Lin."
"None of that 'Lady' nonsense. Call me Auntie Lin." She softened her tone. "You're safe here, dears. Both of you."
Something in Shen Xian's expression cracked. Her eyes got watery. "Thank you."
Shen Yue reached over and squeezed her sister's hand under the table.
She looked at Shen Tianxu across from them. Her gaze held gratitude and something warmer.
Shen Tianxu felt something flutter in his chest. He quickly looked away and found Feng Qingge smirking at him knowingly.
"What?" he muttered.
"Nothing." Her smirk widened. "Absolutely nothing."
"You're enjoying this."
"Very much."
The food kept coming. More people joined them. Stories were shared. Laughter filled the air.
Someone made a toast to Shen Tianxu's return. Then another toast. Then someone else stood up with their cup raised.
Elder Feng, a man whose silver hair had faded almost white with age, raised his voice. "To Shen Tianxu! Our prodigy who came home when we thought him lost!"
"To Shen Tianxu!" the crowd echoed.
Shen Chen stood up on his chair, wobbling dangerously. "And to my brother being the coolest person in the WHOLE WORLD!"
"Sit down before you fall!" Lin Yue reached for him.
But Shen Ling was already standing on her chair too. "Yeah! The COOLEST!"
The crowd laughed. Shen Ming caught both children before they toppled. "Easy there, you two. Save some energy for later."
"For later?" Shen Chen's eyes lit up. "Are we playing Moon and Shadow?!"
"Moon and Shadow!" other children in the crowd started chanting.
Elder Feng groaned. "Not Moon and Shadow. We're too old for that nonsense."
"Speak for yourself!" another elder called out. "I can still run circles around you young folks!"
"You can barely walk to the outhouse without complaining!"
The celebration devolved into cheerful chaos as people started picking teams for the traditional Elf game.
Feng Qingge immediately grabbed Shen Tianxu's arm. "You're on my team."
"Do I get a choice?"
"No."
Shen Yue stood up from across the table. "I want to play too."
Shen Xian looked uncertain. "I don't know the rules..."
"Perfect time to learn!" Lin Yue was already pulling both girls to their feet.
"Qingge, explain the game while I get these two into proper running clothes."
As the twins were swept away by his mother, Shen Tianxu caught Shen Yue looking back at him.
She gave him a small smile before disappearing into the crowd.
Feng Qingge elbowed him. "She likes you."
"We just met two days ago."
"So? Two days of shared trauma is worth more than two years of normal courting." She tilted her head. "You like her back?"
"I barely know her."
"That's not what I asked."
Shen Tianxu considered the question honestly. "She's brave. Smart. Chose to fight even when she knew she'd lose. That's..."
"Attractive?"
"I was going to say 'admirable.'"
"Same thing." Feng Qingge grinned. "You're terrible at hiding your feelings, by the way. The old you was better at the stoic face."
"The old me didn't have feelings to hide."
"Good point." She stood and pulled him up. "Come on. If we're playing Moon and Shadow, I need you on my team. You're fast and you can actually think strategically."
"Unlike you?"
"I prefer the 'hit things until they stop moving' strategy."
"That explains so much about our childhood."