The spring scenery was in full bloom.
Winter had already passed for some time. The breath of spring grew ever stronger; the air carried a hint of the fragrance of earth and was no longer so dry and cold.
The various ornamental trees lining the road had already sprouted new buds. Delicate yet vibrant flowers, slightly wilted from last night's light rain, still held two drops of water that had yet to fall, giving them a kind of broken beauty.
Shen Liuyu walked ahead with her hands behind her back, head held high, brimming with excitement. Her body radiated the liveliness and loveliness unique to a young girl.
Shen Hanyu followed behind, holding two skewers of candied hawthorn. He looked somewhat helpless as he kicked a small pebble by the roadside in slight frustration.
The pebble flew through the air and finally embedded itself in the bark of a large tree. Two green leaves, shaken loose by the impact, slowly drifted down onto the still-damp ground.
"Brother~ hurry up! Element City is just ahead. With your cultivation level so high, how can you walk slower than me… hmph!"
Shen Liuyu snatched a skewer of candied hawthorn from Shen Hanyu's hand, opened her small cherry-like mouth to take a bite, then spoke with some dissatisfaction.
The corner of Shen Hanyu's mouth twitched. Two black lines appeared on his forehead as he said,
"Who was the one who said she wanted to go home to see Mom and Dad, only to jump out of the carriage the moment she saw a candied hawthorn stall halfway? Who was the one who complained of being tired after walking just a few steps and made me carry her the whole way? And who was the one who, while enjoying herself on my back, still claimed she needed to lose weight…?"
"Ahhh, Brother… stop it, I was wrong, I was wrong, okay? There are people up ahead…"
Shen Liuyu hurriedly turned around and covered Shen Hanyu's mouth before he could say more, guiltily glancing at the passers-by not far away.
Shen Hanyu rolled his eyes, but still nodded. He reached out to move the little girl's hand away, tapped her forehead, and said with exasperation, like iron that refused to become steel,
"Can't you learn a little from your brother? Cultivate properly. All you ever think about is going out to play with friends and eating. If you keep this up, you'll turn into a little chubby girl. In the future, even your brother will join everyone else in disliking you."
Shen Liuyu didn't take it seriously. She wiggled her fair fingers and said,
"Tch~ Brother, you're already so old and still haven't found me a sister-in-law. Sixth Brother is only a little older than you, and his son is almost about to awaken his martial soul. Brother~ when are you going to get me a sister-in-law and a little nephew to play with?"
Shen Hanyu was stunned. What did she mean by a sister-in-law for her to play with?
Little girl, that phrasing is very dangerous. I advise you to watch yourself…
"We'll see. I haven't met the right one yet. When I do, I'll bring her home."
Shen Hanyu replied casually, not taking it to heart at all. The little phoenix he had his eye on hadn't grown up yet. As for others… he'd think about it when he met them.
If Shen Liuyu hadn't mentioned it, it would have been fine, but now that she did, Shen Hanyu suddenly recalled that fleeting glimpse of Ye Lingling in Haagen-Dazs City.
It wasn't that Shen Hanyu lost his mind whenever he saw a beautiful woman. It was just that Ye Lingling was exactly the type—both in temperament and appearance—that perfectly matched his preferences. To put it simply, she was the kind of girl who, in his previous life, would have been the unattainable white moonlight of his heart. The kind that gave him an instant spark the moment he saw her.
The corners of Shen Hanyu's mouth unconsciously curved upward, but he quickly returned to normal and asked in a seemingly casual manner,
"Ah-Yu, how's life at the academy lately? Have you had any conflicts with your classmates?"
Shen Liuyu tugged at her short blue hair in slight distress and said,
"It's okay, I guess. I just fought with Qingbo. Bing'er and Yue'er are often taken away by the dean. A-Wu is busy with academy matters. Hai Rou and Ruo Shui-jie are both busy working and cultivating, so they don't have much time to hang out with me…"
"Oh? The one with the Ice Phoenix martial soul, Shui Bing'er?"
A glint of amusement flashed in Shen Hanyu's eyes as he continued to ask.
Shen Liuyu nodded, hugged Shen Hanyu's arm, and muttered,
"Bing'er and Yue'er are really pitiful. Both of their parents passed away one after another. The only family they have left is the dean, their little aunt. Fortunately, both of them have outstanding talent and are very serious about cultivation. They're also extremely good to us. Yue'er even often introduces handsome guys from other academies to me…"
As if suddenly realizing she had said something wrong, Shen Liuyu quickly added with a playful smile,
"Just talking, Brother. I've never actually gone to see any of them. You mustn't tell Mom…"
Shen Hanyu's face darkened slightly. Anyone who dared to lead his little sister astray would have to step over his spear first. Otherwise… he would simply have to fulfill his brotherly duty of protecting his sister from those yellow-haired punks…
Shen Liuyu stuck out her little tongue playfully. She knew her brother was a very rational person. Although he did like to keep an eye on her sometimes, it was all for her own good. She didn't mind at all—in fact, she quite liked the feeling of being wholeheartedly protected.
The siblings fell silent for a moment before Shen Liuyu spoke again,
"But Brother… something interesting did come to mind. When Bing'er went out with us, she mentioned that when she was five years old, she met a strange person who kept saying he wanted her to be his child bride. Bing'er remembers that person very clearly and often talks to us about him. She even showed us half of a comb, saying it was left to her by that strange man… And the way she described his appearance…"
Shen Liuyu raised her head to size up Shen Hanyu's figure and face, then said with a rather complicated expression,
"It was practically identical to you, you bad brother. Especially that blue-purple hair. Besides you, I've never seen anyone else with such flashy and weird hair…"
Three big black question marks appeared above Shen Hanyu's head. His mind blanked for a moment.
Little girl, saying that about your brother could very likely cost you a brother and gain you a mortal enemy filled with deep hatred…
Still too young…
Even though that was what he thought, Shen Hanyu shook his head as if nothing had happened, spread his hands, and said,
"Hair color can change due to a person's emotions or their martial soul. That's common knowledge. Don't tell me you didn't know that…"
"Besides, with my looks and talent, what kind of woman couldn't I get if I wanted? If I went to the emperor right now and said I wanted to marry his woman, he'd probably come running to offer his daughter to me…"
Shen Liuyu nodded as if she only half understood, looking at Shen Hanyu with a very strange expression that almost gave him goosebumps.
In the end, it was Shen Hanyu who broke the silence,
"Alright, stop staring. Hurry up and go back. You start school again tomorrow…"
Only then did Shen Liuyu snap out of it. As if nothing had happened, she continued hopping and skipping toward the road ahead.
However, when Shen Hanyu couldn't see her, a strange, almost wicked smile appeared on Shen Liuyu's pretty little face. She silently muttered something to herself, looking nothing like the cute girl from before and entirely like a top-tier melon-eating enthusiast…
Shen Hanyu had no idea that the tiny slip he had unintentionally revealed would cause him to experience something completely unexpected, nor that it would add a new layer of meaning and joy to his life from this moment onward…