Seeing the Maglev Bus come to a stop, she nodded slightly, a gentle smile playing on her lips.
The School Team members got off one by one and lined up in front of Principal Shen.
Wei Xiuyu stepped out from the front of the line, walked up to Principal Shen, and handed over the gold-stamped advancement certificate.
“Principal, First Stage, first place in the Monte Competition Zone.”
Principal Shen took the certificate, opened it, glanced at it, then raised her head and swept her gaze over every team member present.
“You’ve all worked hard,” she said, her voice soft but clear enough for everyone to hear. “You did very well.”
“Now, go home.”
“Rest well. Once the notification for Phase Two is issued, we’ll face new challenges together.”
The team members dispersed, each heading in a different direction.
Liu Yi didn’t take the bus.
Chiying leaped out from the Beast Taming Space, stretching its body.
“Chiying, let’s go home.”
Liu Yi climbed onto Chiying’s back, with Jinyao cradled in her arms, its golden eyes curiously surveying everything around them.
“Yanyan?”
Is this Longwu?
“Yes,” Liu Yi said, rubbing Jinyao’s head. “Our home.”
Chiying soared into the air, steadily ascending to the fixed flight layer three hundred meters high.
From this height, the city outline of the Longwu Region, bathed in the evening sun, looked like a slowly unfolding scroll painting, with scattered buildings, crisscrossing streets, and distant rolling mountains.
Behind her, Ziyue unfurled a Frost Path, the shimmering ice path extending through the air as she ran upon it.
Jinyao poked its head out from her arms, its golden eyes wide and round, its mouth slightly agape; the entire lion was stunned by the sight before it.
“Yanyan…”
So big.
Liu Yi chuckled. “Bigger than Monte?”
Jinyao nodded vigorously, its tail wagging rapidly behind it.
“Yanyan! Yanyan!”
So many houses! So many roads! That river is so wide!
Jinyao stared at the river, gleaming golden in the sunset, for several seconds before shrinking back into her arms, burying its face in her elbow.
“Yanyan…”
It let out a muffled cry.
Liu Yi looked down at it. “What’s wrong?”
Jinyao didn’t answer, only burying its face deeper, its small paws gripping her collar tightly, the entire lion trembling slightly.
Ziyue leaped from the Frost Path, landed on Chiying’s back, and squatted beside Jinyao, her purple eyes filled with concern.
“Bingbing?”
What’s wrong?
Jinyao peeked out from Liu Yi’s arm, its golden eyes glistening.
“Yanyan.”
It’s too high.
Ziyue paused, then couldn’t help but laugh.
“Bingbing! Bingbing?”
You’re afraid of heights too! You used to run out onto the balcony every day in Monte, why weren’t you scared then?
Jinyao poked its entire head out from Liu Yi’s arm, glaring at Ziyue.
“Yanyan! Yanyan! Yanyan!”
That’s different! Balconies have railings! This has nothing!
Chiying let out a low cry ahead, its tail swaying gently.
“Mo.”
If you’re scared, close your eyes.
Jinyao glanced at Chiying, pouted, but obediently closed its eyes and reburied its face in Liu Yi’s arm.
Chiying began to descend.
Jinyao felt the change in height, poked its head out from Liu Yi’s arm, and opened its eyes, which were full of curiosity.
“Yanyan?”
Are we there?
“Almost,” Liu Yi said. “Look over there.”
She pointed to a row of familiar buildings below.
Jinyao followed her gaze, scanning the buildings several times before its eyes fixed on a house with a backyard.
“Yanyan!”
Is that our home!
“Yes,” Liu Yi nodded.
Chiying slowly descended onto the backyard training ground.
Liu Yi slid off Chiying’s back, and Jinyao poked its head out from her arms, its golden eyes curiously examining the unfamiliar ground.
“We’re home,” Liu Yi said softly, setting Jinyao down from her arms.
Opposite the training ground was the back door of the house, half-open, with warm yellow light spilling from the gap, appearing especially cozy in the twilight.
“Quan Quan!”
An excited voice came from the direction of the back door.
Boxing Bunny rushed out from the door, its gaze quickly sweeping between Liu Yi, Ziyue, and Chiying, then fixing on Jinyao.
Jinyao also saw Boxing Bunny.
Boxing Bunny tilted its head and hopped closer to Jinyao.
Jinyao didn’t retreat or puff up its fur; it simply squatted quietly, its golden eyes unblinkingly fixed on the approaching rabbit.
Boxing Bunny stopped in front of Jinyao, tilted its head, observed it for a few seconds, then extended its right paw and gently poked Jinyao’s nose with its small boxing glove.
Jinyao’s nose twitched from the contact with the glove; it didn’t dodge, just blinked.
“Yanyan.”
Boxing Bunny took another step forward, this time poking Jinyao’s ear with its small boxing glove.
Jinyao’s ear twitched, and a hint of confusion flashed in its golden eyes.
“Yanyan?”
It tilted its head and let out a cry.
Boxing Bunny took two steps back, raised both small boxing gloves, and quickly swung them a few times in front of itself.
Jinyao’s gaze was drawn to the two waving gloves; it tilted its head and watched for a moment, then lowered its head and looked at its own right front paw.
It doesn’t have boxing gloves.
Boxing Bunny noticed Jinyao’s gaze, looked down at its own gloves, then at Jinyao’s bare paws, and hopped a step closer, gently patting Jinyao’s right paw with a glove.
“Quan Quan!”
Boxing Bunny cried out, then took two steps back and raised its right fist, swinging it into the air.
Jinyao tilted its head, stood up from the grass, and mimicked Boxing Bunny by raising its right front paw and swinging it into the air.
As it swung its paw, a small cluster of sparks flew, the orange-red sparks streaking through the air and illuminating its golden eyes.
Boxing Bunny froze, its boxing gloves suspended in mid-air, unmoving.
“Quan… Quan Quan?”
Its voice had changed pitch.
Jinyao retracted its paw, tilted its head, and looked at Boxing Bunny’s dumbfounded expression, its golden eyes full of confusion.
“Yanyan?”
What’s wrong?
Boxing Bunny didn’t answer; it abruptly turned and bolted towards the back door.
“Quan Quan! Quan Quan!”
Boxing Bunny’s cries came from inside the house.
Liu Yi chuckled, bent down, and scooped Jinyao off the ground. Jinyao was startled by her sudden movement, its four short legs flailing twice in the air before it reacted.
“Yanyan?”
Ziyue walked over from the side and rubbed Jinyao’s ear with her head.
“Bingbing.”
Boxing Bunny was scared by your flames.
Jinyao tilted its head, its golden eyes full of confusion.
“Yanyan?”
Why?
“Bingbing.”
“Because it doesn’t have flames.”
Jinyao looked down at its right paw, where a trace of sparks still flickered. It tilted its head, thought for a moment, then looked up at Ziyue and let out a cry.
“Yanyan.”
Then it’s so pitiful.
Ziyue opened her mouth, as if to say something, then closed it again.
Rate on N.U.
