She didn't know how much time had passed.
Acheron had finally managed to make her way back home relying solely on her own abilities.
Even Little Yao, still drowsy from sleep, couldn't help but lift her head and praise her.
"Huh? We're already home, Sister Acheron? Yao thought she could sleep a little longer."
Nowadays, not only was her "nest" soft and warm, but Acheron's footsteps were also steady and unhurried, making it incredibly comfortable to sleep.
Little Yao (˶ᗜᗜ˶): 'Being a scarf can wait until summer gets hotter.'
Acheron, who had just entered the house, was completely unaware of the little one's thoughts and simply focused on eating her peach.
Just as she was about to return to her room, she happened to run into Mo Xi, who was walking toward her.
"Huh? Sister Acheron, you're back from buying peaches?!!"
Mo Xi had intended to greet her casually, but the words caught in her throat as a flicker of surprise flashed across her eyes.
However, she quickly curved her lips into a smile and continued as though nothing had happened.
"The peaches today... must be very fresh, right?"
Acheron, slow to react, took small bites of her peach, completely unable to understand the reason behind Mo Xi's sudden surprise.
Tilting her head, her gaze first landed on Mo Xi's smiling lips before drifting to her light, cheerful steps. She could vaguely sense that the other seemed to be in an unusually good mood today.
"Did something good happen?"
"Ah, as expected of Sister Acheron. You can even tell that."
Mo Xi subconsciously stiffened for a moment before quickly relaxing. A relieved smile once again spread across her face.
She cautiously glanced around, making sure there was no one else nearby, before finally sharing her joy.
"When I broke through my realm a couple of days ago, I thought it would take quite a while to stabilize it. I never expected it to be completely consolidated in just two days. It seems that previous ordeal really turned out to be a blessing in disguise."
As she spoke, her eyes shimmered faintly, her voice carrying a trace of emotion.
Mo Xi lowered her gaze with a soft laugh, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the hem of her clothes. Her clear understanding of her own abilities lent an extra layer of confidence to her joy.
As such, the reason wasn't difficult to guess.
Acheron gave a slight nod.
Even though she had already anticipated this outcome, she still offered her sincere congratulations.
"Congratulations."
"Mhm."
Mo Xi knew Acheron was a woman of few words. Seeing her nod, she simply chuckled and waved her hand without saying anything else.
After a brief exchange, she escorted Acheron to her room before slowly walking away.
Acheron remained where she was, not entering immediately.
Her gaze absentmindedly followed Mo Xi's retreating figure.
Her thick black hair swayed gently with each step. At the tips, a faint and almost imperceptible blue glimmer flickered, like starlight dyed by the night—subtle yet captivating.
Acheron: (๑•. •๑)
A faint light flickered in Acheron's purple eyes.
Then she calmly withdrew her gaze, turned around, and pushed open the door.
...
"Um... Master Yunli."
"What is it?"
"Later, I'll treat you to candied hawthorn."
"Oh? I want five sticks."
"Okay! And also..."
"Just say what you want to say. Stop beating around the bush."
"Oh? Alright. It's just that today... I don't seem to be in very good condition. Could today's training be a little easier?"
"Heh, so that's why you're making your master look up just to talk to you?"
Mo Xin: （ᗜ_ᗜ）
Mo Xin's lips twitched uncontrollably. Her eyes gradually lost focus as she looked down at the petite and adorable figure before her with complicated emotions.
Mo Xin (｡ŏ_ŏ):
"Tell me honestly, Master Yunli... you just want an excuse to beat me up, don't you?"
Yunli o(´^｀)o: "What else would it be?
"Can't we make peace?"
"No."
"Master, we're righteous female protagonists. Can't we talk things out properly?"
"Then why were you trying to bribe your master with food just now?"
"...Look! There's candied hawthorn over there! Do you want some, Master Yunli?"
"...Yes."
...
A moment later.
One tall and one short, the two figures strolled side by side through the bustling streets.
Yunli held a stick of candied hawthorn in each hand, with a few unmelted sugar crystals still clinging to the bamboo skewers.
As her eyelashes lowered, a faint smile spread across her face, instantly filling her adorable features with happiness and completely erasing the murderous aura from earlier.
Just as the two were preparing to head to the Ability Bureau, Mo Xin, feeling inexplicably uneasy, unconsciously slowed her pace.
Suddenly, as if she had spotted something, she let out a startled cry.
"Huh, Master Yunli! Look over there quickly?!!"
"Hm? What's wrong?"
Yunli subconsciously stopped what she was doing and followed the direction Mo Xin pointed.
Their gazes landed on a pair of figures not far away.
A cute duo, one tall and one short, were chatting happily together.
The two seemed completely engrossed in their conversation, occasional bursts of laughter drifting over.
Mo Xin's heart stirred. The petite figure seemed somewhat familiar.
Looking more closely, wasn't that person Senior Mu Yao?
"Isn't that Senior Mu Yao? Who's she chatting with so happily?"
Mo Xin narrowed her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the man standing beside Mo Yao.
Yunli had also noticed him.
The man stood around 1.8 meters tall, his posture as straight and sturdy as a pine tree.
Beneath a high-bridged nose were sharply defined lips. His deep eyes seemed to contain stars, and every movement carried a strong masculine charm.
His neatly trimmed short hair highlighted his full forehead, while his well-defined features looked as though they had been carefully sculpted by light and shadow.
Standing beneath the sunlight, his brows were sharp as blades, yet the faint smile on his lips softened him with a touch of youthful gentleness.
Danger and tenderness coexisted within him in a strangely harmonious way.
His outward appearance was nearly flawless, making it easy for people to instinctively trust his sincerity and warmth.
Even Mo Xin had to admit that if this were a novel, someone like him would definitely qualify as a male lead.
"I've never seen him before... and I've never heard Senior mention him. Could he be..."
Before Mo Xin could voice her speculation, she noticed that Yunli's attention was focused somewhere entirely different.
Following Yunli's gaze, she immediately spotted a strange figure hidden among the crowd.
The person was wrapped up like a zongzi in broad daylight, making it impossible to even tell whether they were male or female.
But Mo Xin quickly understood why Yunli's attention had become locked onto that person.
'Even though it's subtle, that person really does seem to be secretly following and observing Senior Mo Yao?!'
"You noticed it too, right?"
The casual expression on Yunli's face vanished instantly, replaced by a serious look.
Having trained under her for so long, Mo Xin immediately understood.
Other people's affairs could be ignored for now.
But if anyone dared to harm her friends...