The first light of dawn cast a gentle glow over the quiet town of Hongye.
Mei woke up with the sun and began her morning routine, which included stretching and running a few laps.
Her breath formed small clouds in the cool air, her mind clear and focused. She finished with a steady jog, pink hair pulled into a swinging ponytail.
Unknown to her. Yu Tianxin, unable to sleep any longer, had stepped out onto the wooden landing of the inn's second floor.
He leaned against the railing, his arms crossed, intending only to survey the morning. Then his eyes caught Mei's movement below.
He watched with curiosity. She moved with disciplined grace, early light haloing her. A tight feeling grew in his chest; he couldn't look away.
Mei completed her final lap and slowed to a walk, catching her breath. As she wiped a faint sheen of sweat from her brow, she glanced up and spotted the figure on the landing.
Recognizing the distinctive blonde hair and proud posture, Mei offered a small, polite wave and greeted him, "Good morning, Young Master Yu," she called up, her voice clear and bright in the quiet morning.
The silent spell was soon broken, and Yu Tianxin straightened up, his usual mask of aloof indifference snapping back into place with practiced ease, though the tips of his ears felt suspiciously warm.
Gave a curt, almost imperious nod. "You're up early." It was a statement, not a compliment.
He descended the stairs, his movements deliberately casual, and out of the sudden, he blurted.
"I'm hungry," he announced, as if this were a problem she was responsible for solving.
He stopped in front of her, looking down his nose, though the effect was slightly ruined by the fact that she didn't seem the least bit intimidated.
"Since you're already here and… awake, you can help me find something to eat in this town. I'm not familiar with these common establishments."
It was a command, framed in his characteristic arrogance, but Mei had already begun to see the cracks in the facade.
She recognized it for what it was: a clumsy, roundabout invitation. He wanted her company, but his pride wouldn't allow him to ask for it directly.
He's like a little boy pulling a girl's pigtails because he doesn't know how to say he likes her, Ai thought to herself, giggling internally.
Just go with it! You also need to eat breakfast.
Mei simply smiled, and Yu Tianxin seemed to both fluster and disarm his guard.
"I would be glad to help find some breakfast," she replied smoothly.
"After all, I'm quite hungry, too. It was a long day yesterday."
Her agreement, given so freely and without resentment, left him with no room for further bluster. He simply grunted, "Hmph. Then lead the way."
He fell into step beside her as they walked out of the inn's courtyard and onto the main street of Hongye, which was just beginning to stir with life.
Shutters were being opened, and the first merchants were setting up their stalls.
The scent of food grew stronger—yeasty bread, sizzling meat, and something sweet like honeyed pastries. Mei walked with a light step, her eyes curiously taking in the simple offerings of the frontier town.
Yu Tianxin, meanwhile, walked with his hands behind his back, his gaze scanning the area with a critical air, though his attention kept drifting back to the girl beside him.
"So," he began, breaking the silence between them, attempting to be calm and collected but landing closer to awkward curiosity. "You do this every morning? That... running?"
"It helps clear my mind," Mei answered, not looking at him, her attention on a baker pulling a fresh tray of rolls from a clay oven. "And it's good for stamina. A performer needs energy."
"A performer," he repeated, the word still foreign on his tongue in relation to a spirit master. "You truly see it that way?"
"Don't you?" she asked, turning her pink eyes to him.
"When you summon your Lightning Blue Dragon and use your spirit skills, isn't it a kind of performance? A display of power and grace for your allies and a show of intimidation for your foes?"
The question gave him pause. He had never thought of it like that. To him, it was simply combat, a matter of strength and victory.
But hearing her perspective, he had to admit, held a certain artistic charm.
Before he could formulate a response, Mei stopped in front of a small, clean-looking stall where an elderly woman was selling some variety of baked bread. "This looks good," Mei said, her stomach giving a small, audible rumble.
Yu Tianxin eyed the simple fare with skepticism, but the warm, wholesome smell was undeniably appealing.
He watched as Mei smoothly ordered for both of them, her manner polite and engaging, making the old woman smile. He simply stood by, feeling strangely superfluous.
When she handed him a warm bun wrapped in a leaf, their fingers brushed. A jolt, small but undeniable, passed through Yu Tianxin.
Mei seemed not to notice, already taking a grateful bite of her own bun. Yu Tianxin, however, stared at the bun in his hand as if it were a profound mystery, the spot where their hands had touched tingling faintly.
He took a bite. It was simple, hearty, and delicious.
"…It's adequate," he conceded quietly, not looking at her.
Mei just smiled. She watched the proud young master of the Lightning Tyrant Blue Dragon Sect tentatively enjoy a commoner's breakfast on a dusty street, all because he hadn't known how to ask her to join him for a meal.
Soon, the simple meal was gone, and the warmth of the meal had settled into a comfortable silence between them.
Mei was watching a blacksmith across the street begin his day, the rhythmic clang of his hammer a familiar, soothing sound.
Yu Tianxin stood beside her, his arms crossed, ostensibly observing the town with disdain, though his gaze kept flickering back to Mei.
It was then that Liu Xiu found them. The teacher emerged from the inn's direction, his sharp eyes locating them with ease amidst the modest morning crowd.
He approached with his usual measured stride, his expression unreadable, though a faint knowing glint was in his eyes as he took in the scene.
Yu Tianxin, trying to look imposing next to a food stall, and Mei, perfectly at ease beside him.
"There you are," Liu Xiu said, his voice a calm rumble. "I had wondered if the Jeweled Hawk had decided to return for its meal." His tone was dry, but not unkind.
Yu Tianxin straightened up immediately, his posture becoming even more rigid.
"We were eating breakfast," he stated, bluntly.
Mei offered a small, grateful bow. "Good morning, Teacher Liu. Young Master Yu was kind enough to have breakfast with me."
Liu Xiu's eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly at her characterization of events.
His gaze swept over Yu Tianxin, who was now studying the roof of a nearby building with intense interest. "How fortunate," Liu Xiu remarked.
"Now that you are both full, we should go to the carriage rental. The sooner Miss Mei begins her return home, the better."
He led the way through the waking streets of Hongye to a dusty yard on the town's outskirts where a few sturdy, if somewhat worn, carriages were housed.
A man with a leather apron and grease-stained hands was checking the harness on a pair of solid-looking draft horses.
Liu Xiu handled the negotiations with quiet efficiency. The carriage driver, a grizzled man with a no-nonsense demeanor, listened and nodded.
"Nuoding City, eh? Road's pretty clear this time of year. Be a two-day journey. We leave within the hour."
As the driver moved to prepare the carriage, Yu Tianxin suddenly spoke up, his voice louder and more forceful than necessary.
"Two days on the road is too long for a support-type spirit master to travel alone." He turned to Liu Xiu, his jaw set. "It would be irresponsible to let her go alone. We should accompany her. To ensure her safety."
The silence that followed was heavy. Liu Xiu looked at his student, his expression profoundly skeptical.
They both knew that the road to Nuoding from here was a well-traveled trade route, patrolled and generally safe.
They also both knew that a show of the Lightning Tyrant Blue Dragon Sect's insignia would guarantee her safe passage with any reputable driver.
Yu Tianxin's justification was flimsy, a transparent excuse of concern and a lingering emotion.
Mei looked between them, understanding dawning on her face.
He's right, I might be attacked again on the way home.
Liu Xiu held his student's gaze for a long moment, watching the boy's resolve harden under the silent scrutiny. Finally, he let out a slow, deliberate breath.
"While the risk is minimal," he conceded, his tone making it clear he was humoring the young master,
"It is not zero. And given the unusual circumstances of her arrival here, ensuring she returns to her academy without further incident is a reasonable request."
Yu Tianxin's shoulders relaxed a fraction. "Precisely."
Liu Xiu then turned to the carriage driver. "It seems our plans have changed. There will be three passengers."
The driver shrugged, utterly unconcerned with the dynamics of his fares. "Makes no difference to the horses. Price is the same. Be ready to go when I am."
As the driver finished his final checks, the three of them stood in the morning sun.
Yu Tianxin looked smugly satisfied, having gotten his way. Liu Xiu wore an expression of weary resignation.
And Mei wore an expression of relief, because her journey home was secured.
For the next two days, she would be in a confined space with a powerful teacher and a proud, and unexpectedly persistent, tsundere young master.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Sorry for the late updates, everyone. I was a bit too engrossed in playing Where Winds Meet and thinking about what I should write for chapter 63 that I completely forgot about updating on this platform.
Have you guys played it yet? I, for one, believe it's an incredible game. So anyway, like always, if you enjoy what I create, you can support me by giving me a power stone and leaving a review on my novel, and if you want, you can read the next chapters early by buying them at https://ko-fi.com/chesse_cake_is_life. Thank you all!