"You're saying… mother and daughter are both safe, and Aunt Huo gave birth to a girl?"
Neuvillette frowned.
"That's right, young master. A girl indeed," the midwife said meekly.
"What's wrong, Holy Son? Is there some problem?" Dai Yueheng asked curiously.
"It's nothing."
Neuvillette smoothed out his expression.
"May I go in and have a look?"
"Of course." Dai Yueheng smiled and nodded.
Never mind the fact that the Holy Son's identity spoke for itself — even if he blew up the duke's residence, they would still have to clap and smile, saying, Well done.
Besides, at the end of the day, he was only six years old. It wasn't out of place.
The two walked into the courtyard.
Dai Yueheng had the guards remain outside to watch the gate.
Neuvillette was just a child, but the guards were all grown men — it wasn't appropriate for them to enter.
Inside a worn-down room,
A pale, beautiful woman lay on the bed, with only a maid beside her to bring hot water and press a warm towel to her forehead.
It was clear the room had been cleaned beforehand.
The beautiful woman struggled to rise when she saw them enter.
"Aunt Huo, there's no need for formalities."
Dai Yueheng quickly stepped to her bedside and gestured for her to rest.
"Allow me to introduce—"
"I'm a friend of Brother Dai. You can call me Neuvillette," Neuvillette cut in before he could finish.
The moment Dai Yueheng heard the word friend, his eyes lit up.
But Neuvillette simply walked straight toward the infant in the room.
Wrapped in a cloth, the baby revealed only her pale-blue eyes. She neither cried nor fussed, instead staring in wide-eyed curiosity at this world.
"Aunt Huo, have you chosen a name for her yet?" Neuvillette suddenly asked.
"I have," Huo Yun'er replied, gazing down at the baby beside her with a face full of joy. She said gently, "Before the child was even born, I had already decided: if it was a boy, I would name him Dai Yuhao; if it was a girl, I would call her Dai Yutong."
"Since she's a girl, her name will be Dai Yutong."
"I see…"
The corner of Neuvillette's mouth twitched.
Alright, alright — so Huo Yuhao's a little loli now, huh?
What a fantastical world this was!
Still, it might be a good thing.
The Son-in-law scheme of Tang Shenwang would likely fall through… though, come to think of it, he did have a son…
Forget it.
Neuvillette pursed his lips.
Right in front of Dai Yueheng, he took a teardrop-shaped object from his spatial storage and gently placed it beside the baby.
"This is the Tear of Crystal. Keep it near her and it will help cultivate her soul power."
"This young master—how can this child possibly—" Huo Yun'er's eyes widened. From Dai Yueheng's astonished expression alone, she could tell how valuable the item was.
"A chance encounter is fate," Neuvillette waved casually, not caring in the slightest.
This treasure wasn't the best he possessed, but it was far from weak. Even the White Tiger Duke's Mansion might struggle to produce something of its caliber.
Shrek Academy's heritage was truly terrifying.
As they stepped out of the courtyard—
"Brother Dai, I will be sending letters in the future," Neuvillette said seriously to Dai Yueheng.
"Ah—rest assured, after today, Aunt Huo and her child will be relocated. They were living here only by accident."
Dai Yueheng froze for a moment, then quickly understood and replied just as seriously.
He had assumed Neuvillette was simply being childish — curious about the scene, intrigued by the newborn girl, and thus grew fond of her.
But Neuvillette didn't nod. Instead, he waved it off.
"That's not what I mean."
He fixed Dai Yueheng with a steady gaze.
"In the future, she will join Shrek Academy. When she reaches the age of admission, I will personally write an invitation letter and send it to the duke's residence."
"Brother Dai… do you understand me?"
Dai Yueheng looked into Neuvillette's calm, water-like eyes and felt a tightening in his chest.
Even though he was four years older than the Holy Son and already a two-ring Grand Soul Master, an inexplicable tension gripped him now.
An invisible pressure settled over him.
So this… was the aura of someone in a higher position.
Dai Yueheng let out a quiet sigh.
"You have my word. As long as I'm here, the mother and daughter will remain safe and well."
"Good."
Neuvillette smiled faintly.
"They can stay here. It may be poor, but…"
Originally, the White Tiger Duchess had targeted Huo Yun'er because she bore a son — even a concubine's son was a threat to her own children's claim.
But now things were different. A mere concubine's daughter wasn't worth the effort to suppress.
Even so, to guard against accidents, Neuvillette added another layer of protection.
"Phew…"
Letting out a long breath, Neuvillette glanced one last time at the shabby courtyard.
Without looking back again, he walked away.
As the guards gradually withdrew, the courtyard returned to its usual desolate stillness.
Inside the Duke's Mansion
The Duchess sat elegantly on a sofa, sipping tea.
A maid suddenly rushed in from outside, quickly leaning in to whisper a few words into her ear.
"That wretch gave birth… and it's a girl?"
The Duchess's expression visibly relaxed, her body leaning slightly back.
But then the maid whispered again.
"What? The Holy Son saw her? Damn it! Why didn't you stop him? A filthy place like that — what if it sullied His Highness's eyes!"
The Duchess glared and scolded the maid sharply.
"Mother!"
Dai Yueheng walked in, his expression serious.
"Today, thanks to Aunt Huo and my little sister, I was able to have deeper interaction with the Holy Son."
He proceeded to recount what had happened.
"The Holy Son's favor toward my little sister is a great fortune for the Dai family. We should go along with it, not work against it."
"…I see."
The Duchess arched her brows, then sighed.
"If it benefits my son, I won't make things too hard for those two. Rest assured."
Outside the White Tiger Duke's Mansion
"Senior brother, where are we going now?"
Neuvillette glanced at Yan Shaozhe — hands in pockets, looking every bit the roguishly handsome middle-aged man — and asked.
"The Star Dou Forest. Don't forget what the teacher instructed — securing your first spirit ring comes first," Yan Shaozhe said with a meaningful smile.
"Don't worry. With Shrek Academy here, that baby won't die young, and Huo Yun'er won't die either."
"You knew?"
Neuvillette scratched his head sheepishly.
"Everyone has their secrets," Yan Shaozhe chuckled, "but as your senior brother, I'd rather you trust me and trust the Academy."
"The Academy will always be your strongest backing."
"Hehehe… it won't happen again."
The two figures slowly disappeared into the sunset.
Author's note: Next chapter, the real plot begins.
Ten years later—
(End of Chapter)