The day was calm and serene, a perfect escape from the bustle of the construction efforts in the city below.
Mo Fan, the little girl, and Qin Yu'er had come for a picnic atop a hill overlooking the sprawling, slowly forming city.
The tranquil greenery around them extended to the horizon, and the gentle ocean breeze carried a faint saltiness that complemented the idyllic setting.
The little girl, no larger than a doll, perched comfortably on Mo Fan's lap, her tiny hands fidgeting with the edge of his shirt.
Qin Yu'er sat beside them, cross-legged, her aura calm yet intense as she immersed herself in cultivation.
She was surrounded by a faint, frosty glow, her Ice Element reaching a critical point.
Mo Fan glanced at her and couldn't help but be impressed.
_Four months…_ he thought. _Four months since she was freed from that cage, and she's already about to break through to Tier 2 of her Super Level Ice Element. Her determination is no joke._
The past month he had seen Qin Yu'er cultivating with relentless focus.
She had realized the burden she had unintentionally placed on Mo Fan and resolved to strengthen herself.
No longer did she hesitate or take her time; instead, she fully utilized the resources Mo Fan provided and even joined the Hunter Masters under disguise in their monster-clearing missions on the island.
The battles had sharpened her skills and hastened her progress.
"G-Glas…" a soft, sweet voice suddenly interrupted Mo Fan's thoughts.
He looked down at the little girl on his lap, her tiny finger pointing toward the vibrant green grass surrounding them.
Her big, curious golden eyes shone as she looked at him expectantly.
"Hm? Oh, you're right! It's grassy!" Mo Fan replied with a warm smile, his voice playful.
The little girl giggled at his response, her laughter like a delicate bell. Her expression lit up with happiness, and she clapped her hands together.
Qin Yu'er stirred slightly at the noise but didn't open her eyes. She remained still, her frosty aura intensifying as she focused on her breakthrough.
Mo Fan's smile lingered as he thought about how far the little girl had come.
It had only been 15 days since Qin Yu'er discovered that the girl wasn't mute.
The revelation had been shocking—one afternoon, the girl had woken from her afternoon nap and screamed, startling Qin Yu'er.
"She's not mute," Qin Yu'er had said later, her voice laced with realization. "It's mental trauma. Something's blocking her from speaking."
Mo Fan, upon hearing this, had immediately used his Psychic Element to peer into the girl's mind. Strangely, he had found nothing—just a blank slate, as if her memories had been wiped clean.
He couldn't pinpoint the source of her trauma, but the frequent night terrors she suffered made it clear she was reliving something painful.
In the end, Mo Fan had taken a drastic step: he used his Psychic Element to seal off her memories before the time they met.
It was a temporary fix, but it worked. From then on, the little girl had become more expressive, her once-muted demeanor replaced by shy attempts to speak.
"Gla-ssy!" the little girl chirped again, her smile growing wider.
Mo Fan chuckled and gently ruffled her light brown hair. "That's right, the soft green thing is called Grass! You're getting better at this."
"Hehe!" she giggled, her joy infectious.
For a moment, Mo Fan simply watched her, feeling a deep sense of peace. Her tiny hand reached up to pat his face clumsily, and he couldn't help but laugh.
"Alright, alright," he said, catching her hand and holding it gently. "No more pinching. Your little hands are too strong!"
The girl laughed again, her cheeks glowing with warmth.
...
Vrr~
Mo Fan's phone vibrated, breaking the peaceful moment atop the hill. These days, his phone rarely stayed silent, constantly buzzing with messages and calls related to the city's construction. Normally, he barely used it, except to call Ye Xinxia, but now it had practically become an extension of his hand.
Thinking it was another builder or architect reaching out, Mo Fan picked it up. However, the moment he saw the sender's name, his eyes widened in surprise.
It was Tang Yue.
His face instantly turned a shade of crimson as memories of their last encounter flooded back.
It had been a full month since they last spoke, and yet he could recall every detail vividly—their conversation in the taxi, the... other things too. He coughed lightly, trying to compose himself.
The little girl, still nestled on his lap, noticed his sudden change in expression. Her head tilted curiously, her big eyes locking onto his blushing face. She had never seen this particular look on him before and was clearly intrigued.
Mo Fan noticed her staring and felt a tinge of embarrassment. "Does she want to talk about it?" he wondered, his blush deepening.
Before he could react further, the mischievous little girl reached out and opened Tang Yue's chat on his phone with surprising speed.
"Ah! Hey!! You can't do that! Now she'll know I read her message!" Mo Fan exclaimed, trying to grab his phone back, but the little girl acted innocent, her tiny hands folded as if she didn't understand what she had just done.
Resigned to his fate, Mo Fan sighed and glanced at the message. His heart skipped a beat as he read it:
"...I want to talk to you face to face."
Mo Fan scratched the back of his neck, already anticipating this. Tang Yue wasn't one to leave things hanging. But the timing couldn't have been worse—he was neck-deep in work, juggling responsibilities with the city's reconstruction.
He hesitated briefly, then began typing, "I'm a bit busy. I won't be able to come to Hangzhou any time soon..." and hit send.
It wasn't like he was avoiding her—he really was swamped.
Ping!
A reply came almost instantly. "It's fine, I'll visit you. Send me your address."
Mo Fan blinked at the screen, feeling a mix of awkwardness and surprise. The little girl leaned in curiously, trying to peek at the screen, but he gently nudged her back.
For a moment, he hesitated, his thumb hovering over the keyboard. Did he really want her to know where he was? He wasn't keen on revealing his current activities to anyone, but this was Tang Yue. He trusted her completely, and it wasn't like avoiding her would make things any easier.
With a resigned sigh, he typed out the location and sent it.
Almost immediately, her reply popped up: "Got it! I'll be there soon."
Mo Fan raised an eyebrow. "Soon? It's not exactly easy to get here... how is she planning to arrive so quickly?"
As he stared at the message, a faint sense of foreboding crept over him. Tang Yue was resourceful, to say the least, and he had no doubt she'd find her way. Still, he couldn't shake the uneasy anticipation building in his chest.
The little girl tugged at his sleeve, pulling him out of his thoughts. She looked up at him with a curious smile, her earlier mischievousness replaced by an innocent warmth.
Mo Fan shook his head, ruffling her hair gently. "Guess we're going to have a visitor soon," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
As he leaned back against the hill, gazing out at the ocean, he couldn't help but wonder how this meeting would go—and what exactly Tang Yue wanted to talk about.