Although Mu Nujiao was only a year younger than Song Jie, she rarely interacted with boys and couldn't understand his teasing.
Moreover, Song Jie was her savior, so for him to joke like that felt wrong.
However, when Mu Nujiao heard him asking her to take responsibility, her pretty face instantly turned red.
She didn't even know why—her cheeks burned, and her ears felt hot.
After chatting for a while, they decided to go out together.
Mu Nujiao booked a restaurant and sent the room number to Song Jie, and both headed there.
Twenty minutes later, Song Jie arrived at the restaurant she had chosen.
At a glance, he could tell it was a high-end place.
When he reached the entrance, the waiter greeted him with a smile.
"Sir, do you have a reservation?"
"Yes."
A few moments later, the waiter led him to Mu Nujiao.
When she saw him approaching, a hint of embarrassment flashed in her eyes.
"You're here?"
"I just got here too." Mu Nujiao nodded and gestured for him to sit.
The waiter poured him a glass of water. Song Jie took a sip while his eyes naturally landed on Mu Nujiao.
Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, and though she wore no makeup, her skin was as delicate as porcelain.
Her small nose, cherry-red lips, and fair neck only accentuated her quiet beauty.
She wore a simple white blouse, but it couldn't conceal her graceful figure.
Seeing him staring, Mu Nujiao couldn't help but ask softly, "Is there something on my face?"
"It looks quite nice," Song Jie said with a playful smile.
At once, her cheeks flared red again.
"I'll… go to the bathroom first. You can order," she stammered, quickly getting up and walking away.
Song Jie chuckled, thinking her embarrassed look was adorable.
When the dishes arrived, he decided to stop teasing her. After all, being too much of a beast wasn't good for a gentleman.
During the meal, Mu Nujiao barely spoke. In truth, she didn't know what to say.
They'd only known each other for a day, and things still felt new and awkward between them.
After dinner, they stepped out of the restaurant.
"There's a lake nearby," Song Jie said with a smile. "Let's take a walk—it'll help with digestion."
Mu Nujiao nodded lightly.
They strolled toward the lake. The sky had darkened, and colorful neon lights shimmered across the water.
Several universities surrounded the area, so most people here were young couples.
As they walked side by side, Song Jie asked casually, "By the way, which high school do you go to?"
"The No. 1 High School of the Magic City," Mu Nujiao replied.
Song Jie nodded knowingly. He'd heard of that school—it wasn't an ordinary one.
But with her talent, it made perfect sense.
They continued along the lakeside, watching the occasional fish leap from the water.
Then Mu Nujiao's gaze froze ahead—two people sat on a bench, embracing intimately and doing rather naughty things.
Her face flushed crimson, and her ears burned. Thankfully, the lights were dim, and no one could see clearly.
Song Jie followed her line of sight and nearly choked.
Damn it! Not human beings at all!
When he looked away, Mu Nujiao did the same, and their eyes met awkwardly.
"Ahem…"
Song Jie coughed twice and quickly walked forward, pretending not to have seen anything.
After being fed a double dose of dog food, neither of them felt like staying longer, so they left the lakeside.
Just then, a little girl holding a bunch of colorful balloons ran up to them.
"Brother, do you want to buy a balloon for your girlfriend?" she asked in a sweet, childish voice.
Behind her stood a woman—likely her mother.
At the girl's words, the blush that had just faded from Mu Nujiao's cheeks returned with full force.
Under the soft glow of the streetlight, Song Jie could clearly see how flustered she looked.
"Little one, I'm not his girlfriend," Mu Nujiao said shyly.
The girl blinked, then turned to Song Jie.
"Brother, did you hear that? She said she doesn't have a boyfriend yet. If you buy her a balloon, maybe you can become her boyfriend!"
She grinned mischievously. "Sister's so pretty—if you don't act fast, someone else might take her away!"
Song Jie laughed. "You're a clever little one. Alright then—I'll buy a balloon so no one takes her away."
Mu Nujiao's face turned even redder, and she didn't dare meet his eyes.
After paying, the little girl warned, "Brother, this balloon can't touch fire, okay? It'll be dangerous!"
"Got it." Song Jie smiled, squatting down to pat her head.
When the little girl and her mother left, he handed the balloon to Mu Nujiao.
"I bought this for you."
She looked at the glowing balloon, nodded softly, and took it.
But as she thought about their earlier conversation, her heart started beating faster.
"Shall I take you home?" Song Jie asked gently.
"No need, I'll grab a taxi."
"Alright then."
He hailed a cab and opened the door for her.
"Drive safely," he said to the driver. "Please go slowly."
As the taxi pulled away, Mu Nujiao sat in the backseat, gazing at the balloon in her hand.
Somehow, the silly little thing felt oddly precious.
Song Jie also took a taxi back to his rented apartment.
There were still a few days before school started, so he began planning his next training schedule.
That night, Xiaolu was breaking through, so it fell into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, Song Jie focused on cultivating his Light Element, aiming to reach the second intermediate level.
His nebula was already close to completion—a breakthrough was just around the corner.
The next morning, as he practiced, a familiar chime sounded in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations! "Dimensional Summoning +2" has evolved into the advanced skill: "Teleportation"!]
Song Jie blinked in surprise.
"Teleportation? What the hell?"
He had thought the next upgrade would let him summon a third creature—but this was something else entirely!
Then again, he didn't really need more summoned beasts.
After testing it out, he realized the new skill could only be used on his own summoned creatures.
As the name suggested, it allowed him to swap places with his summoned beast within a certain distance.
"So this is basically a skill for letting my summon take the hit for me, huh?" Song Jie muttered with a wry smile.
Somewhere in the Summoning Plane, his Wind-Riding Eagle sneezed mid-nap.
It tilted its head and thought, A female eagle must be missing me.