It was already June, and summer came rolling in like a relentless wave.
"Uwah~... So hot..." Gu Yahui groaned, despite the fact that she was parked right in front of the air conditioner—set to a freezing 5 degrees Celsius (or 37.4 Fahrenheit for you freedom unit users).
Meanwhile, Yuhan had swapped out his usual rough-textured grey polo and baggy jeans for something more summer-appropriate: a crisp white polo shirt and sand-colored trousers. His black and white shoes remained unchanged.
He moved around the kitchen, tidying up and finishing his work. Soon, he set down a cold mango shake beside Yahui.
Yahui gratefully took the mango shake from Yuhan. "Thanks, big bro!" she said before taking a long sip.
"Fwah~!" she let out, refreshed by the cold, sweet drink. But she got a little too excited—chugging it too fast—and was soon clutching her forehead. "Owww… brain freeze!"
Yuhan raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.
"Hey, big brother," Yahui said, recovering, "can we go to that world today?"
"What do you want to do there?" Yuhan asked, glancing at her.
Yahui paused, thinking. "I don't wanna be stuck in the house! Teacher said going outside is good for your health!" she insisted with a puffed cheek.
Yuhan looked up, thinking. Makes sense, he admitted internally. "Alright. Dress up. I'll be downstairs," he said casually.
About forty minutes later, Yahui came down the stairs, dressed in a new outfit clearly picked for an outdoor adventure. Yuhan nodded in approval and walked to the mysterious door—the door that led to the world of cultivators.
He raised both hands and began making a series of complex hand gestures. The door shimmered, faint sparks dancing along its surface. Once the ritual was complete, he nodded to himself.
With a quiet creak, the door opened—and beyond it was a world of martial arts.
Yahui stepped out into the fresh, clean air of the cultivator world. She took a deep breath, her face lighting up.
"It's still hot here," she said, exhaling, "but at least the wind feels cool!"
The environment around them was like something out of an ancient Chinese painting—no pollution, no noise—just the rustling of leaves and distant bird calls.
Yuhan quietly closed the door behind them and locked it. Without a word, he slipped the key into a small clay pot tucked beside the porch.
As Yahui ran ahead toward the wooden fence gate, full of energy, Yuhan followed behind at a relaxed pace.
"Big bro! Let's go to Donghou!" Yahui called out, bouncing on her feet.
"Alright, alright," Yuhan said with a chuckle. He scooped her up and set her onto his shoulders with practiced ease. Then, with a light lift of one foot, he dashed forward—his speed almost a blur against the wind.
In a matter of moments, he stopped about half a kilometer away from Donghou's entrance. The city loomed in the near distance, its rooftops and banners fluttering in the breeze.
As Yuhan walked through the entrance of Donghou, Yahui gently hummed a tune while perched on his shoulders. For a little kid, her voice carried an unexpectedly soothing quality—soft and calm, like a breeze in the summer heat. It wasn't just Yuhan who felt at ease; passersby who caught her melody slowed their pace, as if drawn into a moment of peace.
Yuhan opened his eyes after quietly listening, only to notice something new.
"Hm… more stalls than usual," he muttered. "Must be a festival."
He tilted his head slightly. "Yahui, do you want anything to eat? I'll buy you anything."
"Look! That man is selling barbecue over there!" Yahui pointed excitedly, eyes lighting up.
Yuhan nodded and walked over to the food stall. The smell of grilled meat filled the air, rich with spice and smoke. After getting a few skewers, the two of them strolled through the bustling streets, munching happily.
They passed by several amusement stalls—catch-the-goldfish with thin nets, mini-archery ranges with toy bows, and other games filled with laughter and cheers.
Then something caught Yuhan's attention—a man standing near a colorful stall, loudly advertising his wares. Behind him were cages, but what stood out was that the creatures inside weren't ordinary pets like dogs or cats.
Yahui's eyes sparkled. "Can we get a pet cat?"
Yuhan didn't even hesitate. "You're allergic to cats. I am too."
"Aw~..." Yahui pouted in disappointment.
But Yuhan's gaze stayed fixed on the stall. There was something... off. Something interesting.
He gently lowered Yahui from his shoulders. "Stay close," he said.
Yuhan approached the stall and nodded to the man. "Mind if I take a closer look?"
The vendor grinned. "Go right ahead. If you find anything you like, all I ask is that you take part in a little competition later."
Yuhan gave a casual nod and moved behind the cages, browsing quietly. He noticed one of them was covered with an old cloth. Curious, he reached forward and pulled it away.
Immediately, a rush of wind struck his face—whatever was inside had moved fast.
Inside the cage, a small dragon glared back at him, scales shimmering faintly under the cloth's shadows.
"Hmph…" Yuhan smirked, clearly amused. "A feisty one."
Yahui tugged on Yuhan's t-shirt. "Can we get that one?" she asked innocently. "It looks like it doesn't want to be there."
Yuhan glanced down at her, then looked back at the cage. As he lifted the cloth once more, the small dragon inside shrank into the corner, growling lowly.
"I don't know where you got this one," Yuhan thought to himself, eyes narrowing, "but I'm definitely going to find out."
He turned and walked back to the stall owner. "I'll participate in that 'competition' you mentioned."
"Fantastic!" the man said, clearly thrilled. "See that machine over there? Punch it as hard as you can—your score determines your prize. You can also throw a kick after. It's optional, but the better your technique and strength, the better your rewards!"
Yuhan followed the man's gesture and saw the contraption. "Huh, looks like those punching machines at arcade malls. Simple enough," he thought.
Taking Yahui's hand, he walked toward the machine. A small crowd had gathered. A young cultivator stood ready at the platform, his friends cheering him on.
The cultivator took a deep breath, stepped forward, and launched a solid right-handed punch into the target.
[1072 Points!]
His friends erupted in applause, patting his back as he turned with a confident grin.
Yuhan clapped along casually as the stall employee congratulated the cultivator, who proudly received his prize: an emerald parrot that looked stunning—yet served absolutely no fucking purpose beyond decoration.
The stall owner turned, "Alright, next contestant—step up!"
The cultivator stepped aside, muttering, "Tch… used my full strength on that," clearly unsatisfied with his prize. The stall owner ignored him and gestured for Yuhan to take the stage.
As Yuhan stepped up, the group of cultivators watched with faint smirks. One of them nudged the other and whispered, "Look at that outfit. Total tourist." They snickered softly. Technically, they weren't wrong—but they definitely could've chosen better words.
Yuhan said nothing. He exhaled once, taking a few steps back from the machine. His posture was relaxed, calm—almost uninterested. Then, a slow inhale. A sharp exhale.
Without warning, Yuhan stepped in and delivered a clean, solid left-handed jab.
Bang!
The machine vibrated and beeped wildly as it began calculating the impact.
The cultivators chuckled, certain he wouldn't come close to the previous score.
[4143 Points!]
The numbers glowed red hot.
The chuckling stopped instantly.
Everyone—including the cultivator from earlier—froze in stunned silence. Even the stall owner's jaw dropped, eyes wide in disbelief.
Just as the stall owner opened his mouth to congratulate him, Yuhan casually raised a hand.
"I'm not done yet. I'll try the kick next."
The stall owner blinked, then quickly nodded and reset the machine. "A-Alright! Go ahead!"
Yuhan exhaled and took a few steps back again—this time adjusting his stance, angling his body just slightly.
With a short run-up, he spun—a flying left-leg roundhouse kick smashing into the center of the machine.
BAM!
The sound echoed across the row of stalls like thunder.
The cultivators in the crowd winced at the sheer impact. Some of them were sure that kind of flashy move would drop the score—too much movement, not enough precision, right?
Then the machine beeped. And the score flashed.
[7001 Points!]
The entire crowd fell completely silent. A passing merchant stopped walking. A kid dropped his candied fruit.
The stall owner looked like he just saw an ancient beast crawl out of the machine.
Meanwhile, Yahui, ever the innocent sweetheart, started clapping with both hands in full enthusiasm.
"That's my brother right there!" she beamed, proud as ever—as if this was just another Tuesday.
Yuhan casually stretched his shoulder with a soft sigh.
He had been holding back the whole time.
And the craziest part?
He did all that wearing trousers.
Yuhan approached the stall owner.
"So..." Yuhan exhaled. "What is my reward?" he asked.
"Y-You may take anything. B-But only one!" the owner said.
Yuhan nodded and went straight to where the dragon was located—only for the owner to suddenly shout, "That! Animal over there! Is caught in the northern plains of Fenglei Province! You must do a special challenge in order to get that, mister!"
Yuhan stood up and looked at the owner. In the owner's point of view, Yuhan looked annoyed. But in Yuhan's case—
"What is the special challenge?" Yuhan asked.
"You need to kick that machine, from twenty steps away, while blindfolded," the owner said while holding a blindfold.
"Alright..." Yuhan said and took the blindfold from the owner's hand.
He first went to the machine, wore the blindfold, and took twenty steps backward.
Then Yuhan ran and did a 720-degree flying spinning left kick towards the machine. The hit was harder than the previous two.
Yuhan immediately removed his blindfold and watched the machine calculate the score.
It took longer than its usual three seconds. Then finally, the score came out:
[11,304 Points!]
Everyone watching was shocked. They weren't looking at some average tourist just wanting to have fun anymore. They were dead serious now.
Yuhan walked up to the stall owner, whose mouth was still wide open.
"So… will I get my prize?" Yuhan said to him.
Meanwhile, the stall owner looked at him in fear. "I wanted him to score 12,000 so I wouldn't have to lose that precious thing! But he looks like he can go at it again and again—and he doesn't even look tired!" the owner thought to himself. It was best for him to give up and hand over the reward.
"Thank you. I had fun playing," Yuhan said. The owner couldn't tell if that was genuine… or a quiet warning not to pull that kind of stunt again in front of him. Maybe the latter.
As Yahui celebrated Yuhan's victory, Yuhan went to get the cage. He left the cloth cover on. Both Yuhan and Yahui walked toward a place where no one was present. Yuhan placed the cage on a box and removed the cloth cover. The small dragon inside immediately lunged the moment it saw him but was stopped by the cage bars.
Yuhan then slightly opened the gate and put his hand inside. The small dragon latched onto his arm and began scratching.
"What are you, a cat?" he muttered. After a bit of struggle, Yuhan managed to grab the little dragon's neck and body with both hands. He tried to calm the dragon down, but it was a futile attempt.
Meanwhile, Yahui was thinking of what she could do—until she got an idea. She took the barbecue they bought and tried to feed it to the dragon. The little dragon stopped struggling and sniffed the barbecue Yahui offered. Yuhan noticed and slightly loosened his grip. The little dragon hesitantly licked it and then proceeded to eat the barbecue—including the stick.
"Oi..." Yuhan said, watching the dragon even eat the stick.
"It must've been hungry," Yahui said as she brought out more barbecue sticks.
"Yeah, no shit," Yuhan thought to himself. He slowly released the small dragon but kept a firm grip on its tail. As a secondary precaution, he had formed an invisible rope around the dragon's neck—the real reason he had his hand there in the first place.
Seeing that the small dragon wasn't planning on escaping, and seemed to be enjoying both the food and Yahui's company as she petted it, Yuhan finally let go. He then opened a small portal, reached inside, and pulled out two rolls of bandages. He began wrapping both his hands, which were covered in scratches from the dragon. After bandaging his arms, he stretched left and right to loosen up.
Next, he brought out a water bottle. In one of the rare times he used magic, he formed a floating bubble of water and gently guided it toward the little dragon, who had just finished eating. The dragon was hesitant at first, but then began to drink.
After the little dragon finished eating and drinking, it curled up on Yahui's lap.
"Hehe~! This little dragon acts like a little cat!" Yahui said innocently.
Yuhan just nodded, then crouched down to gently inspect the small creature. He examined its tail, wings, and scales carefully. The left wing was tattered, several scales were chipped, and the tail showed signs of minor damage.
Yuhan slowly stroked the dragon's back. A soft, glowing light began to emanate from his right palm, and under its warmth, the dragon's injuries gradually healed.
"Now then…" Without a hint of hesitation, Yuhan lifted the small dragon from Yahui's lap and cradled it like a cat. The dragon squirmed and fought back, while Yahui frowned and urged him, "Be gentle with it!"
As the dragon grew increasingly fussy, Yuhan sighed and blinked several times. His eyes shifted—his pupils becoming sharp, dragon-like slits. Yahui didn't seem to notice, but the dragon definitely did. The moment it saw Yuhan's gaze, it froze in place like a scolded puppy. His eyes returned to normal.
Now, with no resistance, Yuhan held it up like someone holding an obedient puppy by the armpits.
"Now, tell me how you got captured," Yuhan said firmly, still holding the now docile little dragon.
The dragon remained silent, clearly unwilling to speak.
"And another thing—I want you to turn into your humanoid form. You're not fooling me." He narrowed his eyes. "Want me to prove it?"
Yuhan brought two fingers to the side of its neck. A soft green glow shimmered around his fingertips as he gently tapped the pressure points. With that, he quietly adjusted the creature's vocal tract and nudged the innate ability within dragons that allowed them to take human form.
Setting the little dragon down on the grass, Yuhan looked around to make sure no one else was nearby. Once satisfied, he gave the dragon a small nod.
The little dragon closed its eyes, and a gentle glow began to radiate around its body. The light grew brighter until it enveloped the dragon completely. When it finally faded, lying where the creature had been was a dragon girl—visibly between thirteen and sixteen in appearance, curled up and disoriented on the ground.
Yuhan, fully expecting this, made a small motion with his hand. As he traced patterns through the air, magical threads of fabric began weaving themselves into existence, forming clothes around the girl before she could realize her lack of attire.
Yuhan leaned back against the wooden box beside him, arms crossed, and said calmly, "Go on… tell me everything."
The dragon girl averted her gaze, still too embarrassed to speak. Her body tensed as she curled slightly, trying to hide her face behind her knees.
Seeing this, Yahui stepped forward, gently taking the dragon girl's hands in her own. "Don't worry! We won't hurt you! My big brother Yuhan is the nicest person in the whole world! You can trust us," she said with a reassuring smile.
Yuhan sighed and said, "Maybe this'll help convince you."
With a flick of his wrist, he opened a small portal beside him. Slowly, with exaggerated drama, he pulled out a plate—steam rising from it. Resting on top was a thick, perfectly cooked A5 Japanese Wagyu steak, seared to perfection, with just the right marbling.
Both Yahui and the dragon girl stared at it, mouths instinctively watering.
Then, with comedic flair, Yuhan produced a knife and fork seemingly out of nowhere and sliced the steak cleanly in half.
"Mm! Sho jushi! Sho delishiush!" Yahui muttered through a mouthful, savoring every bite like it was heaven.
Meanwhile, the dragon girl devoured her half with unrestrained hunger, tearing into it like she hadn't eaten in days. Clearly, the barbecue earlier hadn't even scratched the surface of her appetite.
After two plates of that A5 Wagyu, Yuhan then sat the dragon girl between him and Yahui.
"I-I was separated from my parents." The little dragon girl finally spoke but in a lower voice. As if not confident enough to speak normally after her vocal chords have been healed by Yuhan
"Uhuh... I was kind of expecting something like that to happen. But I'm honestly surprised they managed to capture you without getting themselves killed. You must've gone pretty far from your parents, right?" Gu Yuhan asked, his tone curious but gentle.
"Y-Yes..." the little dragon girl replied softly, a hint of hesitation in her voice.
"Also, do you have a name? It feels rude not to call you by your name," Gu Yuhan said kindly.
"Yes, uhm... my name is Shui Lingxi. I'm the youngest daughter of Shui Moyan," the little dragon introduced herself quietly.
"Shui Moyan?" Yuhan murmured thoughtfully, the name ringing a faint bell. "Isn't she the apothecary owner? The one who sells Dragon Medicine? The Shui Moyan?" Shui Lingxi nodded enthusiastically in response.
Yuhan then sighs and mutters to himself, "Oh boys, this city is fucked for sure once they hear of this." He stretches his arms a bit, loosening his shoulders before raising his hand and summoning a human-sized portal in the air beside him. Without hesitation, he shoves his arm into the swirling portal, grabs something—someone—and yanks hard.
Out tumbles Tianlong Zhangteng, stumbling forward with visible confusion.
"What the heck was that, Guhan?!" Zhangteng barked, brushing himself off as he tried to steady himself. "I was in the middle of something with Cailian!"
"Yeah, sure, she'll understand." Yuhan casually helps pat some invisible dust off Zhangteng's shoulder. "I need you to do something."
Zhangteng raises an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"I've run into a problem that needs a dragon to solve." Yuhan tilts his head toward the two girls nearby—Gu Yahui sipping from her drink with a happy grin, and Shui Lingxi sitting beside her, quietly drinking her soft drink with a wary glance around.
"She's the youngest daughter of Shui Moyan. Yeah, that medicare lady. The one who makes that overpowered Dragon Medicine. Now, I've only heard stories, but apparently, she's obsessed, well obsessed maaay not be the right word, uhm, doting I should say, with her kids." He crosses his arms. "If she catches wind that one of her precious little dragons got captured by humans, you and I are gonna be sitting on a hilltop next to King Yan, eating dumplings and watching the world burn."
Zhangteng squints toward Shui Lingxi. "…That's the old hag's youngest?"
"Careful." Yuhan side-eyes him. "Say that again and you'll have wounds even she can't heal."
Zhangteng rolls his eyes. "Right, right. Respect the scary dragon mom."
"Exactly," Yuhan smirks. "And I'd rather not get roped into a war because some dumb merchant thought caging a baby dragon was a great business plan. And that is very human."
"Well damn. Then what should I do then?" Zhangteng asked, rubbing the back of his neck.
"You," Yuhan said, gripping his shoulder firmly, "have to take her back safely to her mother. And try to convince her this whole thing was a misunderstanding. You're good at talking—talk her down before she sets this entire city on fire. I'm counting on that silver tongue of yours."
"That's easy enough..." Zhangteng nodded, then stepped toward the two girls. "Hey, my name's Tianlong Zhangteng. You've probably heard of my family, right?"
Shui Lingxi gave a small nod in recognition.
"Good. Then you can follow big brother here and I'll make sure you get back home safely."
He extended a hand to her, but Shui Lingxi pulled back and shook her head.
"N-No... There are other creatures that were captured too. Can you please help them get free?" Her eyes pleaded with him.
Zhangteng raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's easy enough. Show me where."
Shui Lingxi pointed toward the stall down the street.
"Hoh. Time to do some justice," Zhangteng cracked his knuckles.
But Yuhan immediately raised a hand to stop him. "Hold on. Wait a damn minute. You'll make things worse if you just charge in."
He then stepped forward, cracking his own fingers. "Let me handle it."
They all moved behind a nearby wall, crouching low. Yuhan began tracing glowing symbols in the air with his fingers, murmuring something under his breath. His gestures were swift, precise—old magic, subtle but powerful.
Seconds later, they heard the click of locks disengaging and the soft creak of cages swinging open.
Then chaos.
Animals burst out of their cages and scattered in every direction. Squawking, growling, galloping, flying—every possible sound filled the area as startled festival-goers screamed and dodged.
"Ahhh! My precious merchandise is escaping!" the stall owner shrieked, flailing his arms as he shouted at his panicked employees. "Get them! Don't let them run off!"
But one by one, the employees slipped, tripped, and tumbled over nothing.
Yuhan, watching from the shadows, smirked. He'd added a little flair to his magic—trip wards, illusion snares. Just enough to make the employees fall flat every time they gave chase.
"That should level the karma a little," Yuhan said under his breath, stretching his fingers.
As the three of them crouched behind the wall, watching the utter madness unfold across the market square, the last of the cages sat empty. Screeching monkeys swung from lantern strings, exotic birds scattered like confetti into the sky, and a boar was headbutting a fruit cart like it owed him money.
"Big brother..." Yahui tugged at Yuhan's sleeve, her eyes curious. "Why is there a turtle near us?"
Yuhan glanced down at his feet. Sure enough, a large tortoise was calmly inching its way beside his legs, utterly unfazed by the mayhem.
"I figured this one was too slow to get away. They'd catch him first, so I let him tag along. And Yahui," he added, lifting the slow creature slightly by the sides, "this is a tortoise, not a turtle. Look at the legs—see how they're stumpy and elephant-like? Turtles have flippers. Classic mix-up."
The tortoise blinked slowly.
"We'll keep him. I'll figure out how to take care of one. Probably need a license or something," Yuhan muttered, already thinking ahead. He pulled a small crystal out from his pocket, gave it a light tap, and spoke into it. "Ohtro, buddy. Add one pet tortoise to my list. Get the paperwork handled. Thanks."
The crystal blinked once—confirmation.
Meanwhile, Shui Lingxi was giggling softly behind them, watching the stall owner flail hopelessly while his employees tripped over crates and leashes. Her laughter was light, innocent—like a child watching fireworks for the first time.
"Hehe... they're so silly," she said, wiping a tear from her eye. "Serves them right."
Yuhan smirked. "Glad you're enjoying the show. Freeing innocent creatures from shady backalley stalls wasn't how I planned to spend my afternoon, but hey. Not bad."
The tortoise let out a slow, dry hiss as if in agreement.
Zhangteng looked over his shoulder at Shui Lingxi. "Now that that's dealt with, are you ready to go back to your old ha—"
Smack!
Yuhan calmly slapped the back of Zhangteng's head without changing expression. "He means, your mother."
"That sounded worse!" Zhangteng exclaimed to him
"Shut up..." (Gu Yuhan)
Shui Lingxi blinked, then clutched Yahui's arm. "No… I want to stay with my new friend!"
Yuhan nodded slightly. "Even though Shui Moyan dotes on her children, she's absurdly picky about who they're allowed to be friends with. But if she knows Yahui's my little sister, she might let it slide."
Zhangteng looked at him sideways. "What did you do this time?"
"Nothing, really," Yuhan said with a half-shrug. "I just… requested something she might've considered 'mundane.' It's not my fault if she's too free with how she defines that word."
Zhangteng sighed. "May I go back to Cailian now?"
Yuhan stared at him in silence for a second, then casually snapped his fingers. A portal swirled open with the quiet hum of displaced space, and out stepped none other than Xue Cailian.
"Huh?" She glanced to her left. "Oh, there you are, Zhangteng! I thought you got accidentally swallowed up by some botched Shadow Dragon technique."
"I was planning to bring you to a flower shop…" Zhangteng muttered, scratching his cheek.
Cailian narrowed her eyes. "You do remember I'm allergic to flowers, right? I could level the entire shop if I sneezed too hard."
"Right…"
Her eyes lit up as she took in the lanterns, food stalls, music, and colors. "Wait—is today the Season of Summer Festival? That's one of Donghou's best!"
Yuhan then put his arm over Zhangteng shoulder "Change you plans in your little honeymoon, Zhangteng." Zhangteng just sighs and nods
The night wound down gently with the warm glow of paper lanterns flickering overhead and the scent of roasted meats and candied fruits lingering in the air. Zhangteng had been surprisingly good at entertaining Cailian through the simpler pleasures of human festivities—ring toss, shooting galleries, and overly sweet shaved ice. She even smiled, genuinely, which for her was as rare as a blood moon.
Meanwhile, Yahui and Shui Lingxi had exhausted themselves running from one stall to another, chasing paper butterflies, winning prizes, and joining other children in festival dances. Laughter echoed wherever they went, and Gu Yuhan followed quietly in their wake like a shadow in the shape of a guardian, keeping a watchful eye but never interfering.
As the sky began to turn the deep purple of dusk, Yuhan finally said, "Yahui. Time to go."
She puffed her cheeks, tired but stubborn. "Just until nine, please? Just this once!"
He sighed. "Just this once. Only this year."
They stayed for the fireworks.
By the time the final bursts of gold and red lit the sky, both girls were fast asleep—Yahui with her arms curled like a cat, and Lingxi nestled into a festival pillow she won earlier.
Zhangteng quietly picked Lingxi up. "I'll take her home. Shui Moyan shouldn't be too mad if I bring her back safely."
Yuhan nodded, Yahui already asleep in his arms. "Good. Don't say anything dumb this time."
Back at his residence, Yuhan laid Yahui gently into her bed, pulled the covers over her, and left her with a soft pat on the head. She murmured something in her sleep and turned over, still smiling faintly.
Downstairs, he paused.
There, by the kitchen entry, was the tortoise. Slow, silent, staring up at him like it had been waiting.
Yuhan squatted down. "Ah, Genbu. Forgot about you."
He stared for a moment longer. The tortoise blinked once.
"You're not normal, are you? A descendant of the Black Tortoise Bloodline, huh… I know you can't talk yet. Not at this stage." He casually slapped the top of its shell—solid, weighty, like stone forged by time—and set out a small plate of chopped greens and leftover fruit. "Eat. Don't die on me."
Genbu slowly began munching on a slice of apple.
Yuhan straightened and turned toward the corner of the room. A sleeping red parrot tucked under its wing in its golden perch—Zhuque. Nearby, in a glass enclosure, faint movement beneath the sand—Qinglong, his blue racer snake.
He cracked a smile.
"All I need now is a white cat and I can complete the Four Symbols set. Baihu… yeah, I'll keep that in mind." He forgot that he said to Yahui, she and himself are allergic to cats
Chuckling quietly to himself, Yuhan finally sat at his table and began to eat his own late dinner, the night quiet except for the gentle rustle of scales in sand, a sleepy chirp from Zhuque, and the crunch of tortoise bites beneath the moonlit window.