"Can I touch it?"
Bibi Dong's voice was soft, yet filled with anticipation. Her eyes, bright and curious, were fixed on the small dragon hovering beside Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang met her gaze—and for a brief moment, he froze.
There was something disarming about her eyes. They were clear, lively, and carried a kind of innocent curiosity that was hard to ignore. For a split second, his thoughts blanked out completely.
And in that moment of distraction, the Little Dragon made the decision for him.
"Kyuu!"
With a cheerful cry, it darted forward and rubbed its tiny head affectionately against Bibi Dong's outstretched hand, as if it had been waiting for this invitation all along.
"What a magical Spirit…"
Bibi Dong's eyes widened in delight as she gently stroked the Little Dragon's head. Her fingers moved carefully, almost reverently, as though she were afraid the creature might vanish if she applied too much force.
Ever since she had begun learning about Spirits, she had been taught a fundamental rule:
A Spirit is the manifestation of the Spirit Master's own power.
It is not an independent being.
It does not possess its own will.
The Spirit Master controls everything.
But now, that "truth" seemed to crumble before her eyes.
No matter how she looked at it, Yu Xiaogang and this Little Dragon were… separate.
It reacted on its own. It expressed emotion. It made decisions.
It didn't feel like a tool.
It felt alive.
While Yu Xiaogang was still hesitating over whether he should stop her, the Little Dragon had already happily accepted her touch, even leaning into her palm with visible enjoyment.
"Little Dragon, you rascal…"
Yu Xiaogang shot it an annoyed glance, clearly dissatisfied with how quickly it had betrayed him. Yet, seeing the creature nuzzling Bibi Dong so affectionately, he found himself at a loss for words.
He could hardly drag it back now.
After watching the interaction for a moment, Yu Xiaogang cleared his throat and tried to steer the conversation in a more normal direction.
"Your name is Bibi Dong, right?" he asked.
His gaze shifted to her hands, where she was currently pinching the Little Dragon's cheeks and stretching them slightly, turning the proud little creature into something resembling a squishy toy.
"Are you studying at the Spirit Hall Academy?"
"Yes, I am."
Bibi Dong answered casually, her attention still entirely focused on the Little Dragon. She didn't even bother to look up as she spoke.
"Then… I suppose we'll be classmates in the future."
Yu Xiaogang paused briefly before continuing.
"Could you tell me more about the Spirit Hall Academy?"
At that, Bibi Dong finally stopped what she was doing. She tilted her head slightly, her brows knitting together as if she found the question somewhat strange.
"To be honest… you probably shouldn't ask me about that."
Yu Xiaogang blinked. "Why not?"
Bibi Dong sighed softly, her expression shifting from playful to slightly troubled.
"Even though I study there… I'm not really familiar with it."
"That doesn't make much sense," Yu Xiaogang said, frowning. "How can you not be familiar with the place you study at?"
"It's simple."
Bibi Dong's tone became calm, almost detached.
"My teacher is His Holiness the Pope. My talent far surpasses that of the other students. Because of the gap in both status and ability… they're afraid to even approach me."
As she spoke, the earlier joy on her face gradually faded, replaced by something quieter—something lonelier.
There were no complaints in her voice.
Just a simple statement of fact.
Yet behind those words lay a subtle sense of isolation.
Yu Xiaogang didn't interrupt.
He could tell… this wasn't something she said lightly.
Bibi Dong lowered her gaze slightly, her fingers still idly stroking the Little Dragon's head.
"Whenever I see children my age playing together… talking, laughing, sharing secrets…"
She paused.
"…I feel a little envious."
The admission was quiet, almost reluctant.
"But I won't approach them."
Her voice steadied.
"As a genius with full innate Spirit Power and twin Spirits, why should I lower myself to chase after others just to make friends?"
There was pride in her words—but it wasn't arrogance.
It was… self-protection.
Not long after she had entered the academy, she had once asked her teacher about this very issue.
And his answer had been deeply engraved into her memory.
"They do not dare approach you because they are cowardly and inferior. Such people are destined to achieve little in the future."
"There is no need to waste your thoughts on them."
"For someone to become your friend, they must at least be able to face you without feeling inferior. Only then can your relationship last."
At the time, she had accepted those words.
And later… she had come to understand them.
There had been a time when she thought she had found a friend.
It happened during a Spirit Fighting match.
At first, everything seemed perfect. They got along well, talked freely, and shared a bond that felt genuine.
For a brief moment, Bibi Dong believed—
This might be her first true friend.
But reality was cruel.
In just a short period, her Spirit Power advanced rapidly, rising several ranks.
Meanwhile, the other person remained the same.
The gap widened.
And with that gap… came distance.
That person began to hesitate when speaking to her. Their confidence faltered. Their tone became cautious.
Eventually, even looking her in the eye became difficult.
After one final team match…
They disappeared from her life entirely.
No goodbye.
No explanation.
Just… gone.
That was when Bibi Dong truly understood the meaning of her teacher's words.
Returning to the present, she lifted her head and looked at Yu Xiaogang.
A faint smile appeared on her lips—half playful, half serious.
"Maybe… you'll be my first real friend at the Spirit Hall Academy."
From her perspective, Yu Xiaogang was different.
In terms of background, neither of them needed to feel inferior.
She was the disciple of a Titled Douluo.
He was the son of one.
In fact, his connection might even be closer.
In terms of talent, she possessed full innate Spirit Power and twin Spirits—an existence unmatched for centuries.
But Yu Xiaogang…
He had achieved something equally shocking.
A thousand-year Spirit Ring as his first ring.
That alone was enough to defy common sense.
When she thought about it, they were… equals.
And perhaps—
That was the foundation needed for a true friendship.
"Friends…"
Yu Xiaogang murmured the word under his breath, resting his chin on his hand.
It felt… unfamiliar.
After thinking about it carefully, he realized something surprising.
He didn't have any friends either.
Before the age of five, he simply lacked the awareness to form friendships.
After that…
He lacked the time.
Training consumed his life.
There had been one attempt, though.
After he obtained his first Spirit Ring, Uncle Ye had brought his daughter to meet him, hoping they could spend time together.
Yu Xiaogang still remembered that experience vividly.
That girl had been—
A complete menace.
Noisy, unreasonable, and utterly exhausting.
After that day, Yu Xiaogang had completely lost interest in interacting with children his own age.
Since then, he had avoided such situations entirely.
But now…
Things were different.
He had come to Spirit City.
He had enrolled in the Spirit Hall Academy.
From now on, the people around him would all be his peers.
"I just hope… they're normal."
He silently prayed.
Then, he looked back at Bibi Dong.
"We'll talk about being friends later," he said calmly. "By the way… how long do you plan to keep playing with the Little Dragon?"
He shot the Little Dragon a sharp glance.
"You seem awfully close to her."
The Little Dragon, completely ignoring his dissatisfaction, happily wagged its tiny tail.
"Anyway, the banquet isn't ending anytime soon," Bibi Dong said, her tone casual again. "It's better to stay out here for a while."
She wrinkled her nose slightly.
"Do you really want to go back to that boring banquet?"
Yu Xiaogang paused.
Just the thought of returning to that stiff, overly formal atmosphere made his scalp tingle.
"…On second thought, I don't want to go back either."
"See?" Bibi Dong smiled triumphantly. "You're bored too."
Then, as if remembering something, she pointed to a neatly arranged pile beside her.
"Do you want some snacks?"
"In the Star Dou Great Forest, I said I'd treat you to something delicious once you came to Spirit City."
"There's no time for anything fancy right now, so you'll have to make do with these."
Yu Xiaogang glanced at the food.
There were indeed several items that caught his interest.
"…Alright."
Without hesitation, he walked over and sat down beside her, completely ignoring the fact that he was still dressed in formal attire.
Cross-legged on the ground, he picked up one of the snacks and took a bite.
The moment the flavor hit his tongue—
His eyes lit up.
"Mm! This is actually really good!"
He looked at the snack in surprise, clearly not expecting something so simple to taste this delicious.
"Hehe, of course it is!"
Bibi Dong lifted her chin proudly, like a peacock showing off its feathers.
"These are all things I personally approved. Anything I approve of is extraordinary."
"Kyuu!"
The Little Dragon chimed in enthusiastically, as if fully agreeing.
Its reaction only made Bibi Dong even more delighted.
"See? Even it agrees with me!"
She laughed brightly.
"I told you—anything I approve of is extraordinary."
She paused, then added with a playful grin:
"This food is… and so are you."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)