"Elder Sister Jiu Jiu? Why are you here?" Caelus stepped forward to greet her.
Xu Jiujiu looked at the silver-haired young man before her, and perhaps influenced by Xu Jiawei's earlier words, a peculiar ripple spread in her heart, and her gaze softened beyond measure.
She smiled faintly:
"I was just looking for you; there are some things I want to discuss with you."
"What a coincidence, I also wanted to find Elder Sister Jiu Jiu."
Caelus said.
He then made a gesture to invite her in: "Elder Sister Jiu Jiu, please speak first."
Xu Jiujiu did not decline. She took out a beautifully crafted letter, sealed with fire wax, from her spirit tool and handed it to Caelus.
Caelus took it, his gaze falling upon the letter—it was a recommendation letter from a city lord of a Star Luo Empire main city.
With it, he would have the qualification to participate in the Shrek Academy entrance examination.
"This is..."
Caelus held the weighty letter, momentarily speechless.
He hadn't expected that before he even spoke, Xu Jiujiu had already paved the way for him.
"Take it, and go to Shrek."
Xu Jiujiu's voice was soft, yet filled with support and understanding.
"There, a broader World awaits you."
Caelus fell silent.
He looked at Xu Jiujiu's clear and gentle eyes, and an indescribable complex emotion surged in his heart.
Over the years, he was well aware of Xu Jiujiu's kindness and partiality towards him.
From daily life to Cultivation resources, what he ate, where he lived, what he used, and even his current Cultivation level, almost all depended on the full support of Xu Jiujiu and the Star Luo Imperial Family.
It could be said that he owed Star Luo, he owed Xu Jiujiu, far too much.
However, due to the ambition in his heart, he had deliberately ignored this increasingly heavy emotional bond, and was even preparing to leave.
Thinking of this, a sense of guilt welled up in his heart, tightening his throat, leaving him unsure of what to say.
Xu Jiujiu saw the struggle and apology in his eyes and suddenly chuckled softly.
Her smile, like melting ice and blooming spring flowers, was breathtakingly beautiful against the setting sun, causing Caelus's heart to skip a few beats involuntarily.
"Fool."
Xu Jiujiu took a step forward and, under Caelus's slightly startled gaze, gently embraced him.
As the soft, fragrant warmth entered his embrace, Caelus's body instantly stiffened. The unique fragrance belonging to Xu Jiujiu lingered at his nose, and he could clearly feel the softness and warmth of her body.
"You don't need to feel sorry for me, nor do you need to feel you owe anything."
Xu Jiujiu gently rested her cheek on his shoulder, her voice like a whisper, yet it clearly reached his heart.
"As long as Star Luo and I are in your heart, it doesn't matter where you are, whether you stay in Star Luo or go to Shrek."
Feeling the warmth of the person in his arms and her unreserved trust, Caelus's heart, which had been as cold as ice for many years, finally cracked open at this moment.
His tense body gradually relaxed. After a moment of hesitation, he finally raised his hand and gently returned her embrace.
At this moment, there was no calculation, no weighing, no ambition or anxiety about the future.
Only the real warmth in his arms, the faint fragrance lingering at his nose, and an emotion called peace of mind, quietly flowing through his heart.
The setting sun stretched the shadows of the embracing pair long, intertwining them, as if foreshadowing that no matter how the future changed, their bond was already deeply ingrained and impossible to sever.
Grandpa Hui stood on the veranda of Listening to Snow Pavilion, watching from afar the figures embracing in the courtyard under the setting sun. An irrepressible, extremely gratified smile appeared on his wrinkled face.
He had looked after Caelus for so many years, practically watching him grow up. How could he not perceive that constantly taut string deep within the child's heart?
Whether it was his almost frantic Cultivation, or his composure and strategizing far beyond his age in daily life, it was as if something was chasing him from behind, not allowing him a moment of relaxation.
But at this moment, looking at the noble Your Highness the Princess and the young man he had watched grow up embracing tightly, seeing Caelus finally shed some of his burdens and reveal his true emotions, Grandpa Hui knew that the block of ice in this child's heart was being warmed and melted.
The road ahead might still be full of thorns, but he was no longer alone, and this old man no longer needed to worry excessively about him.
Time flew by, and graduation day arrived as scheduled.
The journey at Star Luo Royal Junior Soul Master Academy officially came to an end.
The day for Shrek Academy's enrollment was also drawing closer.
Since their farewell at Listening to Snow Pavilion that day, the relationship between Caelus and Xu Jiujiu had entered a subtle yet intimate stage.
The unspoken understanding had not been fully revealed; they still referred to each other as elder sister and younger brother, but the warmth in their eyes when they met, the natural closeness they displayed when together, and the increasing frequency of Xu Jiujiu's visits to Listening to Snow Pavilion, all made it obvious to anyone with discerning eyes.
Xu Yun was the first to jump out, exclaiming that she couldn't bear it. She walked around Caelus several times, wrinkling her nose and saying:
"Caelus, you... you and my aunt... ah ah ah, just thinking that I might have to call you uncle in the future, I feel like the sky is falling. You're only one year older than me!"
She dramatically clutched her head, making Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo, who were nearby, cover their mouths and snicker.
But their gazes towards Caelus carried a hint of sadness; that youthful admiration had to be buried even deeper.
The day of departure finally arrived.
On the official Dao leading east, on the outskirts of Shrek City, a meticulously crafted spirit tool carriage was ready.
Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu had already been picked up in advance by people from the Duke of White Tiger's mansion.
Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo, however, traveled with Caelus, a arrangement their Family was pleased with.
Among the high-ranking officials in Star Luo City, who didn't know that Caelus was an unparalleled Genius diligently Cultivated by the Imperial Family, and had an extraordinary relationship with Princess Jiu Jiu?
He was the uncrowned king of Star Luo Royal Junior Soul Master Academy.
For the Lan Family, the Lan sisters being on good terms with Caelus was a great advantage with no drawbacks.
Xu Jiujiu personally came to see them off. Today, she wore a pale gold palace dress, elegant and noble, maintaining her princess-like demeanor, but her gaze towards Caelus was softer than ever before.
Xu Yun stood beside her aunt, and despite her complaints, her eyes were full of reluctance to part.
"Be careful on the road. Once you reach Shrek, everything will be up to you."
Xu Jiujiu gently instructed, placing a small storage spirit tool, embroidered with the Star Crown pattern, into Caelus's hand.
"Inside are some emergency funds and contact information for a secret Star Luo stronghold in Shrek City. If you need anything, you can seek help there."
"Thank you, Elder Sister Jiu Jiu."
Caelus took the spirit tool; it felt heavy in his hand. He could feel that it contained not just money, but also a profound sense of concern.
Grandpa Hui stood to the side, his old eyes slightly red, simply repeating: "Young Master, take care of yourself, remember to eat on time..."
Caelus acknowledged each one, his gaze sweeping over Xu Jiujiu, Xu Yun, and Grandpa Hui, a warm current surging in his heart.
These were all his bonds in this World.