The atmosphere in the room grew tense for a moment.
Xuzhi pressed a hand to his brow and let out a heavy sigh.
He had been unconscious for far too long this time, which was highly unusual, and he still didn’t seem entirely clear-headed.
Seeing Ming Shuang’s reaction snapped him back to attention.
Xuzhi had no idea what his past self had been thinking, but he had never once considered himself Ming Shuang’s master.
Yet Ming Shuang was so innocent that he viewed Xuzhi as exactly that—his master.
In truth, it was more like seeing him as a dependable older brother, or even a guardian.
Xuzhi sometimes wondered if Ming Shuang truly understood nothing at all.
He had originally planned to take things slowly, waiting until he recovered his memories and figured out Ming Shuang’s physical condition before proceeding.
The Little Dragon hatchling, who had suddenly reverted to his juvenile form, was still squatting by the bedside, his drooping tail rigid.
The group of fluffy balls inside the room were sleeping, though a few lifted their heads for a glance before flopping back down.
Tomato was asleep too, its head buried as it snored softly—it had followed the flying vehicle the entire way and was the most exhausted of them all.
Only Coal Ball had witnessed the whole thing, its red bean eyes wide with shock.
Xuzhi… and the little dragon…
But the room was utterly quiet, and though Coal Ball desperately wanted to shake Tomato awake, it shrank back and stayed put.
Fortunately, the silence in the sickroom didn’t last long. Sensing an anomaly in the healing magic array, the Pavilion Master and Xiang Lun came to check.
Hearing the footsteps and knock at the door, Ming Shuang snapped out of it and quickly flew to hide among the fluffy balls.
Xiang Lun pushed the door open. “You’re finally awake. How are you feeling?”
Xuzhi replied without missing a beat. “I’m fine now.”
The Pavilion Master stepped forward to examine him and nodded. “Your magic power has stabilized.”
Xuzhi subtly withdrew the earth magic he had been channeling on purpose.
This had been an unexpected incident; otherwise, he never would have allowed someone to inspect his body like this. But while he was unconscious, outsiders shouldn’t have been able to detect his multiple magic talents.
As for the coma itself, he wanted to get to the bottom of the cause.
It had been quite some time since the last episode—long enough that he had nearly forgotten he even had this affliction.
He needed to devise a way to ensure his safety the next time it happened.
Once they confirmed Xuzhi was all right, the Pavilion Master handed him two bottles of medicine and left the sickroom.
With no outsiders left in the room, Xiang Lun glanced around. “Little Shuang?”
Only then did the little dragon hatchling poke his head out from among the fluffy balls, letting out a tiny sneeze.
“I’ve arranged accommodations for you in the academy,” Xiang Lun said. “Shall we head there now, or do you want to rest a bit longer?”
Xuzhi looked at the little dragon hatchling for a moment before averting his gaze. “I don’t need any more rest.”
Ming Shuang made a soft “Mm” sound, offering no objection.
“Very well,” Xiang Lun said, signaling to the snow fox at his side. “The magic beast carriage is waiting outside.”
At Xiang Lun’s command, the snow fox enveloped the group of fluffy balls in space magic—a temporary camouflage trick, just like when they had arrived.
Ming Shuang’s presence couldn’t be revealed yet, and the guardian beasts needed to stay hidden too. Once Xiang Lun prepared storage spaces for them, things would be much easier.
Xiang Lun was extremely cautious, guarding against any covert surveillance. Even for the short distance from the medical clinic to the academy, he had readied a magic beast carriage.
After all, Xuzhi was a recently recovered “patient,” so the arrangements made perfect sense.
As for the nature of Xuzhi’s relationship with Xiang Lun, let the outsiders speculate.
When they left the sickroom, Ming Shuang tucked himself into Tomato’s wings.
Tomato yawned, folding its wings forward as it trailed behind Xuzhi.
Deep within the thick feathers, Ming Shuang still hadn’t calmed down.
Xuzhi was awake now. Under normal circumstances, he would have hidden in Xuzhi’s arms.
But…
Recalling that kiss from not long ago, Ming Shuang’s heart raced, a jumble of confusion, bewilderment, tension, and anxiety swirling inside him.
Ming Shuang stared blankly, thinking that Xuzhi was his master. His master had raised him, and his master had just kissed him…
He was already grown up. Even without any prior experience in such matters, as a naturally intelligent member of the Dragon Clan, he knew exactly what that meant.
Kisses were only for mates.
He could hug Xuzhi—hugging felt like burying himself in a familiar, safe space, clutching a warm pillow.
But kissing was off-limits because Xuzhi was his master.
Did that mean his master wanted him as a mate…?
Ming Shuang’s mind grew more chaotic, tangled in uncertainty.
Only now did he realize, belatedly, that he seemed able to control his shapeshifting.
By this point, Tomato had climbed into the magic beast carriage. Seeing Ming Shuang still hiding, Xiang Lun called out tentatively, “Little Shuang?”
He didn’t think much of it, assuming the little dragon hatchling was just nervous about heading somewhere with more people.
The Little Dragon hatchling slowly emerged and looked toward Xuzhi, who was seated in the corner.
No matter what… Xuzhi was fine now, and that made Ming Shuang happy.
Moreover, reverting to his juvenile form brought a strange sense of relief and escape… as if everything that had happened before no longer existed.
And so, the little dragon hatchling flew to Xuzhi’s side.
Xuzhi’s expression was as impassive as ever. After a brief hesitation, he reached out and stroked Ming Shuang’s horn.
Ming Shuang keenly noticed that moment of hesitation.
He couldn’t quite put a name to his feelings. He settled properly on the chair, his tail still stiff, and casually licked his paw as if nothing were amiss.
The academy wasn’t far from the medical clinic, and the magic beast carriage soon reached its destination.
Xiang Lun had arranged their lodging on the inner side of the Instructors’ Rest Area, complete with a private courtyard that no one was allowed to approach casually.
The snow fox had spent the entire noon setting up several space magic traps nearby.
The courtyard had already been prepared. Ming Shuang entered his assigned room and squatted on the tea table, surveying the new surroundings.
“It’s very secure here—no need to worry about outsiders,” Xiang Lun said as he took out a small medicine bottle and placed it on the tea table. “But when you shapeshift, you can use this potion to alter your eye and hair color. Better to be safe.”
The doctor Xiang Lun had found for Ming Shuang hadn’t returned to Central City yet. This was a high-grade magic potion he had specially procured; the disguise it provided was hard to see through.
Ming Shuang nodded obediently and stowed the medicine bottle away.
Xiang Lun then placed a storage ring in front of him and said gently, “I wasn’t sure what you’d like, and I came back in a rush without preparing anything… Take this too.”
The storage ring was unclaimed. Ming Shuang peered inside and froze.
The contents were simple: a large open chest brimming with gold coins.
“Central City is huge. If you want to go out and play, just tell Ivan. Buy whatever catches your eye,” Xiang Lun continued. “After using the potion and shapeshifting, you can wander the academy freely. There’s a Scripture Pavilion and a dedicated Beast-Taming Forest…”
Later, he would assign a few beast tamers to protect Ming Shuang.
Once Ming Shuang got accustomed to the place, he could enroll if he wished.
It was a pity his ice magic was so unique that no one was qualified to teach it. But the academy’s instructors were highly experienced in alchemy, astrology, and the like—if he was interested, he could give them a try.
Ming Shuang was still young; if he didn’t want to stay at the academy, that was fine too.
Xiang Lun had much more to say—about Ming Xue, the Dragon Clan, ice magic…
But they had only just returned, and Ming Shuang’s condition wasn’t resolved yet. He couldn’t rush things.
Besides, Xiang Lun still needed to meet with Yan Si.
Ming Shuang nodded, put away the storage ring, and rubbed against Xiang Lun’s sleeve.
With his business attended to, Xiang Lun instructed them on everything and turned to leave the room.
Xuzhi had been standing at the door. By the time Ming Shuang looked up, both he and Xiang Lun were gone. Ivan came in carrying a large platter of snacks.
Ming Shuang hadn’t eaten much at lunch, so he nibbled on a few pieces, joined by two fluffy balls.
All twenty-odd fluffy balls had been given their own quarters in a side hall at the end of the corridor, with a temporary carpet laid out.
They were currently patrolling their new territory, scampering all over the courtyard.
After eating a bit, Ming Shuang took out the storage ring Xiang Lun had given him.
He transferred the chest of gold coins into his storage bracelet, placing it alongside the one he had found at the peak of Netherworld Mountain.
Gazing at the gleaming gold coins, the little dragon hatchling’s eyes sparkled with excitement. His tail tip wagged unconsciously.
Ming Shuang thought to himself that Xuzhi wouldn’t have to work hard on commissions for money anymore. Now, whatever Xuzhi wanted, he could buy it for him!
As for the now-empty storage ring, Ming Shuang wanted to give it to Xuzhi too—it would replace his old storage bag.
Even though it came from Xiang Lun, it was just a storage tool. Regifting it should be fine.
And so, with the storage ring on, Ming Shuang happily flew off to find Xuzhi.
However, when he reached the corridor, he only saw Ivan. Every room around was empty, and Xuzhi was nowhere in sight.
Tomato had gone back to sleep, while Coal Ball was in the next room, quietly nibbling on the corn it hadn’t finished from lunch.
Seeing the little dragon hatchling searching about, Coal Ball guessed his intent and spoke up. “Woo woo…”
Coal Ball told Ming Shuang that Xuzhi had left with Xiang Lun. Before going, he had mentioned something about enrollment.
Ming Shuang paused for a moment, then quietly returned to his room.
Meanwhile, at the base of the academy’s outer wall.
Xing Huai studied the defensive magic embedded in the wall, pondering a way to slip inside without a trace.
Wu Shao sat behind her. “Yan Si is in there. Why not just have him come pick us up?”
“Where’s the fun in that? Aren’t we supposed to investigate discreetly?” Xing Huai replied, rummaging in her own storage bracelet. “Aren’t you curious who Dean Xiang has at his side?”
They hadn’t seen Ming Shuang—only Xuzhi, who had been with Xiang Lun leaving the medical clinic.
From a distance, Xuzhi’s features had been indistinct and hard to make out.
Back when they were near the Thorny Jungle, Wu Shao had seen Xuzhi in the memories of a undead beast tamer. But he never imagined that the person from those memories would have any connection to Xiang Lun.
Otherwise, he should have recognized that Xuzhi’s silhouette looked somewhat familiar.
Wu Shao took out his communication device. There were no messages from Yan Si. After a moment’s thought, he decided not to argue further.
Soon, Xing Huai found an alchemy knife and sliced through the defensive magic on the wall. Together with Wu Shao, she quickly flipped over it and inside.
The spot where they landed was the Beast-Taming Forest of the Academy, home to many docile magical beasts.
As two dragons who weren’t part of the Human Race, they could pass as magical beasts themselves and didn’t trigger the second layer of alarms.
In the vast forest, the pair advanced stealthily. Near the entrance, they found a map of the Academy.
~~~
An hour after Xuzhi and Xiang Lun left, they returned to the courtyard.
Ming Shuang heard the commotion and instinctively flew up to the windowsill. With his claws, he pushed the window open.
Xuzhi stepped into the corridor and approached the window.
“I went and checked out the Academy’s teaching areas,” he said proactively. “Dean Xiang said I could enroll too.”
The Academy had age restrictions for enrollment, but exceptional innate talent could override that. Besides, Xuzhi looked like he had only recently reached adulthood.
Unlike Ming Shuang, however, he didn’t want to impose on Xiang Lun too much. So he had gone to scout things out himself, to see which mentors he might choose when he enrolled.
The Little Dragon hatchling let out a soft “Mm,” lifting his clear blue-gold heterochromia eyes.
Xuzhi’s lips twitched as if he wanted to say something more, but in the end, he only murmured, “Rest well tonight.”
He turned and headed to the room next door, just as Tomato stirred from a nap and poked its head out for some fresh air. The door wasn’t fully closed.
Ming Shuang craned his neck for a look, then slipped back inside through the window.
At the moment, the only others in the courtyard besides them were a bunch of magical beasts… Ming Shuang felt that familiar twinge of awkwardness again.
It hadn’t been long since Xuzhi had woken up, after all.
Perhaps he should wait until evening…
Ming Shuang opened his storage bracelet and gazed at the box of magic stones inside.
Even after reverting to his juvenile form, he still couldn’t shapeshift on his own. He would need to consume some magic stones and give it another try.
So… should he ask Xuzhi directly?
Ask why he had kissed him?
And if his master truly intended for him to be his mate, then what?
It had only been a kiss on the cheek, but the little dragon hatchling couldn’t stop his mind from racing. Nervously, he paced back and forth across the tea table.
Suddenly, an idea struck Ming Shuang.
He could… establish a mental link with Xuzhi and ask him in a dream!
Ever since gaining the ability to shapeshift, Ming Shuang hadn’t used this method in ages.
The Xuzhi in those dreams always seemed a bit groggy and unclear-headed, but that didn’t matter.
In fact, Ming Shuang thought it might even be better that way. In a dream, he could let his guard down more easily.
With his mind made up, Ming Shuang composed himself. He turned and nibbled on a couple pieces of dried meat that the Fluffy Balls had fed him.
Evening arrived before he knew it. Xiang Lun didn’t return—Ivan mentioned he had business to attend to.
Ivan brought dinner. Ming Shuang still hadn’t shapeshifted, so Xuzhi sat beside him, feeding him bites as usual.
It was a routine as familiar as ever, yet somehow—whether it was just Ming Shuang’s imagination or not—Xuzhi felt different from before.
He no longer wiped the little dragon hatchling’s face directly with his fingers. Instead, he used a towel. He even took half-bitten meatballs and dropped them into Tomato’s bowl.
Ming Shuang was picky about his food, always nibbling a bit of this and a bit of that. Xuzhi had never minded the leftovers and would always finish them off for him.
Ming Shuang hadn’t thought much of it before. He wasn’t sure exactly when that habit had started…
Tomato ate anything and everything anyway. It could have been eating his scraps for ages.
Ming Shuang stared at Xuzhi’s profile, lost in a daze for a moment.
Finally, bedtime arrived. The Little Dragon hatchling darted into his room at top speed.
Xuzhi helped turn off the lights and close the door. His footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
Ming Shuang curled up beside his pillow and closed his eyes, gathering his magic power.
But in the small hours of the night, the little dragon hatchling on the bed flipped over and sat up, his gaze blank and unfocused.
The mental link… had failed.
Separated by two rooms, Ming Shuang couldn’t tell whether Xuzhi simply wasn’t asleep yet—or if he had refused the connection outright.
~~~
