The slightly intoxicating morning sunlight slanted through the windows and spilled into the hall. When Xia Lun pushed open the creaking wooden door and walked out, his whole person seemed bathed in a light, cheerful halo.
"Yo! Xia Lun, how did you sleep last night? You must be thrilled, huh?"
Liyana was curled up like a lazy cat on the long sofa covered with coarse cloth. As soon as Xia Lun came out of the room, she started making sarcastic remarks.
"It was alright." A gentle smile played at the corners of Xia Lun's mouth.
Liyana pursed her lips. Seeing Xia Lun like this, it was obvious that he had made progress again.
To think she had actually guessed right; she inexplicably felt even more annoyed.
"Young man, take it easy, and remember to use safety measures." Liyana sighed and patted Xia Lun's shoulder with earnest gravity.
"What are you talking about?"
A voice as cold and clear as an icy spring sounded without warning from behind Liyana. Aina had suddenly appeared behind her at some unknown time, scaring the living daylights out of Liyana.
If the Mage Lady had heard what she just said... that would be disastrous.
Liyana could almost imagine her tragic fate: being instantly frozen into an ice sculpture and then blasted into fine powder by an Arcane Missile.
"No! Nothing!" Liyana shook her head frantically, her flowing golden hair whipping through the air.
"I already heard it, Liyana. You said something about 'safety measures'." Aina's gaze was as calm as ever, carrying a hint of scrutiny. Liyana felt as if she had just been handed a death sentence.
"So, what does 'safety measures' mean?" Aina furrowed her beautiful brows, asking with some confusion.
"I don't know either." Xia Lun shook his head with an innocent face and also looked at Liyana, the corners of his mouth curling into a somewhat meaningful smile. "Liyana, what did you mean by 'safety measures' just now?"
This guy!
Xia Lun had grown up with her and hung out in adventurer taverns with her... Could he possibly not know the things she knew? And now he was actually throwing all the blame onto her!
"Ah, safety measures... it means... ahem! Since you two are sleeping in the same room, you must pay attention to safety, don't get into a dispute and start fighting..." Liyana began to spout nonsense. If she told the truth, she had no idea what the consequences would be.
"Baffling." Aina shook her head. She had long grown accustomed to Liyana's occasionally meaningless remarks and decided not to pursue the matter further.
Aina walked straight toward the door, seemingly to wash up.
Liyana let out a sigh of relief. She had survived.
Following that, Liyana glared indignantly at Xia Lun. Xia Lun revealed a warm, sunny smile, as if he truly knew nothing.
Soon, the members of the Wings of Dawn had packed up properly and gathered at the door, ready to leave.
"Are you leaving after staying for just one night?" Clea looked at Xia Lun with some reluctance, her fingers tightly gripping her apron.
"After all, we're just passing through this time... When we have more free time in the future, we will come back," Xia Lun replied with a smile.
"If you ever get tired out there, come back here... Xia Lun, this will always be your home." Clea stepped forward, gave Xia Lun a hug, and patted his back. "In the blink of an eye, you've grown so big..."
Reya stood to the side, not saying anything, but his gentle gaze seemed to have said everything he wanted to say.
"Oh, right... Aina, could you come here for a moment? We have some things we'd like to discuss with you in private." Clea beckoned to Aina.
Aina was clearly taken aback for a moment, then looked at Xia Lun, who gave her a slight nod.
Clea and Aina sat down at opposite ends of the broad sofa.
"Miss Aina, you are of the Blood Clan, aren't you?" Clea began, deeply staring at the pale and perfect face opposite her.
"That's right."
"Then I'll just say it directly, Miss Aina... Actually, I do not agree with you and Xia Lun being together." Clea looked at Aina quite seriously, her hands resting somewhat nervously folded on her lap.
Aina's long, slender eyelashes fluttered slightly, but her expression did not change much as she waited for Clea to continue.
Clea's voice lowered, carrying a hint of admonition. "You have a long lifespan, while Xia Lun is merely a human... If you invest too much emotion in him, it will be very painful for you in the future."
"It matters not." Aina shook her head. "I am not as fragile as you think."
"Xia Lun is a very good child. Anyone by his side will inevitably be drawn to him," Clea murmured. "Do not overestimate yourself, Miss Aina. Emotions can sometimes be like the most powerful curse, silently permeating the soul. By the time you realize it, it is already too late."
Aina asked in return, "What about you, Lady Clea? You are an elf."
"I am already prepared. When we made the decision to adopt Xia Lun, Reya and I had already anticipated that such a day would come," Clea sighed.
Aina did not reply.
"Furthermore, the Blood Clan belongs to the Demon Race, right? Xia Lun stands in a position opposing yours." Clea sighed softly. In her view, it was simply too difficult for these two children to be together. "I've heard that some conflicts have recently broken out again between the Demon Race and the Human Race."
"I will not be bound by my race," Aina said indifferently.
Whether it was the Blood Clan identity bestowed upon her by her bloodline, or the sense of belonging to the Demon Race brought about by her power, in her eyes, they were nothing but dispensable labels on the path to the summit.
Even the title of Demon Lord was not something she actively sought out; it was merely a byproduct of her pursuit of power.
Aina, her name, should be placed before the title of Demon Lord.
This was what she desired.
She was destined to stand at the peak, accompanied by loneliness... Xia Lun was nothing more than a bit of seasoning in her mundane life, a stepping stone she had carefully selected. He could not possibly disturb her state of mind.
Thinking of this, Aina revealed an almost arrogant smile, one that belonged exclusively to the Demon Lord, filled with absolute confidence: "At least for now, I have no intention of leaving him."
...
The Wings of Dawn set off once again.
Aina sat quietly in the corner of the carriage, suddenly raising her head to glance at Xia Lun beside her.
"What's wrong?" Xia Lun asked with a smile.
Has this guy been watching me the whole time? How did he notice such a slight movement?
Aina muttered in her heart.
"Aren't you curious about what your mother said to me?"
"A little curious." Xia Lun leaned a bit closer to Aina. "Can you tell me secretly?"
"She thinks you are not worthy of me and told me to leave you." Aina suddenly felt a bit of wicked amusement in her heart.
Xia Lun fell silent.
Aina was slightly taken aback, feeling an involuntary twinge of panic in her heart, as if she had made some mistake.
A moment later, Xia Lun finally spoke slowly, "I will work hard to become someone who can stand by your side."
Xia Lun's words set Aina's mind at ease once again.
"I will look forward to it."
The corners of Aina's mouth curled up slightly. She hoped the Hero wouldn't make her feel too bored.
spital. Good news: I've bound a system. Bad news: I'm still a baby. "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, do not bully the middle-aged for being poor — Divorce Comeback System." "Your marriage may have failed, but your luck in love has never run dry. Your childhood sweetheart, out of contact for twenty years, reappears. Her beauty remains, yet her eyes are brimming with tears." [Listen to the childhood sweetheart's sorrowful story.] Chen Zhi looked down at the diaper he was wearing, then at the little childhood sweetheart crying her heart out beside him, and fell into deep thought. Can anyone relate? I'm having a midlife crisis at an age where even rolling over is a struggle.
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
