Chapter 2: The Little Girl, Yuexi

"Heave-ho... Changchang, here, here."

A sweet fragrance wafted over, and looking up, he saw a girl in a loose red T-shirt and zebra-striped shorts revealing a pair of fair, slender legs. Petite feet were nestled in white sandals, and her ponytail swayed lightly. Her adorable, exquisite features were as sweet as honey, exuding a youthful and sweet aura. She was around sixteen or seventeen, speaking with a Dragon City accent, likely a high school student.

"Xixi, slow down, I'm tired." A soft, gentle voice, like a cute little lamb, with straight, shiny, shoulder-length black hair, a slightly confused face, and a plain summer outfit, she struggled to catch up, dragging her suitcase, sweat glistening on her forehead, with a hint of drowsiness. "So sleepy, I really want to sleep."

"We can sleep soon." The sweet girl and the dazed girl approached Li Nian Long.

Gazing at the handsome man before her, the sweet girl's eyes lit up, her shiny black orbs spun, and her ponytail seemed to bounce.

"Big Brother..."

The overly sweet address made Li Nian Long's goosebumps rise. He lifted his head and rubbed his arm. "Do you need something?"

So cool.

"Big Brother..." The sweet girl smiled sweetly, pointing at her suitcase. "Can you help me put my luggage up? I'm not strong enough to lift it."

"Sure." Nodding, he put down his novel, got up, and lifted the suitcase onto the overhead rack.

"So tall!" Having been seated, she hadn't noticed until now just how tall the handsome guy across from her was.

Measuring herself against him from behind, she reached only his shoulders, probably close to six feet!

Assuming she was about five feet five inches tall, the sweet girl deduced.

"Big Brother, thank you." The sweet girl's smile grew sweeter, pointing to the dazed girl next to her. "There's one more. Please, Big Brother!"

"Please... Big Brother... la... ZZZ..." The dazed girl climbed into the upper berth and promptly fell asleep.

"..."

Sweat beaded on the sweet girl's forehead as she rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "Changchang didn't sleep well last night, ah ha... ahaha..."

"..." Li Nian Long didn't respond, placed the suitcase, and sat back down to read his novel, his mind still preoccupied.

"So cool." The sweet girl liked guys who didn't fuss over her.

"Big Brother..." Seating herself opposite Li Nian Long, the sweet girl introduced herself. "I'm Yuexi, Yu like the moon, Xi like Xihe. You know Xihe, right? She's..."

"The Chinese sun goddess, the wife of Di Jun, ancestor of the Dongyi people, who gave birth to ten suns, nine of which were shot down by Hou Yi." Li Nian Long put down his novel and said indifferently.

"Bingo! Correct answer." Yuexi's eyes sparkled. "Big Brother, you're so knowledgeable. Are you a teacher?"

"Do you have to be a teacher to be knowledgeable?" The journey was dull, his thoughts unclear, chatting with such a cute and lively teenage girl seemed pleasant. "But you're right, I am a teacher, though not in academics..."

"Not in academics..." Yuexi interrupted, "Then you must teach sports, right? Teacher Big Brother."

Her sweet, coquettish voice matched the playful bounce of her ponytail, adding a touch of mischief.

"My name is Li Nian Long, you can call me Teacher Liu." Rubbing the goosebumps on his arm, 'Teacher Big Brother' was a title he couldn't quite bear, but the surname 'Yue' was uncommon in China, and the name Yuexi carried a certain nobility.

"Hello, Teacher Liu..."

So cutesy it hurt.

"Call me Big Brother instead! Teacher Liu sounds distant." Yuexi changed the address without consulting Li Nian Long.

Removing her sandals, she crossed her snowy-white calves, blinking her big eyes mischievously at Li Nian Long. "Big Brother, where are you from? Your accent doesn't sound local to Dragon City, right?"

Glancing briefly at her fair and delicate legs, Li Nian Long nodded. "I'm from Tianfu."

"Oh? From Tianfu." Yuexi's expression turned odd.

"What's wrong?" Li Nian Long narrowed his eyes, not missing Yuexi's peculiarity. After what he'd experienced, he couldn't afford not to be cautious.

These sisters were mysterious, especially the one named Changchang, who seemed particularly strange, dazed and falling asleep instantly. In reality, such a girl would either be a bit eccentric or perhaps...

"Are you from the Tianfu Liu Family?" Yuexi placed her hands on her crossed ankles, her big eyes looking up, seemingly trying to read something from Li Nian Long's eyes.

Among the top ten families in China, the Liu Family of Tianfu was one, and they were also renowned in the martial world.

Currently, the Long Family of Dragon City, the first among the top ten families, controlled the government of China.

Thoughts of the Long Family stirred up a wave of hatred within Li Nian Long.

A flash of severity flickered across his eyes but didn't escape Yuexi's pretty gaze. "No, I'm just an ordinary citizen of Tianfu."

Though fleeting, Yuexi caught it and exclaimed, "Oh," giggling. "I guess Big Brother has a grudge against the Liu Family. Were you bullied by them?"

She completely misunderstood.

"Your imagination is too vivid." Li Nian Long's mood soured, picking up his novel again, losing interest in chatting.

This only reinforced Yuexi's belief that Li Nian Long had a vendetta against the Tianfu Liu Family. Clenching her fists, she pumped them. "Big Brother, don't worry. When we get to Tianfu, I'll definitely help you get revenge."

Li Nian Long raised an eyebrow, looking at her strangely. Skinny arms and legs, not a muscle to her name, she probably couldn't even beat a dog, let alone help him get revenge?

"What are you looking at!" Yuexi wrinkled her nose and pouted. "Don't look at me like that. I've trained too."

The girl was so adorable that Li Nian Long's mood lightened, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Thank you then, Heroine."

"Heroine? I like that." Yuexi giggled, striking a 'Rising to Dance with the Cockcrow' pose. "This heroine will uphold justice!"

"..."

The sun shone brightly, filling the carriage with laughter and joy.

After a long chat, Nalan Ruyue, who had been sleeping in the upper berth, opened her eyes. Hearing Li Nian Long talking to a stranger, she turned with a hint of confusion, sitting up, her snow-white calves dangling off the edge, her tiny feet accidentally landing on Li Nian Long's head.

Startled by the sudden 'attack', Li Nian Long tilted his head and stood up, seeing Nalan Ruyue rubbing her eyes drowsily. He relaxed. "Awake?"

Nalan Ruyue nodded, her gaze shifting to Yuexi. With innocent curiosity, she signed to Li Nian Long, asking who she was.

"Just met her. She's also going to Tianfu." Li Nian Long lifted her down gently. Her soft body exuded a sweet fragrance, and he carefully placed her on the lower berth. "You two are about the same age, you can talk more."

Seated on the lower berth, she swung her legs down, hooking her sandals with her toes, slipping her small feet in. Her innocent gaze fixed on Yuexi, and she signed again.

"She says: Hello." Sitting next to Nalan Ruyue, Li Nian Long acted as interpreter.

"Ah, hello." Yuexi looked at Nalan Ruyue, hardly believing there could be such a pure girl. Her eyes were as clear as a lake, ethereal and innocent.

In terms of appearance, the two girls were different types but equally stunning. However, Yuexi couldn't deny that Nalan Ruyue's aura more easily evoked the impulse in men to protect and cherish her for life.

As for Yuexi, she had plenty of good guy friends at school...

"Big Brother, is she your sister?"

A handsome brother and a beautiful sister, such siblings were enviable.

"No."

Such a firm rejection!

"Well, then..."

Li Nian Long shook his head. "Our relationship is complicated. Don't ask."

Yuexi blinked. "Okay, I won't ask." Extending her hand to Nalan Ruyue, she introduced herself. "I'm Yuexi, sixteen."

Nalan Ruyue, with a refined demeanor, shook her hand, smiling.

"She's Nalan Ruyue, two years older than you." Li Nian Long made the introduction for her.

"Nalan Ruyue? What a pretty name." Yuexi's eyes flashed with a strange light. "So you're not siblings after all. Nalan... That's one of the ten major family names in China. Could Nalan be from the Manchu Nalan family?"

Nalan Ruyue shook her head calmly, signing for a while, but Li Nian Long stopped her halfway. She turned to look at Yuexi, her clear eyes questioning.

Li Nian Long shook his head lightly. "Too complex, I can't understand."

"..."