Early Morning, The Next Day
Lin Xing was awakened by the sound of Lumiya’s little claws pawing at his inner pocket.
The little one was squatting by his pillow, stubbornly nudging his coat with her nose.
He didn’t even have to think to know she was looking for the Fire Bell she’d hidden away.
Lin Xing held back his laughter and pretended to be asleep, until Lumiya, growing anxious, smacked his arm with her tail.
Only then did he slowly open his eyes. “What are you looking for?”
Lumiya instantly stopped, her golden vertical pupils guiltily shifting aside, though her little paw was still hooked onto his coat.
With a helpless sigh, Lin Xing pulled the bell out from his inner pocket, shaking it to produce a crisp, clear sound.
“Are you annoyed by the noise and want to hide it again?”
Lumiya’s ears drooped as she turned her head away with a little “hmph,” but the tip of her tail flicked the bedsheet in impatience.
She had always been after that little heart-shaped ruby, and the annoying bell had worn out her patience after less than ten minutes.
What’s more, after regaining a tiny shred of human morality last night, seeing that collar now just felt like playing some embarrassing memory game.
Just thinking about it made Lumiya’s face flush a bit, though fortunately her dragon scales hid the color.
Watching her tsundere little expression, an idea suddenly came to Lin Xing.
When he got up to wash, he made sure to slip the bell into his pocket, and before leaving the room, he stuffed an oil-paper packet into his backpack.
Lumiya nestled in his arms, curiously pawing at the oil-paper package, but Lin Xing gently held her back.
“It’s a secret. I’ll show you later.”
She raised an eyebrow, then turned away to gaze out the window.
What new thing could it be? Probably some fancy little trinket that looked good but wasn’t practical—she’d rather have two more egg tarts.
As soon as they arrived at the training ground, they saw Little White and Snowball already waiting.
Little White held a new Tactical Blueprint in her hands and waved at Lin Xing as soon as she spotted him.
“Lin Xing, let’s practice Trap Coordination again today!”
Lin Xing nodded, but instead of starting the training, he carefully took out the oil-paper package from his backpack.
Inside was a small item wrapped in soft cloth.
When he unfolded it, a delicate golden collar was revealed.
The inside of the collar was lined with soft beast fur, and the edge was adorned with a few round, heart-shaped red gems—without a single bell.
“Is this… a new collar?”
Little White leaned in curiously.
Lin Xing smiled and gently picked up Lumiya.
“I saw she didn’t like the noise from the bell yesterday, so I went to the accessory shop and had the Collar Shop Owner modify it—took off the bell and added some rubies instead. Now it’s comfortable and quiet.”
As he spoke, he carefully fastened the collar around Lumiya’s neck. As it moved, it only made a faint rustling sound.
Lumiya blinked in surprise, lowering her head to tap the collar with her paw.
The soft cloth lining pressed warmly against her scales, and the gems were smooth and pleasant to the touch—much more appealing than that noisy old bell.
She stole a glance at Lin Xing, meeting his gentle gaze, and suddenly recalled her embarrassment from earlier that morning.
A blush quickly rose on her cheeks. She leaped out of Lin Xing’s arms, but the tips of her ears had perked up unconsciously.
Well, at least this guy has some taste.
Even though it’s a bit like a QQ style, at least this scatterbrain put some effort into it. She’d just go along with it for the sake of her image.
“So cute!”
Little White couldn’t help exclaiming.
“Lin Xing, you’re so attentive! Even Snowball’s jealous!” Snowball rubbed Little White’s palm in agreement, icy blue eyes filled with anticipation.
During training this time, the usually lazy little one proactively followed Lin Xing’s commands, and her Fireball attacks were much more precise.
She deliberately held back her strength, making the Fireball graze just past the edge of the trap’s marked rope—staying within bounds while landing squarely on the straw dummy representing the Bristle Pig.
Lin Xing squatted beside the trap, adjusting the angle of the branches, while Little White instructed Snowball to spray Ice Mist onto the straw dummy.
“Lumiya, during the actual battle, you shoot a Fireball first to get the Bristle Pig’s attention. When I yell ‘left shift,’ jump to the side, and Snowball will freeze its front legs with Ice Mist!”
Lumiya flicked her tail in response, her golden pupils fixed on the straw dummy.
This kind of teamwork was child’s play for her, but seeing the sweat beading on Lin Xing’s forehead, she patiently went along.
Suddenly, Lin Xing called out, “Trap triggered!” Lumiya instantly leaped into the air, launching a Fireball that hit the dummy’s belly dead-on, while Snowball’s Ice Mist enveloped the base, making the simulated Bristle Pig’s struggle come to an abrupt stop.
“Perfect!” Little White clapped in excitement. “That combo was two seconds faster than yesterday!”
Lin Xing finally breathed a sigh of relief and wiped his brow.
“Lumiya’s Fireball just now avoided the trap’s branches and didn’t burn the camouflaged leaves—amazing!”
Lumiya landed with a little snort and licked her paw—this was basically playing house with little kids.
Although Lumiya thought this sort of training was pointless in real combat, with her around, there’d never be any accidents.
Bullying the weak was just another part of the experience, after all.
During their break, Lin Xing took out another oil-paper package from his backpack.
Inside were small chunks of dark chocolate dusted with a fine layer of sugar.
“I saw you picking the chocolate off the Magical Crystal Biscuits yesterday, so I specially bought these, and added some sugar, too.”
“Try this.”
Lin Xing picked up a piece with a little fork and held it to Lumiya’s mouth. She hesitated, but opened up and took it.
Rich chocolate mingled with the fine sugar, silky and mellow—so much better than the bits of chocolate on the Magical Crystal Biscuits!
Her eyes lit up instantly. She moved closer, wanting more, but stopped when she saw Lin Xing’s teasing smile.
Pretending to be reserved, she licked her paw and waited for him to feed her again, though her tail couldn’t help but sway against his leg.
She hadn’t eaten this kind of human-style sweet in ages. It really hit the spot.
Seeing this, Lin Xing chuckled, skewered another piece, and offered it to her. “Greedy little thing.”
Lumiya held the chocolate in her mouth, a trace of warmth blooming in her heart, even though she herself didn’t notice.
This guy, even if he’s sometimes clumsy, always notices Lumiya’s little habits.
After the afternoon training, the two went to the cafeteria for dinner.
Lin Xing specially ordered Roast Magic Chicken for Lumiya, carefully removing the bones and cutting it into small pieces for her special plate.
Lumiya lay on the table, eating in small bites, her golden eyes brimming with satisfaction.
At the next table, a student was showing off their Contract Beast’s premium Magic Crystal Fruit. Lumiya glanced over, then looked away.
Those stupid fruits couldn’t compare to the aroma of freshly roasted meat.
For all Lin Xing’s cluelessness, he had good taste when it came to food.
Back in the dorm, Lin Xing sat at his desk taking notes, while Lumiya lay on his lap, her tail idly brushing his pant leg.
Suddenly, she remembered something, slipped off the bed, and dragged a little box out from underneath. Inside was the removed Fire Bell.
She used her paw to push the bell to Lin Xing’s feet, then nuzzled his knee with her head, as if to say, “Even though it’s noisy, I’ll leave it for you to keep.”
She nudged the bell with her nose, then looked up at Lin Xing—Fine, since you were so sensible today, I’ll let you hang on to this noisy thing for now.
Lin Xing glanced at the bell by his foot, then at Lumiya snuggling in his lap, and couldn’t help but laugh.
He picked up the bell and gently placed it in the small drawer of his desk.
“I’ll keep it for you. Whenever you want to wear it again, I’ll give it back.”
Lumiya let out a contented “Mm” and settled back onto his lap.
Lin Xing bent down and softly stroked her head.
She rubbed against his palm, half-asleep, her tail unconsciously curling around his wrist.
If it weren’t for this guy, she’d probably still be alone in the Sea of Clouds, teasing birds.
Night deepened.
Lin Xing finished the last page of his training notes and massaged his aching wrist.
Looking down, he found Lumiya already sound asleep on his lap, her little head nestled in his palm, golden lashes trembling gently with each breath, the Heart-shaped Ruby Collar glimmering softly under the desk lamp.
He carefully picked her up, his movements as light as if he feared disturbing a fragile dream.
Carrying her to the bed, he gently placed her on the pillow.
Just as he was about to turn to the folding bed beside him, Lumiya seemed to sense something—her tiny paw suddenly grabbed his sleeve, and a faint whimper came from her throat.
Lin Xing paused, gazing at her furrowed brows, his heart softening.
Lately, the folding bed in the dorm had been wobbly, so he simply took off his coat and lay down beside Lumiya, carefully cradling her in his arms.
Lumiya, feeling the familiar presence, immediately snuggled closer, her tail looping around his wrist as she drifted back into deep sleep.
Breathing in the faint milky scent of the little one in his arms and listening to her steady breathing, Lin Xing felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him, and soon drifted off himself.
Moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting dappled shadows over the quilt.
The whole dorm was so quiet, only the breathing of two people and one beast remained.
In the middle of the night, a faint golden glow suddenly began to shine from Lumiya’s body as she slept.
The light grew brighter, yet strangely did not wake Lin Xing.
Her small dragon body gradually stretched and elongated in the glow, the golden scales fading to reveal smooth, fair skin, and her petite dragon claws transforming into slender fingers.
Waist-length golden hair cascaded down from her head, her tail still lazily flicking behind her.
When the light faded, the little dragon curled in Lin Xing’s arms had already transformed into the shape of a girl.
Lumiya wore a golden slip dress adorned with dragon scales, her long hair spilling over the pillow, her cheek pressed against Lin Xing’s chest, breathing in the fresh, soapy scent from his body.
In her sleep, she seemed to sense something, unconsciously burrowing closer to the warmth, arms wrapping tighter around Lin Xing’s waist.
Lin Xing slept deeply, instinctively pulling the “person” in his arms closer, his chin resting atop her hair, the corners of his lips curved in a satisfied smile.