Shadowmoon Manor was as quiet as ever.
Su Nian stood in the manor’s backyard, wearing an ivory-white long dress.
A gentle breeze blew past, causing the hem of her skirt to sway lightly.
She looked so beautiful that she didn’t seem to belong to the mortal world.
She looked at the tall man beside her, her heart as tangled as a mess of twine.
Going home.
Those two words were both her wish and the source of her current flustered state.
Because she was going to the Su family to investigate news of the energy-gathering magic circle, she didn’t make a grand exit.
Instead, she quietly set out from the back gate of the manor, intending to keep a low profile…
However, to Su Nian, secretly bringing the Horned Demon Lord to meet her parents felt strange.
‘I’m like a bad girl bringing some wild man home to meet her parents.’
“Ready?”
Chu Tian had changed into a set of low-profile but high-quality black casual clothes.
They made his stature appear even more tall and straight, and his steady temperament made him look like an elegant young noble from a prestigious family.
Su Nian gave a soft “Mm” without saying much else.
The next moment.
Magic surged, and a clear Dragon Roar rang out.
A moment later, a massive shadow loomed over the entire backyard.
“Master!”
Little Green affectionately rubbed its massive head against Su Nian’s shoulder, its golden vertical pupils full of joy.
But when its gaze shifted to Chu Tian at her side, that joy instantly transformed into blatant alertness and disdain.
Su Nian gave Little Green’s neck a comforting pat and was the first to leap onto the broad back of the dragon.
Chu Tian followed closely behind, landing behind her with a graceful movement.
“Little Green, let’s go. To Hidden Dragon Town,” Su Nian said softly.
“Roar!”
Little Green let out an excited Dragon Roar and vigorously flapped its wings.
Its massive body rose from the ground, soaring into the clouds in an instant.
The entire Shadowmoon Manor was covered by various complex arrays, so even though Little Green took off within the manor and let out a dragon roar, no one outside could hear it.
After flying out of Shadowmoon Manor, it used magic to conceal its massive dragon body.
The wind whistled past their ears, and the earth below quickly shrank into a collection of colorful puzzle pieces.
However, just after finishing the ascent and beginning a steady flight, a flash of cunning crossed Little Green’s golden dragon eyes.
It didn’t have a good impression of the man behind its master…
‘Master said I can’t attack him, but making him look like a fool should be fine!’
With that thought, Little Green suddenly accelerated, and the airflow around its body instantly became violent.
At the same time.
An invisible wall of wind condensed in front of Su Nian, blocking out all the gale-force winds and keeping her safe.
But in the area behind her, a turbulent current with extreme tearing force suddenly formed.
The target of this turbulence was only one person—
To blow that annoying man off the dragon’s back!
To make him lose face and look pathetic!
However, the expected accident did not happen.
Su Nian immediately noticed Little Green’s prank and wanted to call out to stop it, but it was already too late.
Chu Tian merely raised an eyebrow slightly, a trace of a faint smile even hanging at the corner of his mouth.
The space around him rippled with a nearly imperceptible shimmer.
The turbulence, which was strong enough to tear through steel, vanished into nothingness like a mud ox entering the sea the moment it came within half a meter of his body.
Space Magic.
He even had the leisure to reach out his hand.
A large, warm hand gently wrapped around Su Nian’s waist from behind, pulling her closer into his embrace.
“Your mount is just like you—not very obedient,” he whispered into her ear in an intimate manner.
The warm breath brushed against her earlobe, and Su Nian’s cheeks were instantly dyed a light pink.
She gave an annoyed jab backward with her elbow.
Her elbow only struck a solid chest that remained completely unmoved.
Little Green also seemed to realize its prank had utterly failed.
It sullenly withdrew its magic and began to focus on flying.
Chu Tian laughed inwardly, ‘Truly, like master, like Magic Pet.’
Under the rapid flight of the Wind Dragon Little Green, the distance of over 1,000 kilometers was crossed in just over an hour.
When the rolling mountain ranges and the familiar outline of a town appeared in her vision, Su Nian’s heart rate quickened uncontrollably.
Because they had traveled east across an unknown distance—perhaps even crossing a “time zone”—the sky here was already nearing noon, and the sunlight was bright.
Although the goal of this trip was to go to the Su family for news of the energy-gathering magic circle, she still came to see her parents first.
The Giant Dragon landed in a valley not far from the village where her parents lived.
Stepping onto the soil of her hometown, the sense of detachment Su Nian usually carried instantly dissipated.
She lifted the hem of her dress and walked with light steps along the familiar country road.
At this moment, Su Nian seemed to radiate joy even from the tips of her hair.
The mask of maturity that didn’t belong to her age was temporarily stripped away, and she turned back into the young girl who would skip around because she was about to see her parents.
Chu Tian followed behind her.
Seeing her rare, unguarded, and cheerful appearance, his gaze unconsciously softened a few degrees.
However, when the familiar house with a small courtyard appeared before her eyes, the smile on Su Nian’s face froze.
The courtyard gate was locked tight.
The house was silent, with no sign of life or cooking smoke.
‘Huh?’
She had clearly written a letter and had Little Violet use Space Magic to deliver it ahead of time along with a brand-new Magic Phone, saying she would return today.
“Is that Niannian who has come back?”
Aunt Wang from next door happened to walk out carrying a basin of laundry.
Seeing Su Nian, her face immediately filled with a warm smile.
“Oh my, Niannian has grown to be so beautiful!”
“You’ve really brought pride to your parents. These past few days, your doorstep has almost been worn down by visitors. Even rich families from the city have come to visit your family, wanting to ask for your hand in marriage. Niannian, the line probably stretches all the way to Red Maple City!”
Su Nian smiled awkwardly, while simultaneously stealing a glance at the Horned Demon Lord beside her.
‘Please don’t let this guy get angry…’
“Hello, Aunt Wang,” Su Nian responded politely, then asked, “Are my parents… not home?”
Aunt Wang set the wooden basin on the ground and leaned in with a mysterious expression, lowering her voice.
“Oh, you don’t know yet? Today, the main Su family branch put on a huge display! They said they were holding some kind of victory banquet for you to thank everyone for their support. They invited all the prominent people in town over there!”
Aunt Wang curled her lip, her tone carrying a hint of disdain.
“I heard people say that uncle of yours mentions you every time he opens his mouth now. He says your achievements today are all thanks to the Su family’s support behind the scenes.”
“But if you ask me, everyone in the village knows. In the years since your father was injured and brought your mother away from the main family, did that Su family ever give you a single cent of help? Now that they see you’ve made something of yourself, they’re all sticking to you one by one.”
Aunt Wang seemed to remember something else.
“Oh right, I also heard that they invited so many people today and called your parents over just because they want to have your parents agree and announce your engagement to the Third Prince in public!”
Boom—
Su Nian’s brain buzzed.
‘What? An engagement? And to the Third Prince!!’