After Xu Jiujiu's departure, the atmosphere in the Tianyu household felt quieter than usual. Long Ruyin was still sitting on the chair, her gaze vacant, tightly clutching the communication crystal given by her daughter. Tianyu, noticing his mother's unease, slowly approached and hugged her.
"Mom... I promise I'll be okay," he whispered, resting his face on Long Ruyin's shoulder.
Long Ruyin let out a long sigh before finally giving a faint smile. "I know, sweetheart. It's just... the world out there is harsher than you realize."
Tianyu nodded, though he didn't fully understand. "But don't I have to be strong so I can protect you and Na'er?"
That innocent statement startled Long Ruyin. Her eyes welled up again. "You've grown too mature for your age..."
"By the way, why haven't I seen Na'er at all?" Tianyu asked hesitantly.
Long Ruyin fell silent for a moment, then glanced upstairs. Unease was clearly etched on her face.
"Na'er is sick," she said softly. "Since this morning, her body's been burning up. I already called a physician, but they said it was just a regular fever."
"I'll go check on her," Tianyu said, hurrying toward the stairs. Soon, he stood in front of the room where Na'er was resting.
Tianyu gently opened the wooden door, careful not to disturb the resting girl inside.
Beyond the slightly ajar door, a small girl lay weakly on the bed. Her face was flushed with fever, and her breathing was heavy but steady.
Tianyu approached his sister, heart filled with concern. He felt guilty for not realizing her condition earlier. "Na'er... I'm home," he whispered, holding her hot hand.
Na'er opened her eyes slightly, a faint smile forming on her lips. "Brother... you're back."
Tianyu wiped the sweat from Na'er's forehead. "You're sick, huh? Don't worry, I'll take care of you."
Na'er weakly shook her head. "I... I'm not that sick, Brother. But... I feel something strange inside me."
Tianyu frowned, still gripping her hot hand. "Strange how?" he asked softly, worried.
Na'er closed her eyes for a moment, trying to sense the odd feeling she spoke of. "It's like... something inside me is about to awaken. And in my head, strange memories keep appearing," she whispered weakly. Then, as if drained, Na'er seemed to lose consciousness.
Tianyu's old sword suddenly began to tremble. Qian Renxue appeared in a semi-physical form, her eyes fixed sharply on Na'er.
"Tianyu," she said seriously, "I sense energy very similar to the Golden Dragon King inside her."
Tianyu was shocked. "But Na'er is just a normal human! Or... could she be like me?"
"No," Qian Renxue replied firmly. "You are the reincarnation of the Golden Dragon King who built a new body. But Na'er... the power inside her is merely dormant. And what's even more shocking..."
She stared at Na'er with disbelief. "If her power awakens, it would rival that of the gods."
Tianyu's eyes widened. "Why did you just realize this now, Sister Xue?"
"Because her power was buried so deep before," Qian Renxue explained. "And I've never examined her directly like this."
"So what's really going on? Will Na'er be okay?" Tianyu asked, holding Na'er's hand tighter.
Qian Renxue studied Na'er closely before responding, "In theory, she'll be fine. The dormant power inside her is awakening naturally. As for the strange memories she mentioned..."
She paused for a moment, choosing her words. "They might be fragments of memories from a past life. It seems Na'er was never an ordinary child to begin with."
"What matters is that Na'er will be alright," Tianyu whispered in relief, though his eyes still showed worry. His other hand gently brushed the damp hair from his sister's forehead.
Qian Renxue spoke again. "Her awakening process is progressing smoothly. Within a few more hours, her fever will subside, and her power will stabilize."
Tianyu let out a breath of relief, though questions still swirled in his mind. "Then... what does this all mean for Na'er's future?"
Qian Renxue took a deep breath before answering in a grave tone, "There are several possibilities. Once her power fully awakens, Na'er might regain the memories of who she truly was in a past life."
Tianyu bit his lip. "And then?"
"She might leave," Qian Renxue replied softly. "To seek answers about her true identity. Or worse..."
She looked at Tianyu with deep sympathy. "She might forget all the beautiful memories she had with you here."
Right after that, a tense silence filled the room.
"Should I stop this? Or... should I let it happen?"
Tianyu's heart wavered between the desire to keep his little sister close and the fear of making her suffer. "Tomorrow morning, I'll be heading to the academy. I was already planning to ask Princess Xu Jiujiu for permission to take Na'er with me..."
His hands trembled as he held Na'er's small, feverish hand. "But if her power truly awakens, if her memories return… will she still want to stay with me? Or will she hate me for trying to hold her back?"
He looked at Na'er's unconscious face. "I don't want to lose you, Na'er. But... I also don't want to see you suffer. If your path is to remember your past, then go search for your true self...
Tianyu took a deep breath, trying to calm his scattered thoughts. "No. I can't make a decision now. It's better to wait until Na'er wakes up, to hear directly what she wants."
Tianyu sat at the edge of the bed, still holding Na'er's hand. In his heart, he made a promise: "Whatever happens, I'll respect your choice, Na'er. But know this... wherever you are, I will always protect you."
Tianyu kept watch at Na'er's bedside, his eyes never leaving her flushed face. Hour after hour passed, but her fever still hadn't gone down. Outside the window, the full moon shone brightly, casting its silvery glow across the room.
Qian Renxue had returned to the old sword. Tianyu placed it close to where he sat.
Slowly, Na'er began to show signs of waking. Her eyelids trembled, and she started to open her eyes.
"Big Brother...?" her voice was weak, as if she had just awoken from a nightmare.
Tianyu immediately held her hand. "Na'er! You're awake? How do you feel?"
Na'er rubbed her head sleepily. "I... I'm thirsty."
Tianyu quickly brought her some water, and Na'er drank it eagerly. After finishing, she yawned widely and stretched like a child just waking up. "Why are you staring at me like that, Brother? What happened to me?"
"Na'er," Tianyu asked gently, "don't you remember what happened earlier? That strange feeling in your body? About—"
Na'er scrunched up her nose, then smiled innocently. "What are you talking about, Brother? I just had a fever, right? Mommy said I was burning up this morning."
Tianyu asked again. "Na'er, try to think carefully. Are you sure you didn't feel anything... different?"
Na'er pretended to think for a moment, then shook her head. "Nope. I just had a weird dream, like someone was calling out to me from far away. But when I woke up, I couldn't remember it anymore."
Tianyu exhaled slowly, unsure whether to feel relieved or even more concerned.
He observed Na'er closely, searching for any signs of change. But all he saw was the innocent face of a little girl who had just recovered from a fever.
"Why are you being so weird, Brother?" Na'er frowned, then suddenly jumped out of bed. "I'm not sick anymore! I'm going downstairs—I'm starving!"
"Wait—" Tianyu tried to stop her, but Na'er had already dashed out of the room energetically.
Qian Renxue reappeared, floating beside Tianyu. "Tianyu, it seems she lied to you. But why?"
"I'm not sure either, Sister Xue." Tianyu stood at the doorway, watching the little girl who was now happily eating dinner downstairs with Long Ruyin.