The Unexpected Arrival

“Fire Finch, we didn’t even say goodbye to Grandma. That’s so rude!” Aya Jiu said earnestly, her small mouth pouting as she kept looking back before entering the school gate.

Early that morning, after seeing the message Big White had sent overnight, the two beauties—one big, one small—had rushed back from Huainan City without even saying farewell to Xuan Yuan Huai.

They had just barely made it in time for Aya Jiu to eat the lunch prepared by the kindergarten.

“It’s fine. Aya Jiu is so adorable; Grandma won’t be mad.”

At most, she’ll fly over on her sword and give your Fire Finch sister a good beating…

Fire Finch could already imagine her old mother’s expression when she returned home and found out that her daughter had brought the little cutie back without even telling her.

Not that it would be ferocious—quite the opposite!

Ever since childhood, the angrier Xuan Yuan Huai got, the more amiably she smiled.

The calm before the storm…

Hiss… Just thinking about it was terrifying.

“Really?” Aya Jiu was half-convinced.

Only after Fire Finch repeatedly assured her did she finally step through the school gate.

****

“…”

In the living room, the two fell into a deathly silence.

Aya Tone was so embarrassed she could have clawed out a three-bedroom apartment with her toes.

Some people were alive, but they were already dead. What remained in the world was just a shell still radiating faint warmth.

“I know that people can change. I’m glad you can accept being a girl,” Fire Finch said, breaking the stalemate.

As she spoke, she theatrically wiped the corner of her eye—tears from holding back laughter.

“Get lost!”

Aya Tone was furious. What did she mean by ‘people can change’?

She had a perfectly good reason! She had partied too hard last night and forgotten to cancel the transformation, okay!

And there was more!

Who would have thought Fire Finch would come back at this hour, and actually set foot in Big White’s room?

Thinking back to that scene, Aya Tone wanted to die.

She had been rolling around comfortably in her blanket, acting crazy, only to suddenly realize that someone had been standing at the door watching her the whole time.

That feeling… Wuwu…

Just kill me!

“Actually, rolling around was pretty cute,” Fire Finch said, tilting her head and lightly scratching her slightly flushed cheek.

A disheveled Tone…

Hehe.

“Shut up! Don’t say anymore!” Aya Tone clutched her head in agony, wishing she could punch her past self from last night.

Remember to lock the door when you sleep!

Big White: It’s not because I forgot to lock the door when I left.

****

Over the next period, everything seemed to return to that ordinary, orderly life.

All of H Country’s accusations against Aya Tone were intercepted by Z Country’s top legal team; not a single one reached her ears.

“This is the resource list President Ao Yu sent. You basically emptied the other country’s treasury this time, Lord Aya Tone.”

“Settle it and deposit the money into Tone’s account.”

Fire Finch took the list, glanced over it casually, and tossed it onto the desk.

On the desk, a photocopy had long been lying there quietly. Both of them tacitly ignored it.

It was a copy of the “evidence” H Country had provided to the International Adventurers’ Joint Committee some time ago.

Each piece of evidence seemed ironclad, but in reality, it was laughable.

National conflicts had been brought onto the international stage. Who knew if H Country’s current leadership had gone senile or was blinded by rage?

Those powerful nations wouldn’t care how much you lost; they would only take advantage of the chaos to seize resources that benefited them.

Accusations? Just clowns playing their parts.

“By the way, President,” the secretary said as she neatly organized the documents in her hand, her tone calm. “Intelligence reports that Lady Xuan Yuan suddenly left Huai’an City. Her destination is Yan’an City.”

“!!!”

Fire Finch, who had been listless, instantly broke out in goosebumps at the mention of her mother. Her back straightened, and her casual slouch vanished.

“When did this happen!?”

“Half an hour ago. Given Lady Xuan Yuan’s strength, she should have arrived in Yan’an by now.”

“Slap!”

Fire Finch slammed the table and stood up, all pretense of composure gone. The feathers on her back suddenly bristled, and golden-red flames burst from the quills, instantly engulfing her petite form.

The surging fire, carrying a scorching blast, tore through the window frame. The wooden frame crackled in the high heat, sparks scattering like fragments of ruby.

The explosive roar of the flames made the entire building tremble. Embers swirled in the air, trailing a tail of fire several meters long behind her.

A vermilion bird’s silhouette swelled against the gloomy sky, dyeing half the night sky the color of burnt iron.

“I’m dead! I’m dead!!!”

Terror flashed in her phoenix-like eyes. She flapped her fiery wings, accelerating even more.

She hadn’t seen her mother make any moves these past few days, so she had let her guard down, thinking Xuan Yuan Huai had mellowed with age.

Who knew!

Her mother had indeed changed—she just waited to come after suppressing the dungeon…

Please don’t tell Tone that I took Aya Jiu to skip school and play in Huainan City!!

Fire Finch silently prayed.

Watching the dissipated flames, the secretary considerately closed the window and then tidied the scattered papers.

“Still such an impatient one.”

****

“Tone! Are you okay!?”

The door was kicked open, slamming heavily against the wall with a loud bang.

Aya Tone, startled, almost dropped the knife she was holding. She shot a resentful look at the doorway.

“Be normal, will you? Doors are opened with hands, not feet.”

But Fire Finch had no time to care about hands or feet. She rushed frantically to Aya Tone, her eyes blazing. “My mom hasn’t come, has she?”

“Auntie?”

Aya Tone instinctively looked behind Fire Finch.

“Oh my, is my dear daughter missing me so much?”

Eek!!!

Hearing that familiar voice, Fire Finch’s hair stood on end. She stiffly turned her head.

“Mom… Why are you here?” Her voice trembled slightly.

Xuan Yuan Huai sat steadily on the sofa, arms crossed and legs crossed, a half-smile on her face. “What, I can’t come see you and Aya Tone?”

“No, no! Of course not! I was just worried you’d be tired from the long trip.”

Fire Finch teleported behind Xuan Yuan Huai and dutifully placed her hands on her mother’s shoulders.

“Mm… Not bad pressure.”

Aya Tone held out a peeled orange. “Auntie, you should have told us you were coming.”

To be honest, when she opened the door and saw Xuan Yuan Huai, she really was startled.

A guardian wasn’t supposed to leave their post casually. Her sudden visit was probably about Fire Finch.

Xuan Yuan Huai said with a smile, “Aya Tone, no need to be so polite. I should have called ahead. I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

“No, no,” Aya Tone quickly waved her hands.

Behind her, Fire Finch grimaced and muttered, “You know you’re disturbing, yet you still came.”

Xuan Yuan Huai turned back and gave her a cold glare. Then, seemingly casually, she took a box of candy out of her handbag. “Has Aya Jiu not finished school yet? That child said she likes this, so I specially brought a box.”

Aya Tone stared at the candy, slightly taken aback. “Candy?”

Although she wondered how Xuan Yuan Huai knew Aya Jiu’s taste, since it was a gift from an elder, she accepted it with both hands, planning to ask Aya Jiu later.

!!!

The moment she saw that box of candy, Fire Finch’s mind exploded. She grabbed her mother and pulled her aside.

Xuan Yuan Huai didn’t resist, letting her daughter drag her.

Aya Tone: Um…

Since it was mother-daughter private talk, she didn’t feel she could join in. She just sat quietly, her eyes occasionally falling on the box of candy, her thoughts wandering.

How did Auntie Xuan Yuan know Aya Jiu’s taste? Was it from that clan meeting?