Chapter 4: The Three-Year Agreement
In Pang Lai's quadrangle courtyard.
"What did you say!? Your master actually agreed to let you go to Bo City!"
Jiang Shaoxu looked at Ye Feiyang with disbelief in her eyes, exclaiming.
Ye Feiyang looked at Jiang Shaoxu, a hint of guilt on his face. He nodded, saying softly,
"I'm leaving in a few days."
"Didn't you say you weren't going anymore!?"
Jiang Shaoxu's eyes shimmered with tears upon hearing that Ye Feiyang was leaving in a few days, and her voice was tinged with a faint sob.
"A Xu, it's not like I'm not coming back. When the holidays come, I'll still return."
Seeing tears in Jiang Shaoxu's eyes, Ye Feiyang's heart fluttered, and he quickly tried to console her.
However, as soon as Ye Feiyang said this, the shimmering tears in Jiang Shaoxu's eyes slowly flowed down her cheeks.
As Jiang Shaoxu cried, Ye Feiyang immediately panicked. He reached out to wipe the tears from Jiang Shaoxu's face, saying hastily,
"A Xu, don't cry. When I told you before, you didn't say you disagreed."
"I just thought your master would never agree to your ridiculous request. Who would have thought..."
Jiang Shaoxu fiddled with the hem of her skirt, her head bowed, muttering softly.
"Our A Xu is determined to become a powerful female mage. She can't just cry easily. If people see her, they'll laugh at her."
Ye Feiyang ruffled Jiang Shaoxu's hair, wiped the tears from her face, and said softly,
"I don't want to be a powerful female mage anymore. I just want to be like when I was little. If anyone dares to call me a crybaby, you'll go beat them up!"
Jiang Shaoxu bit her lip, looked up at Ye Feiyang, a hint of expectation in her eyes. She reached out and shook Ye Feiyang's arm, pouting.
"A Xu, things are different now than when we were little. In the future, everything will be decided by magic. I need to ensure I have enough power so that no one in the world would dare to call our A Xu a crybaby~"
A hint of tenderness flashed in Ye Feiyang's eyes, and he chuckled softly.
"How is increasing your power related to you going to Bo City? Shouldn't your power grow faster in the Imperial Capital?"
Jiang Shaoxu mumbled softly.
"How about this? Three years. Let's make a three-year agreement. After high school, we'll compare our cultivation. If my cultivation is higher, you have to agree to one thing for me. Conversely, I'll agree to one thing for you. How about it?"
Ye Feiyang didn't dwell on the issue of going to Bo City with Jiang Shaoxu. After a moment of thought, he said softly,
"Are you serious!? You're not trying to trick me this time, are you?"
Hearing Ye Feiyang's words, Jiang Shaoxu's eyes lit up, then a hint of suspicion flashed across her face.
"A Xu, when have I ever tricked you?"
Ye Feiyang slightly bent his finger and gently tapped Jiang Shaoxu's fair and full forehead.
"That's true."
Jiang Shaoxu muttered to herself, then as if she remembered something, a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes.
"Bo City... I said, why do I always feel like I've heard that name somewhere? That girl who awakened a natural Ice Seed at fourteen years old, she's from Bo City. You're not going there for her, are you?"
Hearing Jiang Shaoxu's words, Ye Feiyang's expression stiffened. He thought of that cold girl and her difficult life ahead. A hint of pity unconsciously flashed in his eyes.
"I knew it! No wonder you took such good care of her when she first came to the Imperial Capital. Now you're actually chasing after her! You're such a big pig's trotter!"
Jiang Shaoxu saw the hint of pity in Ye Feiyang's eyes and immediately flared up. She had only casually probed, but she didn't expect to actually uncover something. At this moment, she no longer cared about being sad. She reached out and pinched Ye Feiyang's ear, glaring at him.
"Ouch!"
Ye Feiyang felt a pain in his ear, and his wandering thoughts immediately returned. Looking at the angry Jiang Shaoxu, he said rather helplessly,
"Uh, A Xu, no, I'm not going to Bo City for her."
"Are you saying that your trip to Bo City has nothing to do with Mu Ningxue!"
Jiang Shaoxu released Ye Feiyang's ear, her narrow foxy eyes revealing a scrutinizing gaze.
"Uh..."
Ye Feiyang fell silent. Honestly, his desire to go to Bo City indeed involved a slight factor of Mu Ningxue.
After all, everyone appreciates beauty, and a fair lady is a gentleman's good pursuit.
He admitted that he did have some thoughts about Mu Ningxue.
Ye Feiyang looked at Jiang Shaoxu with complex emotions. For this childhood sweetheart who had grown up with him, and the person he had painstakingly tried to 'abduct' home, he didn't want to deceive her or hide anything.
Seeing Ye Feiyang remain silent, Jiang Shaoxu understood his thoughts at this moment. She staggered back two steps, her face turning pale, her eyes slightly red, and her gaze dull.
Silence was equivalent to consent!
Looking at Jiang Shaoxu's somewhat pale face, which carried a sense of brokenness, Ye Feiyang opened his mouth, but all the words of comfort were stuck in his throat, unable to be spoken.
Seeing this, Ye Feiyang steeled his heart and pulled Jiang Shaoxu into his arms.
Jiang Shaoxu did not respond to Ye Feiyang's embrace, nor did she resist or struggle. She just stood silently, like a zombie.
In the courtyard, there were two rocking chairs and a teapot. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on Ye Feiyang's face, creating a beautiful and enchanting scene.
After a long while, Jiang Shaoxu opened her mouth, her voice calm.
"Does the three-year agreement you mentioned earlier still count?"
Hearing this, Ye Feiyang's body trembled, a bitter smile appeared on his face, and he nodded.
"Okay."
Jiang Shaoxu slowly broke free from Ye Feiyang's embrace.
"I'm leaving first."
Jiang Shaoxu walked towards the door, bathed in the setting sun.
Ye Feiyang stood in place, watching Jiang Shaoxu's departing back, but he didn't chase after her, because at that moment, even if he did, he wouldn't know what to say.
Jiang Shaoxu heard no movement behind her and felt a sharp pain in her chest. But her steps involuntarily slowed, perhaps still holding a glimmer of hope in her heart.
Seeing Jiang Shaoxu's deliberately slowed steps, Ye Feiyang sighed slightly and strode towards Jiang Shaoxu.
He even deliberately made his footsteps heavier as he walked.
"Thump thump thump!!!"
Listening to the heavy footsteps behind her, Jiang Shaoxu's lips curved slightly.
"A Xu, in three years, I will give you an explanation."
Ye Feiyang gently hugged Jiang Shaoxu from behind and whispered.
"Hmph!"
Feeling the hands around her waist, Jiang Shaoxu's upward-curving lips slowly disappeared. She reached out and removed Ye Feiyang's large hands, snorted coldly, and quickly walked away.
However, at this moment, although Jiang Shaoxu's eyes were still a little red, they had regained their sparkle.
Ye Feiyang watched Jiang Shaoxu's back as she walked out the door, his lips curving slightly. He shook his head and turned to walk towards a room.
Ye Feiyang pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The room was not small, but the decor was extremely simple, with only a table, a large bed, and three chairs. Yet, the room seemed a bit crowded and small.
This was because, between the bed and the table, there was a crystal-clear, scarlet crystal cabinet made of magic stones. Inside it lay a plain, unadorned silver-white egg.
As Ye Feiyang entered the room, the white egg in the crystal cabinet trembled slightly twice, and faint gray patterns vaguely appeared on the surface of the egg, as if greeting Ye Feiyang.
"Good boy, just bear with it a little longer. Once we reach Bo City, you can break out of your shell."
Ye Feiyang walked to the crystal cabinet, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes. He gently stroked the giant egg, comforting it.