Chapter 74: Well-Behaved Children Don't Get Candy—But Someone Will Always Prepare Candy for Them
"Alright, Xiao Jin, that's enough for tonight's bedtime story. Sleep well—see you tomorrow."
"Mhm, see you tomorrow, Brother Fan Chen."
Di Yue obediently greeted Fan Chen, then burrowed into her blanket.
Seeing this, Fan Chen smiled, gently closed the door, and left the room.
Two years had passed in the blink of an eye, and Di Yue had already fully adapted to the rules of the human world.
She was no longer the clueless little girl she once was.
Even so, she was still very attached to Fan Chen. Although she had long since been able to sleep on her own, every night she still needed Fan Chen to tell her a bedtime story or keep her company for a while.
For a request that wasn't excessive, Fan Chen always did his best to accommodate her.
After leaving Di Yue's room, Fan Chen went next door and knocked on Meng Xiaoyan's door.
The door quickly opened, and Meng Xiaoyan, yawning, appeared in the doorway.
"Oh? Done coaxing over there, and now you're here to inspect me?"
Faced with Meng Xiaoyan's teasing, Fan Chen simply nodded calmly — he was already used to it.
Their relationship hadn't changed over the years, from the orphanage all the way to the Douluo Hall.
Mocking each other, causing trouble for one another, and pulling pranks had long since become their unique way of greeting each other.
"How are Xiao Bai and Jin Bao?"
"They're already asleep. Those two little brats live way more comfortably than we ever did."
Meng Xiaoyan shifted aside slightly, allowing Fan Chen to see Xiao Bai inside the room.
At this moment, Xiao Bai and Jin Bao were sprawled beside Da Bai, sleeping peacefully.
Two years had passed, and the relationship between the two little ones had become much better than when they first met.
Part of that was due to Di Yue frequently feeding Xiao Bai, but more importantly, it was thanks to Da Bai's mediation.
Ever since Da Bai had been successfully revived by Xiao Bai using a drop of blood, its constitution had undergone earth-shaking changes.
According to Qian Daoliu, Da Bai was no longer considered an ordinary animal, nor was it a soul beast.
Instead, it existed somewhere in between — similar to a spirit beast, yet without the same level of talent. It occupied a peculiar position touching all three categories.
Now, Da Bai could cultivate, and its strength alone was comparable to that of an ordinary hundred-year soul beast.
Because Da Bai carried traces of Xiao Bai's aura, Jin Bao didn't feel any rejection toward it and was instead quite close.
Xiao Bai also loved playing with Da Bai, and as the two spent more time together, the barrier between them gradually disappeared.
Xiao Bai no longer dwelled on past grudges and played joyfully with Jin Bao every day.
Meng Xiaoyan often watched them with envy, frequently sighing to Fan Chen that her own life wasn't even as good as a dog's.
By now, her place had basically turned into a pet gathering spot, and Fan Chen came by every night to check on things.
"They're sleeping pretty soundly."
After confirming that the two little ones were fine, Fan Chen prepared to leave.
Before parting, the two of them still exchanged their customary "greetings" in their own unique way.
Once things were settled on Meng Xiaoyan's side, Fan Chen headed toward Qian Renxue's room.
However, unlike with Meng Xiaoyan, he didn't knock.
At this hour, there was a high chance Qian Renxue would be cultivating.
So instead, Fan Chen directly activated the Eye of Truth and checked the situation inside through the wall.
With the Eye of Truth, he could see fluctuations in surrounding energy. As long as there was no interference, someone with soul power like Qian Renxue would appear to Fan Chen as a bright star in a dark world.
The material world before his eyes faded, leaving only a brilliant golden glow.
However… that golden glow seemed a little too close.
"Xiao Xue, why are you standing by the door?"
Fan Chen's voice passed through the door and into Qian Renxue's ears.
At that moment, Qian Renxue reacted like a kitten caught doing something naughty — her fur practically stood on end as she instinctively stepped back a few paces, her expression flustered.
"I forgot that Brother Fan Chen can see energy fluctuations…"
She had originally planned to eavesdrop by the door to see what Fan Chen was up to.
After all, every night before sleeping, Fan Chen followed the same routine.
First, he told Di Yue a bedtime story and coaxed her to sleep. Then he went to Meng Xiaoyan's place to exchange a few barbs, check on Xiao Bai and Jinbao. Finally, he came over to check on her.
Among the four of them, Fan Chen was currently the oldest.
Meng Xiaoyan was a bit younger than Fan Chen but older than Qian Renxue, making her the second.
Di Yue was the youngest, ranked fourth, while Qian Renxue was third.
As the eldest, Fan Chen always checked on the other three before resting.
It was his way of caring for his younger sisters — and the only thing he could do for them now.
Knock, knock, knock.
Fan Chen knocked on Qian Renxue's door.
Since she wasn't cultivating, there was no need to worry about disturbing her.
The door soon opened, and Qian Renxue peeked out with her small head.
Seeing her adorable, guilty expression, Fan Chen reached out and rubbed her head.
"What's wrong? It's so late — why aren't you sleeping or cultivating? Why were you crouching by the door?"
"I—I wasn't doing anything…"
Qian Renxue's answer stuttered slightly. After all, she couldn't exactly admit that she had been secretly listening to Fan Chen and Meng Xiaoyan's conversation.
But just because she didn't say it didn't mean Fan Chen couldn't guess.
He had spent enough time with her — figuring out what she was thinking wasn't difficult.
"Since you're not asleep, how about coming out to look at the stars with me?"
Fan Chen didn't pursue the topic. Instead, he invited Qian Renxue out to stargaze, easing her flustered mood.
And when it came to Fan Chen's requests, Qian Renxue rarely refused.
The two of them quietly left and climbed up onto the roof.
Fan Chen handed Qian Renxue a cushion that had been hidden in a corner.
"Here, sit on this. Don't get your clothes dirty."
He had prepared this cushion a long time ago — there was only one.
It was originally meant for himself, but since Qian Renxue was here, he gave it to her instead.
Fan Chen loved the night sky. Back in the orphanage days, he often snuck out at night just to look at the stars.
It helped him relax, greatly easing his mental fatigue.
"Then what about you, Brother Fan Chen?"
Qian Renxue took the cushion and asked. After all, it was obvious there was only one — if she used it, Fan Chen wouldn't have one.
"I don't need it. Worst case, I'll just take a bath later."
With that, Fan Chen plopped himself down directly onto the rooftop.
Seeing this, Qian Renxue paused, the hand that had been about to return the cushion stopping midway.
"Just sit properly and watch the stars. Don't think about anything else."
"Okay…"
With no other choice, Qian Renxue did as Fan Chen said.
And so, beneath the night sky, Fan Chen and Qian Renxue sat quietly on the roof, gazing up at the stars above.
The night breeze brushed past, carrying a hint of coolness.
The chorus of insects rang in their ears, composing the melody of the night.
The stars shimmered overhead, outlining a beautiful tableau.
Under the starry sky, Fan Chen hummed a soft tune, while Qian Renxue sat beside him, smiling gently as she watched him.
Neither of them spoke. They simply enjoyed the moment.
Fan Chen knew that Qian Renxue's dependence on him was no less than Di Yue's.
It was just that Di Yue was still young and had come here alone, so Fan Chen had to focus on taking care of her.
But that inevitably took away time he could have spent with Qian Renxue, making moments like this increasingly rare.
And Qian Renxue was sensible enough not to show it.
She didn't want to burden Fan Chen with unnecessary trouble.
But well-behaved children don't get candy — and Qian Renxue was exactly that kind of child.
Yet what child doesn't like candy?
So from time to time, Fan Chen would still make space to accompany Qian Renxue.
Even so, moments of quiet solitude like this were few and far between.
As he grew older, Golden Crocodile Douluo and the others became increasingly strict with his training.
And he himself hadn't taken the time to truly look up at a sky full of stars like this in a long while.
"Alright, it's about time. We should head back — training starts again tomorrow."
"Mhm."
Qian Renxue nodded softly.
Just as the two were about to leave, a dark shadow streaked across the night sky.
Fan Chen immediately sensed its presence.
However, that shadow wasn't headed toward him or Qian Renxue but in another direction.
"The Pope's Palace?"
Fan Chen looked toward the distant Pope's Palace, doubt rising in his heart.
So late at night… Why was there still movement over there?
"What's wrong, Brother Fan Chen?"
"Oh, nothing. Let's go back."
End of Chapter