Her tiny frame hid a startling burst of strength. With one pounce, she bowled Yan Zhen right over onto the ground.
If his physique hadn’t already reached the Qi and Blood into Flame stage of the Body Realm, he probably would have cracked a few ribs.
The thought immediately reminded Yan Zhen of his own little Yan’er, who loved launching herself at people just like this.
According to the plot, Yan Yan and Long Ying were thick as thieves, often wandering off together. That wild tackle was probably something she’d picked up from Long Ying.
It took Yan Zhen a good while to catch his breath. He looked down at the pink-haired loli sprawled across his chest and fell deep into thought.
This was a far cry from the script.
In the story, the Loli Dragon Girl was supposed to cling to his leg, whining about being hungry and begging for food. He’d hand over a few Fasting Pills, and she’d latch on like she’d struck gold, demanding a whole bottle.
But here she was, calling out his name like they were old pals. What was going on?
Elder Yu Yan and Yu Die stared in stunned silence nearby. How had a Mystic Beast egg hatched into such an adorable little girl? Even advanced Mystic Beasts capable of human form didn’t emerge from their eggs looking like this.
And from the looks of things, she clearly knew Yan Zhen—and they were on pretty intimate terms, too…
Their bizarre stares left Yan Zhen mortified. He spread his hands wide in a gesture of innocence.
“Yan Zhen Zhen, you had no idea,” Long Ying said as she nuzzled her cheek against his chest. Her voice brimmed with grievance. “I’ve been trapped inside that eggshell for over a year, waiting every single day for you to show up and help me hatch. If you hadn’t come soon, I would’ve died of boredom!”
Yan Zhen waited patiently until her emotions settled. Only then did he speak up.
“Who are you? Why were you in that egg? And how do you know me?”
Long Ying froze for a split second. Then she scrambled up from his chest and planted herself squarely on his stomach. She crossed her arms, leaned in close to scrutinize his bewildered face, her emerald eyes sparkling with vertical slit pupils.
“You really don’t recognize me?”
Yan Zhen blinked a few times, then slowly shook his head.
Long Ying struck a classic kid detective pose—one hand propping her elbow, the other pinching her little chin. It was a habit she’d picked up from him.
After a long moment, she declared, “All right, I get it now. I must’ve mistaken you for someone else. Just forget what I said earlier!”
Yan Zhen could only sweatdrop.
Ah… was that really the best she could come up with, little one?
“But more importantly, I’m starving!” Long Ying planted her hands on her hips and demanded boldly as brass, “Feed me, quick!”
Yan Zhen felt a little helpless. “Then get off me first.”
“Oh~”
Long Ying hopped obediently to her feet—boinging off his belly for good measure—and landed nearby.
Yan Zhen rubbed his stomach as he sat up.
Yu Die’s beautiful eyes gleamed with delight as she watched the Dragon Maiden. She pulled a pack of pastries from her storage ring, crouched down, and cooed, “Here you go, little one. Big Sis has some yummy snacks for you.”
Long Ying gave it a dismissive glance. “Those don’t look tasty!”
Yu Die popped a piece into her own mouth and chewed with relish. “Mmm, they’re pretty good. Want to try one?”
“No way!”
Long Ying turned her head away and fixed her gaze on Yan Zhen instead, silently urging him to feed her.
Yan Zhen scratched his head, then produced a bottle of his own Third-Tier Fasting Pills and held it out. “Third-Tier Fasting Pills—one’s enough to last you ten days. You—”
Before he could finish, she upended the entire bottle into her mouth. Her cheeks ballooned out like a chipmunk’s.
Crunch crunch crunch. Gulp gulp gulp.
“More! Gimme another bottle!”
Yan Zhen knew Long Ying was a total rice bucket, but seeing her chow down like this still made his mouth twitch.
She’d just demolished three months of his rations in one go. Impressive!
That’s why he’d end up reviving his old pill refining gig later on—to keep this rice bucket loli fed.
“Oh, so it’s Fasting Pills you want? Big Sis has tons of those.” Yu Die whipped out three bottles in one go. “All different flavors, too. Try some, little one?”
Just like in the script, Yu Die adored Long Ying and always wanted to pat her head whenever they met. Long Ying acted all snooty about it but put up with the indignity for the snacks.
This time, though, Long Ying didn’t bite. “I’m full now!”
“But you just said you wanted another bottle. Mine would work just fine.”
“I refuse!”
Elder Yu Yan covered a chuckle with her hand. “Looks like this little one’s only sweet on Yan Zhen, Xiao Die. Don’t push it.”
Yu Die sighed in disappointment. She gave Long Ying one last wistful look, then turned to Yan Zhen, clearly reluctant. “So what’s the deal here, Cousin Brother-in-Law? What’s your connection to this kid?”
Yan Zhen brushed the dust off his clothes. “Beats me. Ask her—I swear this is the first I’m laying eyes on her.”
Long Ying huffed at that but said nothing.
“Enough of that for now,” Elder Yu Yan said with a smile. “Let’s get some clothes on the poor thing first. She’s little, sure, but she’s still a girl. Running around naked isn’t proper.”
A faint blush colored Long Ying’s cute little face. She shot back indignantly, “My hair covers everything just fine! I’m not naked!”
Yu Die’s eyes lit up again. She pulled out some of her own clothes. “Here, little one. Big Sis will dress you up all pretty~”
“I’m not wearing someone else’s clothes!” Long Ying refused flatly. “Every Supreme Dragon-Phoenix has to have that kind of pride!”
“Huh? Well, let me see if I’ve got something new and unworn.”
“I won’t wear that either!”
With that, Long Ying zipped behind Yan Zhen, wrapping her soft arms around his leg.
“Quit yapping. Make do for now.”
Yan Zhen pulled out a loose long-sleeved shirt and slipped it over her head. The hem brushed right at her ankles.
Perfect fit.
Long Ying didn’t resist. She tugged at the oversized sleeves, a flicker of nostalgia in her eyes.
Yu Die had no choice but to admit it—this explosively cute little loli only had eyes for Yan Zhen.
They definitely knew each other.
Elder Yu Yan had been observing Long Ying closely the whole time. Noticing the pair of tiny nubs on her forehead, a few suspicions began to form in her mind. She asked gently, “Little one, do you know your own name? Or where you came from?”
Long Ying stepped out from behind Yan Zhen, tilting her chin up and declaring in a tone wise beyond her years, “I am the one and only Dragon-Phoenix Divine Beast in the world, hailing from the Dragon God Clan of the Eighth Continent. You may address me as Lady Long Ying!”
Elder Yu Yan and Yu Die’s expressions shifted dramatically.
“Just as I thought.”
“Those little horns on her head looked familiar…”
Yan Zhen quickly mustered a shocked face. “How’d a dragon from the Eighth Continent end up all the way out here?”
“Ahem. Personal reasons, that’s all. Definitely not because I stole something and got chased down. Don’t go imagining things!”
The three of them: “…”
After a long silence, Elder Yu Yan spoke up again. “Yan Zhen, since the child is so attached to you, you’ll look after her for now. This is a big deal—I need to head to the holy land and report it.”
Yan Zhen nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
