28: Chapter 28 Qiu'er is a good girl~ You brat, treat her well!

"It's that alley entrance up ahead, just turn the corner and we're there!"

"Finally back! I can already smell Aunt Jiang Wanjun's cooking!"

"Yuhao, hurry up! Tell the carriage driver to go faster!"

Inside the carriage, the voices of Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan rose and fell, filled with the excitement of being close to home.

Huo Yuhao sat in the carriage, listening to their chattering. A smile played on his lips, but inexplicably, he felt a bit nervous inside.

He glanced to his side.

On his left was Gu Yuena, arms crossed, face calm, appearing indifferent to everything outside.

On his right was Wang Qiuer, sitting upright, her eyes filled with a hint of curiosity as she observed the street scene outside the window.

Behind him were Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan, so excited they could barely sit still.

Gu Yuena already knew his mother and the others, so that was naturally fine.

But Wang Qiuer... this was her first time meeting his family.

Having lived two lifetimes, Huo Yuhao felt for the first time that this was more stressful than facing a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast.

"Whoa." The carriage slowly came to a halt.

"We're here! This is it!" Tang Ya was the first to jump off the carriage, running familiarly to the door of the familiar little courtyard.

Jiang Nannan followed closely behind.

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath, got off the carriage, then turned around and naturally reached his hand into the carriage.

Wang Qiuer looked at his outstretched hand, stunned for a moment, then a faint blush appeared on her face. She placed her hand on his and used his support to lightly step down from the carriage.

Immediately after, Gu Yuena also walked out of the carriage.

She glanced at Huo Yuhao's hand, which was still supporting Wang Qiuer, but said nothing. She just headed straight for the courtyard gate, her expression as natural as if she were returning to her own home.

The temperature of the surrounding air seemed to drop just a little.

"Bang, bang, bang!" Tang Ya was already impatiently knocking on the courtyard gate.

"Aunt Yuner! Aunt Jiang Wanjun! We're back!"

Accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps, the courtyard gate opened with a creak.

"You're back... Yuhao!"

It was Huo Yuner who opened the door. When she saw Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan outside, a smile just appeared on her face.

The next second, her gaze moved past them and locked onto the figure she had been missing day and night.

Her son had grown taller and more upright; the childishness on his face had faded a bit, replaced by a touch of steadiness and determination.

"Mother." Huo Yuhao looked at his mother's familiar and gentle face, his eyes heating up. A thousand words ultimately condensed into this one word.

"Oh! My good son!"

Huo Yuner could no longer hold back. She walked up quickly and pulled Huo Yuhao into a tight embrace, tears instantly streaming down. "You child, you've been gone for almost a year... You've lost weight. You must have suffered a lot out there, right?"

"No, Mother, I've been doing very well."

Huo Yuhao gently patted his mother's back, feeling the long-lost warmth, his heart filled with peace.

"Aunt Yuner, our benefactor is amazing now! He won the freshman championship at Shrek Academy!" Tang Ya said proudly from the side.

"Champion?" Huo Yuner let go of her son, wiped her tears, her face full of pride. "Good, good! As expected of my son!"

Just then, Jiang Nannan's mother, Jiang Wanjun, also walked out of the house.

Seeing Jiang Nannan, she was equally excited, and the mother and daughter hugged each other.

Gu Yuena stepped forward and bowed slightly. Although her tone remained cold, it carried a rare touch of softness. "Aunt Yuner, Aunt Jiang Wanjun, long time no see."

"Nana is here too!"

Upon seeing Gu Yuena, the smile on Huo Yuner's face deepened. She hurriedly took her hand and examined her carefully. "You must have had a hard journey, right? Look at you, you've gotten thinner again. Come in quickly, I made your favorite dishes today."

Jiang Wanjun also smiled and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, come into the house, don't just stand at the door."

Huo Yuhao watched his mother's familiar and affectionate attitude toward Gu Yuena, and he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, there's no need to worry about Nana.

After the pleasantries, Huo Yuner's gaze finally landed on the unfamiliar, impossibly beautiful girl in the group.

Her gaze was immediately drawn to Wang Qiuer.

The girl before her had long, bright golden hair braided into a scorpion braid hanging behind her, and her golden eyes were as pure as amber.

Her features were exquisite, her figure tall, her temperament outstanding, and every move she made carried an innate nobility.

Huo Yuner had seen countless people, but she had never seen such a stunning young woman.

She held Huo Yuhao's hand, but her eyes were fixed on Wang Qiuer. She was stunned for a long while before asking in a low voice, "Yuhao, who is this young lady..."

Huo Yuhao felt his scalp tingle, but he still braced himself and introduced her. "Mother, she is Wang Qiuer, a friend I met in the Star Dou Great Forest."

"Oh? A friend~"

Huo Yuner drew out her tone, and the expression on her face became meaningful.

She looked Wang Qiuer up and down, her eyes looking as if she were examining a rare treasure.

"Just a friend, or... a girl... friend?"

"Pfft." Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan, who were nearby, couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.

Huo Yuhao's face turned bright red instantly, anxious and embarrassed. "Mother! Don't think nonsense! She's just a friend!"

"Alright, alright, a friend, a friend."

Huo Yuner couldn't stop smiling. Although she said that, her eyes became increasingly satisfied.

She took the initiative to step forward and warmly took Wang Qiuer's hand. "Young lady, is this your first time at our home? Come in and sit down. You've been traveling for so long, you must be tired, right?"

Wang Qiuer was quite poised, letting Huo Yuner pull her along, a polite smile on her face. "Thank you, Auntie, I'm not tired."

This "Auntie" made Huo Yuner's heart bloom with joy.

"Alright, alright, don't just stand at the door! Come in! The food is about to get cold!" Jiang Wanjun smiled and greeted everyone to come inside.

A lively, yet undercurrent-filled welcome banquet thus began.

At the dinner table, Huo Yuner and Jiang Wanjun had prepared a table full of sumptuous dishes.

However, Huo Yuhao felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, the food tasteless as wax.

Because his mother's "interrogation" had begun.

"Miss Qiuer, how old are you this year?" Huo Yuner asked kindly while picking up a piece of food for Wang Qiuer.

Wang Qiuer elegantly swallowed the food in her mouth and replied with a smile, "Auntie, I am fifteen this year."

"Fifteen is good! Three years older means holding a golden brick! My Yuhao is seven, so he can hold a few more golden bricks. It's just right!" Huo Yuner nodded with satisfaction.

Huo Yuhao almost spat out a mouthful of rice. "Mother!!"

Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan were on the opposite side, their shoulders shaking; they were clearly holding back laughter to the point of internal injury.

"Where are you from? Who else is in your family?" Huo Yuner continued to ask.

"My home... is in a very far place, in the forest. My family members are no longer with us." Wang Qiuer's eyes dimmed slightly when she said this.

"Oh, you poor child!" Upon hearing this, Huo Yuner's maternal instincts immediately overflowed. She took Wang Qiuer's hand and comforted her, "It's okay, child. From now on, this is your home! Just treat me like your own mother!"

"Thank you, Auntie." Wang Qiuer leaned against Huo Yuner, acting incredibly well-behaved.

Huo Yuhao completely gave up resisting. He covered his face, feeling he had never been so embarrassed in his life.

"Then are you living at Shrek Academy now? What are your plans for the future?"

"I didn't go to Shrek Academy. For now... I am following Yuhao." Wang Qiuer said, glancing at Huo Yuhao with her pure golden eyes.

Huo Yuner immediately captured this look, and the smile on her face became even brighter.

She even took the initiative to serve Wang Qiuer a bowl of soup and handed it to her. "Come, have a bowl of soup to warm yourself up. It's so hard for a young girl to be running around outside with a boy. Stay at home from now on, don't leave!"

"Mother!!" Huo Yuhao let out a desperate cry.

"What are you shouting for! Is that how you talk to a guest??!"

Huo Yuner glared at her son, then switched back to a kind smile and said to Wang Qiuer, "Don't mind him, this child has been thin-skinned since he was young."

The meal proceeded in this strange atmosphere.

Wang Qiuer was poised, answered every question, behaved appropriately, and even took the initiative to serve food to Huo Yuner and Jiang Wanjun.

She coaxed the two elders into being overjoyed, practically acting as if she were already half the mistress of the house.

Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan had completely become spectators watching the drama, enjoying it immensely.

As for Gu Yuena, she had barely said a word from beginning to end.

She just ate quietly, occasionally lifting her eyes to look at Wang Qiuer, who was "performing."

In her purple eyes, a trace of faint mockery that no one could understand flashed by.

Then, she would pick up a piece of Huo Yuhao's favorite dish and place it precisely into his bowl.

The entire process was smooth and fluid, without any superfluous movements or words.

Jiang Wanjun, who was nearby, saw this and smiled at Huo Yuner. "Look at Nana, she's still so sensible, knowing how to care for people."

Huo Yuner also nodded with a smile and served Gu Yuena a piece of food. "Nana, you should eat more yourself, don't just focus on that brat."

Gu Yuena gave a soft "Mm" and lowered her head to continue eating.

But Huo Yuhao could feel that as Gu Yuena served him food, the frequency with which Wang Qiuer refilled his soup was significantly higher.

This meal was more exhausting than playing a final match.

After dinner, Huo Yuner pulled Huo Yuhao into a corner and whispered to him.

"Son."

"...Mother, what do you want to say now?" Huo Yuhao asked weakly.

"This Miss Qiuer is really good!"

Huo Yuner's eyes were shining. "She's beautiful, has a good personality, and is devoted to you! You must seize this opportunity!"

"Mother! We are still young! And we are really just friends!" Huo Yuhao tried to make a final struggle.

"Friends?" Huo Yuner chuckled, reached out a finger, and poked her son's head. "Do you think your mother is blind? Look at how that girl looks at you; her eyes are practically stringing out! Your mother has been through this, do you think I can't tell?"

Huo Yuhao opened his mouth, but found himself speechless.

"Nana is also a good child." Huo Yuner's expression softened a bit, and she sighed. "Mother knows that although she looks cold, she is sincere toward you and our family. It's just that this child's thoughts are too deep; sometimes Mother doesn't know what she is thinking."

Huo Yuhao smiled bitterly in his heart. Mother, if you knew her true identity, you probably wouldn't just think her thoughts are deep.

"Anyway, Mother likes this girl Qiuer! You better pay attention!" Huo Yuner patted her son's shoulder and delivered the final verdict.

Huo Yuhao completely gave up on communicating; he just wanted to be quiet by himself now.

The night was deep and quiet. Huo Yuhao sat alone in the courtyard, looking up at the moon in the sky.

The joy of the reunion during the day had been diluted quite a bit by that "shura field" dinner party in the evening.

He felt like his head was twice as big.

"How is it? How does it feel to be forced into marriage by your mother?" A cute, delicate voice rang out in his Spiritual Sea.

Huo Yuhao didn't need to look to know that Sister Tianmeng had turned back into that chubby little loli image.

She was sitting in his Spiritual Sea, swinging her two short legs, with an expression of watching a good show.

"Sister Tianmeng, please don't make fun of me." Huo Yuhao sighed helplessly.

"How am I making fun of you? I'm telling the truth!" Sister Tianmeng giggled. "But your mother has a really good eye. That Wang Qiuer is truly a top-tier catch! Her bloodline is pure, her power is strong, and she is devoted to you. Wouldn't she make a great wife?"

"..."

"Oh my, that Silver Dragon King is also very good! Domineering, protective of her own, and so beautiful! She'd be so impressive to take out! It's just that her temper isn't great; you might have to suffer a bit later, but it doesn't matter, fighting is affection and scolding is love!"

"..."

"And that Tang Ya, a childhood sweetheart, what a great setup! Jiang Nannan is also nice, gentle and virtuous! Tsk tsk tsk, Yuhao oh Yuhao, your romantic luck is even more prosperous than mine was back then!"

Huo Yuhao felt his temples throbbing.

"Sister Tianmeng, can we talk about serious matters?" He interrupted Tianmeng Iceworm's nagging.

"Serious matters?" Tianmeng Iceworm tilted her head. "Oh, right, serious matters!"

Her voice finally became serious.

"Starting tomorrow, spend some time with your mother. In a few days, we'll set off."

"Where to?"

"The Extreme North."

Tianmeng Iceworm's voice carried a hint of gravity.

"Your body has initially adapted to my power. But to truly control Ultimate Ice, relying on me alone is not enough."

"You need a purer, more primordial power of ice and snow to temper your Spiritual Sea and body."

Huo Yuhao's eyes also became serious.

He looked up toward the distant north.

That forbidden zone of the Douluo Continent, covered in ice and snow, seemed to be calling out to him in the dark.

Ice Empress... and Snow Empress... my companions... I am coming for you.