X-Dragon Era

Doting fondly on Yi Luo Xiang, Xin Yun said with a smile, "That's right, so we don't need to rush now. What we need is to be solid. It's okay to be slow; the key is to establish a strong foundation. If they're in a hurry to fly, let them. We don't aim to beat them at the starting line, but at the finish!"

"Win at the finish!" Hearing Xin Yun's words, Yi Luo Xiang's eyes gradually brightened. Indeed... the race isn't over until it reaches the endpoint. No matter how much you've won before, it all equals nothing. Only by winning at the finish line does it count as true victory!

Looking at the glowing look in Yi Luo Xiang's eyes, Xin Yun secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Actually... Given Yi Luo Xiang's aptitude and talent, unless she stopped cultivating, it would probably be hard for her to slow down even if she wanted to.

Glancing at the sky outside the window, Xin Yun suddenly stood up, "It's getting late. Today is Yan Qingying's birthday, we mustn't delay it."

Hearing Xin Yun's words, Yi Luo Xiang sweetly nodded her head. She was a smart girl and also one with keen senses. She could feel Xin Yun's unreserved love for her, but she could also feel that Xin Yun's feelings for Yan Qingying were more of admiration and didn't involve romantic love.

As night fell, the bustling city gradually returned to calm. In the room, Yan Qingying leaned against the headboard, gazing blankly at the full moon outside the window, lost in thought...

The moon is so round tonight, its roundness inspiring awe. Every year, this month, on this day, she would always stare at the moon in a trance because... today was her birthday. But apart from herself, who else knew that today was her birthday?

With a deep sigh, Yan Qingying closed her eyes, weary. Yes... today was her birthday again, her tenth birthday in this world. But ever since her parents left, no one had ever wished her a happy birthday. Perhaps... her life was destined to be as cool and solitary as the distant moon in the sky.

"Thud, thud, thud..." Amidst the dull knocking, Xin Yun's voice rang out, "Qingying, come out for a moment..."

At the sound of Xin Yun's call, Yan Qingying silently rose from the bed. After straightening her clothes and adjusting her hair, she gathered her spirits and opened the door...

On opening the door, the hallway was dark, with several silhouettes standing vaguely in front of a table. As she wondered what was happening, there came a flicker of sound, and a spark rose, multiplying from one to two, from two to three... Finally, Yan Qingying saw clearly that there were ten candles, their flames dancing in vibrant red. This was...

Seeing Yan Qingying standing at the doorway, dumbfounded, Yi Luo Xiang ran over with a smile and grabbed Yan Qingying's arm, "Hurry up, we've been preparing for quite a while."

Being pulled forward by Yi Luo Xiang, even though her heart yearned to believe that all this was for her, she dared not trust that this was real. It must be someone else's birthday on the same day, surely that was the case. She had to remain composed, and not let anyone notice anything off.

In thought, Yan Qingying took a deep breath and quietly took a seat next to the table. She looked at the bright red flames on the table, at the elaborate dishes laid out. She truly hoped all this was for her because... it had been so long since she had felt anything like this.

Although Yan Qingying was usually cool, she was still a child, having just turned ten, not yet an adult. Her longing for many things could not be quenched.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Watching Yan Qingying, her face expressionless, Xin Yun smiled. While her face remained calm, her slightly trembling body betrayed her emotions.

Smiling at Yan Qingying, Xin Yun began, "Why are you sitting down? We've prepared a lot for today. The least you could do is show some surprise or excitement!"

On hearing Xin Yun's words, Yan Qingying turned to him, surprised. But no matter what, she still couldn't believe that all this was for her.

As Xin Yun met her gaze, he slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing the problem. He had wanted to give Yan Qingying a surprise but had always forgotten her shell. She was very excited, truly excited, but perhaps she still wasn't sure this was meant for her.

As he thought, Xin Yun smiled and took out a beautifully crafted small box, gently presenting it to Yan Qingying, "Qingying... happy birthday!"

Looking at Xin Yun's warm smile and listening to his gentle voice, Yan Qingying stood there, mouth agape, speechless. Could it be... could it mean...

Seeing Yan Qingying's astonished expression, Xin Yun frowned and said, "What's wrong? Don't you like my gift? You haven't even seen it yet. Besides... I went through a lot of effort for this. I carved it myself, you know!"

In the face of Xin Yun's words, Yan Qingying made no response but continued to stare at him, as if to imprint his enthusiastic face in her heart.

After a long while, Yan Qingying finally lowered her gaze to the wooden box in Xin Yun's hands. She then tentatively reached out, took the box, and in a low voice said, "Thank you, thank you... "

Seeing Yan Qingying accept the gift, Yi Luo Xiang, Ming Xuan, and Ming Xuan's mother also took out their own presents and handed them over with beaming smiles.