Chapter 14 — The Family That Couldn't Afford Food, and Na'er's Forced Departure!
"Na'er! I'm back! Guess what I just contracted?"
Rushing home, Tang Wulin could barely contain his excitement as he practically shoved his new companion in front of Na'er.
Even her usually reserved, melancholy expression softened into a bright smile when she saw his joy.
A tiny dark-golden dragon shimmered in his arms, its delicate scales gleaming as it chirped and coiled with life.
The moment it appeared, it leaped into Wulin's embrace, gripping his chest tightly—so clingy that even he was surprised by how affectionate it was.
"Look! It's an eight-hundred-year soul spirit! The moment we met, I felt a connection. You should've seen the Transmission Master's face when Little Gold chose me!"
Tang Wulin hugged the small Golden Night Dragon, eyes glowing with excitement. To have an eight-hundred-year first soul ring, even with a useless Blue Silver Grass martial soul, surely meant success.
He would soar higher, become strong, and give his parents—and Na'er—a better life.
"My luck is amazing!"
Na'er smiled gently. "Yes… Brother, you really are lucky."
"But I won't be in Aolai City much longer," he added. "I'm enrolling at Eastsea Academy soon. I'll only come back during breaks to visit you!"
That night, the entire family watched in stunned silence as Wulin devoured dish after dish, barely pausing for breath.
Even his mother, Lang Yue, had run out mid-dinner to buy more groceries and cook a second batch, but he still wasn't full.
In disbelief, she used Na'er's phone to contact his forging teacher, Mang Tian, who explained that Wulin's bloodline must be special—requiring vast amounts of energy intake. It was normal.
Still, even Wulin felt embarrassed. He lowered his chopsticks. "Maybe… I shouldn't eat anymore?"
"No way!" his father, Tang Ziran, cut in immediately. A former Federation pharmacist, he recognized signs of energy deficiency.
"Lang Yue, try buying high-protein food. Soul beast meat, if possible. Don't let him starve."
"He's at a critical age—and to have an eight-hundred-year soul spirit right away… even with his Blue Silver Grass, he might achieve greatness. We can't ruin his foundation now."
But hearing "soul beast meat" made Lang Yue hesitate. It was extremely expensive.
Their ordinary household could barely afford basics. Soul beast meat, raised by the Federation specifically for nourishment, was reserved for soul masters.
Though their entire family—except Na'er—were soul masters, the prices were crushing.
And with Wulin soon leaving for an academy in Eastsea City, tuition fees loomed like mountains.
Na'er poked absently at a piece of chicken with her chopsticks, then set them down quietly.
She didn't even feel hunger anyway.
"It's fine. I'm not hungry. Let Brother eat mine—he's still growing. I'm going to sleep."
She stood and left the table.
Wulin stared after her, confused. "Dad, am I eating too much?"
He felt awful about his appetite. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't stop.
Tang Ziran smiled wearily. "No, son. Eating well is a blessing."
Outside the room, the boy continued eating, unaware that the soul spirit's bond had awakened traces of his Golden Dragon King bloodline. Even a sliver of that aura benefited him immensely.
That same awakening was why he now devoured food insatiably.
Meanwhile, lying in bed, Na'er's violet eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. Faint memories flickered in her mind—memories that weren't hers.
She wasn't ordinary.
She could feel an inexplicable power within her, something sealed. She should have a martial soul… yet no awakening ever succeeded.
A deep sigh escaped her lips. She reached for her phone.
With Wulin's school entrance days away, she decided to hand him her tuition money. Without her, the family could live comfortably again.
This place, however warm, was not her home. She couldn't let herself weigh them down any longer.
If she was going to leave… better sooner than later.
Gritting her teeth, she sent a message to the one person she least wanted to speak to—but couldn't avoid.
Na'er: "Come get me. I'll go with you."
She knew he had ulterior motives. She'd seen that darkness in his eyes the very first day they met. That was why she had chosen Wulin's side.
But now, she had no choice. She was a burden, and the burden had to go.
Goodbye, little home of three years.
"Hey, don't look at me like that."
The girl—so regal and lovely she could've stepped out of a painting—stood beside him, hands stuffed in her pockets, frowning.
Jiang Chen sighed, helpless. He really couldn't understand why she looked so wary of him.
Just because he was the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, did that make him evil?
He hadn't done anything bad!
In fact, he'd done countless good things—fostering harmony between soul beasts and humans!
They should've given him a Nobel Peace Prize by now!
If he wasn't a good guy, then no one in this world was.
He was just trying to help her, okay?
Such a cold and stubborn half–Silver Dragon King… couldn't even tell kindness from corruption!
White-eyed dragon.
Na'er frowned at the sight of his flashy, glowing vehicle. "You're picking me up with that?"
"What? Not good enough?" Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. "I can't ride a normal bike—I don't have a license! This is all I've got."
"I came thousands of kilometers from Eastsea City just because you asked, and you can't even smile at me? Talk about being underappreciated!"
After a long pause, Na'er forced a dazzlingly polite smile.
"Thank you."
"Ha! That's better." Jiang Chen grinned and tossed her a small box. "Here. A gift."
"Don't refuse—it's a communication phone. Now even if you're far away, you can still stay in touch."
Na'er blinked, surprised by the gesture. When had he become so… generous? Still, she said nothing and simply accepted.
She already owed him too much.
She would repay him one day—completely.
"I'll pay you back," she said softly.
Jiang Chen chuckled. "Of course you will. Though not in money."
When Na'er put the phone away and returned, Jiang Chen tapped his thigh. "Front seat—I don't want you falling off."
Na'er glared silently in protest. Useless. Within seconds, he'd pulled her close and taken off, roaring through the night toward Eastsea City.
Moments later—
The girl behind him let out a bright, bell-like laugh, crisp and joyous.
Jiang Chen, meanwhile, stared blankly at the speeding ticket in his hand as a mecha towed away his beloved ride.
The smile transfer technique.
He couldn't laugh at all.
It was his first time seeing Na'er's genuine smile, and all it did was make his fists itch.
She'd probably cry for hours if he actually punched her.
With a heavy sigh, he pulled out his phone and sent a message to Huo Tiangang.
"I got stopped by traffic control. Come pick me up in Aolai City."
(END CHAPTER)
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