Douluo Dalu 2: Rise of the Golden Dragon King

It had been two months since Tianyu went into the forest to obtain Xu Jiujiu's spirit ring. Since then, Xu Jiujiu had become increasingly affectionate toward Tianyu. She would hug him at every opportunity, spend most of her time by his side, and even sneak into his room at night to sleep next to him.

One night, as Tianyu sat cross-legged on his bed, trying to focus on cultivating his spiritual energy, he suddenly heard the door to his room creak open.

"Creak—"

He didn't need to look to know who had come in. Only one person would dare to do this.

"Sister Jiujiu…" Tianyu sighed, eyes still closed. "I'm training. Don't bother me."

But Xu Jiujiu just chuckled softly, her steps light like a cat's as she approached. "Even training needs rest, my future husband~"

Before Tianyu could protest again, she had already pounced on him from the side. Xu Jiujiu effortlessly slipped beside him, her slender arm wrapping around his waist.

"You—!" Tianyu flinched, his concentration shattered. His cheeks flushed red as he felt the warmth of her body pressed against him.

"It's late, Tianyu. Go to sleep," Xu Jiujiu whispered, resting her chin on his shoulder. Her breath was warm against his ear, making his heart race.

Tianyu shook his head, trying hard to resist. "I still need to train."

Xu Jiujiu leaned closer to his ear, her voice a teasing whisper. "If you sleep now, I'll train with you tomorrow. I might even give you… a special reward if you win."

"W-What kind of reward?!" Tianyu turned to look, only to find his face inches from hers. Their noses nearly touched.

Xu Jiujiu smiled, her eyes gleaming mischievously. "That's a secret~"

Tianyu let out a long sigh, defeated. "Fine, I'll sleep. But you have to promise not to—EH?!"

Before he could finish, Xu Jiujiu had already pulled him down, forcing him to lie down. With swift movements, she covered them both with the blanket and hugged Tianyu tightly like a cherished stuffed toy.

"There, sleep," she said, gently patting his head.

Tianyu groaned, but couldn't fight back. His still-small body was no match for Xu Jiujiu, who was already more mature and stronger.

"Why do I always lose to her?" Tianyu thought in frustration.

But behind that thought, a warm feeling stirred in his chest. Slowly, his eyes began to close, his body relaxing in Xu Jiujiu's embrace.

Tianyu's life at the academy went smoothly—almost too smoothly. Aside from his training routine and the "special distractions" from Xu Jiujiu, there was one major change: the arrival of Huo Yun'er, Huo Yunxi's mother.

At first, Huo Yun'er was confused as to why the Imperial Princess herself sought her out. Upon learning it was at her daughter's request, the first question she asked was, "Is Yunxi safe?"

After hearing that her daughter was safe, Huo Yun'er sighed in relief. But confusion returned when Xu Jiujiu conveyed her intention: "I'm taking you away from the White Tiger Palace. It's Yunxi's wish."

Huo Yun'er shook her head. "I can't leave. I'm still waiting… for Yunxi's father."

Xu Jiujiu fell silent, then turned around. "Yunxi, you explain."

From behind her, Huo Yunxi ran forward and hugged her mother tightly, tears streaming down her face. "Mother… I finally found you…"

Huo Yun'er was startled at first, but quickly returned the hug, gently stroking her daughter's hair. "It's alright, dear. I'm here now."

Once Huo Yunxi had calmed down, her mother asked, "How did you get the help of the Imperial Princess?"

Huo Yunxi wiped her tears, her cheeks reddening. "I… was helped by Tianyu. He lives with Princess Xu Jiujiu."

The name "Tianyu" was spoken with a tone that made Xu Jiujiu raise an eyebrow, while Huo Yun'er looked intrigued. "Who is this boy?"

"He's… a good person," Huo Yunxi replied briefly, her face growing even redder.

Xu Jiujiu, observing the girl's reaction, smiled subtly.

At first, Huo Yun'er refused to leave the palace, but after her daughter's pleading, she finally agreed on one condition: "I want to live with you. Let me serve Tianyu as a way to repay him."

The next morning, Tianyu woke up with a heavy head—Xu Jiujiu was still clinging to him like a python. As he struggled to free himself, a knock came at the door.

"Tianyu, are you awake?" came Huo Yunxi's gentle voice from outside.

"S-Stop!" Tianyu panicked, trying to push away Xu Jiujiu, who was still sound asleep.

Xu Jiujiu groaned and slowly opened one eye. "So noisy this early in the morning..."

"Sister Jiujiu, wake up! Yunxi is outside!" Tianyu whispered anxiously.

Xu Jiujiu only chuckled, then whispered, "Don't worry. I'll open the door."

With a triumphant smile, she walked to the door and opened it. Huo Yunxi, standing outside, froze, her eyes darting toward Tianyu who was still in bed, his face burning red.

"I-I just came to say that breakfast is ready," Huo Yunxi stammered, then quickly left.

Xu Jiujiu turned to Tianyu, her smile widening. "Looks like we have a new audience, Xiao Yu~"

Tianyu could only close his eyes, feeling like his life was getting more complicated.

"Just admit you're happy that a girl likes you," came Qian Renxue's voice in his mind.

"I'm not! Stop spouting nonsense, Sister Xue!" Tianyu protested in his head.

"Haha, you're terrible at hiding your emotions," Qian Renxue teased again.

Before Tianyu could reply, Xu Jiujiu was already pulling his hand. "Come on, breakfast is waiting. Don't keep Yunxi waiting too long."

In the dining room, Huo Yunxi was already seated, looking uneasy.

"Good morning, Yunxi," Tianyu greeted softly.

Huo Yunxi turned, her face still a little flushed. "G-Good morning, Tianyu."

The three of them ate in an awkward atmosphere—at least from Tianyu and Yunxi's perspective. Xu Jiujiu, however, seemed to be enjoying the situation immensely. She even casually fed Tianyu a spoonful of warm porridge right in front of Yunxi, who immediately lowered her head so much it nearly touched her bowl.

"Sister Jiujiu! I can eat by myself!" Tianyu whispered in panic.

"I know. But I like seeing you blush~" Xu Jiujiu replied sweetly, clearly satisfied.

Tianyu had no idea how to handle this situation. Just then, Huo Yun'er entered with another plate.

"Please eat. I've prepared all this since early morning," she said with a gentle smile toward Tianyu.

"Thank you, Aunt Yun'er," Tianyu replied respectfully.

But Huo Yun'er only shook her head and bowed slightly. "From today on, just call me your servant. It's my way of repaying you for saving Yunxi."

Tianyu quickly objected. "How could I? Yunxi is my friend. I can't possibly call her mother something like that."

Huo Yun'er looked at Tianyu deeply. Her gentle eyes held complex emotions—gratitude, respect, and perhaps… a hint of worry.

"I understand how you feel," she said slowly. "But young man, there are things in this world deeper than mere friendship. You saved my daughter's life and gave her a future. For a mother, that's more than enough to offer her life in return."

Tianyu fell silent. Huo Yun'er's words echoed in his mind, carrying an emotional weight he wasn't ready for. But before he could respond, Xu Jiujiu set down her chopsticks and interrupted flatly.

"If I may speak, you don't need to serve anyone, Mrs. Huo. You've already shown your gratitude enough. Besides…" She glanced sharply at Tianyu. "If every woman Tianyu saves starts wanting to serve him, this house will turn into a palace within a week."

Her words made Tianyu's cheeks flush again, while Huo Yunxi lowered her head even further. A tiny voice came from behind her hand: "That's true, actually..."

Xu Jiujiu smirked slyly, then stood from her seat. "Alright, we've talked enough this morning. Tianyu, you've had plenty of breakfast. Time for training."

"Eh? But I haven't—"

Xu Jiujiu was already pulling his hand again. "No buts. You promised me last night we'd train this morning, remember?"

Huo Yunxi watched them leave from her seat, gripping her spoon tighter. Her expression was complicated—a mix of relief, competitiveness, and something new beginning to grow in her heart. Huo Yun'er, sitting beside her, observed her daughter's expression with a soft smile.

"Yunxi," her mother said gently. "Do you like that boy too?"

Huo Yunxi didn't answer right away. She simply lowered her head, then nodded slightly, her cheeks bright red.

Huo Yun'er patted her daughter's shoulder, her smile filled with warmth. "Then don't back down. Because one thing I've learned from my past is… if you let happiness walk away, it'll never come back."