Chapter 169: Love At First Sight?
"Is it true that all the phoenix beasts are dead, Phoenix uncle?" Jun Li asked, her voice bright with curiosity as she spun lightly through the soft glow of Ningyan’s music.
Ningyan sat at the center of the sparring ground, legs folded beneath him, flute resting against his lips. The melody wove through the open space, gentle and warm. Beside him, Jun Sheng mimicked his posture with serious concentration, though his eyes occasionally peeked open.
The question made the music falter.
Ningyan lowered the flute slowly, his gaze lifting to Jun Li, who was already staring at him expectantly.
"...No," he said. "Not entirely."
Jun Li’s shoulders relaxed at once, relief flashing across her face.
"That’s good." She nodded quickly. "Teacher gave us a scroll that said they were all gone. I didn’t understand how that could happen..."
Her expression dimmed, lips pressing together as she stepped closer. Then, hesitantly, she reached up and patted his head.
"I’m sorry," she said softly. "For what happened to your kind."
Ningyan blinked, caught off guard, before a quiet smile formed on his lips.
"Why are you apologising?" he asked gently. "You didn’t do anything wrong."
Jun Li frowned slightly, stubborn in her softness. "It’s still sad."
Ningyan’s eyes softened further at that.
Without a word, he opened his arms. She went to him immediately.
He wrapped his arms around her small frame, holding her lightly as a quiet warmth settled in his chest.
Ningyan smiled.
He hadn’t planned to spend time with them today. He had only run into them earlier while walking with Jun Haoxuan and Lan Meishan, the children complaining that their teacher hadn’t shown up again.
Still... He didn’t mind this.
Jun Li was... unbearably pure.
At that moment, the doors to the sparring ground opened.
The air shifted.
A dragon beast woman stepped inside, her presence calm yet firm. Her red-gold reptilian eyes swept across the space, framed by dark horns, her flowing robes trailing behind her with quiet elegance.
The children gasped. "Teacher Chu!"
Jun Li immediately pulled away from Ningyan, rushing forward with Jun Sheng close behind. They collided into her without hesitation, clinging to her as if they hadn’t seen her in ages.
She laughed softly, clearly surprised but not displeased, her hands coming up to steady them.
Ningyan rose to his feet slowly, his gaze settling on her with quiet curiosity.
"Careful, children." Teacher Chu laughed lightly, though there was strain beneath it. "I’m a little unwell."
At once, the children stepped back, their excitement dimming into concern.
"What happened to you, teacher?" Jun Sheng asked, brows furrowing.
"Mama said she contacted you, but there was no reply," Jun Li added quickly. "We were worried."
Teacher Chu parted her lips then paused.
For a brief moment, she didn’t answer and her gaze shifted to Ningyan.
He was already looking at her.
The moment their eyes met, Ningyan dipped into a polite bow and she returned it slowly, her eyes never leaving him.
"There will be no lessons today," she exhaled, turning back to the children "I am here for the banquet."
The children exchanged a glance, then nodded.
"Then come play with us!" Jun Li declared, already grabbing her sleeve.
Teacher Chu allowed herself to be pulled forward closer toward Ningyan.
Now standing before him, she took her time. Her gaze moved over him once... then again.
A faint smile touched her lips. "You are... Su Ningyan."
She spoke his name carefully as if she was tasting it.
Ningyan blinked, slightly caught off guard. There was something strange in the way she looked at him.
Those red-gold reptilian eyes... they felt familiar. Unsettlingly so.
For a fleeting second, an image surfaced in his mind. Yan Wuhen
He stilled.
No. That was impossible. It couldn’t be him.
So why...
"Ah..." Ningyan lifted his flute, tapping it lightly against the side of his neck as he tilted his head. "Do you know me, Teacher Chu?"
"Oh?" She smiled. "Anyone curious enough would know who you are, Ningyan."
Her gaze lingered. They didn’t quite soften. If anything, they sharpened as though she was studying him. Memorising him. And something else that made the air feel just a little tighter.
Ningyan felt it. That intensity.
That strange, quiet pull like a predator watching something it had already chosen.
It made no sense. She had come for a banquet meant to celebrate his marriage.
So why did it feel like she was looking at him as if she wanted to devour him?
Ningyan cleared his throat. "I will leave you with the children."
He didn’t wait for a response. He was already moving past them.
"I actually wish to speak with you. Privately." The voice followed.
Ningyan stopped and slowly turned back to teacher Chu.
"I am in a hurry," A faint crease formed between his brows. "Teacher Chu."
His violet gaze met her red-gold eyes directly. She did not respond or smile.
That was enough.
Ningyan turned and left.
The sparring ground doors closed behind him. The quiet, open halls stretched ahead as his steps slowed.
The flute spun once between his fingers... then stopped.
There was someone behind him. Someone following him.
His grip tightened.
He stopped and turned sharply. "Why are you—"
He froze, eyes widening. "...Shenzhen?"
Jun Shenzhen blinked and scoffed lightly. "Did you expect someone else?"
His fan snapped open, covering half his face, though amusement gleamed clearly in his eyes. "It has been months. And... Not even a trace of longing?"
Ningyan exhaled. The tension slipped from his shoulders in an instant. "You—"
A breath of laughter escaped him. "It’s good to see you."
Shenzhen closed his fan, stepped forward and pulled him into a tight embrace. "I’m glad you’re alive."
Ningyan returned it immediately, one hand patting his back. "I am glad I am alive too."
They pulled apart.
Ningyan frowned slightly. "But where have you been?"
Shenzhen gave him a look. "I should be asking you that."
His gaze swept over Ningyan, slow, deliberate. "You disappear, then reappear married..."
His brows lifted. "To my brother and Lan Meishan."
His fan snapped shut. "Impressive."
Ningyan shrugged. "I suppose we get along."
Shenzhen leaned in slightly, his eyes narrowing with interest. "Love at first sight?"
Then, his expression lit up dramatically. He grabbed Ningyan’s hands. "Wait...don’t tell me—"
He gasped. "Was it at the academy?"