“It's fine! As long as you're willing to have a meal with me, that's all that matters. I've never celebrated my birthday with friends before!” Yu Yao waved her hand dismissively. “Alright, enough about that. Let’s call Yu Mo out and go for a stroll!”

“I’ll go check,” Bai Feng said.

He walked to the door, but before he could push it open, Bai Yu Mo had already stepped out.

Her cheeks were still slightly flushed, and her eyes instinctively darted away, but at least she wasn’t as flustered as before.

“Good morning, Senior Sister!”

Bai Yu Mo greeted Yu Yao, and after calming down in the room for a while, her demeanor had returned to normal.

“Good morning, good morning!” Yu Yao replied eagerly, grabbing Bai Feng and Bai Yu Mo’s hands as they headed outside. “Now that Yu Mo is out, let’s hurry up and set off!”

……

Tian Luo City was bustling with activity. Thanks to its unique geographical location and the support of various merchant guilds, it could be considered the commercial hub of the Northern Region.

‘So many people!’

As Bai Feng surveyed the crowd, he activated his system, keeping an eye out for any potential children of destiny nearby.

Perhaps it was due to the presence of the Sacred Land and the major sects of the Northern Region gathering here, but the concentration of children of destiny in Tian Luo City had reached a terrifying level.

Fortunately, not many of them liked to shop for snacks; they mostly appeared at auctions or small stalls.

“Here, little junior brother, try a piece! Yu Mo, you should have one too!” Yu Yao handed over a pastry she had just bought, while glancing at the nearby crowd, she sighed, “It’s been a while since I was back, and Tian Luo City seems even livelier than before.”

“Is there anything else you want to buy, Senior Sister?”

Bai Feng took a bite of the pastry, which had a crumbly texture and wasn’t too sweet, tasting somewhat like mung bean cake.

“Not for now,” Yu Yao shook her head. “What about you? Don’t you want to buy anything?”

“No, I think you’ve already bought enough,” Bai Feng said, lifting the paper-wrapped snacks in his hand. “Let’s go see the dancing cat at your place instead.”

And although children of destiny usually didn’t appear in such places, there was still a chance of running into one wandering around. With his current luck value, encountering one might lead to some conflict.

“Well, since you say so, little junior brother, let’s go to my house and take a break,” Yu Yao said, taking small bites of her pastry.

Before long, they stopped in front of an incredibly lavish gate.

“This gate looks even more impressive than my house!” Bai Feng remarked, stroking his chin as he gazed at the entrance.

“Hey, what can I say? It’s all about appearances for merchants,” Yu Yao waved her hand and pushed the gate open.

As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, Bai Feng saw a woman who was about the same height as Yu Yao walking out from the house.

‘Is she Yu Yao’s sister? Their family really is all about the same height…’

Bai Feng thought to himself.

“Yao’er, you’re finally back! Come here, let me see if you’ve grown taller,” the woman said, quickly approaching Yu Yao and scrutinizing her.

“Mom, don’t do that! My junior brother and junior sister are watching!” Yu Yao hurriedly reached out to stop her mother from measuring their heights.

‘Huh? Mom?’

Bai Feng was momentarily taken aback. He scrutinized the woman closely—her demeanor was indeed more composed and mature than Yu Yao’s, but if you just looked at their appearances, they could easily be mistaken for sisters of similar age.

“Oh? So these two are the Bai siblings you mentioned in your letter?” Yu Yao’s mother turned her attention to Bai Feng and Bai Yu Mo, giving a slight bow. “Thank you for taking care of my daughter.”

“...No, I should be the one thanking Senior Sister Yu Yao for her care,” Bai Feng quickly waved his hands, noticing Yu Yao’s expression darkening.

“Hahaha, I know my daughter’s personality well,” Yu Yao’s mother chuckled, shaking her head. Then, she suddenly stepped forward, her face filled with anticipation. “By the way, when do you plan to marry my daughter?”

Bai Feng: “Huh?”

Bai Yu Mo: “?”

“Mom—!” Yu Yao quickly pulled her mother away. “I told you, we’re not in that kind of relationship!”

As they walked away, Bai Feng could still hear their conversation:

“Yao’er, listen to your mom. Such a good opportunity doesn’t come often. Just look at his family background, his talent in formations, and that genius-like business acumen. This is a golden investment!”

“Mom, can you stop looking at others like that? We’re friends, really good friends!”

“Yao’er, I know you’re shy, but it’s times like these that you can’t be reserved. Besides, he doesn’t have a partner yet. If you wait until he does, it’ll be hard to get involved.”

“Mom, I’ve told you, we’re friends! We didn’t meet because of any interests; it’s a genuine friendship! When we first met, he didn’t even know my identity!”

“Alright, alright, you’re friends. I won’t say anything more… But if it really comes to it, just make it happen… mmm!”

Bai Feng: “…”

He suddenly understood what Yu Yao had been worried about earlier.

---

A few minutes later, Bai Feng saw an angry Yu Yao storming out of the house.

“Sorry for the trouble,” she took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. “Let’s go to my room to rest. That way, my mom shouldn’t bother you anymore.”

“...Sure.”

Faced with the situation, Bai Feng didn’t know what to say.

It was impressive that Senior Sister Yu Yao could grow up in such an environment without going astray.

Well, she just had her moments of craziness.

Bai Yu Mo followed Bai Feng into Yu Yao’s room with a calm expression. Perhaps in the past, she would have felt a bit annoyed or angry in such situations, but now she felt a strange sense of composure.

After all, both she and Bai Feng had been through that kind of thing; a few careless words didn’t mean much!

‘Hmph, I’ve grown too!’

……

“By the way, Senior Sister, what about that dancing cat you mentioned?”

Bai Feng sat in a chair, sipping tea and nibbling on snacks, but compared to the delicious treats, he was much more interested in the dancing cat Yu Yao had mentioned.

“I’m looking for it too,” Yu Yao leaned against the window, gazing outside. “Strange, have I been away for so long that Xiao Xue has forgotten me?”

As she spoke, she climbed out of the window. “Wait for me a moment; I’ll go look for it!”

After about ten minutes, Bai Feng heard the sound of the door opening. He instinctively looked toward the door and saw Yu Yao walking in with cat ears on her head.

She looked a bit embarrassed, her gaze slightly averted as she quietly said, “Um, I couldn’t find Xiao Xue. How about I dance for you instead…”

Bai Feng: “…”

I have reason to suspect you’re using the excuse of a dancing cat to lure me into your house.

Damn it, and here I thought there were no cats that could do backflips in the cultivation world!

“It’s true! I’m not lying!”

Seemingly sensing Bai Feng’s skeptical gaze, Yu Yao’s face turned red as she hurried to explain.

Then she pulled off the cat ears from her head, squeezing them as she muttered, “Stupid cat, who knows where it’s sleeping. If I catch it, I’ll make it go a month without any dried fish!”

Just then, Yu Yao’s mother poked her head in from outside. “Yao’er, are you looking for Xiao Xue? It was just sleeping on my lap. Don’t blame it, okay~”

As she spoke, she handed over a snow-white cat.

This cat, like Yu Yao and her mother, was much smaller than an ordinary cat, with bright blue eyes that sparkled. On its forehead, there was a pattern resembling an eye.

‘A Three-Eyed Spirit Cat? But its lineage seems a bit impure; it’s smaller, and the pattern on its forehead isn’t very clear.’

Bai Feng thought to himself.

No wonder it could learn to dance; even among demon beasts, Three-Eyed Spirit Cats had higher intelligence than others.

This particular Three-Eyed Spirit Cat had the cultivation level of early Foundation Establishment, with an intelligence level comparable to that of a seven or eight-year-old child.

“But Mom, didn’t you used to dislike cats?” Yu Yao took Xiao Xue and looked at her mother with a hint of suspicion. “You actually let it sleep on your lap?”