Chapter 853: Extra Chapter 4: 90

After breakfast the next day, everyone dispersed.

Li Qingying stayed behind to help Xiao Jiu clean up properly before leaving.

Actually, Chénghuáng Miào wasn't that busy either, but Hui Moqiong Privately had quietly instructed her, saying that Seventh Lord had just returned, the newlyweds would be lovey-dovey for a while, so don't let Li Qingying be a third wheel.

Liu Junyan went to the west wing.

Now the west wing has been remodeled into a study.

Last night they talked about too many things; Liu Junyan needed to calm down and sort things out.

Xiao Jiu didn't disturb him, instead tidying up the things in Yin Dang Hang up front.

As lunchtime approached, Xiao Jiu poured a cup of tea and went to the study.

She gently pushed open the west room's door and saw, behind the large desk, Liu Junyan writing something, his expression focused.

Xiao Jiu put the teacup aside, was about to turn and go to the bookshelf to find a book to read while waiting for Liu Junyan, when a hand suddenly appeared on her waist.

The next moment, that hand exerted force, and Xiao Jiu fell onto Liu Junyan's lap.

Liu Junyan also supported her buttocks and lifted her up a bit, afraid she would fall.

Xiao Jiu instinctively wrapped her arms around Liu Junyan's neck and snapped, 'What the hell! You scared me to death.'

Liu Junyan didn't reply, just kept lowering his head to kiss Xiao Jiu, sticky and affectionate, as if he could never get enough.

Xiao Jiu finally found a chance to cover his mouth with her hand: 'It's noon, what do you want to eat? Should I make it for you, or go out?'

Liu Junyan kissed Xiao Jiu's palm, his voice hoarse as he said, 'I want to eat…'

Before he could utter the 'you,' Xiao Jiu reflexively pressed her hand hard over his mouth.

She simply couldn't bear to hear Liu Junyan say such things.

This man, as he ages, seems even more brooding than before, by far.

Xiao Jiu still hasn't fully adjusted.

Liu Junyan swept everything off the desk with one hand and placed Xiao Jiu on top.

Xiao Jiu truly regretted coming to call Liu Junyan for lunch.

She was practically delivering food to his door herself.

Both her arms were sore, her legs trembling, only then did the despicable man deign to hold her and take her back to wash up.

She hadn't eaten lunch, and Xiao Jiu was so exhausted she fell asleep as soon as she hit the bed.

She slept straight through until three in the afternoon.

When Xiao Jiu woke up, she found Liu Junyan gone, with a note on the bedside table: 'The food is warming in the pot; I'm off to Linghai Dragon Palace, I'll return later.'

Xiao Jiu had to admit, that despicable man's energy was truly impressive.

She was practically dead from exhaustion, yet he still had the energy to go find Xiaoye to talk?

Starving, Xiao Jiu rushed straight to the kitchen.

The big pot indeed held warming food, fragrant and delicious, all of Xiao Jiu's favorites.

Xiao Jiu ate her fill, then lay on the courtyard chaise, stretching her limbs; the evening breeze was gentle, making her feel utterly comfortable.

How wonderful it would be if such days could continue forever.

Liu Junyan returned after nine o'clock at night.

At that time, Xiao Jiu was on duty at Yin Dang Hang.

Liu Junyan suddenly appeared behind her, directly lifting her up and sitting her on his lap.

Xiao Jiu struggled a few times, to no avail.

Liu Junyan rested his chin on her shoulder, acting shameless: 'You do your thing, I'll keep you company, I won't disturb you.'

Xiao Jiu:???

Isn't this still disturbing?

Fine, she wasn't busy with anything important right now, so she let him be and asked, 'How did your talk with Xiaoye go? Did you see Little Old Three?'

'I didn't see him,' Liu Junyan said, 'but Xiāo gē said that in three days, Little Old Three will emerge from seclusion, and then we'll go together to have a look.'

Xiao Jiu exclaimed delightedly, 'In three days he'll be out? That's great! I also don't know whether, after this emergence, Little Old Three will undergo any major changes.'

'There will definitely be changes,' Liu Junyan said, 'Xiāo gē said that after this molt, he successfully advanced from the juvenile state of the dragon-turtle to the sub-adult state, laying the foundation for the adult state, so this seclusion is especially important; if the foundation isn't solid, it will have a certain impact on his future cultivation.'

Xiao Jiu understood this principle.

No matter what you do, if the foundation is solid, even if later things go poorly, they won't go too far wrong.

Xiao Jiu pondered and said, 'After this molt, I don't know whether his turtle part will grow much larger; right now his head and tail are big, but his body is small, somewhat disproportionate.'

Liu Junyan couldn't help teasing her: 'It's all mothers who don't think their sons ugly; how come you're despising Little Old Three for being ugly?'

Xiao Jiu glared at Liu Junyan: 'Then back when you were in Suedi, why were you afraid I'd see the scales on your face and call yourself ugly? So it's only you, as his father, who knows about beauty, while our Little Old Three doesn't?'

Liu Junyan froze, then immediately tickled Xiao Jiu's waist with both hands: 'All right, Xiao Jiu, you were peeking at me.'

Xiao Jiu is most ticklish; being tickled by Liu Junyan made her giggle nonstop.

She laughed while pounding him.

After a while, Liu Junyan still wouldn't let go.

Xiao Jiu could only keep begging for mercy.

Only then did Liu Junyan relent, then said with interest: 'Don't worry, his parents' excellent looks are right here; his older brothers and sisters are also good-looking, so Little Old Three won't be lacking.'

Xiao Jiu also agreed with Liu Junyan's view.

But after three days, when Xiao Jiu personally saw Little Old Three, who had just emerged from seclusion, lying in the abyss of Linghai Forbidden Ground, she still could hardly believe it.

The dragon head was still the same dragon head, the tail still that same tail, but Little Old Three's body had swollen who knows how many times.

What was originally a very disproportionate physique now looked much more harmonious.

But it was just too big.

More importantly, a piece actually appeared on his back.

That is a perfectly square piece of ao shell, tightly connected to the ao shells already on his back, slightly raised; if you ignore its tail end, it resembles the foundation laid when building a house.

Xiao Jiu was a little worried, but Xiaoye and Liu Junyan were both happy for the third child.

Liu Junyan explained: "Xiao Jiu, a true ao carries things on its back; the most common is a stele, but what our third child carries, if nothing unexpected happens, should be a tower."

"A tower?" Xiao Jiu exclaimed, "Is it like that tower in the Suedi waters?"

Liu Junyan shook their head: "That tower only has a few levels; our third child would need to carry at least seven levels to possibly match that ancient great demon."

Xiao Jiu immediately frowned: "Seven levels? How tall would that be? How big a base would be needed to support such a heavy tower?"

Liu Junyan rubbed Xiao Jiu's hair, comforting her: "Xiao Jiu, this is his mission! As parents, worrying that the child will be tired and unable to bear it is normal, but from his own perspective, he surely hopes to become stronger and better, right?"

Yes, no matter what his true form is, only by becoming stronger can his survival rate increase, and only then can he better bear the responsibilities he must shoulder.

Xiao Jiu gradually calmed down and then asked Xiaoye: "Is this Chuanchuan's semi-mature form? Then does his ability to take human form mean he's already in a youthful state?"

Xiaoye shook their head: "No, before Chuanchuan reaches adulthood, he cannot take human form again..."