Her phone vibrated.
Liu Yi picked it up; it was a message from the School Team group chat.
【Li Chengying: @everyone No training today! Anyone going to the Cloud Arena? I still want to eat that Arctic Frostfall from last time!】
【Wei Tan'an: I haven't been there yet. I heard the exhibition matches are quite interesting?】
【Li Chengying: Yes, yes, super interesting!】
【Chu Qian: Sounds good, count me in.】
【Xie Jing: I'm going too.】
【Murong Qing: +1】
【Tang Xuejian: +1】
【Li Chengying: @Yi Liu Yi, are you coming?】
Liu Yi looked down at the Blaze Lion in her arms, which was pawing at her sleeve. She then glanced at the lively discussion in the chat and tapped the screen a few times.
【Liu Yi: Busy today, can't make it. You all have fun.】
【Li Chengying: Ah? What are you busy with? Need help?】
【Liu Yi: Minor stuff, no need. You go ahead.】
【Li Chengying: Alright, alright, but you absolutely have to come next time! @Gao Xue Xiao Xue, are you coming?】
【Gao Xue: No.】
【Li Chengying: Why not!】
【Gao Xue: Don't want to.】
【Li Chengying: ...Fine. What about Senior Qin? @Ouyang Qin】
【Ouyang Qin: No.】
【Li Chengying: ...】
【Li Chengying: Since none of you are going, I'll just go with Wei Tan'an and the others! Hmph!】
The Blaze Lion was still tugging at her sleeve, its tiny paws hooked onto the fabric, pulling and yanking. Its golden eyes were full of curiosity.
“Yanyan?”
Liu Yi reached out, freed it from her sleeve, gently rubbed its head, and then placed it in the center of the bed.
“You two play with it for a bit.” She stood up. “I’ll go downstairs to the restaurant and grab some food.”
“Yanyan! Yanyan!”
Don't leave!
Liu Yi glanced back at it. The Blaze Lion was looking at her with pitiful golden eyes, its tail wagging anxiously.
“I’ll be back soon,” she said. “Ziyue and Chiying will keep you company.”
Ziyue immediately jumped forward, gently nudging the Blaze Lion with her head, pushing it back to the center of the bed from the edge.
“Bingbing!”
Don't run around, Master will be back soon.
Chiying also floated over from the foot of the bed, landing in the center, and gently encircled the Blaze Lion with its tail, keeping it by its side.
The Blaze Lion was encircled by Chiying's tail. It struggled twice but couldn't break free, so it obediently lay down. But its golden eyes remained fixed on Liu Yi's direction, unblinking.
Liu Yi walked to the door and looked back once more.
The Blaze Lion was still lying there, its golden eyes filled with reluctance, its tiny paws resting on Chiying's tail, gently pawing at it.
“Soon,” she repeated, then pushed the door open and left.
The room door closed behind her.
The Blaze Lion's gaze remained on the door for several seconds before slowly retracting. It lowered its head, nudged Chiying's tail with its nose, and then sighed.
“Yanyan...”
Ziyue sidled over, rubbing her head against the Blaze Lion's ear.
“Bingbing!”
Don't be sad, Master will really be back soon.
Chiying loosened its tail slightly, allowing the Blaze Lion to move freely in the center of the bed, but still maintained a vigilant posture.
The Blaze Lion turned around in the center of the bed, its golden eyes scanning every corner of the room. It looked at the crystal chandelier above, the floating island scenery outside the window, and then the closed door.
Finally, its gaze fell on the wall opposite the foot of the bed.
A television hung on the wall.
The Blaze Lion tilted its head, a hint of curiosity flashing in its golden eyes.
“Yanyan?”
What's that?
Ziyue followed its gaze and called out.
“Bingbing.”
Television.
The Blaze Lion tilted its head, clearly not understanding.
Ziyue thought for a moment, jumped off the bed, ran to the TV stand, and pressed the power button with her paw.
The screen lit up.
The commentator's voice blared from the loudspeaker, his tone impassioned: “...Welcome to this year's All-Ages Master Beast Tamer League of the Stellan Continent! Today, we bring you the first match of the quarterfinals, featuring Wei Jin from the Stellan Continent against Elena from the Nickerich Continent!”
On screen, the two contestants' pets began to battle.
The Blaze Lion squatted on the bed, its golden eyes unblinkingly fixed on the TV screen, its tail gently swaying behind it.
The Dragon-type pet on the screen opened its massive maw, and a concentrated pillar of fire erupted from its mouth, blasting directly towards the Flying-type pet opposite it. Where the fire pillar passed, the air twisted and warped from the scorching heat, and the ice on the ground was instantly vaporized.
The Flying-type pet folded its wings, and ice crystals condensed before it, forming a massive ice shield.
The Blaze Lion's tail swayed faster.
It lowered its body slightly, the two clashing figures on the screen reflected in its golden eyes, and its tiny paws lightly scraped the bedsheet.
Ziyue looked down at it, a hint of surprise in her purple eyes.
“Bingbing?”
You want to fight?
The Blaze Lion didn't answer.
Its gaze was tightly locked on the match on screen.
Ziyue looked at its eager expression and remembered her own first time watching a pet battle.
Back then, she had just hatched, and Liu Yi held her while watching her sister's match replays.
At that time, she was also like the Blaze Lion now, staring intently at the screen, her tails wagging continuously.
“Mo.”
Chiying called out, its voice calm.
Don't be impatient.
The Blaze Lion didn't heed it.
The pillar of fire struck the ice shield, erupting in a blinding white light and a deafening roar. Cracks appeared on the surface of the ice shield, but it didn't shatter.
The Flying-type pet slid backward, using the impact force, while simultaneously spreading its wings. Countless Ice Spikes shot out from its wingtips, raining down on the Dragon-type pet.
The Blaze Lion's body tensed even further.
Its tail stopped swaying, its golden eyes fixed on the dissipating pillar of fire on the screen.
Then, it opened its mouth.
A small ball of flame shot out from its mouth, flying towards the television screen.
The flame wasn't large, but it flew very straight.
Ziyue's pupils sharply contracted.
“Bingbing!”
She jumped off the bed, her tail flicking. An Ice Blade shot out from behind her, precisely intercepting the flying flame.
The Ice Blade and the flame collided in mid-air.
White steam exploded, filling the room.
The flame was shattered by the Ice Blade, turning into tiny sparks that dissipated into the air.
The television screen was perfectly intact.
Ziyue breathed a sigh of relief, but quickly tensed up again.
Because the Blaze Lion opened its mouth once more.
Chiying gently coiled its tail around the Blaze Lion's body, lifting it off the bed.
The Blaze Lion, suddenly suspended, closed its mouth, its golden eyes filled with bewilderment.
“Yanyan?”
It called out, not understanding what had happened.
Ziyue walked over to Chiying, looking at the Blaze Lion held by its tail.
“Bingbing! Bingbing!”
You can't breathe fire at the TV! You'll burn it!
The Blaze Lion tilted its head, its golden eyes full of confusion.
“Yanyan?”
Why not?
Rate on N.U.
