The black-haired girl looked to be in her early twenties, while Scholar Song had just turned eighteen not long ago. Did he really look that old? Was he giving off the vibe of a middle-aged man instead?
And then, there was that immortal name. He immediately thought of those cringe-worthy group nicknames – Immortal Sage of Yellow Mountain, Hermit of North River, and so on – which made his stomach churn painfully.
"Ahem, just call me Scholar Song. And, let's not talk about those immortal names for now," he replied, wishing to avoid being labeled as a middle schooler with delusions of grandeur.
"Ah? I'm sorry, Senior. I forgot for a moment," Fay Yu said, looking a bit embarrassed. As a cultivator, it was common sense not to mention immortal names in front of others, but she had been too excited and momentarily forgot.
"Ahem, you don't have to call me Senior either," Scholar Song said, coughing lightly as he felt the lingering remnants of his cold flare up again.
"Ah." Fay Yu responded softly, her heart sinking – it seemed this Senior wasn't the easiest person to approach. After all, not everyone in the group was as warm-hearted as the Hermit of North River.
Moreover, this Senior was right there in the Luo Xin District but had been silent in the group chat, suggesting he was rather aloof and perhaps had no intention of helping her. The thought made her feel a bit dejected.
Just as Fay Yu was lost in her thoughts, Scholar Song added, "You can just call me Scholar Song directly."
"Ah?" She was taken aback. "Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
"Please, just call me Scholar Song. If you really can't remember my full name, feel free to call me Song, Little Song, or Scholar," he insisted firmly.
If she kept referring to him as Senior, it would be too embarrassing for him; after all, this was the real world!
"Scholar Song… Senior," Fay Yu began, but feeling awkward, she added the honorific anyway.
Yet, inside, she felt relieved, and a bright smile broke across her face – it seemed this Senior was a good person and not the cold type. Perhaps he might help her after all!
Scholar Song rubbed his face in defeat, saying, "Alright, you can call me whatever you like."
"Scholar Song, are you here to help me?" Fay Yu asked, her eyes sparkling with hope.
"Let's talk while we walk," Scholar Song suggested, lifting the large bag he was carrying. With two people and a big suitcase blocking the path, it was better to find a quieter place to chat.
Fay Yu promptly followed behind him in silence.
"I saw the chat logs in the group. You're trying to get to the Luo Xin District in J City, right?" Scholar Song said.
"Mm, the Luo Xin District in J City. Wait, Senior, does that mean…" Fay Yu, being quite clever, quickly picked up on his tone and attitude, her face falling. "Is this not the Luo Xin District?"
"It is indeed the Luo Xin District, but it's the one in Jiangnan, not J City," Scholar Song sighed.
"…" Fay Yu's face instantly turned beet red as she realized her mistake. After a long pause, she quietly asked, "Then Scholar Song, do you know how to get to the Luo Xin District in J City?"
"I've never been there, but you can use navigation, right?" Scholar Song replied with a gentle smile.
Fay Yu tapped her head, pulling out her phone to swipe through. However, just as she began to scroll, her phone suddenly played a cheerful tune, and the screen went dark.
Looking up at Scholar Song with her big, watery eyes, she said, "Scholar Song, my phone is dead."
"…" Scholar Song felt a twinge of pain in his stomach; this black-haired beauty was a bit of a space cadet, wasn't she?
But he still handed over his phone, saying, "You can use mine."
"Thank you, Senior!" Fay Yu exclaimed happily as she took Scholar Song's phone and began to swipe again.
Suddenly, a powerful jingle erupted from the phone, and then the screen darkened again.
Fay Yu looked up at Scholar Song, her big eyes now misty with tears. "Scholar Song, your phone is dead too."
Crap, Scholar Song suddenly remembered that his phone had only six percent battery when he left home. After almost three hours of standby and browsing the internet, it had finally run out of juice.
Awkwardly taking back his phone, he asked, "Fay Yu, are you in a hurry to get to the Ghost Lantern Temple?"
"Not really in a rush, but the sooner, the better. Delays could lead to trouble," Fay Yu replied softly. If she was late, her father would return from the Wild Blade of Three Tides' place and would come looking for her, dragging her back home.
Yes, that was why she had been vague with the Wild Blade of Three Tides in the group.
If her father came home, she could no longer sneak out.
"Then, how about this? Why don't you come with me to my dorm? You can use my computer to check the route, and your phone can charge too. But it's about a twenty-minute walk to my dorm. Is that okay?" Scholar Song proposed.
Scholar Song was a man of his word, with a kind face and a good heart deep down.
There was no way he could leave Fay Yu to fend for herself. In fact, besides those with a particular inclination, how many men would heartlessly abandon a beauty like her?
"Your dorm? Is that where you live in seclusion?" Fay Yu's eyes sparkled with interest. "Twenty minutes is no problem at all!"
"Then let's go," Scholar Song asked tentatively.
Fay Yu nodded enthusiastically, pulling her massive suitcase along and keeping pace behind Scholar Song.
What a naïve girl, Scholar Song thought, feeling a hint of melancholy. It seemed like it would take only a couple of lollipops to convince her to follow him anywhere.
...
...
There's a saying that goes, "When men and women work together, the effort feels lighter."
Logically, working together should energize them. However, after walking for over five minutes with Fay Yu, Scholar Song found himself breathing heavily and feeling exhausted.
He forced a smile at Fay Yu, recalling a conversation with his friends earlier at the square: "That beauty has such long legs, she walks so fast. One step of hers equals several of mine! I had to jog just to keep up."
Long legs really were an advantage!
Even though Fay Yu was trying her best to slow down, Scholar Song still found himself jogging alongside her. How could that not be tiring?
"Senior, you seem to be out of breath?" Fay Yu looked at him quizzically. Surely not? They had only been walking for a little over five minutes, how could someone with such deep cultivation be panting?
"Ha, let's take it easy. No need to rush," Scholar Song said, trying to catch his breath.
"Oh." Fay Yu nodded, looking slightly puzzled. She sensed that this "Senior" seemed a bit off, as if his stamina was rather poor.
But she was a thoughtful girl and respected others' privacy. Since he didn't want to share, she wouldn't pry, not wanting to annoy him.
So she adjusted her stride, shortening her long legs to match Scholar Song's pace.
Finally, Scholar Song felt much more at ease.
The two had already left the Luo Xin District, walking further away.
Coincidentally, behind them, the three guys who had been rating the beauties in the square were also leaving the Luo Xin District, carrying various bags.
"Hey, look! A perfect score! I see another perfect score!" the chubby guy, A Xu, exclaimed excitedly, pointing at Fay Yu's back.
The sunny guy perked up immediately. "Where? This time, I'm definitely going to catch up with her!"
"You don't stand a chance," the short-haired guy said lazily. "She already has a man with her."
The sunny guy saw Scholar Song beside Fay Yu and immediately felt dejected. "A beautiful flower with a master! Damn it!"
"Even though the flower has an owner, the hoe is still ruthless. As long as the hoe swings well, no wall is too tough to break down. Go for it!" A Xu chuckled.
"I'm not interested in NTR-ing someone else's flower," the sunny guy replied, surprisingly maintaining some standards.
But suddenly, the sunny guy's eyes locked onto Scholar Song's back. "Hey, don't you guys think that guy looks a bit familiar?"
"Yeah, it's normal for him to look familiar. He was sitting next to us when we were rating that 100-point beauty in the square," the short-haired guy continued lazily.
"..." A Xu.
"..." The sunny guy.
He was sitting right next to us… That statement echoed endlessly in the sunny guy's head.
He knelt down in realization. "Is this the legendary 'God of Strategy'?"