Lu Fei picked up his phone. It was a call from Chu Huainan. They had exchanged contact information after the dinner party that evening. Now, they were like brothers from different parents, and exchanging numbers was the least they could do.
On the phone, Chu Huainan mentioned he was returning to Tianhang City the next day and wanted to meet him before leaving.
Lu Fei agreed without a second thought. After all, the promised Universal Evolution Stone hadn't been given to him yet.
The next day.
Lu Fei was awakened by the sunlight. He sat up groggily.
Glancing at his phone, he saw it was already past 10 AM. Lu Fei stretched contentedly.
Since arriving here, he hadn't had a proper lie-in.
"Blast it, I overslept! I was supposed to be at the airport at 10!" Lu Fei hurriedly got up, quickly washed his face, and then slung his backpack over his shoulder, heading towards the agreed meeting spot with Chu Huainan.
Cang Town Airport.
Two young women with delicate features were holding a banner that read: "Welcome Elder Chu back to Cang Town for guidance."
A group of children surrounded them, waving large red flowers. Their faces were filled with kind and benevolent smiles.
Chu Huainan stood in the center, flanked by prominent figures from Cang Town like Chen Zhanpeng and Lin Yuansheng.
His gaze swept left and right, as if searching for something.
Finally, a youthful figure caught his eye, and his eyes lit up with joy.
Lu Fei ran up to Chu Huainan, panting and apologetic, "Grandpa, I'm so sorry. I drank too much yesterday and overslept this morning."
"It's alright, we still have time," Chu Huainan didn't blame him, his eyes filled with doting affection. "Shall we find a place to sit and chat for a while longer?"
Lu Fei smiled and agreed.
Chen Zhanpeng, the top official of Cang Town, eagerly offered to arrange a quiet spot for them.
"Brother Lu, I have to leave today. Before I go, there are a few things I need to entrust to you, and I almost forgot to give you the Universal Evolution Stone," Chu Huainan said calmly.
Lu Fei blinked in surprise.
"Brother Lu?"
He hadn't quite registered who was being addressed and remained silent for a long moment.
Oh... he's talking to me...
Lu Fei accepted the peculiar address!
After an internal struggle, Lu Fei, with a thick skin, asked, "What are your instructions, Big Brother?"
This was their agreement. Since they had sworn brotherhood, they were to address each other as brothers when they were alone, and no longer call him "Grandpa."
However, the situation was different earlier; with people around, it was still appropriate to address him as "Grandpa."
After their brotherhood ceremony yesterday, Chu Huainan had belatedly thought of a few things. Although Lu Fei could grow quickly with his protection, it was inevitable that some ill-intentioned individuals might cause him trouble. Therefore, given his current strength, it was best for Lu Fei to remain low-key. Thus, he had informed the attendees of the dinner party that night that his brotherhood with Lu Fei must absolutely not be revealed!
Chu Huainan looked at Lu Fei, a hint of regret in his words, "Are you sure you don't want to come with me to Tianhang City?"
He asked this question again. He had already asked it when they spoke on the phone, but Lu Fei had immediately refused without giving a reason.
Lu Fei pondered for a moment and said sincerely, "Big Brother, I appreciate your kind offer, but I still wish to grow step by step. In the future, when I feel I have sufficient strength to protect myself, I will come to find you."
This was the truth. Lu Fei disliked being constantly protected. Although he could live well that way, it felt like being kept in a cage. His profession was animal research, so he strongly resisted this feeling of being confined.
Furthermore, staying by Chu Huainan's side might not necessarily be a good thing, as the man couldn't possibly protect him 24/7.
After hearing Lu Fei's explanation, Chu Huainan nodded silently.
He felt a sense of gratification. His repeated compromises and concessions to fulfill Lu Fei's various requests were not just because Lu Fei had saved his life, but more importantly, because he liked Lu Fei's personality.
In him, he always felt a sense of unrestrained wildness that defied convention. Moreover, he saw no trace of fear or compromise towards power and authority in him. He liked this feeling, which made him feel as if he had become several years younger.
"Then I won't press you. Speaking of which, my granddaughter is about your age. If you ever go to Tianhang City, you two should be able to become good friends." As he spoke, Chu Huainan removed a ring from his finger.
"This spatial ring is a parting gift. While it's not particularly valuable, with this, you won't have to carry a backpack everywhere you go from now on. Heh heh."
Lu Fei was slightly taken aback.
He had personally seen Chu Huainan retrieve items from the ring.
"Does this ring also have the ability to store items?" Lu Fei muttered to himself as he took the ring.
Before he could begin examining it, Chu Huainan chuckled, "The Universal Evolution Stone is also placed inside the spatial ring. I've also put some other things in there. I'm traveling light this time, I hope you won't think your elder brother is stingy."
Upon hearing this, Lu Fei's face lit up with joy.
Not stingy at all! How could I think that! If I wasn't afraid of upsetting the seniority, I'd call you Dad... Lu Fei's heart bloomed with happiness.
Chu Huainan glanced at his watch and sighed, "Alright, time is almost up, and I should be departing."
Lu Fei nodded mutely, feeling a touch of reluctance.
After seeing Chu Huainan off for a while, he remembered something important.
"By the way, Big Brother! I have something else I need to ask you."
Chu Huainan nodded.
Lu Fei's expression turned serious as he asked, "Do you know about Yue Country?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the previously nonchalant Chu Huainan suddenly turned his head to look at Lu Fei.
His eyes held surprise, confusion, and a deep sense of unease.
This was the first time Lu Fei had seen him wear such an expression, and he felt a chill in his heart.
"Wh-what's wrong?" Lu Fei stammered, wondering if he had asked something he shouldn't have.
"How do you know about Yue Country?" Chu Huainan asked in a deep voice.
Lu Fei was startled, his expression becoming tense.
Did I ask something I shouldn't have... Lu Fei thought to himself.
He tentatively asked, "Big... Big Brother, is there anything mysterious about this Yue Country?"
Chu Huainan was straightforward and didn't beat around the bush. He said directly, "Yue Country is an unknown realm discovered only last year. It is even more mysterious than the Star Domain!"
As he spoke, Chu Huainan stared intently at Lu Fei, "The World Government has not yet announced the existence of this place. How did you find out?"
Lu Fei felt a tingling sensation all over his scalp. He never expected this place to be a secret!
At the same time, his mind was racing!
With a flicker of thought, a plausible explanation came to mind.
Lu Fei suddenly lowered his head, "Oh no!" he exclaimed, looking extremely vexed.
Chu Huainan frowned.
Lu Fei then said with a heavy tone, "There's something I've been hiding from you!"
"What is it?" Chu Huainan asked.
Lu Fei said with great distress, "When we first met in the hunting grounds, I didn't tell you something!"
Chu Huainan's heart stirred, and he began to take it seriously.
Lu Fei leaned close to Chu Huainan's ear and whispered:
"This place called Yue Country was mentioned by that unknown creature!"