While Han Taiyi and Chu Lizheng bickers, Lillie let her eyes stray towards the clear sky, carefully studying it. Then, she shifted to the ship's surrounding, noticing how those loud, ivory birds seemed to have disappeared.

If their constant squawking fading wasn't an indication of them leaving the ship, Lillie wasn't sure what else. ​​

"There you are." Lillie said as she lowered her eyes, watching the man she's been waiting for trod towards them. "I thought you got lost and was about to look for you."

Jun Jihuo (Ethan), faintly laughed. "Sorry for making you wait. I had to fend off your Senior Brother from stealing the wine you brought. Good thing I stayed there for an extra minute."

"He did?" Lillie feigned an angry and surprised outlook. "That drunkard, he was probably about to share it with the crew."

Han Taiyi and Chu Lizheng whirled their heads over their shoulder and saw Grand Disciple Life's husband.

They didn't get to fully see him earlier at the harbor. At first glance, this man looked nothing more than a tall, simple, average man.

But they weren't quick to judge. Take Grand Disciple Life as an example of not judging the book by its appearance.

Those who look unarmed and innocent are sometimes the most deadly. The academy taught their students to never underestimate someone and to always seek beyond the person's outer appearance.

Without a doubt, the spouse of one of the highest ranking students in Soaring Dragon Academy and an expert in several styles of martial arts, wouldn't be as simple as he seems...right?

Ethan's steps slowed down. "Oh, you had friends to accompany you while I'm gone." He noted, offering the two Sun students a polite smile. "Were they your old classmates?"

"I wish." Lillie sighed wistfully. She passed around the two to stand beside Ethan. "Honey, these are my new friends. We became acquainted just awhile ago."

"A pleasure to finally meet you, I am Han Taiyi." Han Taiyi said, re-enacting her previous introduction with Lillie. Her demeanor shifting back to what she would usually use towards strangers or when she was around teachers.

"Chu Lizheng." Chu Lizheng briefly said.

"It's nice to meet you as well," Ethan tipped his head. "I'm Shengming's husband, Jun Jihuo. Thank you for accompanying my wife."

"There is no need to thank us, Jun daren [1]. Your wife, Grand Disciple Life, is eminently renowned and respected in our Academy. It was, forsooth, our fortune that she humored our intrusion." Han Taiyi sagely said.

Had Lillie been like other people and have met Han Taiyi while she was in her laid-back self, she would've thought she was possessed by someone with incredibly proper decorum.

"It's not an intrusion, Taiyi." Lillie gently scolded. "If it weren't for you two, I might've died in boredom waiting for my husband."

"This esteemed one speaks highly of us." Chu Lizheng replied, going with the flow of his good friend's ploy. "Exchanging words with this esteemed one is akin to having been blessed by the Jade Emperor himself."

Han Taiyi almost howled in laughter but manage to resist and keep a blank face. She nodded firmly and said, "Indeed."

Lillie sighed through her nose upon grasping their antics. "Alright you two, you can drop the sagely talk. I'll have you know that he's fluent and is capable to sit through with Grandmaster Xie over a cup of tea."

Han Taiyi winced. "That bad—I mean, good?"

"I'm not following?" Ethan looked puzzled.

"Fortunate for you to not. You wouldn't want to meet that lady, no matter how fluent you are in sage lingo." Chu Lizheng folded his arms thoughtfully.

"The way you suggest it...I might as well take your word for it."

Camaraderie formed between the two males after eventually discovering that they have a lot in common—especially when it's related to their female counterparts, whom carry through their idle chats.

Chu Lizheng had never been grateful to have a male companion at this moment. He's a man, and men sometimes didn't want to sit through a conversation where everyone is the opposite sex.

He knows his good friend well enough to know that she'll maneuver the subject of the conversation to a point where he, as a man, would find it uncomfortable listening into.

In their years of friendship, Han Taiyi haven't attempted to ask him, or talk about...discomforting topics.

But that doesn't mean she doesn't to others—many times he was with her, and his ears didn't have the ability to block particular sounds.

Chu Lizheng thinks he've learned a lot of the female anatomy—more than what their teacher taught them—from Han Taiyi.

"This is the first time you've brought your husband here, right?" Han Taiyi placed a hand on Lillie's back and guided her away from the two males.

Now that Chu Lizheng had a companion now, she can finally have some girl talk with Lillie.