After transmigrating into the body of the Jade Rat Spirit, I became Nezha's adopted sister.

Was he just teasing her?

No, she must be overthinking it. Why would Nezha tease her on purpose? He must have some important business to attend to and be taking her out to broaden her horizons.

Bai Yeying tried to convince herself of this, but her heart was pounding wildly.

At the beginning of the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), Bai Yeying changed into a light yellow outfit and tied her long hair into a simple ponytail. She arrived at the gate of Yunlou Palace on time.

Nezha was already waiting there. He had changed back into his red clothes, but was not wearing silver armor. A dark gold-patterned belt was loosely tied around his waist. The night breeze fluttered the hem of his clothes, and the young man's figure was as upright as bamboo.

Upon seeing her arrive, he looked her up and down and nodded, "She's alright."

"Where are we going?" Bai Yeying asked curiously.

"Just follow along."

Nezha reached out and put his arm around her waist. With a flash of flame from his Wind Fire Wheels, the two of them soared into the sky.

The wind howled, and Bai Yeying instinctively shrank closer to Nezha's arms. The boy's arms were strong and firm, protecting her steadily.

They did not fly out of the South Heavenly Gate, but instead wandered around the Heavenly Court, finally landing in front of a secluded palace garden.

The palace garden is not large, but it is exquisite and unique. The walls are covered with pale purple vines and dotted with small flowers.

A wooden plaque hangs above the door, bearing the three characters "Lanxing Pavilion".

"This is..." Bai Yeying asked in confusion.

"This is a place I used to come to when I was a child." Nezha pushed open the courtyard gate. "Come in."

The courtyard was filled with exotic flowers and rare herbs, and in the center stood an ancient tree with tiny specks of light hanging from its branches. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be countless self-illuminating spirit insects, creating a dreamlike scene.

A stone table and benches were set up under the tree, and several kinds of snacks and a pot of wine were already laid out on the table.

"Sit down." Nezha naturally pulled her to sit on the stone bench, poured two cups of wine, and said, "Try it."

Bai Yeying picked up her wine glass and took a sip.

"It's delicious." Her eyes lit up.

Nezha smiled slightly: "You have good taste."

The two sat facing each other, drinking wine. Above them were countless stars and twinkling insects, and the surroundings were quiet, with only the chirping of insects and the sound of the wind.

Bai Yeying gradually relaxed, resting her chin on her hand as she watched Nezha pour the wine.

The boy had long, drooping eyelashes that cast a light shadow under his eyes; he had a high nose bridge and healthy pale red lips.

"It's so beautiful," she thought to herself.

"Have you seen enough?" Nezha suddenly looked up and accurately caught her gaze.

Caught red-handed, Bai Yeying hurriedly looked away, exclaiming, "Who was looking at you! I was looking at the stars!"

"Oh?" Nezha raised an eyebrow, then suddenly leaned closer. "Are the stars prettier than me?"

The distance between the two instantly closed, and Bai Yeying could even see her own reflection in his pupils.

Her heart suddenly raced, and her breathing became erratic.

"What are you doing..." She shrank back, her back pressed against the tree trunk.

Nezha did not retreat, but instead moved closer and braced himself against the tree trunk beside her, trapping her between himself and the ancient tree.

"Bai Yeying." He called her name, his voice lower than usual, slightly hoarse, "Have you been hiding something from me lately?"

"I didn't..." Bai Yeying's voice was unsteady.

"No?" Nezha chuckled, his warm breath brushing against her cheek. "Then why don't you dare look at me? Why do you blush when I get close? Why..."

He paused, then lowered his voice even further: "Why do you always peek at me?"

Bai Yeying dared not look at him. She wanted to deny it, but under his phoenix eyes that seemed to see through everything, all her explanations seemed pale and powerless.

"I..." She opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything.

Nezha looked at her flustered appearance, a smile in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared. He straightened up, withdrew his hand, and sat back down on the stone bench.

"Fine." He poured himself a glass of wine, drank it all in one gulp, and said, "If you don't want to talk about it, then forget it."

Bai Yeying breathed a sigh of relief, but felt inexplicably disappointed.

She stole a glance at Nezha and saw that he looked perfectly normal, as if his earlier approach was just her imagination.

Sure enough, she was overthinking it.

The two sat for a while longer, until the moon was high in the sky, before Nezha stood up and said, "Let's go back."

On the way back to Yunlou Palace, Bai Yeying was much quieter. Nezha didn't say anything either, but the arm around her waist seemed to tighten a little more than when they arrived.

Upon reaching the palace gates, Nezha released her and said calmly, "Get some rest."

"Yes, you too." Bai Yeying nodded and turned to walk towards the side hall.

"Bai Yeying." Nezha suddenly called out to her again.

"Hmm?" She turned around.

The boy stood in the moonlight, his red clothes as fiery as fire, yet his eyes were gentle: "You don't need to get up early to practice shooting tomorrow. I'll take you to a fun place."

"Really?" Bai Yeying's eyes lit up.

"When have I ever lied to you?" Nezha raised an eyebrow. "Go to sleep."

"Okay!" Bai Yeying happily agreed and walked briskly back to the side hall.

Watching her joyful figure disappear behind the door, Nezha stood there for a while, a slow smile spreading across his face.

"Silly rat," he muttered to himself, then turned and went back to the main hall.

................

The next day, Bai Yeying got up very early, chose a light blue dress, looked at herself in the mirror again and again before going out.

Nezha was already waiting in front of the palace gate. Today he was dressed in a dark red casual robe with silver cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs, giving him the air of a noble young master.

Seeing Bai Yeying come out, he lingered on her for a moment, then nodded: "Let's go."

This time, after they left the South Heavenly Gate, they flew straight east.

After flying for about half an hour, a vast blue sea appeared ahead.

The seawater is crystal clear, and you can see schools of colorful fish swimming around, with corals growing everywhere, making it a beautiful sight.

"Is this the East China Sea?" Bai Yeying asked in surprise.

"On the shore of the East Sea." Nezha descended from the clouds and landed on a cliff by the sea.

There is an inconspicuous cave at the bottom of the cliff, the entrance of which is hidden by vines.

Nezha parted the vines and led Bai Yeying inside.

The cave was initially very narrow, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. After walking several dozen steps, it suddenly opened up into a bright and spacious area.

Before my eyes lay a paradise on earth. Birds sang, flowers bloomed, streams babbled, and exotic plants covered the ground. What was even more wonderful was the abundance of spiritual energy here; every breath felt refreshing and invigorating.

How did you know about this place?

"I discovered it by chance when I was exorcising demons in my early years. I thought it was good, so I set up an array to cover it up and come here occasionally for some peace and quiet."

Bai Yeying stopped in front of a shrub with pale purple flowers and gently touched the petals. The petals were soft and carried a refreshing fragrance.

"What kind of flower is this? I've never seen it before."

"The Purple Moon Orchid only grows here." Nezha walked to her side, casually picked a flower, and tucked it behind her ear. "It suits you."

The simple gesture made Bai Yeying's heart skip a beat. She touched the flower by her temple and whispered, "Thank you..."

"No need to thank me." Nezha turned and walked towards the stream. "Come here, there are even better things to see over here."

The stream was crystal clear, with colorful pebbles covering the bottom. Even more amazing, there were many translucent little fish in the stream that emitted a faint glow as they swam.

Bai Yeying squatted by the stream and reached out to splash water. The little fish were not afraid of people at all; instead, they curiously gathered around and touched her fingertips.

"Aren't they afraid of people?" she asked in surprise.

"No one has ever been here before, so they are naturally not afraid." Nezha sat down beside her, casually picked a blade of grass, folded it into a small boat, and put it into the stream.

The grass-leaf boat drifted downstream, surrounded by glowing fish like a escorting guard.

Bai Yeying looked at it and suddenly laughed: "I didn't expect the Third Prince to have such a childish side."