It seemed, in a twist of fate, five energetic youths suddenly appeared outside the gates of the Cheyan family estate. Dressed brightly, they exuded vitality.
“Whom may I help you find?” a servant intercepted them as they moved to enter.
“Is Noven residing here? Is he home?” one of the boys inquired, a smile playing on his lips.
The servant nodded, though he had no idea what connection these youths had with Young Master Noven.
“Kindly announce us; tell him his classmates are here,” another boy added with a grin.
“Very well, please wait a moment.” With that, the servant excused himself and departed.
The waiting youths were all flushed with excitement, picturing the look on Noven’s face when he saw them.
These five boys were not only from the same academy as Noven but also shared the same dormitory. They were quite close in daily life. Seizing the opportunity just before the semester began, they had taken a detour specifically to find Noven. Firstly, it was to give him a surprise, and secondly, they planned to return to school with him.
“Hey, what do you think Noven’s doing right now? I bet he hasn't even woken up yet!” one blond youth said with a mischievous smirk.
“I can’t believe Noven’s house is this big. I should have come a few days earlier,” another commented with a sigh of awe.
“Hey, I heard Noven has a sister, too. She’s supposed to be quite beautiful. None of you dare try to snatch her from me!” another one interjected with a lewd grin.
The others responded with looks of utter disdain, as if this behavior was old news.
Meanwhile, Noven was already awake. However, he hadn't washed up yet; instead, he sat in a chair, lost in thought.
For the past few days, he had frequently visited Thomas and Solomon, listening to their accounts of the exploits of Zhong Shenxiu and Robin.
Noven spent every day contemplating how much of the stories Thomas and the others recounted was inflated, and how much he should actually believe.
Of course, another persistent question in his mind was: where did those two children go? Why, after nearly a month, had there been no news of them whatsoever?
Today, Noven was again pondering matters related to Zhong Shenxiu and Robin when a servant hurried in.
“Young Master, there are people outside asking for you. Shall I let them in?” the servant asked.
“Looking for me?” Noven paused, thinking it might be Solomon and the others, but he still inquired, “Who is it?”
“There are five of them, sir. They say they are your classmates.”
“Who?” Noven shot up from his chair with a sharp whoosh.
The boys were still waiting outside, occasionally pointing at things within the grounds.
Just then, Noven dashed out in a flurry, his face clearly etched with surprise.
“Hey, Noven!” one sharp-eyed youth spotted him and immediately shouted.
As he called out, Noven reached the group of five.
“Blunt, Edgar! It really is you two!” Noven could scarcely believe his eyes.
“Did we shock you?” One of them clapped a hand on Noven’s shoulder, then continued, “We’ve come on empty stomachs. Aren’t you going to treat us to a proper meal?”
“A meal is fine, but you settle the bill first!” Noven replied with a laugh.
He was the best of friends with these youths; they always ate and played together, so joking around was second nature.
“We didn’t bring any money, that’s why we came to you—to top up our travel funds!” another quipped playfully.
With much banter, the group passed through the main gate.
“Noven, where’s your sister? Why didn’t she come out to greet us?” the lewd youth from earlier asked, feigning eagerness.
“Isaac, I’m warning you, keep your hands off my sister, or I’ll castrate you!” Noven cautioned in a threatening tone.
Isaac immediately adopted a fearful expression but said nothing more.
Noven instructed a servant to prepare some dishes, and after eating with them, he began showing them around the different parts of the courtyard.
“Right, I have to warn you all about something!” Noven’s expression suddenly changed as if something dawned on him. “If you run into those two children here, whatever you do, do not provoke them. It’s best to steer clear.”
Noven worried that if Zhong Shenxiu and Robin happened to return, friction might arise between them and his classmates. His sister had warned him nearly fifty times, and even if he didn't fully believe it, he felt obligated to be cautious.
“Children?” Isaac first blinked in confusion, then grinned slyly. “Noven, don’t tell me they’re your illegitimate offspring?”
“Get out of here!” Noven glared at Isaac. Then, his expression turned serious again. “I’m telling you this for your own good.”
“What do you mean?” Kopei asked, and the others also cast curious glances his way. They were all at an age where curiosity burned brightest. Hearing Noven issue such a solemn warning, they were naturally intrigued.
“Those two children are very powerful. Just don’t mess with them and leave,” Noven hedged, unsure how to explain the situation.
Little did he know that his vagueness only stoked their curiosity further.
“Very powerful? How powerful?” Edgar, a lover of conflict, his eyes lit up at the word "powerful."
“Powerful enough to instantly obliterate you!” Since Noven wasn't entirely sure himself, he could only relay the description Thomas and the others had given him.
The youths exchanged glances, then burst into uncontrolled laughter, as if they had never heard such an amusing joke in their lives.
“Noven, what’s wrong with you? Did you regress over the summer break? Two kids have you this spooked? Who are they, anyway? Some kind of minor royalty?” Isaac teased.
Noven felt frustrated himself, but having witnessed Robin display his abilities—which could only be described as ‘bizarre’—he truly wanted to spar with the two children. However, Cherry’s repeated, stringent warnings kept him in check.
Just as Noven was about to speak, his expression froze. He saw his sister, Cherry, skipping merrily toward them, looking quite delighted.
“Second Brother,” Cherry called out, then shifted her gaze to the surrounding youths with a hint of confusion. “Who are these people?”
Before Noven could answer, Isaac preempted him. “We are your brother’s best friends. I’m Isaac, and you should properly call us ‘brothers,’ by rights.”
Unbeknownst to Isaac, Noven immediately shoved him aside unceremoniously. “Ignore this one, Cherry. He got his head caught in a door when he was little; he has mental issues!”
Cherry giggled, surprised her brother had such a comical friend.
Isaac tried to retort but was kicked backward by Noven, relegated to observing from the rear. As a mage, he dared not provoke Noven so closely.
“Cherry, where were you off to?” Noven actually wanted to ask why she was so happy.
To his surprise, Cherry suddenly grew serious. “Brother, I’m warning you! Stop provoking Robin and the Landlord. They’re back now. If you don’t listen to me this time, I won’t look after you anymore!”
Noven’s frame visibly shook. He murmured internally: They’re already back?
He intended to ask for details, but Cherry shifted her gaze away from him and addressed Blunt and the others: “Welcome to our home as guests!”
Blunt and the others were taken aback by Cherry’s warmth and offered apologies for intruding. But what they hadn't expected were Cherry's next words.
Cherry’s expression turned serious and firm again, adopting a tone of warning: “You all must remember this: if you see those two children, do not provoke them under any circumstances. It is best to pretend you haven’t seen them and walk away. If any accident occurs, don’t say I didn’t warn you!”
What did that mean?
The youths froze. They hadn't expected Cherry to issue the exact same warning Noven had. If Noven had said it, they might have dismissed it as a joke, but hearing it from Cherry too compelled them to think deeply.
“May I ask who those two children are, and why we absolutely must avoid them?” Blunt finally gave in to his curiosity.
“They are not people!” Cherry provided as an answer.
“What?” Blunt’s eyes widened noticeably, and he looked at Cherry with an odd expression.
Cherry meant well, offering a kindly warning, but to Blunt and the others, it sounded like condescension. At their age, they were naturally high-spirited and arrogant; while not outright tyrannical, they wouldn't be easily intimidated by a few sentences.
On the surface, they nodded in agreement, but in their hearts, they were intensely eager to meet these two children, to see if they truly had three heads and six arms. This was precisely the effect of being counterproductive.
“I can’t chat anymore; I have things to do. You all must remember what I said!” Cherry declared, and then she ran off again.
Watching her retreating figure, Isaac muttered, “Noven, is your sister alright? Is something wrong with her?”
“You’re the one with something wrong!” Noven snapped back, then paused. “My sister is also looking out for you. I sparred with one of those two children—it was truly bizarre. You’d be better off listening to my sister.”
“You fought one of them???” The five youths asked in unison.