But that paper crane had long since flown far out of sight, and Su Chan couldn't possibly call it back now.

The little girl was so frustrated she almost clawed at herself. Instinctively, she wanted to fly out and chase the crane down, but just as the thought formed, she heard Ao Wushuang speaking from the next room: "Chan'er, what did you just say?"

Su Chan immediately responded sheepishly, "N-nothing, Master!" With that, she slumped onto her own ** bed, hugging her knees to her chest, chin resting on her thighs, unable to stop blaming herself. "Su Chan, Su Chan, you really are incredibly dense. You finally managed to get a thousand-paper crane, and now look! When Yun Dong gets it, how will he ever know it was me who sent it?"

But as soon as she thought that, she couldn't help but try to comfort herself: "M-maybe if Yun Dong sees it, he’ll understand. He should have that kind of unspoken connection with me!"

While she was stewing in resentment here, Li Yundong, carrying the Seven Treasures Spirit-Guiding Fan on his back, was just returning from class in Tiannan City.

As his cultivation deepened, Li Yundong gradually grasped the meaning and true essence of practice. He began to rely less and less on vehicles like cars for transport and more and more on his own two legs.

Whether going to or returning from school, he would run back carrying the hundred-plus-pound Seven Treasures Spirit-Guiding Fan, constantly monitoring and adjusting the qi within his body as he ran—truly cultivating at every moment.

Upon returning home, he unlocked the door and was immediately hit by a wave of fragrance. Li Yundong looked around curiously and saw two dishes set out on the dining table.

Li Yundong took a closer look. The first dish was a platter of stir-fried vegetables made from celery, lily bulbs, corn kernels, and asparagus. There wasn't a trace of visible oil; a thin layer of starch sauce had been poured over it, making it look crystal clear. Furthermore, the vegetables were arranged in an aesthetically pleasing fan shape, with distinct layers of color in each component, making the dish look beautiful and appetizing—something only a master chef could produce.

Li Yundong laughed. He didn't even need to look closer to know that Zi Yuan must have cooked it. He called out loudly in the dining room, "Hey, is it a festival today? The Senior Sister of the Ling Palace Branch of the Zhengyi Sect is personally cooking?"

Moments later, Zi Yuan emerged from the kitchen, an apron tied around her waist, carrying a bowl of soup. Li Yundong glanced at it—it was a bowl of rich, white fish soup. Even from several meters away, Li Yundong could smell the intense fish aroma wafting over, making his appetite surge.

Li Yundong chuckled, "Such a feast? What's the occasion that calls for such grandeur?"

Zi Yuan smiled faintly. "You are just beginning to cultivate divine abilities; you shouldn't focus your attention on trivial matters. Moreover, the Heavenly Tribulation could arrive at any time; you need to dedicate all your time to your practice. Therefore, I will take care of these small details for you."

Li Yundong set down his schoolbag and the Seven Treasures Spirit-Guiding Fan, washed his hands, and approached the dining table, asking with a smile, "Should I pay you a salary?"

Zi Yuan turned and untied the apron in front of her, smiling faintly, "Can you afford me?"

Li Yundong laughed heartily, "How could I afford a celestial fairy like you as a nanny? What a transgression, what a sin, it will shorten my life!" Saying this, he pulled out Zi Yuan's chair. After she was seated comfortably, he went to serve the rice, saying, "Come, come, you sit well. I'll fetch the rice. If people see an ethereal being like you bustling in and out of the kitchen, they won't stop talking about how I don't know how to cherish delicate beauty."

Zi Yuan watched him bend down to serve the rice, a soft smile touching the corners of her lips. She asked, "Are you always this glib with every girl?"

Li Yundong served the rice, placed a bowl in front of Zi Yuan, and feigned grievance, "When have I ever been? I’m just stating facts! You people are overthinking things!"

Zi Yuan looked at Li Yundong, her gaze steady, tinged with complexity. After a moment, she sighed inwardly: The world has no inherent troubles; it is the mediocre minds that stir them up. Li Yundong, you ought to know that in this world, almost everyone is mediocre. Sometimes, they cannot discern whether you are heartless or deeply feeling.

But she didn't voice this thought, merely lowering her head to eat her meal in silence.

Zi Yuan was a person who valued rules immensely. No talking while eating, no speaking while sleeping. From Li Yundong's observation, even the length of her steps seemed identical, as if measured meticulously with a ruler. Except for the very rare moments when her emotions broke through, revealing normal human reactions, she mostly maintained the composure of a fairy descended to the mortal realm—one to be admired from afar, but not to be approached lightly.

Li Yundong finished his meal slowly and deliberately. Just as he was about to rise to clear the dishes, he heard a thud-thud sound coming from the window connecting the living room and the balcony.

Curious, Li Yundong walked over and peered out. A paper crane was beating against the glass door as if it were alive!

"Hmm? What's going on?" Li Yundong curiously opened the door, and as soon as it swung open, the paper crane flew directly into his palm.

The paper crane shook itself as if trying to dislodge something. But after shaking for a moment, nothing came out. It turned its head to look at its own body, shuddered violently, and then began to tremble all over.

Li Yundong watched the crane, which seemed strangely sentient, and found it amusing. He asked curiously, "Where did you come from?"

The paper crane raised its head, stared at him for a moment, then used its wing to point toward the outside of the window.

Li Yundong wondered, "Did someone send you?"

The paper crane nodded eagerly. Li Yundong's heart stirred, and he suddenly asked, "Did the little chick send you?"

The paper crane had no idea who the 'little chick' was. It looked utterly bewildered, stuck in Li Yundong's palm, unsure how to react.

Li Yundong, however, smiled with certainty. "That's it, you must have been sent by the little chick! Wait here, I'll write a note." With that, he walked into the room, penned a short message, tucked it into the body of the crane, and said, "Go on, take this back."

This time, the paper crane cautiously glanced behind it. Only when it confirmed the note was secure did it spread its wings with a whoosh and fly away.

Su Chan waited anxiously in her room, pacing back and forth restlessly. Suddenly, a white flash zipped past. The paper crane had returned. She immediately lunged for it, seizing it fiercely, and gritted out, "You idiot, you scoundrel! You dared to fly back without a note—are you trying to drive me crazy?"

The poor paper crane was squeezed nearly out of shape by Su Chan's grip. It struggled mightily, shaking its head wildly, constantly pointing its wing behind its back.

Su Chan took a closer look and was instantly surprised to find a small note tucked inside. She loosened her grip on the crane, opened the note, and Li Yundong's familiar handwriting leaped into view: Little Chick, is that you?

Su Chan was so overjoyed that her chest felt like it might explode. She instinctively wanted to let out an excited shriek, but the sound caught halfway up her throat, and she choked it back. She pressed her palm hard against her mouth, as if trying to stuff the sound back down.

After a moment, the little girl nervously peeked through the crack in the door at her Master outside. Seeing that she was still meditating quietly, Su Chan finally relaxed.

Su Chan's eyes curved into crescents of happiness. Cupping the note in both hands as if it were the most precious treasure in the world, she thought joyfully: Yun Dong is indeed Yun Dong! He guessed it was me right away! Hee hee!

She smiled foolishly at the note for a moment, then suddenly remembered something: Oh no, I was so happy, I forgot to reply! Hurriedly, she rushed to the table, picked up her brush, wrote a message, and tucked the note into the paper crane's body, whispering softly in a gentle tone, "Be a good boy, I misunderstood you just now. I'm sorry!"

The poor paper crane was busy trying to smooth the wrinkles Su Chan had inflicted on its body with its beak and wings. It tilted its head up, appearing indignant and refusing to acknowledge Su Chan, hinting at a strike.

Su Chan instantly bristled, "If you don't fly over there quickly, I'll tear you apart!"

The paper crane was startled, ducked its head, cast a look at Su Chan, and finally, with no other choice, flew out again.

The crane flew at an astonishing speed. Li Yundong felt like he had waited only about half an hour before the paper crane returned.

Li Yundong was delighted. He held the crane, took out the note, and saw that it was indeed a letter from Su Chan. He suppressed his wild joy and read it word by word: Mister, you are so clever, you knew right away it was the little chick! I forgot to put the note in earlier, you’re not blaming me for being stupid, are you? By the way, I’m returning to my sect with Master now, so you don't need to worry about me! How are you doing?

Li Yundong smiled as he picked up the brush and wrote a few lines on the back of the note, then tucked it onto the crane's back for it to carry back.

Watching the crane flap its wings and fly away, Li Yundong felt that in this age of exploding internet, sending messages across a thousand miles via flying crane between him and Su Chan held a unique kind of charm.

After receiving the crane, Su Chan eagerly pulled out the note. She read: Of course, I told you we have a telepathic connection! Your Mister has already achieved the Foundation Establishment stage. Once I pass the Heavenly Tribulation, I’ll come pick you up, and we’ll wander the world together, laughing at the martial world!

Su Chan read the note over and over, her heart so joyous it felt as if her chest cavity would burst. After a while, she picked up her brush to write a few lines on the paper, but dissatisfied, she crumpled it and tossed it aside. She picked up the brush again, wrote a few more lines, looked at them, still unsatisfied, and threw those away too.

After repeating this several times, the floor of the room was covered in paper scraps.

Finally, Su Chan smiled mischievously and, after careful consideration, wrote: Mister, if you can follow up on the next line I write, I will believe you truly have that telepathic connection!

Having written that, Su Chan started to think about the first half of a poem she wanted to write next to it, but just as she was about to put pen to paper, she suddenly worried: What if Yun Dong couldn't complete the poem? Wouldn't she have ruined things by trying to be clever?

She pondered this distressingly for a long time, then her eyes lit up. She tore up that note and wrote a single line on a fresh piece of paper.

When Li Yundong received the message via the flying crane, he opened the note and saw the line written there: If the affection between two people is long-lasting...

Logically, the next line should be, why should we care about being together day and night? Li Yundong recognized it as a timeless couplet by Qin Guan. But the note only contained the first part, which Li Yundong understood completely. He smiled and, just as he was about to write the expected reply, his mind sparked, and a mischievous thought took hold, causing him to write something else entirely.

When the poor paper crane returned, it was already dark. As soon as it squeezed into Su Chan's room, it flopped onto the table and refused to move again.

Su Chan didn't pay it any mind; she snatched up the note first. As soon as she opened the paper and read the line, she burst out laughing. The note read: If the affection between two people is long-lasting, why should we care about being together bed to bed?

Su Chan’s eyes crinkled into slits as she giggled softly, "Mister, oh Mister, even from this far away, you still think of playing tricks!"

The little girl gazed at the note, sometimes giggling, sometimes lost in a sweet, dazed expression. Her soft heart was already completely filled with something called happiness and sweetness, as if secretly exchanging a few small notes with the person she loved across a thousand miles was the greatest joy the world could offer.