Shadows of Childhood
"Your boyfriend?" Wang Yue asked with a grin.
"No, no! He's from our school's student council. For some reason lately, they've been trying to recruit me, sending someone over every day to persuade me." Li Yingying waved her hands frantically in explanation.
At her age, a girl in the bloom of youth was prone to developing crushes on boys. That was why sixteen was called the flower season—not just for its beauty, but for how easily one could turn into a lovestruck fool.
Wang Yue was not only handsome but immensely powerful, and he'd done the Li family a huge favor. Naturally, a girl like Li Yingying couldn't help but feel her heart stir for him.
But she knew the vast gap between them all too well, so she buried those innocent feelings deep inside. With time, they might fade away.
Yet today, Wang Yue had appeared out of nowhere right in front of her—and seemed to have misunderstood something.
Instinctively, she wanted to clear it up.
"I was just asking casually. No need to explain so thoroughly." Wang Yue chuckled, glancing at the restaurant she'd come out of. "Just finished eating?"
"No, I was helping out here." Li Yingying shook her head.
This must be what they call working to pay for school, Wang Yue thought, inwardly admiring her. What a self-reliant girl!
"Your mom and brother both have good jobs now. You don't need to work so hard," Wang Yue said.
"It's not hard. I just help out during lunch breaks. It doesn't interfere with anything," Li Yingying replied.
Wang Yue nodded, not pressing further. Everyone had their own way of living—how could an outsider truly understand another's joy?
"Then go ahead with your work. I was just passing by," Wang Yue said, preparing to say goodbye.
But Li Yingying quickly interjected, "It's fine! Lunch rush is over. I'll just tell the boss."
With that, she darted back into the restaurant—so fast even Wang Yue, a Return to Truth Realm powerhouse, was caught off guard.
Less than a minute later, she ran back out, panting slightly since she was just an ordinary person.
Wang Yue couldn't help laughing. "No need to rush like that. I'm not going anywhere."
Li Yingying's pretty face flushed crimson. She regretted it inwardly—she knew she shouldn't act this way, but she couldn't help wanting to spend more time with him. Even just standing quietly by his side filled her heart with an indescribable sweetness.
"Does your school let outsiders in?" Since she'd gone to such lengths, Wang Yue didn't want to leave right away. He was curious about a school for ordinary people anyway. "Lunch break's on now, and there's over half an hour till afternoon classes. Want to show me around, Young Master Wang?"
"Sure, I've never been inside a school before." Wang Yue smiled and nodded, adding, "And drop the 'Young Master' stuff. Just call me by name like before."
"That doesn't feel right," Li Yingying hesitated.
"It's fine. I told you, you're Lan-jie's little sister, so that makes you my... sister." Wang Yue almost said "little sister," but caught himself—he was actually younger than her by a year.
What he really wanted was for her to call him "brother-in-law," but he and Li Menglan's relationship wasn't public yet. That might scare her off.
Li Yingying burst out giggling. "Sister?"
Wang Yue's face stiffened awkwardly. "Fine, Yingying-jie."
Kids from poor families matured early, but Li Yingying was still a high schooler, untouched by society's harsh realities. Her sense of class divide wasn't as rigid as an adult's.
Seeing Wang Yue like this made him seem less like the lofty Wang family heir and more like a peer, dissolving much of the barrier in her heart.
Still, she didn't dare let him call her "jie." Softly, she said, "Wang... Wang Yue, you'd better just call me Yingying."
"Alright, Yingying." Wang Yue went along with it. "Show me around your school."
"Mm." Li Yingying led the way to the school gate.
Wang Yue followed her straight into the campus—no one stopped them.
Once inside, he looked around curiously. It felt oddly fitting. Few students wore uniforms like Li Yingying; most were in casual clothes.
At his age, he blended right in.
His clothes screamed money, and the ring on his left pinky was flashy, contrasting sharply with Li Yingying—but plenty of students sported designer labels too.
"So this is school. Kinda jealous," Wang Yue said, watching carefree students chatting in groups or sweating it out on the field.
Li Yingying smiled faintly. "I bet more people envy you."
"What about you? Do you envy me?" Wang Yue teased.
"Yeah. If I'd been born into your family, Mom wouldn't have to work herself to death every day, my brother wouldn't have dropped out to work, and my sister wouldn't have..." She trailed off, realizing her slip, and hurried to apologize. "Sorry, Young Master Wang, I didn't mean it like that."
"I get it. If I were you, I wouldn't want my sister selling herself into servitude either," Wang Yue said.
"Meeting you was my sister's good fortune," Li Yingying said sincerely. She'd heard about contracts like that—once signed, you were property, with no rights. Even beaten to death, no one would care.
And Li Menglan was so beautiful. If her master had been some scumbag instead of Wang Yue, she'd have become a plaything long ago.
Of course, she had no idea her sister had been devoured clean by this "good guy"—willingly, and addicted to it.
"Don't worry. As long as I'm around, she won't suffer a bit," Wang Yue assured her. "But I told you to call me by name—why slip back?"
Li Yingying gave him a shy smile, saying nothing. They'd been walking one behind the other; now they strolled side by side.
Ever since falling for him, this was her greatest dream. Now it was real, leaving her dizzy with bliss.
They wandered the campus a bit. Wang Yue saw plenty of girls, but none outshone Li Yingying at his side.
Boys stared from afar with admiring eyes.
It reminded him of that Crocodile Gang young master. "Yingying, any trouble at school? Guys harassing you?"
Li Yingying, lost in her secret joy, blinked before smiling. "No, the school's strict. I'm Teacher Huang's student—even Liu Sheng wouldn't dare mess with me here, let alone anyone else."
"Teacher Huang?" Wang Yue wondered. A high school teacher's that badass?
"Yeah, she teaches classical literature and's our homeroom teacher. She's always looking out for us," Li Yingying said. "And she's super pretty—one of Jinling's Twelve Beauties."
She regretted it instantly.
She knew she and Wang Yue were impossible, but like any smitten girl, she wanted him around more.
Subconsciously, she'd hoped mentioning her teacher might lure him back. Guys loved beauties, right?
But using Teacher Huang like that felt wrong—she was so kind. Li Yingying felt awful.
Wang Yue didn't notice her mood shift. "Your Teacher Huang... Huang Xueyi?"
"Yeah! How'd you know? You know her?" Li Yingying asked, surprised.
"Of course. She's my Third Aunt Huang Yuexiang's little sister. I'd be weird if I didn't know her." Wang Yue's expression turned odd.
His Third Aunt came from a true scholarly family—generations of famous literati. Huang Yuexiang was Jinling's top talented beauty.
Huang Xueyi, over a decade younger, had been spoiled rotten as the baby girl, turning her into a mischievous little demon. Not evil, but wild, stubborn, and violently temperamental.
Wang Yue even had childhood trauma from her. At seven, he'd accidentally made his little cousin Wang Zhiting cry during play. Fifteen-year-old Huang Xueyi caught him.
She dragged him to a dark room for the most inhumane punishment: pants down, flicking his little dick.
He cried forever after. She got scolded by her sister, but their grudge was set.
She flicked him a few more times later until Li Menglan arrived, saving him. But the demon image stuck.
After his past life's endless hell, the trauma had faded. Still, picturing that violent witch as a teacher was bizarre.
And from Li Yingying, she seemed popular. Had the demon turned angel?
He didn't doubt her skills—raised in that family, even without her sister's talent, high schoolers were easy.
"Wang Yue? You okay?" Li Yingying asked, seeing him zone out.
"Nothing. Just hard to imagine what your Teacher Huang's like in class," Wang Yue admitted.
Li Yingying's eyes lit up. "Easy! She has class this afternoon. You can watch."
"Can I? Isn't the school strict? Can I sneak into class?"
She nodded. "As long as you don't cause trouble. You look just like a student our age."
Just way handsomer, she added silently.
Wang Yue's interest piqued—no plans anyway. "Let's try it."
Ten minutes to class, Li Yingying led him to her classroom: Class 2, Grade 10.
They drew every eye. Girls gawked at Wang Yue's looks.
Boys' hearts shattered—who was this guy with their goddess? So handsome too? Had she...
Blushing under the stares, Li Yingying led him to her seat, letting him take the empty one beside her. High schools weren't overcrowded anymore—thirty-some kids per class, and cross-class auditing was allowed. Plenty of seats.
The boys' hearts broke further.
But teenage boys were impulsive hotheads. A chubby kid soon sidled up. "Bro, which class? Never seen you before."
Wang Yue grinned. "Not from here. Just visiting today."
The kid glanced at Li Yingying, whispering, "So, what's with you and Li Yingying?"
"Relatives. Her... cousin." Wang Yue made it up.
The eavesdropping boys sighed in relief, warming to him instantly.
Li Yingying felt a pang—she'd have loved him claiming boyfriend, even pretend.
The mood lightened. Boys crowded, greeting and peppering him with questions.
Wang Yue bantered back, soaking in the vibe.
As the Wang family's third young master, he was prominent, but his brothers were much older, peers mostly girls. He was lonely in that sense.
This easy chat with age-mates was a first.
Post-rebirth, he'd obsessed over events three years away and the truth behind them. This carefree mindset was rare bliss.
First afternoon class wasn't Huang Xueyi's literature but another's.
The teacher didn't notice Wang Yue and dove in.
Wang Yue listened to the lecture, watched kids scribbling notes, goofing off, or dozing. His mind cleared to ethereal calm. Martial concepts once murky simplified.
He recognized epiphany state—perfect for technique deduction, progress triple normal.
Bell rang; he snapped out. No realm gain, but deeper martial insight. Frequent like this, fusing Eight-Level Gale into every Jade Breaking Palm move was near.
The classroom's carefree aura triggered it.
Sudden thought: Why not enroll properly? Experience school life?
He hoped for another epiphany next period, but it was ruined.
Before second bell, the room ballooned from thirty to nearly a hundred—standing room only.
Ninety percent boys, few girls.
Wang Yue knew: girls for class, boys for the beauty.
Huang Xueyi's classical literature.
They were here to ogle.
Classical lit was separate from language arts, an elective post-revival.
Spiritual qi resurgence expanded the world a hundredfold, beasts isolating regions, cutting contacts.
In Huaxia's human zone, Chinese was universal. English demoted to elective, then replaced by classical lit—only specialists studied it now for future links.
Bell rang; room hushed. Even rowdiest kids shut up—risk eviction.
Huang Xueyi glided in gracefully.
Wang Yue gaped. Long flowing hair, pale yellow dress, rimless glasses, faint knowing smile—elegant intellectual beauty. Really the flick-happy demon from memory?
Used to crowds, she calmly took the podium, arranging notes. "Class, we studied Memorial on Sending Out the Troops the day before yesterday. Who memorized it?"
"Me! Me!" Boys shot hands up like on steroids; girls too, including Li Yingying.
Huang Xueyi scanned, paused on Wang Yue, pointing. "You. Recite."
"Me?" Wang Yue inwardly groaned, standing. "I didn't raise my hand."
"Exactly why I pick you. Let's see if it's confidence or you didn't bother," she said coolly.
Boys dumbfounded: That's allowed? Should've skipped raising hands.
He'd learned it from Third Aunt once, but past life's grind erased it—only opener stuck.
Under her insistence, he winged it: "The late emperor's project was half-done when the budget ran dry midway..."
Laughter exploded.
Huang Xueyi stifled a grin, face stern. "Out! With me!"
"Oh." Wang Yue shot worried Li Yingying a reassuring look, following out.
In the hall, Huang Xueyi instinctively glanced at his crotch.
Flicking his little dick had been prime fun back then. Seven years—no flicks. Kinda missed it.
Wonder if it's grown, flashed through mind; she shoved it away, stern. "What're you doing here?"
"Passing by, ran into an acquaintance, tagged along. Never seen a school," Wang Yue said truthfully.
"Acquaintance? Li Yingying? Warning: hands off. She's a good girl."
This was her first class's first year; she adored self-reliant pretty Li Yingying.
She knew Wang Yue—engaged already. Pursuing Yingying? Toy or side piece. Neither okay for her student.
Wang Yue smiled wryly. "Auntie, what do you take me for?"
"How do you know her? Your worlds don't mix."
"She's Lan-jie's sister. Weird not to know?"
"Li Menglan?" Huang Xueyi's eyes widened. That maid's arrival, guarding Wang Yue, stole her fun.
Her fave student was that maid's sister? What fate.
Relieved, but warned: "No funny business, or I'll swell that little dick again!"
Bring it, scare ya! Wang Yue thought, masochistically tempted: Her soft fingers on my cock now—what'd it feel like? Seeing the worm turned python? Shock city.
She wouldn't really. Warning done, she sent him back, resuming class.
Watching podium Huang Xueyi—zero demon vibe, radiating teacherly sanctity—Wang Yue ached for her to see the "little" dick. No flick needed; it swelled itself.
Such mindset killed epiphany. Till bell, he fantasized, sighing his growing perversion.
Post-class, Huang Xueyi left like strangers.
Li Yingying worried: "Teacher Huang didn't chew you out?"
"Nah, just curious why I was here." Wang Yue grinned. Her "grudge" with Li Menglan? Might help Yingying—better treatment, not sabotage. No real feud.
Li Yingying giggled. "But that 'budget ran dry'—hilarious."
"Wasn't it right?"
"Nope! 'Midway collapse unto death.'"
"Mixed it with a comedy skit I heard." Wang Yue shrugged. No loyalty to anyone—no need for Zhuge Liang vibes. Recite or not? Whatever.
Third period: self-study. Epiphany struck again, firming his school plan.
Intense pure yang aura leaked—good Li Yingying wasn't cultivator, or prolonged contact would've stirred her qi to lust flood.
Still affected: self-study wasted on shy thoughts, panties damp.
"I'll walk you home," post-school, Wang Yue said—not rushing back.
"N-no need," she whispered. Thousand times yes, but didn't want wasting his time.
"C'mon, your place is eastbound—my way anyway." Decided, he asked, "How do you usually get home?"
"Bus." Heart pounding.
"Perfect. Never ridden one. Today's experience day." Classroom epiphanies taught: worldly immersion aided cultivation. Trials built heart.
His insight: without dual cultivation boost, fast gains risked stagnation like Mom's Earth Palace peak.
Realm fine now, but mindset fueled technique fusion—needed experiences.
Peak hour: rush, work crowds. They boarded, swarmed; more piled in.
Bottom-rung folk—true qi slip could kill.
Fast rise side-effect: poor fine control.
Easy fix: adapt ten days. But half-month from Qi Condensation to Return to Truth? No time.
Helpless, he shielded her to seatless center.
Her back to window, he front-blocked pressure.
Summer thin clothes: he felt her ample budding tits' shape, softness.
He frowned. "You squeeze like this every time?"
"N-no... I wait for next or later bus, skip peak. Fewer people." Heart raced.
She felt his firm chest too. Bumping, grinding with jolts—blissful torment.
Prior lewd thoughts: breaths quickened.
Already stunning, flushed desire made her ravishing.
Wang Yue, little perv, hugged aroused beauty, virgin scent in nose—cock stirred uncontrollably.
Hard poke at belly: she froze, understood, blushed deeper.
"Yingying, sorry—not on purpose."
"I know... natural." Voice mosquito-soft, heart thundering. She got it—understood him.
Her reaction too: panties soaked wide.
Then bus hit bump, lurched hard.
Wang Yue steady as cultivator.
She—and others—bounced ten-plus cm.
Tight press: as she lifted, his cock slipped between thighs. Landing: sensitive mound crushed on shaft.
"Ahh..." She shuddered, moaning long.
Chaos drowned it—passengers cursing din.
She near-mad: cock-held, toes barely touched, weight on crotch.
His hardness unyielding under pressure.
Loose pants/panties: tip dented fabric inward.
Stimulation immense.
"Wang Yue... I..." Shame-rage, yet untouched spot throbbed ecstasy—speechless.
He thrilled too. Flesh pleasure minor, but corrupting pure girl? Electric excitement.
"Sorry, Yingying—can't control it. Hang on, soon better." Whispered comfort, thrust firmer.
"Mm... oh..." Intense pleasure drew low moans. No resistance—her crush's cock.
Soon, she ground lightly: not just press, but clothed friction.
He pressed chest, squishing her fine tits harder.
"Mmph..." Minutes later, she bit his shoulder, sobbing whimpers, body convulsing.
Felt climax: he unleashed, cum flooding his underwear.
His seed, her gush soaked clothes, mingling.
Post-spurt softening let her feet ground.
Afterglow shame: face buried in his shoulder, unmoving.
Till her stop: disentangled in crowd, off.
Slack moment: true qi cleaned their stains.
Off bus, she fled red-faced silent into complex.
He knew: too embarrassed. No chase. "Yingying, go home. I'll visit school sometime."
She paused, fled head-down.
As thought: mortified, seam-seeking shame. Yet no regret—even redo, same crowded bus with him.
Watched her vanish: cab to Wang Family Estate.
His realm: run faster than cab. Lightness skill street-normal in cultivator era. But craved ordinary life.
Back, first to Liu Xinru.
Liu Ruoshi ran family now, Wang Yue heir apparent. But daily ops? Still Liu Xinru.
Unfair—mere bridge, maybe one day interim.
But bridging for him? Pure joy.
"High school?" Liu Xinru blinked surprised at Wang Yue. Daughters had yanked pants down, slurping his fat cock—no shock. Felt cozy, like proper family foursome.
Wang Yue stroked Qianqian and Shanshan's heads, nodding. "Yeah—more like experiencing it. That vibe triggers epiphanies easy."
"True, your age should do age things." Thoughtful. "Go try. If works, I'll tell Grandma—maybe tweak rules. Shut-in way's flawed."