Rina Chu hurried over and asked, "So? He's not kicking us out anymore, right?"
Grace raised an eyebrow and flashed a victory sign.
...
That afternoon, for some reason, a lot more people came looking for Evan Xiao than usual.
The sun was about to set, but there were still seven or eight people waiting outside the Qianyang Hall.
Evan Xiao glanced at the sky, then at the people waiting outside, frowned, and called out, "Leon Zane."
"Your Highness, what's wrong?"
"Go ask everyone if there's anything urgent. If not, let's discuss it tomorrow."
"Yes, sir." Leon Zane went out to ask, then came back and said there was nothing urgent.
So Evan Xiao sent everyone away and headed to the King's Spirit Tree.
But he didn't show up right away.
He saw Grace sitting on a rock, staring longingly in the direction of the Celestial Palace.
Was she waiting for him?
Had she been waiting a long time?
Evan Xiao's lips curled into a smile and he was just about to step out when he saw her eyes light up. She stood up and shouted, "Rina Chu! You're back! Well?"
Rina Chu dismounted from Little Scarlet and came over to her, saying, "Sigh! Nothing!"
"Nothing? Then what do Big Scarlet and Little Scarlet usually eat?"
"The Dragon Steward Chief said, even though they haven't taken human form yet, they've already learned to fast! They don't eat anything! If they do, it's just some fairy fruit."
Grace looked completely disappointed. "It's always fruit or Dragonroot Ginseng—my mouth is about to forget what meat tastes like! I want meat!"
"Me too," Rina Chu replied listlessly. "Where's Grandpa Gene?"
"He went out for something."
"You do your thing. I'm going inside to meditate for a bit. I always cultivate at night."
Grace nodded.
After Rina Chu went inside, Grace glanced at the sky, sat back down on the rock, and kept staring toward the Celestial Palace, sighing, "Meat, I want meat... meat, I want meat..."
Evan Xiao appeared with a dark expression.
Grace jumped up. "Oh! Evan Xiao! You're here?"
"What do you want from this Crown Prince?" Evan Xiao asked.
"Let's go inside first!" Grace said. "Quick, turn back into Cutie Pie and come with me!"
"Cutie Pie?" Evan Xiao found the name oddly familiar.
"I mean... your original form, but small, really small." Grace gestured. "About this big."
She hadn't seen Cutie Pie in ages and missed him terribly.
Evan Xiao glanced at the size she indicated, then suddenly transformed into a giant dragon and charged right into her sanctum.
Grace was knocked flat on her butt by his power, and her backside stung from the impact.
"Ugh!"
Grace got up and entered the sanctum too.
Evan Xiao had already returned to human form and was looking around her sanctum with a strange expression.
"Doesn't it look familiar?" Grace asked.
Evan Xiao didn't answer.
"You used to stay in here all the time. You know this place even better than I do!"
Evan Xiao said nothing, went to the first floor of the ancient tower, then asked, "What do you want this Crown Prince to help with?"
"To refine this special medicine, ordinary fire won't work—I need dragon fire," Grace said. "So, I brought you here to breathe dragon fire for alchemy!"
Evan Xiao glanced mockingly at her alchemy furnace. "You sure about that?"
"Of course. If you blast it with dragon fire, my furnace will melt," Grace said. "So just use dragon fire to light the wood, and add a little extra heat when needed!"
Evan Xiao nodded slightly.
Grace pointed at a dry log. "Then could you split it into firewood first?"
Evan Xiao glanced at the log, waved his hand, and it shattered into neat pieces of firewood.