Chapter 2: Entering the Tower

Only by standing beneath the Deep Blue Magic Tower could Luo Ya truly understand how magnificent it was.

Luo Ya lifted her little head to look up and found she couldn’t see the top.

This giant tower was as thick as a pillar between heaven and earth.

The Deep Blue Magic Tower was said to be tens of thousands of floors high.

Long ago, more than a dozen Sages had joined forces to lift a nearby mountain range and forge it into the tower’s original body.

The one holding her hand was a Deep Blue mage!

Luo Ya marveled inwardly.

The mages who lived here were divided into two types.

The first were student mages who lived in the many academies beneath the tower.

As long as their talent was sufficient and they paid their tuition, anyone could study there.

The second type were the High Tower Mages who resided within the magic tower itself.

Only those whose strength was recognized by the Deep Blue Magic Tower could claim a place in the high tower.

Compared to the first type, their status was many times more noble.

Luo Ya had previously thought Xia An was just an ordinary mage from below the tower, someone who came to the shantytown to pick up unwanted apprentices.

She never imagined he was a revered High Tower Mage!

But why would a noble High Tower Mage choose someone like her as a disciple?

Xia An took Luo Ya’s hand and led her into the tower.

The well-dressed attendant inside the lobby immediately approached silently to receive them, guiding the two toward the elevator.

Looking at the magic-powered crystal chandeliers, the wide dome covered in gold leaf, the alchemy dolls coming and going, and the magic fairies flying through the air, Luo Ya felt like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden.

Her little head kept turning; everything was novel to her eyes.

The young men and women passing by all wore elegant formal attire or exquisite magic robes.

Each carried a confident, proud expression, discussing magical research, the spell formulas their teachers had taught them, and which commercial streets in the city they planned to visit this weekend, what new clothes they had their eyes on…

Luo Ya lowered her head to look at herself.

On the smooth marble floor, a dirty, dust-covered girl was reflected, her eyes evasive, her expression terrified.

Her feet were covered in mud, leaving a trail of dirty footprints on the floor as bright as a mirror.

As if the exquisite marble floor were burning hot, Luo Ya nervously lifted her heels slightly, as if trying to minimize her contact with it.

A grimy little girl so blatantly mixed in with the crowd naturally drew many turned heads.

Luo Ya didn’t dare look at those people’s expressions.

She could only stare at her own toes, feeling that time passed unbearably slowly.

“What? I need to register?”

The young man’s voice sounded in her ear.

“Yes, only your soul wave has the authority to register. Please understand, Master Xia An.”

So his name is Xia An.

Luo Ya repeated the name to herself.

“Wait here for me. I’ll be right back.”

Xia An’s voice came to Luo Ya’s ear.

“Huh? O-Okay.”

Luo Ya was startled and replied instinctively.

Then, facing the stream of people coming and going, Luo Ya regretted it.

Standing at the elevator entrance, sticking out like a sore thumb, Luo Ya wished she could find a crack to crawl into.

“Ah.”

Because she had her head down and her figure was very small, a noble apprentice didn’t see Luo Ya and collided with her directly.

Luo Ya was knocked to the ground.

The noble apprentice looked down.

Seeing a dirty, short, timid girl, he felt his proud aristocratic self-esteem challenged.

The young nobleman had just opened his mouth to speak condescending, arrogant words when he was interrupted by a noble girl accompanying him.

The girl gave Luo Ya an apologetic smile, then, without another word, dragged the boy away.

The two hurried away.

The girl whispered something in the boy’s ear.

The boy turned around and gave Luo Ya a terrified glance, then they both fled in panic.

Luo Ya naturally noticed these reactions.

“Miss, are you all right?”

The same suit-wearing attendant who had guided them earlier asked softly from beside her.

“I’m fine…”

Luo Ya climbed up from the ground, looking strangely at the fleeing backs of the two.

Why were their attitudes toward me so…

“You seem puzzled,” the attendant said again.

“Y-Yes.”

Luo Ya lowered her head.

“You know, I’m just a… Why are they afraid of me?”

The attendant smiled and pointed at the robe Luo Ya was wearing.

“Miss, this is a robe issued by Deep Blue for a Grand Magister, and it is now on your body.”

A Grand Magister…

A Grand Magister?!

“Lord Xia An! He was actually a Grand Magister?”

Luo Ya revealed a shocked expression.

“Yes,” the attendant smiled.

“Master Xia An was just promoted this year. He is Deep Blue’s youngest Grand Magister.”

Luo Ya suddenly understood.

So that’s it.

Even though she herself was nothing, dirty as a mud monkey, now that she wore Xia An’s clothes, others would have to think twice before looking down on her.

Is this the power of a Grand Magister?

“What are you chatting about?”

Xia An’s voice suddenly sounded behind Luo Ya, startling her.

“L-Lord Xia An!”

“Apprentice Pass. Take it.”

Xia An handed Luo Ya a dark blue card.

Luo Ya took it.

The little incident just now had made her understand even more what this represented.

“Thank you, my lord…”

Luo Ya said quietly.

“Take us to my floor,” Xia An said to the attendant.

“Please follow me.”

The attendant gave a slight bow.

As a Grand Magister, Xia An currently owned ten floors as his personal territory.

However, because he had no disciples, most areas were not in use.

A small elevator carried them to the 1,127th floor.

Luo Ya pressed her face against the glass window, watching the buildings and people on the ground grow smaller and smaller.

Until they completely blurred into a indistinct mix of black and white.

For someone who had never ridden an elevator before, this was a very novel experience.

Seeing familiar buildings turn into unfamiliar sizes in her eyes, Luo Ya’s thoughts drifted and began to wander.

So from the perspective of these important people in the high tower, we are always this insignificant?

Why did he choose me?

Lord Xia An…

Back in his room, the attendant elegantly gave a slight bow, closed the door, and left.

Suddenly, only Luo Ya and Xia An remained in the room.

Luo Ya’s heartbeat began to quicken.

What will he say to me?

Will it be “I have conditions for taking you as my disciple; don’t disappoint me”?

Or “You’d better understand your place and play your role well”?

Luo Ya saw Xia An turn his gaze to her, and she shuddered.

“Are you hungry?”

Xia An asked in an extremely natural tone.

Luo Ya froze.

She hadn’t expected his first sentence to be that.

“Grrrruuuuumble.”

Luo Ya’s stomach growled.

Without a doubt, Luo Ya was starving.

Better make something for the little one to eat first.

Back in his rented room, if he wanted a decent meal, Xia An still had to use his brain and wits, so his cooking skills weren’t bad.

Although he could have ordered a luxurious meal delivered, Xia An felt that cooking a meal for the little girl himself would help her shed her unease and quickly build rapport.

“Go take a bath first. Come here.”

Xia An went to the shower room and started running the water.

Luo Ya looked curiously at the hot water spraying from the showerhead.

She reached out a small hand to feel it.

The water temperature was just right.

“Is it okay?”

Xia An couldn’t feel normal water temperature due to his Hypothermia Syndrome, so he asked Luo Ya.

“It’s fine, my lord.”

“Then you can start washing.”

“Okay, my lord.”

Luo Ya walked into the shower room, then froze.

As if she remembered something, her cheeks visibly turned crimson.

“T-That… I…”

It seemed like steam was rising from her head.

Luo Ya was wearing only a thin, dirty cloth dress.

Inside, she was bare.

Behind her stood Xia An.

She covered her face with her hands, momentarily at a loss for what to do.

She couldn’t just… in front of him…

Luo Ya secretly spread a gap between her index and middle fingers to peek at what Xia An was doing.

Xia An had already left.

For some reason, Luo Ya felt a little disappointed.

Of course.

Someone like him wouldn’t be interested in me…

Water seeped into her wounds, sending a sting of pain, but Luo Ya only frowned slightly.

Luo Ya had always been a tough child.

Watching a drop of water fall on the glass door, colliding with other droplets, then gathering more and more until it formed a small stream.

Luo Ya’s thoughts drifted again.

From being saved by Li Wei to now taking a warm shower in a room she’d never seen before…

Luo Ya felt as if she were dreaming.

“If this is a dream, please don’t let me wake up.”

Luo Ya pressed her head against the glass door and murmured to herself.

After a while, Xia An’s voice came from outside.

“Are you done? Come out if you’re done.”

“I don’t have any clothes in your size; wear mine for now.”

When Luo Ya came out, she found a set of Xia An’s clothes waiting for her.

Wearing Xia An’s oversized clothes made Luo Ya look even more petite.

The sleeves were so long they dragged on the floor.

Seeing Luo Ya like this, Xia An couldn’t help but smile.

Luo Ya stared blankly at Xia An’s smile.

“So… so beautiful…”

In fact, Luo Ya was quite pretty after her bath.

The dirt and grime were washed away, and her scars were hidden by the long sleeves.

Only her delicate little face looked a bit gaunt from malnutrition.

Xia An simply scrambled some eggs—home-style cooking.

Luo Ya sat at the dining table but didn’t start eating.

“Um…”

The girl seemed hesitant to speak.

“My lord, I am very grateful that you took me in… but I have nothing to repay you with…”

“I’m truly sorry…”

“Is there anything I can do for you right now?”

Xia An looked at the timid girl lowering her head across from him.

“Lift your head.”

Luo Ya was startled.

Slowly, she raised her head.

Then, as if she had made up her mind, she met Xia An’s gaze.

“Eat first. We’ll talk about the rest later.”

Xia An’s eyes were calm and clear.

Luo Ya looked at Xia An, then at the steaming food in front of her.

She looked at Xia An again, then at the steaming food again.

Luo Ya began to eat.

Very, very slowly.

“Patter.”

Her nose stung.

Tears dripped into the bowl.

Luo Ya’s shoulders trembled uncontrollably.

Xia An was silent.

After a moment, he sighed helplessly, put on his gloves, gently pulled the little girl into his embrace, and naturally ruffled Luo Ya’s head.

“Go ahead and cry, kid,” Xia An said softly.

“I’m here.”

Luo Ya no longer suppressed her sobs.

She burst into loud wails.

I’m here.

No words could describe how devastatingly powerful those three words were to Luo Ya, who was desperate and deeply insecure.

She secretly glanced at Xia An’s profile.

This young man was so formidable, almost unfathomable.

But when actually interacting with him, the person standing before her seemed gentle, kind, empathetic, and without any airs.

How could there be such a good person in the world?

Luo Ya thought of her mother, of the time when someone had cherished her.

Xia An’s gentleness and tolerance only made Luo Ya more anxious.

A girl who had always lived in insecurity was long accustomed to having nothing.

Once she had something, she wanted to hold it tightly in her hands, terrified of losing it again, of being left with nothing once more.

Now, suddenly having someone who cared for her unconditionally, Luo Ya couldn’t adapt at all.

She felt she didn’t deserve something so good.

Luo Ya was afraid.

Afraid that one day Xia An would abandon her…

Then I would have nothing again.

Please…

Don’t leave me…

Don’t let me be alone again…

Please stay by my side always…