Versatile Mage: Rebirth of Mo Fan, Atlas of the Celestial Spirit

Chapter 491 Extra: My Shanghai Girl
Now that he'd been teleported back to Shanghai, Mo Fan decided to stay there for a few days. He hadn't seen Mu Nujiao for many days and missed her terribly.

Walking along the cobblestone paths of Mingzhu Academy, the afternoon sun filters through the lush camphor tree leaves, casting dappled light.

The surrounding area was filled with noisy and energetic young faces, discussing magical techniques, campus gossip, and their aspirations for the future.

As Mo Fan walked among them, the aura around him that could make an emperor tremble was completely concealed, making him look like an ordinary senior returning to school.

"Indeed, one cannot simultaneously possess youth and the feeling of youth."

This sentiment suddenly arose in his mind.

Once upon a time, he fought tooth and nail for a spot on the main campus, cheated and swindled his teammates for those resources, and clashed fiercely with Mu Nujiao in the Qingdou Hall... No, none of that seems to have happened.

Dude, I'm having the best luck.

Now, he possesses the power to look down upon all living beings, endless wealth and fame, and he has also found happiness.

Which idiot said that the more you gain, the more you lose?

The more you gain, the more you will receive!

They quickened their pace, their destination clear—the White Magic Academy.

With his current mental strength, the entire academy is under his silent perception.

He easily found the beautiful figure he had been longing for beside a flowerbed planted with calming flowers.

Mu Nujiao was bending over to check the condition of several Tranquilizing Flowers, her fingertips flowing with gentle plant-based magic, her profile appearing soft and focused in the sunlight.

She wore the elegant uniform of the White Magic Academy, her figure graceful, her temperament as aloof as a rare orchid in a secluded valley, showing more maturity and composure than during her student days.

Mo Fan did not disturb her. He simply leaned against a pillar not far away and watched her quietly for a long time. His gaze traced her familiar features, and his heart, which had been restless due to the series of battles, strangely calmed down and became peaceful and warm.

Until Mu Nujiao seemed to sense something, her pruning of the flower branches paused slightly, and she suddenly raised her head.

Eyes facing each other.

Time seemed to be stretched at this moment.

Mu Nujiao's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly, and her fingers gripping the recorder tightened instantly, her knuckles turning slightly white.

A fleeting look of disbelief and astonishment flashed across her clear eyes, but it was quickly replaced by more complex emotions—a sense of relief, a suppressed resentment, and a hint of… barely perceptible, even unacknowledged, joy.

But she was, after all, Mu Nujiao, a pillar of the Mu family capable of standing on her own.

She didn't lose her composure; she simply straightened up slowly, holding the clipboard to her chest in a subtle defensive posture. Sunlight cast small shadows on her thick eyelashes, obscuring the true emotions in her eyes.

"You still know to come back." Her voice was calm, without any apparent emotion, but it was a little lower than usual, as if she was trying her best to suppress something.

Looking at her forced composure, Mo Fan felt a soft, bittersweet sensation in his heart, as if something had gently bumped into him.

He stepped forward and stopped a step away from her, a distance that was neither offensive nor too intimate.

"Well, I'm back."

He smiled, his voice hoarse from the journey, and with an indescribable tenderness: "I finally managed to rescue that bastard Mu Bai, and then I came straight here to see you."

(Mu Bai: It was clearly you, you dog, who misused your spatial magic.)

He tried to defuse the delicate atmosphere with a lighthearted tone.

Mu Nujiao looked at him quietly without saying a word, as if judging the truthfulness of his words, or as if carefully examining whether he had any signs of injury.

Several seconds later, she gave a barely audible "humph" and slightly relaxed her arms that were holding the record board.

"A dark aura emanates from her." She frowned slightly, her tone somewhat critical, but her concern was undeniable.

Some students recognized her and saw Mo Fan, and began to whisper among themselves.

Mu Nujiao seemed to realize the occasion only then, her ears turning slightly red, but she forced herself to remain calm and glared at Mo Fan. However, the initial estrangement and resentment were long gone from her eyes.

"This isn't the place to talk," she said softly, her tone regaining its usual crispness. "Let's go home first."

"Okay, go home."

Mo Fan readily accepted the good advice, feeling a sense of comfort in his heart.

He knew that her lack of questioning and her restraint were her unique ways of expressing her longing and worry.

He naturally reached out, not to take her hand, but gently took the clipboard from her arms. Their fingertips touched unintentionally, and Mu Nujiao's body trembled almost imperceptibly, but she did not flinch.

She turned and walked ahead first, her steps still elegant, but the slightly quickened pace and her tacit acceptance of walking alongside him betrayed the unease in her heart.

Mo Fan followed beside her, watching her hair being gently blown by the wind, feeling the long-lost, unspoken understanding between them. He felt that the last trace of chill he had brought back from the dark dimension was completely dispelled by the sunlight of this magical city and the presence of the person beside him.

(End of this chapter)