Flower Fairy: After transmigrating again, I became An'an's younger brother.

Xia Tong watched as An Ying Hong Yu's whole being brightened up because of the words "I'd love to be your friend".

He smiled and nodded in response to her smile, but then his gaze turned to another matter that needed to be addressed.

"Hongyu, seeing you so happy makes me happy too."

Xia Tong naturally changed the subject, with a hint of apology, "Although this might spoil your good mood, the problem with that 'sister' over there still needs to be resolved."

He turned slightly to the side and pointed to Shanshan, who was still immersed in fear and barely reacting to the outside world, sitting on a bench not far away.

"See that girl? She made a wish to... your other self, about 'growing up quickly'."

Xia Tong's tone was calm, without accusation; she simply stated a clearly existing problem.

"However, that way of 'realizing' her wish caused her a lot of distress and fear, which completely deviated from her original intention when she made the wish. So now we have to help her 'recover'."

He paused, his gaze returning to the orange-red eyes of Dark Shadow Red Rain, which were now looking at Shan Shan as he spoke, and made a specific request:

"So, as a friend, I'd like to ask you for a favor. Could you use your power... to bring her back to her original state? Not to make a new wish, but to correct the 'false fulfillment' of the result."

Xia Tong tried to be as clear as possible, avoiding words that might trigger the sensitive "wish-fulfillment" logic of Shadow Red Rain, and instead emphasized "correcting mistakes" and "helping friends solve problems".

An Ying Hong Yu's gaze shifted back and forth between Shan Shan and Xia Tong several times.

A few seconds later, she looked at Xia Tong again, and the confusion in her orange-red eyes was quickly replaced by a brighter and more positive expression—a joy of being needed.

Good friends need to help each other.

Shadow Red Rain spoke in a low voice, not fast, but each word was enunciated clearly, with a solemn promise, "My friend needs my help now... I'll help you..."

She floated forward a short distance, getting closer to Shan Shan, and just as Dark Shadow Red Rain raised her hand, with a faint purple-black light flowing around her fingertips, her movements abruptly stopped.

Then she did something that surprised Xia Tong—

Dark Shadow Red Rain turned around, faced Xia Tong again, and drifted closer to him.

This time, her orange-red eyes, filled with obsession and fervor, revealed a sense of hesitation and helplessness, creating a subtle contrast to her previous decisive demeanor.

"But……"

She spoke, her voice softer than before, even with a slight, almost imperceptible stutter, "I still don't know your name."

As An Ying Hong Yu spoke, her hands unconsciously rose, her slender fingertips twitching unintentionally at the dark-colored peach blossom decoration on her skirt.

This slightly childlike gesture instantly softened her strong, deep aura, revealing an awkwardness in her attempt to follow some social rules she wasn't very familiar with.

"Good friends should know each other's names, right?"

She added, her tone carrying an expectant, almost apprehensive tone—she feared that this "taken-for-granted" understanding would be denied.

Xia Tong was slightly taken aback. The Shadow Elf King, who had just exuded an aura of obsession, was now showing an almost apprehensive expression because of the simplest social etiquette.

"you're right,"

He smiled and nodded, naturally picking up where she left off, "It was my oversight. My name is Xia Tong, Xia as in summer, Tong as in tung blossom."

"Xia...Tong..."

Dark Shadow Red Rain repeated softly, pronouncing each word carefully, as if trying to etch the name into her mind.

The corners of her mouth slowly turned up, eventually forming a satisfied and pure smile, even with a touch of silliness.

That smile dispelled most of the gloom on her face.

"Xia Tong".

She called it again, this time with a firmer tone, "It's a very nice name, I like it very much."

Just after Dark Red Rain uttered the words "I like you," a contract carrying the meaning of "fiery, focused, and even somewhat clumsy persistence" suddenly "connected" with Xia Tong.

Xia Tong felt a slight warmth in her heart, as if a warm peach blossom petal had brushed against her.

Immediately, a crystal-clear and entirely new sense of connection quietly took root and spread deep within my soul.

The whole process was so fast it happened in the blink of an eye, but it contained an unmistakable solemnity.

"..."

Xia Tong didn't show much surprise. He simply lowered his eyelids, felt the new, burning contract connection, and then looked up to meet the eyes of Dark Shadow Red Rain, who was staring at him as if expecting his response.

"Um!"

Xia Tong smiled and nodded, her tone full of acceptance, "Then, I'll leave the rest to you, Hongyu."

Having learned her name, confirmed their friendship, and completed what she considered a more solid "contractual bond," she also gained a clear understanding of her "needs" and acceptance.

The last trace of unease in An Ying Hong Yu's eyes completely vanished, replaced by an almost jubilant certainty.

She nodded vigorously, then turned gracefully to face Shanshan, who was sitting on a bench not far away.

Then, she raised her right hand and extended her index finger. At the tip of her finger, a point of deep purplish-black light began to condense and rotate, eventually transforming into a purplish-black peach petal, which quietly floated at her fingertip.

Then, Shadow Red Rain flicked lightly.

The dark purple peach petal slipped from my fingertip, as if carried by an invisible breeze, drifting lightly and slowly toward Shanshan.

Finally, it touched Shan Shan's shoulder silently and quietly disappeared into her.

The next moment, change began.

Without any intense light or sound, Shan Shan's body began to "shrink" at a speed that was visible to the naked eye but unusually steady.

As women mature, their curves soften and flatten, revealing the delicate and graceful nature of youth once again.

The clothes she was wearing seemed to come alive, adjusting and fitting along with her recovery, eventually returning to their original, well-fitting state.

The whole process took only a dozen seconds. The "adult woman" who was sitting on the bench trembling had disappeared, and in her place was the original Shan Shan, who had returned to her original appearance, but still looked a little dazed.

She seemed to sense the changes in her body. Hesitantly and slowly, she raised her hands and placed them in front of her eyes, staring blankly at her own hands that had returned to their original form.

Xia Tong watched this scene quietly until Shan Shan's recovery was completely complete, and there was no trace of "overgrowth" left on her.

He turned to the shadowy red rain that was hovering beside him, watching him, a smile of approval on his face, his tone relaxed and certain.

"Well done, Hongyu, clean and efficient."

Hearing Xia Tong's praise, An Ying Hong Yu couldn't help but smile upwards, forming a smile that was both shy and incredibly satisfied.

She flew closer to Xia Tong and quietly stopped beside him, her posture filled with a sense of relief and a faint dependence after fulfilling her friend's request.

Then, Xia Tong walked over.

His footsteps startled Shan Shan, who was still somewhat dazed.

She suddenly looked up, and when she saw that the person was Xia Tong, her eyes, which had been somewhat confused, were instantly ignited with immense surprise and disbelief.

"Xia, Xia Tong!"

Shanshan's voice trembled slightly, hoarse from crying, but mostly filled with the excitement of surviving a disaster.

She jumped up from the bench, staggering slightly but not caring, and grabbed Xia Tong's arm urgently, as if to confirm that what was happening before her was not just another illusory nightmare.

"I...I'm back to normal! Look! My hands, my appearance...everything's back to normal!"

She spoke incoherently, looking down at her body quickly, and then raised her hand and waved it in front of Xia Tong's eyes, a joyful smile on her face.

Xia Tong let her hold him, her gaze sweeping over the woman's face and body. After confirming that she appeared normal except for her emotional distress, she nodded slightly.

"Yes, I see. Everything has recovered. How are you feeling? Is there anything that's bothering you?"

"No! I don't feel unwell!"

Shan Shan shook her head vigorously, tears welling up again, but this time they were tears of joy. "It's like... it's like I had a terrible dream, and now I'm finally awake..."

She sniffed, wiped her face haphazardly with her sleeve, and then suddenly remembered something, her face radiating an even brighter glow.

"Oh, right! Xia Tong, there's some good news too!"

Her voice was filled with excitement, "Just now... while I was sitting here, Mom called me! She said she and Dad could come home early!"

When talking about her parents, Shan Shan's eyes sparkled, as if all her previous fear and grievances had been washed away by this sudden good news.

For her, the recovery of her health and the return of her parents felt like a double stroke of good fortune.

Looking at the pure and radiant joy on her face, Xia Tong understood her feelings. For a child who longs for companionship, nothing could be better than this.

That's wonderful.

He said sincerely, then gently patted Shan Shan's hand, which was still gripping his arm, signaling her to calm down, "Now that you've recovered and your parents are coming back, hurry home."

His tone was calm yet carried a reassuring power, dispelling the last trace of unease Shan Shan had.

"Okay! Okay! I'll go back right away!"

Shanshan nodded vigorously and finally let go of her hand.

With tears still streaming down her face and a smile on her lips, she bowed deeply to Xia Tong. "Xia Tong, thank you so much... so much! Also, please thank An An and Qian Han for me! I... I have to go now!"

After saying that, as if afraid that her good luck would slip away, she turned around and jogged towards home.

After running a few steps, he turned back and waved vigorously at Xia Tong, his smile particularly bright in the sunset. Then he really picked up the pace, his figure gradually disappearing around the street corner.

Xia Tong stood there, watching her go until the joyful figure was completely out of sight, before slowly turning her gaze away.

Dark Shadow Red Rain had somehow gotten very close to Xia Tong, almost touching his shoulder, his orange-red eyes looking up at him.

It clearly stated, "Her problem has been solved" and the urgent question, "So, can we continue our 'friends' time now?"