December 1st, Monday.

Fire State.

"Big Bro, why hasn’t Chen Yuan arrived yet?" At the airport exit, Liu Jingyi craned her neck around but still couldn’t spot Chen Yuan.

Liu Jinglan twitched at the corner of his mouth, unable to resist teasing: "You call everyone Chen Yuan but call me Big Bro."

Liu Jingyi retorted sharply: "Bro, if you were as awesome as Chen Yuan, I’d call you that too."

"I..." Liu Jinglan opened his mouth, but couldn’t find the words for a long time, finally muttering without much conviction: "I’ll challenge him tonight, the Red Flame Ox has made progress during this time."

Liu Jingyi snorted lightly, turning her head to look at the Fiery Flame Eagle perched on her shoulder. Her smile was radiant, her voice cheerful: "If that’s the case, we’ve also improved a lot during this time, right Little Eagle?"

"Screech~"

The Fiery Flame Eagle lowered its head, allowing Liu Jingyi to stroke it.

Liu Jinglan snorted coldly, crossing his arms: "After all, your brother is one of the top ten young Beastmasters in Fire State and was a prominent top eight contestant in this year’s Blazing Fire Cup. No matter where I go, I’m well-known."

"Haven’t you noticed the constant smiles on mom and dad’s faces lately?"

"Haven’t you noticed how nice your teachers and classmates have been to you recently?"

Saying this, Liu Jinglan’s mouth curled into a confident grin as he reached out to pat his sister’s hairstyle.

Liu Jingyi raised her eyebrows, swatting her brother’s hand away with a "smack," and giving him a slightly resentful look: "All because you’re famous now, the teachers have been giving me double the homework, saying I should learn from you and strive to become an excellent Beastmaster as soon as possible."

Liu Jinglan adjusted his hairstyle with a playful smile: "Isn’t that right?"

Liu Jingyi glared at her brother: "Of course not! I don’t want to be like you, training day and night just to get stronger, barely having time to come home to eat and rest. Lately, I think your hair has been thinning."

She paused, looking at the Fiery Flame Eagle with a smile: "I just want to be happy with Little Eagle every day."

Liu Jinglan put one hand in his pocket: "With that mindset, you’ll never get stronger."

Liu Jingyi puffed out her cheeks, retorting: "Who says you have to train hard every day to get stronger?"

"Isn’t that idea unquestionable?" Liu Jinglan shook his head, his eyes filled with confusion about his sister’s point of view, "Ask Advisor Chen, which Beastmaster doesn’t train hard every day, busy beyond belief?"

"A Beastmaster who gets lazy will be abandoned by their proud talents."

"Advisor Chen would definitely agree with me."

Liu Jingyi continued to retort: "I saw Chen Yuan’s social media. He posts videos showing the leisurely life of the Pet Beasts on his farm."

Liu Jinglan smirked slightly, pressing down on his sister’s head: "Sister, you’re still too naive. You’ve only seen the glamorous side, not the hard work and fatigue behind it all."

He paused, continuing: "Take the Run Run Duck at Advisor Chen’s farm for example, it looks like it’s basking in the sun every day, but it’s surely training in secret, probably the hardest worker of them all."

Seeing her opinion completely dismissed by Liu Jinglan, Liu Jingyi turned her head away, deciding to ignore her brother.

Liu Jinglan, however, continued to ramble: "As a top eight contestant in the Blazing Fire Cup, I have to instill the most correct concepts in you."

"Training is the only way to get stronger."

Liu Jingyi turned back again: "Chen Yuan is the champion, I’ll listen to him."

Liu Jinglan: "..."

After a moment of silence, Liu Jinglan spoke helplessly: "Champions also need to train, Advisor Chen would surely support me."

"What are you guys talking about?"

Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded in their ears.

They both turned back in surprise, and upon seeing the familiar figure, they both spoke up:

"Advisor Chen!"

"Chen Yuan!"

Then, Liu Jingyi glared at Liu Jinglan: "Bro, it’s all your fault, you were so caught up in chatting you didn’t even see Chen Yuan come out."

Liu Jinglan raised both his hands: "Who’s the one leading you astray?"

Having said this, Liu Jinglan relayed their earlier debate to Chen Yuan and asked for his opinion.

"Um..." Meeting Liu Jingyi’s hopeful gaze, Chen Yuan fell silent for a moment.

Compared to other Beastmasters, his training regimen was indeed relatively low, but he couldn’t just claim he had special privileges, could he?

Thinking carefully, Chen Yuan answered as tactfully as he could: "Every Beastmaster’s pursuit is different. If you only want to spend your days leisurely with your Pet Beasts, without seeking fame in competitive arenas, perhaps not training is a good choice."

"But if you want everyone to remember your name and have the strength to protect yourself and your family, then training hard might be the best choice."

After speaking, Liu Jinglan laughed triumphantly with hands on hips: "I told you, Advisor Chen’s view is exactly the same as mine."

Liu Jingyi listened carefully to Chen Yuan’s words, then nodded and seriously replied: "Got it, Chen Yuan, I’ll remember what you said."

Liu Jinglan’s mouth twitched.

Was there any difference between what he said?

Could it be that just because the champion and a top-eight contestant say the same thing, the impact is different?

After a busy journey, they successfully greeted Chen Yuan as evening approached. The three of them, along with Chang Yuhuan, went to a well-known local restaurant to eat.

"I’ve already signed us up. Our team name is ’Don’t Count on Us Team.’" Liu Jinglan pursed his lips, his face full of dislike for the team name.

Chen Yuan was momentarily speechless.

Don’t Count on Us Team?

Great team name!

Liu Jingyi raised her hands high: "I came up with the name. What do you think, isn’t it fun?"

Chang Yuhuan’s voice was rich and magnetic: "It’s fun."