What Could He Do? Cover Me in Drool?

"So you're telling me all this now..."

Dugu Yan bit her lip and asked uncertainly, "Could this also be part of your scheme? To make me... develop a favorable impression of you? Or lower my guard?"

"Heh."

Xuan Hao could not help laughing. He reached out and poked her forehead. "You can suspect it, but you'd better not say it out loud."

"Why?"

"Because it makes you look dumb."

"You—!" Dugu Yan angrily slapped his hand away. "Stinky boy! Do you feel uncomfortable if you don't insult me?!"

"As for whether it was a scheme, that isn't important." Xuan Hao withdrew his hand, unconcerned. "What matters is that you've grown a brain. You know to be suspicious, to stay on guard, and you've even started thinking about my motives. You're no longer that foolish little girl who only knew how to throw her weight around using her grandfather's name."

"That's the key."

"Congratulations, Miss Dugu. You've grown up."

"..."

Dugu Yan's face darkened, and she felt her fists harden again.

This bastard!

He was insulting her for having no brains in a roundabout way!

"Grown up?" Dugu Yan puffed out her chest and said irritably, "Aren't I much older than you? I'm already thirteen! How old are you? Eight? Nine?"

"What use is growing older if your brain doesn't grow with you?" Xuan Hao shot back mercilessly. "Some people live to eighty and are still oversized babies. Others can toy with a pack of old foxes when they're eight."

"You were just protected too well by your grandfather and put on too high a pedestal by everyone around you."

"Because Dugu Bo is around, no one dares hurt you. No one even dares say a harsh word to you. So you think the world works like that—black and white, and all problems can be solved by simply stating your name."

"But have you ever considered whether your grandfather can protect you for the rest of your life?"

"Titled Douluo can die. They can grow old. If one day he is gone, or he can no longer protect you, what will you use to fight against those powerful nobles and experts who devour people whole?"

"Just like when I kidnapped you today. If I had really been a ruthless villain, what do you think would have happened to you?"

"Could that pathetic pride and temper of yours have saved you?"

Dugu Yan fell silent.

She looked at Xuan Hao and, for the first time, felt a deep chill.

That was right.

If Xuan Hao had truly wanted to kill her today, or harbored ill intentions toward her... she would have had no ability to resist at all.

And the grandfather she was so proud of was still on his way here.

Her grandfather was strong, but he was still only one person. Faced with the Imperial Family's exploitation and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's calculations, he could only accept things passively.

"You still need to grow a brain where it matters, and you still need to suffer the losses you should suffer."

Xuan Hao sighed and turned his gaze toward Na'er, who was obediently eating nearby. "Na'er is the same."

"Huh?"

Na'er, who was battling a huge chicken leg, was suddenly called out. She raised her head in confusion, sauce still smeared around her mouth. "Gege?"

"Brother will protect me." Na'er blinked her large eyes and said innocently, "Brother said that as long as you're here, no one can bully me."

"That may be true now, but perhaps not in the future."

Xuan Hao pulled out a napkin and wiped her mouth. His movements were gentle, but his tone was somewhat serious.

"Na'er, you need to remember this. Storms can come without warning, and fortune and misfortune can strike overnight."

"Maybe one day, I'll get struck by lightning the moment I step outside, or run into an enemy I can't beat and die."

"What will you do then, if I'm no longer here?"

The chicken leg in Na'er's hand fell into the plate with a plop.

Her little face instantly turned deathly pale. Tears surged into her eyes as her little hands tightly clutched Xuan Hao's sleeve, her voice trembling.

"Gege... where are you going? Do you not want Na'er anymore?"

"Silly girl, Gege didn't say he was leaving. It was only an example."

Xuan Hao rubbed her head and said softly, "In this world, no one is indispensable to anyone else, and no one can be."

"In the end, you have to walk your own path."

Knock, knock, knock!

Heavy knocking shattered the quiet inside the room.

"I'll get it!"

Na'er jumped off the sofa, pattered over to the door, and opened it on tiptoe.

Outside stood a group of formidable figures with grave expressions and imposing auras.

At the front was Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, dressed in green. Behind him stood Prince Xue Xing, Ning Fengzhi, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, and Sword Douluo Chen Xin.

They had already prepared for the worst. They had even prepared their negotiation terms and readied themselves for a fight.

Yet the instant the door opened, everyone froze.

There was no tense, sword-drawn atmosphere in the room as they had imagined, nor was there any miserable sight of Dugu Yan tied up and crying for help.

Instead, the scene was... somewhat bizarre.

Xuan Hao was sprawled across a thick Persian carpet like some lord, while behind him, Dugu Yan—the supposed victim—was kneeling on the floor. Though her face was full of reluctance, she was still obediently massaging Xuan Hao's shoulders.

After opening the door, Na'er skipped back, kicked off her shoes, and leaped directly onto Xuan Hao's back. She stepped on his back while giggling happily.

The scene was so warm that it looked like three siblings fooling around.

"..."

Everyone at the door instantly turned to stone.

Dugu Bo rubbed his eyes, even wondering whether his excessive worry had made him hallucinate.

"Yanyan?!"

Dugu Yan's hands paused. She raised her head and saw the group of important figures at the door. A flicker of panic crossed her eyes, but she quickly followed the script Xuan Hao had given her and put on a puzzled expression.

"Grandfather? Why are you all here?"

"This..."

Dugu Bo was dumbfounded by the question. He pointed at Dugu Yan, then at Xuan Hao, and stammered, "W-Wasn't it said that this kid kidnapped you?"

"Kidnapped?" Dugu Yan rolled her eyes and pointed at Xuan Hao, who was lying on the floor. "Him? Kidnap me?"

"Grandfather, look at how old he is. Besides, when we left the academy, didn't we already leave word? We said we were at the Heaven Dou Royal Hotel. What kind of kidnapper announces where he is after taking someone hostage? And stays in a hotel right under the Imperial Family's nose? Is that kidnapping, or looking for death?"

"Then... then what was that?" Dugu Bo pointed at the shoulder massage from earlier, his voice drifting.

"Oh, I lost a bet." Dugu Yan curled her lips, looking like a sore loser. "I sparred with him this afternoon and lost. According to the wager, I had to be his... cough, maid for one night."

"Anyway, it wasn't a big deal, so I honored the bet."

Dugu Bo: "..."

Prince Xue Xing: "..."

Ning Fengzhi: "..."

Everyone felt like their brains were no longer sufficient.

Prince Xue Xing in particular had confidently told Dugu Bo that his granddaughter had been kidnapped. How was he supposed to wrap this up now?

"Ahem."

Ning Fengzhi was, after all, a seasoned fox. Though he too had been caught off guard by this sudden reversal, he quickly reacted. He coughed twice, trying to break the awkward atmosphere.

"It seems... it truly was a misunderstanding."

"We received information that an extremely dangerous criminal had infiltrated the hotel. Concerned for everyone's safety, and especially worried that something might happen to Miss Dugu, we joined forces with the Imperial Family and hurried here overnight to inspect the situation."

"A criminal?" Xuan Hao rolled over and sat up, pulling Na'er into his arms. He looked at Ning Fengzhi with an ambiguous smile. "Sect Master Ning, the criminal you mean... wouldn't happen to be me, would it?"

"This..." Ning Fengzhi was left speechless. All the comforting words and negotiation terms he had prepared were now useless.

The person involved had already said nothing was wrong. What else could he say? "No, you are the kidnapper, hand over the hostage"?

Wouldn't that mean there was something wrong with his brain?

"How could that be?" Xue Qinghe stepped forward at just the right moment, wearing a gentle smile. "We were concerned for little brother's safety. Heaven Dou City is filled with all sorts of people. If some blind fool were to offend you all, that would be unpleasant."

"Oh, so that's how it is." Xuan Hao nodded as though suddenly enlightened. "Then I truly must thank everyone for your kind intentions. But... wasn't blocking my door this morning enough? Now, in the middle of the night, you've brought so many people to show concern for me. I'm truly flattered."

His words were dripping with sarcasm, and everyone present was a seasoned fox. Naturally, they could hear the mockery in them.

"Um... Yanyan, you really weren't threatened?" Dugu Bo still seemed uneasy. He looked suspiciously at Dugu Yan. "If this kid dares threaten you, just say the word! With Grandfather here, no one can touch you!"

"Oh, Grandfather!"

Dugu Yan stomped her foot and said impatiently, "I already said I was honoring a bet! Why won't you believe me? Besides, just look at how young he is. What could he possibly threaten me with?"

"Enough, enough. Since everything's fine, hurry up and take everyone away. It's the middle of the night, and you're being so noisy."

"Yanyan." Dugu Bo's face darkened as he stepped forward. "Since nothing is wrong, come back with Grandfather. What does it look like for you to stay out at night?"

"No, what's wrong with being out at night? Could he possibly harbor improper intentions toward me?" Dugu Yan said helplessly.

"And even if he did have those thoughts, what could he do?"

"Cover me in drool?"

"???"

Xuan Hao looked completely bewildered.

What kind of outrageous thing was that supposed to mean?