Rou'er: You Already Called Me Sister, So What Else Can I Say?

After that little "performance,"

the hatred in Rou'er's heart had unknowingly faded by quite a bit.

She looked at the young man before her.

He had delicate features and a straight nose bridge, handsome to begin with.

Now, his handsome face also carried a trace of unease and stubbornness.

Rou'er instantly believed her own judgment.

Perhaps this young man... was not one of those evil people?

Back in the Star Dou Great Forest, although he had been the first to torture Spirit Beasts, the people from his family had later been a hundred times more frenzied than him!

Maybe... maybe he had been forced by his family too?

She shook her head.

"I'm not leaving."

"If I leave, what will happen to you?"

Yu Xiaoheng froze, then anxiously asked, "Then what will happen to you? It's too dangerous for you to stay here."

Rou'er suddenly remembered something.

"Before I passed out, I think I heard your family saying they wanted me to become your maid."

She raised her head and looked at Yu Xiaoheng.

"Then... I'll be your maid. Wouldn't that solve it?"

However, hesitation appeared on Yu Xiaoheng's face.

"You... really want to be my maid?"

"But everyone else in the family has been coveting you. I... I might not be able to protect you."

His voice was full of uncertainty.

"It's fine, don't worry!"

Rou'er patted her chest of her own accord, her tone resolute.

"You've been loyal to me, so I definitely can't be disloyal to you!"

The moment the words left her mouth, Rou'er herself was stunned.

Why could she not remember a single one of those tender, heart-wrenching lines from the human romance novels she had read before?

Why was her mouth full of brotherly loyalty instead?

But this was her comfort zone.

Back in the Star Dou Great Forest, this was how she had always gotten along with her other Soft Bone Rabbit sisters.

No matter what happened, it all came down to one saying.

"We're buddies!"

You already called me brother, so what else could I say?

Just like Xiao Wu.

Back then, she had insisted on going to the Star Dou Core Area to recklessly risk her life, even leaving behind a daughter still crying to be fed.

She, Rou'er, a Shapeshifting Spirit Beast who longed for beautiful love, had ended up—

being forced into becoming a mother.

But who told them to be such good sisters, such good brothers?

You already called me "Sister Rou'er," so what else could I say?

Your daughter? I'd help you raise her!

From now on, I'm her mother!

It was the same right now.

This... Young Master had not hesitated to risk being punished by his family for her sake.

She, Rou'er, acknowledged that loyalty!

From today onward, they were brothers!

Whoever dared touch her brother would have to ask whether her fists agreed first!

When you were out in the world, the most important thing...

was putting loyalty first.

How could one hurt a brother for a moment of pleasure?

That would simply... make one unworthy of being human!

Oh, right, I'm not human.

No matter. Same difference!

After all that, Rou'er had thought the other party would be deeply moved. Yet Yu Xiaoheng merely froze for a moment before reluctantly nodding after a while. "All right... then what do you want to do now?"

Rou'er immediately said, "I'll stay in the dungeon for now. Just hurry up and arrange for me to get out."

Yu Xiaoheng acknowledged her words and turned to leave.

The cell door was locked again, leaving Rou'er alone in the dim dungeon.

She sat atop the pile of straw, delighting inwardly.

"I really am such a loyal, good girl!"

"As for that Young Master, I've been good enough to him. He definitely won't treat me poorly in the future."

She had thought this Young Master was rotten to the core, but unexpectedly, he was quite loyal too.

Rou'er began making plans.

"This isn't bad either. I already wanted to see the prosperous human world, and as a Young Master, he can definitely provide me with plenty of good food and drink."

"And since we're brothers, I won't bring up how I wanted to make him heartbroken before."

"Once my cultivation succeeds, if I can become a god, I'll give this buddy a hand too—'those who become gods first should lead those who become gods later'!"

Outside the dungeon.

Yu Xiaoheng walked slowly through the dark corridor. The gentleness and guilt on his face had long vanished, replaced by a solemn expression.

Yu Lin and Yu Hu hurried over.

"Young Master, how did it go?"

"Basically smoothly, but there's a slight problem," Yu Xiaoheng said blandly.

He was somewhat speechless.

Wasn't this supposed to be Love Brain Continent?

His act of playing the victim, showing weakness, and risking himself to save her had been worthy of an award-winning performance.

He had calculated that Rou'er had only recently Shapeshifted, knew little of the world, and was trapped in a desperate situation. She should have been the easiest to move with such an act.

She did have favorable feelings toward him.

But how was this love?

This was clearly the Peach Garden Oath!

Would she still Sacrifice herself for me in the future?

Yu Xiaoheng's plan had been crystal clear from the start.

His father Yu Yuanzhen's Aura had enveloped the entire dungeon from beginning to end, hidden in the shadows.

As long as Rou'er made the slightest suspicious move, even if she truly had the means to suddenly attack and injure someone, she would not escape being instantly suppressed—or even executed on the spot.

He would never be in danger.

As for Yu Lin and Yu Hu, who guarded Rou'er, they were carefully selected pawns.

The two had once insulted him for neglecting his duties, but later pledged allegiance to him.

Not only had Yu Xiaoheng not retaliated, he had instead entrusted them with an "important task," handing over the confidential matter of guarding an "assassin" to them.

That "trust" was enough to make the two overwhelmingly grateful. It would also completely dispel their final misgivings, making them believe that the Young Master had truly forgiven what had happened before and raising their loyalty to its peak.

They were the most reliable people for the job.

Everything was ready, save for Rou'er's "gratitude."

But this little episode of "brotherly loyalty" had caught him somewhat off guard.

Still, Yu Xiaoheng quickly calmed himself.

"It should be fine."

He pondered to himself.

"After all, I'm still young and haven't grown into my body yet. In her eyes, I may only be a little brother."

"In a few more years, there'll be plenty of time to cultivate our feelings."

Tang Hao had used every possible scheme to ensnare Ah Yin back then.

I don't care.

Either way, I'm going to ensnare this Rou'er.

Her Spirit Ring and her Spirit Bone are mine for the taking!

***

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Yu Xiaoheng's Soul Power steadily increased, rising from Level Sixteen toward the major threshold of Level Seventeen.

During this time, he often visited Rou'er in the dungeon.

Each time, he brought exquisite pastries bought outside the sect, or drinks he had personally prepared.

He continued playing the role of a Young Master with "little real authority, constrained at every turn, yet kind-hearted."

The reason he had not taken Rou'er out earlier was, first, because everyone in the Blue Electric Tyrant Sect held him in great reverence. One careless mistake could expose him.

Second, he had long planned to take Rou'er away naturally when he went to study at Thunder Academy.

What gave Yu Xiaoheng a headache, however, was that his relationship with Rou'er seemed more and more like that of "buddies," no matter how he looked at it.

That day, Yu Xiaoheng entered the dungeon once more.

He carried an exquisite food box containing several small dishes, along with a jug of freshly squeezed Carrot Juice.