How come I'm the one being conquered?

Tingyun gently pulled her hand from Yukong's, burying her face against the woman's soft chest. She silently savored the elder's tenderness, reflecting that Yukong's gentleness towards her had never wavered, no matter the circumstances. With this thought, Tingyun's gaze shifted from confusion to a different emotion entirely.

"Don't say that. Lady Yukong is never an outsider. We... we... let's go together! The three of us!"

Tingyun took a deep breath, suppressing her shyness. She lifted her head, leaning close to Yukong's ear, and softly yet resolutely confessed her true feelings.

As her words fell, Yukong's dejected expression vanished, replaced by a deepening blush that revealed a girlish shyness.

Within her beautiful purple eyes, her pupils still trembled incessantly, churning like a turbulent vortex, desperately trying to draw a sliver of final pity from the eyes meeting hers. "Tingyun, wh-what are you saying!"

"Lady Yukong is staying tonight too. The three of us—"

Before Tingyun could finish, Yukong's consciousness dissolved from overwhelming shyness, her eyes unfocused as she fainted onto the floor.

Thump—

"Hmm? What was that?"

Jing Yuan, sipping wine on the living room sofa, heard the commotion from the bedroom and showed a look of surprise. He had felt something was off since he entered the house, and the sound this time was clear, like something hitting the floor.

"What's wrong?"

"Qing Yan, didn't you hear the noise from the room?"

Bai Jun called out to Jing Yuan, who was about to get up and investigate. Although he was already sweating profusely, he forced himself to remain calm, pretending he hadn't heard anything. "The wind is strong tonight. Maybe a book fell off the bed. The weather's been like this lately."

"Is that so? I thought I heard..." Jing Yuan paused, his expression puzzled.

"More importantly, why is your face so red today? Did you get drunk? No way, you haven't even had three drinks." Bai Jun promptly pushed the prepared cocktail onto the table, asking with a hint of teasing.

"How could I? This is nothing... Ha, waiter, more drinks!"

It turned out that a little provocation could be very effective on a drunkard. Jing Yuan's temper flared at the remark, and he downed the cocktail standing up. He then sat back on the sofa, grumbling at Bai Jun.

Seeing this, Bai Jun felt the heavy weight on his heart finally lift. He quickly mixed another cocktail for Jing Yuan. The orange-red liquid slid into the glass, but this time, the alcohol content was exceptionally high, with extra smooth ingredients added to ensure a strong aftereffect.

"By the way, Qing Yan, have you been listening to the radio lately?" Jing Yuan asked curiously before taking a drink.

"Yes, I have, but what are you referring to?" Bai Jun's hand paused while wiping the bottom of a glass, and he shook his head in confusion.

"The Universal Tour."

Bai Jun vaguely sensed that Jing Yuan's words had a deeper meaning. After a moment of thought, he still shook his head. "I don't understand. Just say what you mean directly."

Jing Yuan tapped the rim of his glass rhythmically, patiently explaining, "A famous family singer is coming to the Luofu for a concert as part of the Universal Tour. You must have heard about it, right?"

"Yes, I've heard. It's that family singer named Guinaifen, isn't it?"

"Precisely. That singer travels across the universe, spreading the power of 'Harmony' through her beautiful singing to fans and all living beings. Perhaps she herself is simply conveying peace, but undeniably, her arrival represents a voice from Penacony."

"You mean to say..."

Jing Yuan took a small sip of his drink and calmly continued, "Recently, there have been undercurrents of unrest within the Luofu. Putting aside the situation with the Vidyadhara, you must have heard about the Medicine King's Legacy. I'm worried that some ill-intentioned individuals might use this tour to deliberately create conflict between the Luofu and Penacony. No, even setting that aside, if the singer were to be harmed, her fans scattered across the universe would create overwhelming public opinion pressure."

"That is indeed tricky. What are your plans?" Bai Jun put down his cocktail shaker, a bad premonition stirring within him.

"After careful consideration, I want you to be that Guinaifen's personal bodyguard. Consider it for the sake of the Luofu. Make sure to protect her well." Jing Yuan gave him a thumbs-up and pulled a photo from his pocket, sliding it across the table.

In the photo, the blue-haired girl standing center stage appeared to be about eighteen or nineteen years old. She was beautiful and graceful, with a face as lovely as a blooming flower and eyes as bright and fluid as water. She truly lived up to her reputation as a universe-famous star. If he could, Bai Jun would have described her as celestial.

However, he clearly had no time to dwell on that now. He stood up agitatedly, pointing at himself in disbelief. "Me, a personal bodyguard? Is this for real?"

"It's real. What's there to lie about?" Jing Yuan nodded, dispelling Bai Jun's hope for a reprieve. "Being able to spend time with a universe-renowned star, perhaps some subtle plot developments might even occur. It's an opportunity everyone would clamor for, no matter where it is."

Bai Jun crossed his arms in front of his chest and loudly refused, "No, no, no! I don't want to get involved in something like this. Besides, doesn't the Shence Mansion have capable Swift Blades? They specialize in such matters, so it would be much more reliable to hand it over to them."

"It can't be helped. This job was originally supposed to go to Yan Qing, but unfortunately, he won't be able to return to the Luofu for some time. So, it has to be you. And there's another very important reason..."

"What is it?" Seeing Jing Yuan's expression turn increasingly serious, Bai Jun decided to hear him out.

As if he had anticipated this, Jing Yuan provided a reason only Bai Jun could fulfill: "The bodyguard chosen to some extent represents the Luofu's image. We definitely need someone with good looks, right? Isn't that how it's always portrayed in movies?"

"Are you addicted to the internet?"

"Ah, I'll compensate you with half a month of administrative leave afterward, with pay."

Seeing that reasoning was futile, Jing Yuan resorted to offering incentives. Upon hearing about paid leave, Bai Jun's resolute stance clearly wavered. Jing Yuan seized the opportunity and increased the temptation.

"A month of paid leave?"

"Deal."

Bai Jun pondered it over. The tour was only for five days, and he'd get a month of paid leave afterward. It sounded like a windfall. He decided to take advantage of the good fortune and promptly agreed.

"Alright, this matter is entrusted to you."

With his objective achieved, Jing Yuan, in a much better mood, finished his cocktail and walked to the coat rack to put on his jacket, heading straight for the entrance. "The Shence Mansion still has some administrative matters to attend to, so I'll be heading back now. The wind is strong at night, so you don't need to see me out."

Bai Jun stood up, insisting on seeing him off. As they stood at the doorway, Jing Yuan suddenly stopped, his gaze drifting past Bai Jun to look back inside. He smiled and teased, "Then I'll be going. Miss Yukong and Miss Tingyun, please remember to arrive at the Tianbo Division early tomorrow. We have matters to attend to."

"N-no, that's not it! General, please let this humble one explain..."

Thump—

Tingyun's panicked voice suddenly came from Bai Jun's bedroom, followed by a dull thud. Then, silence returned to the bedroom.

"Why didn't you expose it earlier? Why did you have to wait until you were leaving..." Bai Jun muttered, holding his forehead, his voice weak.

"Because it's more interesting this way."

Jing Yuan's perpetually lazy and tired face finally showed a hint of pleasure. He stretched lazily, then, under Bai Jun's gaze, slowly disappeared at the end of the street.

"...He really just handed over the guard duty to me purely to satisfy his own selfish desires, didn't he?"

Bai Jun vaguely sensed that he had been tricked by Jing Yuan again, but there was no room for regret now, so he decided not to think about it and turned to close the door.

Upon returning to his room, he was greeted by the sight of two foxes, one lying on its front and the other on its back, both passed out on the floor, as well as his bed board with a large hole in it—likely broken when Tingyun got up too abruptly.

"Seriously, can't a person live anymore..."

Under the dim yellow lamplight, Bai Jun let out a short, weak sigh.

ps: I'm dealing with returning to school and some other matters, plus the most incredibly unfair censorship. This thing is driving me crazy. In some places, I had to substitute words with more awkward phrasing, so please bear with me.

Anyway, this caused a day's delay, but I'll make up for it in the next two days.

Chapter 47: A Master Hunter Always Dresses Up as Prey

In front of a cafe on Changle Heaven's street, a girl with short white hair, holding a strange plush toy, sat on a bench outside the shop, looking somewhat worried as she checked her wrist.

Today was the day she had promised to apologize to Bai Jun. Although their meeting was set for nine in the morning, Yelena had chosen to arrive early at eight-thirty. It was now eight fifty-five, but Bai Jun still hadn't shown up, which made Yelena a little anxious.

"Zhang Zhang, why do you think Bai Jun is so late? Could he have forgotten our appointment?"

"Huhu~ Hu!"

"No, no, I brought you here today specifically to apologize properly. Besides, didn't you promise me last night that you would never bite Bai Jun again?"

Yelena gently patted Zhang Zhang, who was nestled in her arms, then lifted her blue eyes and looked anxiously across the street.

She was wearing a light-colored dress today, its hem falling to her delicately shaped calves. A pair of strappy heeled sandals revealed her cute toes, and a soft, light gauze shawl covered the gentle swell of her chest, giving her an air of cool elegance mixed with warmth.

The decision to meet in front of the cafe was Yelena's suggestion. The cafe was located on a less crowded side street, and its style leaned towards Pierpoint, which meant the local Xianzhou people disdained to patronize it, making the cafe exceptionally quiet. It was rarely noisy no matter when you visited.

Yelena often came here. Firstly, the atmosphere felt very much like her company's, and secondly, it was sufficiently tranquil. Sitting on the bench, she could observe the passersby on the street at any time, and having a cup of coffee greatly helped to soothe her mood.

Waiting always made one impatient. Just as Yelena was about to take out her phone to remind Bai Jun, a figure suddenly appeared across the street, stopping her.

With her outstanding eyesight, she could clearly see Bai Jun yawning as he ambled towards her. She could even make out that he was wearing a long black coat today, paired with a white high-necked shirt underneath, and had even tied his hair into a short ponytail, giving him an overall cool and rational demeanor.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

At eight fifty-eight, Bai Jun arrived at the cafe precisely on time. Yelena noticed the dark circles under his eyes. Although not very heavy, they were particularly noticeable against his fair skin.

"Whoa, you look terrible, and you have really bad dark circles. Didn't you rest well last night?"

"Something like that. It's a long story..."

Bai Jun rubbed his slightly sore eyes and forcefully pressed his stiff neck. He had expended considerable effort last night to see Tingyun and Yukong off. What's more, the bed board was broken when he got home, forcing him to sleep on the floor for half the night. Then, when he woke up, he found he had a stiff neck. It truly was one misfortune after another.

"It looks like this cafe was a good choice. How about a cup of coffee to refresh yourself? At least it'll make you feel a bit better."

Seeing his haggard appearance, Yelena felt a sense of familiarity. She had often seen colleagues exhibiting similar states after working overtime in the past. Although Yelena, who enjoyed working overtime, couldn't fully empathize, she still made the suggestion.

"That would be great. One iced coffee, please, with extra sugar."

"If you're feeling sleepy, it's better to have less sugar," Yelena reminded him softly. A surge in blood sugar could inhibit the hypothalamus's secretion of orexin, potentially making one even more tired after drinking coffee.

"It's okay, I'm just a bit tired. A little sugar can help relieve fatigue."

Bai Jun sat down in the seat next to Yelena and slumped onto the table, as if relieved of a great burden. His lazy and comfortable posture easily reminded Yelena of the cats at home. She struggled to suppress the urge to pet him and called the waiter over to order two coffees.

Before long, the waiter arrived with two cups of coffee and a small plate of pastries. Bai Jun's first reaction upon standing up wasn't to grab his coffee but to taste a pastry first. He nodded in satisfaction before turning his attention to the coffee.

"This cafe is really nice," Bai Jun commented simply as he drank his coffee, looking around the surroundings.

"Right, right? I think so too! What do you think is the best thing about this place? The decor? Or the coffee's taste?" Hearing Bai Jun's evaluation, Yelena felt a surge of pleased recognition. Her beautiful eyes blinked, eagerly awaiting his answer.

"Naturally, it's the location," Bai Jun said calmly, setting down his coffee cup. A triumphant gleam appeared in his eyes. "No joke, give me three machine guns, and I can control this entire street."

"Indeed, this cafe is very quiet... Huh? That's so like you."

Yelena almost spat her coffee onto Bai Jun's face. She wiped the coffee from the corner of her mouth and gave the smug Bai Jun a slightly resentful glance. But then, she thought about it again and found him quite amusing.

"Just kidding, actually, two machine guns would be enough..."

Bai Jun felt something nudging his pant leg. He looked down and saw that it was Yelena's Zhang Zhang causing trouble.

"Huhu~ Hu."

This time, Zhang Zhang didn't intend to bite him. Instead, it acted like a pet dog, affectionately nuzzling Bai Jun's leg with its head, seemingly wanting Bai Jun to pick it up.

Bai Jun's first reaction was a bit of fear, which was understandable, as the little thing's bites could be quite painful, and he didn't want to repeat the experience of being savagely bitten last time. However, after a moment of hesitation, Bai Jun finally decided to pick it up. "Let me be clear, I don't have any gems or coins to feed you. Do you want some cake?"

He speared a small piece of cake and brought it to Zhang Zhang's mouth. It was devoured in one bite. Bai Jun then seemed to get into the spirit of things, offering various pastries to Zhang Zhang, who accepted them all without refusal, giving Bai Jun a taste of the joy of feeding.

Yelena rested her hands on the table, watching the affectionate interaction between Bai Jun and Zhang Zhang with a doting expression. She thought they got along quite well.

But soon, her expression changed slightly—

"W-Wow! Amazing! Zhang Zhang, you can even eat the plate!" Bai Jun exclaimed excitedly, looking at Zhang Zhang as if he were holding a devourer beast. "What about the iron fork? Can you eat that?"

"Huhu huhu~"

"You're so capable, Zhang Zhang. A wooden table must be even easier, right?"

"Hey, you two, that's enough!"

Seeing their interaction getting more and more out of hand, Ye Linna stood up to intervene. At the same time, a passing waiter happened to glimpse Bai Jun lifting a table to feed Zhang Zhang, and was so startled that he dropped the plate in his hand. "N-No, this is bad, boss! Someone ate our table!"

"Is there someone causing trouble? Quickly, grab the weapons!"

As expected, the two, along with a Pouch of Greed, were kicked out and blacklisted from ever returning. Looking at the bustling crowds on the street, Ye Linna let out a short sigh:

"Sigh, look at what you two did. Now I can't even come here for coffee anymore."

"...It's not a bad thing."

Bai Jun guiltily averted his gaze, and Zhang Zhang in his arms silently played the role of a lucky charm.

"There's no other way. Since we can't stay at the cafe, we'll have to go somewhere else. You're not allowed to do anything stupid like that again, okay?"

Seeing that they had a change of heart, Ye Linna didn't say anything more. Or rather, she didn't really care about such trivial matters. If an item was damaged, they could just pay triple the price. It didn't matter if they couldn't come here anymore. The most important thing was to see Bai Jun and Zhang Zhang's relationship improve, and that was the main goal for today.

Even so, the necessary warnings still had to be given. Otherwise, who knew what these two might do.

Bai Jun, carrying Zhang Zhang, followed behind Ye Linna, chatting as they walked. Their steps eventually stopped in front of a beautifully decorated... pet store.

"Uh, Ye Linna, did you come to the right place?"

Bai Jun took a step back with Zhang Zhang in his arms, not showing any reaction. He had originally thought Ye Linna would take him to a mall, a dessert shop, or something similar. He hadn't expected them to come to a pet store... Was she planning to sell Zhang Zhang?

"Hmm? Isn't it nice to be surrounded by fluffy little animals? Don't you want to try it, Bai Jun?"

"I'm not too keen on it..."

Ye Linna cupped her chubby cheeks with her hands and, after a moment of thought, came up with a good idea. "How about we go check out the stock market and see the recent gains? I'm quite skilled at it, you know."

"Never mind, let's just go to the pet store." There was no need to weigh the options between the two. Bai Jun immediately walked in with Zhang Zhang in his arms.

As soon as they entered the store, Ye Linna happily ran off to interact with various small animals. Zhang Zhang was already accustomed to its owner's behavior. It simply yawned and shifted its position in Bai Jun's arms, continuing to lie down.