Qin Yuer

"Sister Yuer..."

Qin Yuan's feelings for Qin Yuer were complicated. They were not limited to gratitude for her decades of care; there was also genuine affection from the bottom of his heart.

Qin Yuan stepped forward, opened his arms, and drew Qin Yuer's delicate body into his embrace. "I missed you so much."

Her soft, fragrant body pressed against him, and a faint scent drifted into his nose.

Hearing Qin Yuan's murmur and feeling his warm breath against her ear, Qin Yuer's delicate body trembled slightly as tenderness welled up in her heart.

"Little Yuan, I missed you too."

Qin Yuer wrapped her arms around Qin Yuan's waist as well, burying herself in his embrace.

Just as Qin Yuan's feelings for her were complicated, so were hers. She had both an older sister's affection for her younger brother and a heartfelt attachment to him.

She had entered Tianshan at the age of ten, believing she would spend her life alone and destitute. She had never expected to encounter Qin Yuan, who had been only two or three years old.

After Qin Yuer took Qin Yuan in, she was no longer lonely. She had companionship, and the two relied on each other for survival, becoming each other's family.

Yet judging by the current situation, there was more than mere familial affection between them.

"It's only been a while, but you've grown taller again, Little Yuan. And more handsome too."

"If you went out like this, who knew how many young girls you'd captivate."

Qin Yuer raised her head to look at Qin Yuan. Her beautiful eyes gleamed slightly, and a faint smile curved at the corner of the mouth.

This was the boy she had raised with her own hands. Even if he might not necessarily become a Genius Mage in the future, he was at least a spirited youth now.

Back then, when she had helped the little brat Qin Yuan bathe, his blushing, embarrassed expression had been rather adorable.

Unfortunately, that was no longer possible. Qin Yuan had grown up.

"Then has Sister Yuer been captivated by me?" Qin Yuan chuckled and teased.

"...Don't fool around."

Qin Yuer froze for a moment, her beautiful eyes flickering, but she quickly returned to normal and laughed softly. "There's nearly an eight-year difference between us."

"I'm not fooling around. I'm serious."

Qin Yuan shook his head and spoke solemnly.

Staring at Qin Yuer's stunning face, he praised her sincerely. "Sister Yuer, you're truly beautiful."

Qin Yuer was stunned by his words as well.

Looking at the serious expression on Qin Yuan's face, she was momentarily dazed as an unfamiliar emotion quietly arose in her heart.

What kind of feeling was this?

It was hard to describe.

Qin Yuan had often told her she was pretty and beautiful before, but it had only made her happy.

Now, sixteen-year-old Qin Yuan was praising her beauty again, with those red eyes filled with emotion...

She was not only happy; her heart was even sweeter.

A long silence followed.

"Puchi~"

Qin Yuer chuckled, her right hand caressing Qin Yuan's cheek. "All right, you're only sixteen."

"Wait another two years. When you understand what true love is, tell me what you think then."

Qin Yuan liked her.

She was happy, but she was also afraid.

She feared it was merely a sign of Qin Yuan's immature mind. Even more, she feared that her identity as a calamity would be exposed one day and drag Qin Yuan down with her.

"Sister Yuer, there's no need to wait two years. I can answer you right now," Qin Yuan said.

Qin Yuan tightened his grip around Qin Yuer's slender waist, gazed tenderly at her red lips, and then lowered his head.

"Mm!"

Qin Yuer's heart trembled, and her delicate body stiffened.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. She had not expected Qin Yuan to be so bold.

This was her first kiss.

Qin Yuan actually dared to kiss her!

Yet it happened just like that. The handsome face so close before her and the breath washing over her made her heart stir slightly.

Qin Yuer lowered the hands she had raised to push him away and quietly allowed Qin Yuan to have his way.

Her feelings were complicated—joy, nervousness, and excitement.

The only thing she did not feel was anger.

She did not dislike Qin Yuan's actions. On the contrary, she felt that this was how things should be.

What was wrong with kissing the boy she had raised for so many years?

Her conscience was clear!

After a long while, their lips parted.

"Sister Yuer, that is my answer."

Qin Yuan smiled lightly.

His actions might have been somewhat abrupt, but he hoped Qin Yuer could change the way she thought and stop treating him as an immature "younger brother."

Although Qin Yuan was only sixteen and still underage, his mind was already mature.

"Honestly, I don't know what to do with you. I'm taking you seriously now. If you ever come to dislike me in the future, don't blame me... Hmph!"

Qin Yuer shot Qin Yuan a glare and spoke "viciously."

"Never!"

Qin Yuan's expression turned serious as he said earnestly, "I'm going to marry Sister Yuer someday!"

"Oh?"

"Then what are you going to do about the girls in Bocheng? Don't tell me you plan to abandon them after having your fun."

A dangerous gleam appeared in Qin Yuer's beautiful eyes.

As Qin Yuan's guardian, she naturally knew how mischievous and restless he had been as a child, often running off alone to other cities.

Among them, Bocheng was the place Qin Yuan visited most often.

"Abandoning them after having my fun is impossible..."

Without blushing or skipping a beat, Qin Yuan said, "So I'll just have to suffer a little and marry them all."

"..."

Qin Yuer looked at Qin Yuan with a blank expression and a "calm" face. "Is that enough?"

"Do you need to be like an emperor, with three palaces, six courts, and three thousand beauties?"

"C-Can I?"

Qin Yuan asked tentatively.

"What do you think!"

Qin Yuer was so angry she laughed. Her calm expression instantly turned furious. "You really want to turn the world upside down."

"I'm telling you, as long as I'm around, don't even think of becoming like those extravagant nobles."

"Three palaces, six courts, and three thousand beauties... Why don't you just die on a beauty's belly?"

Qin Yuer had thought her Little Man was a proper gentleman. Who would have thought he was a debauched wanderer? She had raised him wrong.

"Actually, three thousand beauties is a bit exaggerated. A tenth of that would do," Qin Yuan said cautiously.

Qin Yuer: "..."

"I'll beat you to death!"

"Bang..."

"Thud..."

"Whoosh..."

Although Qin Yuer was angry, she did not use magic. Instead, she used the physical body of a High-level Mage to "teach" Qin Yuan a lesson.

However, Qin Yuer quickly noticed something was wrong.

Qin Yuan's body was extremely agile, and his reactions were fast. Though he was slightly inferior to her, it was still far beyond what an ordinary person could possess.

"This little bastard can really run," Qin Yuer muttered.

Because Qin Yuan had seized the initiative first, after their bout of roughhousing, Qin Yuan was completely fine while she herself had become tired.

"Hmph."

Qin Yuer gave a soft snort and said, "Little bastard, let's see where you can run now. Ice Lock..."

Qin Yuan: "..."

Wait, was that really necessary?

She was practically an Archmage, yet she was bullying a little comrade who could not even cast Beginner Magic.

She had absolutely no sense of fair play.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

Once the Ice Lock appeared, Qin Yuan had nowhere to run.

Qin Yuer grabbed his ear in an extremely practiced manner.

"Are you still going to run?" Qin Yuer looked at Qin Yuan with a smiling expression.

"Hiss!"

Qin Yuan winced in pain. "Sister Yuer, easy, easy..."

"Cut it out. I'm not even using any force." Qin Yuer snorted softly. "Let's see if you dare be so fickle in love again."