Qin Yuan's 'Punishment', Creating Friends from Nothing

"Hopefully we can avoid heavy casualties."

Qin Yuan sighed quietly to himself.

With his own safety ensured, this was all he could do. As for being more selfless... sorry, Qin Yuan couldn't manage that.

"Little Yuan, you were the one who investigated all this. Why push it onto me?"

Sister Tang Yue stepped forward, taking the initiative to ask.

"Obviously because I've got my eyes on you."

Qin Yuan grinned, teasing her.

But this time, Sister Tang Yue didn't blush or get angry. Instead, she pressed seriously: "Little Yuan, tell me honestly—do you know everything about this..."

Before she could finish.

Sister Tang Yue suddenly froze, because Qin Yuan had pulled her into his arms.

The pleasant scent of a man washed over her, and her heart instantly felt warm, flustered and shy.

Sister Tang Yue looked up, blurting out: "You... mmph!"

But Qin Yuan suddenly silenced her.

Sister Tang Yue's eyes went wide as she stared at this unbelievable scene. The touch on her lips told her it was real.

Qin Yuan was kissing her!

Yet she felt no anger at all—instead, there was a strange, inexplicable joy and delight.

They kissed for a full minute.

Though their lips parted, Sister Tang Yue still leaned in Qin Yuan's arms.

"Sister Tang Yue, I told you last time—stop being curious about this." Qin Yuan pinched her delicate chin, smiling lightly. "Consider this a little punishment for you."

"But..."

Sister Tang Yue still wanted to be curious.

Qin Yuan, however, tightened his arm around her slender waist and said flatly: "No buts. If you're still curious, I'll carry you straight back to the bridal chamber right now."

At those words, Sister Tang Yue instantly fell silent.

She dared not ask further, because she saw the 'serious' look in Qin Yuan's eyes.

Though she didn't reject Qin Yuan, the idea of sharing a bridal chamber with him...

Ah, spit it out—he's Yuer's 'little love brother'! How could you have thoughts like that?

After a moment to calm herself, Sister Tang Yue came to her senses and said in an odd tone: "You kissed me."

"That was punishment."

"Isn't it still a kiss?"

"Hmph, so what if I kissed you? What are you gonna do about it?" Qin Yuan snorted, sounding cheerful.

Sister Tang Yue: "..."

Taking advantage of someone and still being so brazen about it—only you.

But this couldn't just be let go.

This was her first kiss, after all.

"Little Yuan, I'm going to tell Yuer about this." Sister Tang Yue said flatly.

Since he dared to kiss her behind Yuer's back, Qin Yuan had already earned his death sentence.

"Funny you should say that—I was planning to tell Sister Yuer myself." Qin Yuan grinned.

Sister Tang Yue: "..."

Looking at Qin Yuan's 'shameless' expression, she really didn't know what to do.

And besides—was Qin Yuan just trying to take advantage of her, without any thought of 'taking responsibility'?

At that thought, Sister Tang Yue couldn't help feeling a little dejected and wronged.

Seeing her distracted look, Qin Yuan chuckled: "Sister Tang Yue, I've held you and kissed you now. From now on, you're my woman."

At those words.

Sister Tang Yue's dim eyes couldn't help but brighten slightly.

What Qin Yuan meant was... he would take responsibility.

"...Dream on. Who's your woman?" Sister Tang Yue turned her head away, feigning anger.

"I've always liked turning beautiful dreams into reality."

Qin Yuan took the opening and smoothly replied.

Hearing this, Sister Tang Yue couldn't help but feel both amused and exasperated.

She realized now—she simply couldn't trade barbs with this stinky little brother. Even if she was in the right, it didn't matter, because with one word from that stinky little brother, he could twist wrong into right.

"Sister Tang Yue, remember this—you can only be mine. If you dare refuse, I'll just charge straight into the Spirit Hidden Tribunal and take you by force."

Qin Yuan directly transformed into a 'domineering CEO,' laying on the grease just a little.

"So arrogant."

Tang Yue rolled her eyes prettily, speaking with feigned irritation.

Charging into the Spirit Hidden Tribunal—there was a 'god' lying dormant there.

"Sister Tang Yue, I'm not joking." A smile tugged at the corner of Qin Yuan's mouth as he dropped another bombshell. "The me of the future won't be something that big spicy strip can stop."

"Hm?"

Though Tang Yue was a bit surprised, after connecting the relationship between Qin Yuer, Leng Qing, and herself, she understood.

"Yuer really does tell you everything."

"You know me so well, yet I only know a fraction of Little Yuan—it's not fair at all..."

Tang Yue said sourly.

Hearing this, Qin Yuan couldn't help but chuckle, asking knowingly, "Then what does Sister Tang Yue want to know?"

"How do you know so much about the Black Vatican?"

Tang Yue pressed on.

Since she'd already been 'punished' by Qin Yuan, being a little more curious would just mean another 'punishment' at worst. How bad could it get?

Qin Yuan definitely wouldn't bear to hurt her, so she felt emboldened.

"You really don't give up, do you."

"Fine, I'll tell you in secret, but you can't tell a third person."

Qin Yuan put on a 'serious' face.

"Okay!"

Tang Yue nodded heavily.

Qin Yuan gave a slight nod, took a breath to steady himself, then said, "I have a friend. She works as a spy inside the Black Vatican. She's the one who told me all this."

"Then she—"

Tang Yue started to ask, but Qin Yuan cut her off. "Sister Tang Yue, I know what you want to ask, but sorry, I can't say. Or rather... I don't know."

"We both know the other exists, but neither of us knows the other's specific identity."

Qin Yuan straight-up made up a story on the spot.

He had no choice. Tang Yue was far too curious, and sometimes, curiosity could lead to getting burned.

"Is that so."

Tang Yue believed most of it.

Because for Qin Yuan to know so much about the Black Vatican, there were only two possibilities.

One: Qin Yuan was part of the Black Vatican.

Two: There was a leaker inside the Black Vatican.

The former was impossible, so it had to be the latter.

"Then what's the Black Vatican's plan?" Tang Yue couldn't help asking again.

"Don't know."

"My friend isn't some high-ranking core figure. What she knows is limited."

Qin Yuan shook his head.

"Hm?" Tang Yue's willow brows furrowed slightly, suddenly feeling something was off.

What Qin Yuan was saying seemed a bit contradictory.

He'd just said he didn't know her specific identity, and now he was saying she wasn't a core figure... This was more than a little suspicious.

"Little Yuan, you—"

"Sister Tang Yue, you smell really nice." Qin Yuan suddenly spoke.

Tang Yue froze for a moment, then looked down to see herself lying in Little Yuan's arms, and that Little Yuan had already started reacting instinctively...

Whoosh!

Tang Yue sprang back as if shocked by electricity, pointing at Qin Yuan with a face full of shame and indignation. "Little Yuan, you're too pervy."

"That's rich coming from you."

Qin Yuan's mouth twitched as he couldn't help retorting, "This thing's going to end up on you sooner or later, and you're already complaining about it?"

Tang Yue: "!!!"

"Ah!"

Tang Yue, mortified, lunged at him and started wailing on Little Yuan.

Qin Yuan smiled faintly and began taking advantage.

Through his 'accidental' teasing, Tang Yue forgot her earlier train of thought and didn't dig any deeper into the matter of his 'friend who didn't exist.'

The two fooled around for a long time, and the farce ended with Tang Yue being thoroughly taken advantage of.