Sister Xiao Tao, let's become a disciple.

"What is it?"

Xiao Xiao immediately became well-behaved, listening carefully to what Zhang Lexuan had to say.

Seeing the speed of this change, Ma Xiaotao couldn't help but feel a bit stunned. Was this little thing's aggression selective?

She had shown such great hostility the moment they met.

Could it be...?

She cast her gaze toward Xuanyuan Sheng standing to the side, and the whole situation became clear in her mind. So that was it.

A little girl who hadn't even grown her feathers yet was already looking for a boyfriend.

Though she thought this in her heart, Ma Xiaotao still managed to keep her expression serious as she looked toward Zhang Lexuan.

She had only just managed to build enough goodwill with the lady of the house to earn her trust; she couldn't afford to lose that trust over some trivial matter.

"Is it about the matter of Xiao Sheng taking on a master?"

Although she already knew that Xuanyuan Sheng's master was that old man, Xiao Sheng's sister didn't know yet. This would be the perfect surprise for Zhang Lexuan.

Surely, she would be very happy to hear this news.

And the reward, the Ultimate Ice, would also be within her, Ma Xiaotao's, grasp.

"Hmm... even someone like Xiaotao, who is often away from Shrek, knows about this?" Zhang Lexuan nodded and replied.

She remembered that Ma Xiaotao was usually either out on Inspector missions or searching for something at auctions. For such a busy person, it was surprising that Ma Xiaotao would be interested in the affairs of Outer Courtyard freshmen.

Ma Xiaotao scratched her head in embarrassment.

After all, when she first learned about this, the only thing on her mind was how to tie up her junior brother.

Forget it, no point dwelling on the past.

Right now, she was the perfect shield in Zhang Lexuan's heart, a good friend helping her brother fend off unwanted attention.

"I heard it from my teacher. He has some interest in what's happening at the Outer Courtyard, so I happened to learn the details of the situation as well."

"So that's how it is."

Xuanyuan Sheng looked at Ma Xiaotao, who was arching her eyebrows at him, feeling a bit confused. What was this person trying to get him to say? She hadn't said anything just a moment ago.

"Are your eyes hurting?"

Ma Xiaotao stared at him gloomily.

Was their relationship as fellow disciples something so shameful that it couldn't be seen?

She had blinked at him so many times, yet the information she was trying to convey was completely ignored.

"No. Aren't you going to tell Sister Lexuan the good news about your apprenticeship?"

When Xuanyuan Sheng heard this, he suddenly realized what was going on.

So that was it. How could he have forgotten about this?

No wonder he felt the relationship between Ma Xiaotao and Sister Lexuan was strange; even if they were discussing things Ma Xiaotao had embellished, it shouldn't have reached the point of calling her "Sister Lexuan" so intimately.

So she wanted to take a shortcut.

Promising.

Although Xuanyuan Sheng wore a smile, Ma Xiaotao felt the malice leaking from his eyes.

"Eh?"

Ma Xiaotao looked at him, surprised.

She watched as Xuanyuan Sheng pulled Zhang Lexuan in front of her, then produced a chair from out of nowhere.

He casually pressed Zhang Lexuan down into the chair.

Then, he pushed Xiao Xiao, who was watching the drama unfold, behind Zhang Lexuan to knead her shoulders and beat her back.

Ma Xiaotao didn't know what Xuanyuan Sheng was doing, but since she seemed to be the protagonist of this event, she felt a bit of doubt—should she run?

Xuanyuan Sheng looked at the motionless Ma Xiaotao with satisfaction.

Just like when he pulled the chair from his Soul Tool, he brought out a cup of tea and handed it to her.

He hadn't expected Sister Xiaotao to be looking forward to this so much; in that case, he couldn't just give her something ordinary.

"Come on, Sister Xiaotao, offer the tea and accept the apprenticeship!!"

Offer the tea and accept the apprenticeship?

Ma Xiaotao looked at the tea she had just taken into her hands and felt an inexplicable sense of malice.

No, you brat, are you messing with me?

But then she thought of the apprenticeship candidate Xuanyuan Sheng had mentioned earlier.

Ma Xiaotao asked with a blank expression: "You... and her..."

"Yeah."

Xuanyuan Sheng looked at Ma Xiaotao, who had stiffened like a statue, and realized that something seemed wrong. He might have truly misunderstood her intentions.

Ma Xiaotao did not speak, only looking at Xuanyuan Sheng with an unhappy gaze.

It seemed she really had been overthinking things.

She called out to the system in her mind.

"Did you know about this early on, and that's why you released that mission to make me his only senior sister?"

[No, I simply decided to release that mission because I saw you didn't understand your own task, in order to better help you poach the neighbor's younger brother.]

Heaven and earth as my witness.

Ma Xiaotao had truly misunderstood the Next-Door Sister System; the apprenticeship mission it conceived was meant to help her better utilize her status in the world to poach this neighbor's younger brother.

It was not for Ma Xiaotao to simply become Xuanyuan Sheng's senior sister; if it didn't make things easier, why would it release such a mission for her to complete?

[You are completely overthinking it.]

"How so?"

Ma Xiaotao still felt this thing was plotting against her.

[Look at the punishment. I mentioned the iron-fisted care from Zhang Lexuan; isn't that the punishment you would receive only if you succeeded in poaching him?]

At that moment, Ma Xiaotao felt as if her skull had been pried open by the system.

That's right.

According to what Xuanyuan Sheng said earlier, his apprenticeship to Zhang Lexuan must have been agreed upon long ago.

And that flat-chested little girl nearby, who was radiating a faint, lingering hostility toward her, was likely one of the other candidates.

So the essence of the system was to make her poach him.

To poach Xuanyuan Sheng from Zhang Lexuan's tutelage to her own teacher's, and then use her status as a senior sister to secretly cross the border, replacing Zhang Lexuan to become his new sister.

Damn it, look at what she had been poaching!

Ma Xiaotao's face was full of chagrin as she clapped her hands and stamped her feet, leaving the three people watching her stunned.

The little loli Xiao Xiao pointed at her own forehead and tapped it twice, speaking her mind: "Sister Lexuan, Xiao Sheng, is she... here..."

She had long since recognized who this red-clad, curvaceous woman was.

Isn't she the witch of the Inner Courtyard? I'm not afraid of her.

Xuanyuan Sheng and Zhang Lexuan also exchanged glances.

Why did it feel like Ma Xiaotao was regretting not joining Zhang Lexuan's tutelage sooner?

Xuanyuan Sheng couldn't help but harbor serious doubts about this:

Could it be that Ma Xiaotao had long wanted to join Zhang Lexuan, but was troubled by the lack of a proper path or opportunity?

As for Zhang Lexuan, she confirmed her memories repeatedly.

She truly hadn't interacted much with Ma Xiaotao before, to the point where she didn't have many memories of her at all.

Ma Xiaotao was only annoyed for a moment.

"Sorry, Sister Lexuan, I thought Xiao Sheng didn't have a suitable teacher, so I intended to recommend him to Teacher Yan. I never imagined he would become your apprentice."

As the saying goes, sincerity is the only ultimate move.

Her thoughts might have gone off the rails, but her actions were straightforward.

"To show my apology, I will use tea in place of wine and punish myself with a cup."

The cup was empty.

At this moment, Zhou Yi, who was lurking in the bushes, was growing impatient.

How long had they been chatting? Why hadn't she found an opportunity to increase her intimacy with Xuanyuan Sheng yet?