"What's wrong?"
Snow Empress sat on a sofa so soft she sank into it, upholstered in some kind of precious fur. Hearing a noise, she turned to look at Xu Lanqing, who had just come out of the bathroom after a shower, dressed in a white bathrobe. She looked a little puzzled.
The expression on the young man's face was distracted, his usual enthusiasm gone. He looked like a guilty kid who'd done something bad outside and come home with a guilty conscience.
It was the first time she'd seen Xu Lanqing look like this. He wasn't his usual confident, radiant self.
"Well..."
Xu Lanqing sat across from Snow Empress, on the other side of the low table. He scratched his dripping-wet hair, at a loss for where to begin, and worried about how she would react once he told her.
He couldn't exactly start by saying he'd brought back a girl and locked her inside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Bead, could he?
Wouldn't she think he was a pervert on the spot?
It wasn't that he coveted the girl's body. He just wanted to get something from her. Still, he felt like he'd be looked down on if he told anyone about it.
Xu Lanqing noticed a glass of water on the low table. He picked it up, brought it to his lips, and took a sip.
"Well... it's pretty late. Are you hungry? Should I ask someone to bring us a late-night snack?"
"I'm not hungry."
Snow Empress watched Xu Lanqing's restless eyes, then suddenly leaned forward, propped her elbows on the low table, and rested her chin in her hands.
"Go on, then. Which girl have you taken a fancy to this time?"
"Cough, cough..."
Xu Lanqing, who'd been taking small sips of water, choked