A Past of Unexpected Joy

As the words fell, Xu Yuan and Zhou Chen ceased their conversation.

Zhou Chen focused on driving the carriage while sipping his wine.

Xu Yuan, meanwhile, cast his gaze inside the carriage.

Whether that was the reason Mr. Qin had targeted him, Xu Yuan was unsure, but he had gained some inkling as to why his cheap father would strike at the sect.

The interior was luxuriously decorated, featuring a jade-like soft couch, plush pillows woven from silk, and a tea tray specifically for brewing, with a faint, refreshing fragrance constantly diffusing through the cabin.

Within Xu Yuan's line of sight, a woman with an ethereal beauty and naturally seductive bones was kneeling before the tea tray, pouring tea.

Her eyes were lowered, presenting a posture that would stir pity in any beholder.

Xu Yuan lifted his finger slightly to activate the sound-dampening array set within the carriage and glanced at her:

"Did you hear what was just said?"

Su Jinxuan slowly raised her eyes:

"The Young Master did not avoid me, so naturally, Jinxuan heard it."

Her tone still carried a hint of seductive allure, but the previous fluctuations intended to bewitch the emotions were gone.

She was much better behaved, though not entirely so.

Thinking this, Xu Yuan gave her a meaningful look.

Su Jinxuan had changed her clothes.

A cyan and white silk gauze dress wrapped around her curvaceous figure, with her snow-white skin faintly visible beneath the thin fabric, and a pair of white, semi-transparent silk stockings perfectly hugging her straight, slender legs.

This woman understood men well, and she knew exactly how to utilize the advantages of her body.

Ever since boarding the carriage, she had been subtly and continuously trying to seduce and provoke him.

Even now, she was still thinking about turning the tables.

If she had tried this from the very beginning, Xu Yuan might have lost everything due to a momentary lapse in judgment.

It was a pity, however, that she hadn't; instead, she had chosen to use those strange spore particles to forcibly control him.

Now, her Charm Soul Demon Body had been exposed.

Zhou Chen had also warned him:

The deeper the physical contact, The easier it seemed to be for this woman's Charm Soul Demon Body to control one's mind.

Testing the law with one's own body was not something he intended to do.

However, To think this world actually had white silk.

Tsk, tsk.

Collecting his thoughts, Xu Yuan asked casually:

"Jinxuan, I heard from Yue Niang that you were brought here by Mr. Qin himself. I am curious how you and Mr. Qin came to know each other. Could you tell me about it?"

It was phrased as a question, but the tone allowed for no doubt.

He was keeping Su Jinxuan to deceive Mr. Qin, misleading him into believing the plan had succeeded.

Once the carriage entered the Jingjiang Xu Estate, this woman would be handed over to Ying'er for interrogation.

Ying'er came from the Black Scale Guard of the Prime Minister's Estate, known to outsiders as the Shadow Guard.

Interrogation and forced confessions were her professional specialty.

However, this did not stop Xu Yuan from learning a few things beforehand.

Su Jinxuan's beautiful eyes flickered, and after a moment, she said softly:

"More than a decade ago, my family fell into ruin, and when enemies came knocking, Mr. Qin saved me while we were fleeing, and he has raised me ever since."

Fleeing?

Adopted?

And possessing the one-of-a-kind Charm Soul Demon Body.

This cliché plot immediately made Xu Yuan think of many things.

After a moment of contemplation, Xu Yuan feigned a sigh:

"My apologies. I have brought up a painful memory for you, Jinxuan."

Su Jinxuan lowered her eyes and sighed faintly:

"I thank the Young Master for his compassion. Jinxuan was still young then; that matter has long since passed."

Xu Yuan shook his head and asked offhandedly:

"Then, Jinxuan, do you still remember who those enemies were? If they are still alive, I could help you settle this blood feud."

"The Young Master is too kind; Jinxuan is overwhelmed."

"Not necessary?"

"Jinxuan's vengeance has already been exacted."

"All of it?"

"..Mn."

"."

Xu Yuan stared into Su Jinxuan's eyes, revealing a deliberate look of realization, and chuckled:

"So that Mr. Qin already silenced all of your enemies in private, then."

"."

Upon hearing this, Su Jinxuan was slightly stunned.

She immediately grasped the implication behind his words, and the fragility in her eyes was instantly replaced by a flash of indignation:

"Third Young Master, please do not make such reckless speculations."

Seeing this, the smile in Xu Yuan's eyes deepened.

He was very satisfied with Su Jinxuan's reaction.

He did not know the specifics of her situation, nor did he even know if Su Jinxuan was lying or acting, but that did not stop him from making things up on the fly.

If he failed, it was merely a waste of a few minutes of breath.

But if he succeeded, even if he couldn't convince Su Jinxuan, planting a seed of doubt in her heart would be a massive gain.

Pausing for a moment, Xu Yuan pressed on relentlessly:

"Jinxuan, you only need to say yes or no.

"That Mr. Qin didn't let you see a single living soul among your enemies, did he?"

Silence descended within the carriage for a moment.

Xu Yuan felt a flicker of surprise in his heart.

Huh?

Could the nonsense he just made up based on storybooks actually be true?

Su Jinxuan stared at Xu Yuan, a canine tooth lightly biting her lower lip:

"Jinxuan knows that I am already the Young Master's prisoner, but I ask that the Young Master not slander Mr. Qin's character."

"Not answering directly—does that mean I guessed right?"

Xu Yuan leaned against the soft couch, propping his head up with one hand, and continued to provoke her with keen interest:

"Since that Mr. Qin has been able to raise you until now, I suspect it is because your parents also died during that 'flight for survival,' right?"

Xu Yuan deliberately emphasized the words "flight for survival":

"Jinxuan, have you ever thought about it? After your parents passed away, you, possessing the Charm Soul Demon Body, just happened to be encountered by Mr. Qin, who then stepped in to save you—isn't that a bit too coincidental?"

"You should know your own body best. How tempting this special constitution, which can control others' minds invisibly, truly is. Once someone knows about it beforehand, who could remain unmoved?"

"Especially for a 'big shot' like Mr. Qin, killing your whole family would be nothing more than a flick of the tongue to get something in return. Even This Young Master was almost controlled by you for his sake."

"."

The jade hand with which Su Jinxuan was pouring tea trembled slightly, the indignation in her eyes plain to see:

"Not everyone in this world is of the same temperament as the Young Master. Mr. Qin has always treated me like his own younger sister; coming here this time was my own initiative to share his burdens."

Xu Yuan acted as if he didn't see it, chuckling as he spoke:

"You say he treats you like his own younger sister?"

Xu Yuan laughed heartily and waved his hand:

"Fine. I will release the news right now that you have been captured by me and are set to be executed.

"Take a guess: will your Mr. Qin choose to vanish and run away, or will he come to the Xu Estate to snatch you back for the sake of his 'dear younger sister'?"

"."

After a long silence, Su Jinxuan took a deep breath, the thin gauze over her chest rising and falling, but she did not speak, continuing to pour tea in silence.

Xu Yuan could see that her heart was in turmoil; she was using the tea-pouring to calm her nerves.

He did not disturb her, Quietly watching Su Jinxuan manipulate the tea set with practiced hands.

Scalding the pot, placing the tea, warming the cups.

A beauty pouring tea—every step of the process was a delight to behold.

Once everything was finished, Su Jinxuan slowly rose and handed a cup of clear tea to Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan took it casually, stared into her eyes, pulled her to sit by his side, and asked with a sidelong glance:

"I am curious about one thing; could you help clear up my confusion?"

At this moment, Su Jinxuan had already returned to her usual state, charming and alluring. Hearing these words, she gave Xu Yuan a sweet, gentle smile.

"Whatever the young master asks, Jinxuan will naturally answer."

Xu Yuan gently held the woman's boneless, supple body, inhaling the scent of tea while asking in a soft voice:

"Mr. Qin rose to fame over a decade ago, and his strength today is likely unfathomable. Why would a man like that not teach you the methods of cultivation?"

Su Jinxuan covered her mouth and chuckled, her words now impossible to distinguish as truth or lie:

"Heh, Jinxuan does not care for this fighting and killing, so I have never cultivated."

Without a second thought, Xu Yuan asked directly:

"If you don't care for fighting and killing, why then did you cultivate this secret art of the Demon Body?"

"Jinxuan does not know; those things seemed to come naturally to me."

"A fine 'naturally' indeed!"

Xu Yuan laughed.

Even his Innate Dao Body required the cultivation of techniques before his soul could leave his body, yet you, with a Charm Soul Demon Body, are self-taught?

Not to mention anything else, without practicing secret arts, you wouldn't even be able to perform the most basic internal observation.

Without internal observation, how could you control your soul, let alone those numerous spore particles?

Sitting upright, Xu Yuan pinched Su Jinxuan's fair chin and pulled her close:

"Jinxuan, you can lie to me, but it is wrong to lie to yourself."

"It was Mr. Qin who gave you the secret art for the Charm Soul Demon Body, wasn't it?"

"..." Su Jinxuan.

Staring at each other at close range, Xu Yuan did not see any of the expressions he had hoped to find in her eyes.

The period of confusion had passed, and she was beginning to harden her resolve again.

Xu Yuan shook his head slightly, released her, and asked one final question:

"One last question. I hope you will answer truthfully."

"Please ask, young master." Su Jinxuan smoothed out her dress.

Xu Yuan asked casually:

"Do you know a person named Qin Mo?"