"Everyone's here?"
At the same time, a clear voice came from outside the courtyard gate, carrying a hint of surprise. Though he had indeed spread the news himself, he had assumed everyone had their own matters to attend to and would not set off so quickly.
But it seemed things were different from what he had expected at first.
As soon as his words fell, pairs of eyes filled with distinctly different thoughts turned toward him at the entrance.
"You finally came."
"Xiao Yan! No matter what, I want to try again...!"
"Huh?"
"Put that strange competitive streak of yours aside for now..."
Xun Er's words left Nalan Yanran somewhat helpless, and she could not help reminding her from behind. Still, she could understand why it was not so easy for Xun Er to let it go.
"Alright, alright..."
Xiao Yan's mouth twitched slightly. Everyone being caught off guard was somewhat expected, but even he could not withstand Xun Er's startling remarks.
As for Xun Er's declaration, Xiao Yan had already taken it as her usual competitiveness directed solely at Yao Wan.
Xun Er was quite the proper young lady at other times, but whenever she was in front of Yao Wan, she seemed determined to compete over everything.
Everyone had long since grown accustomed to it. Yet as Xun Er proclaimed it so openly, she secretly made up her mind that she had to win one back.
The days that followed slipped away amid this slightly boisterous peace.
The faint stirrings of life in her belly were no longer merely faint, and her flat lower abdomen gradually began to show changes as well.
To her, it felt as sudden as something occurring out of nowhere after an occasional cultivation session. Though it had been foreseeable from the start, it