Crushing Defeat

"You..."

Xiao Xun Er looked at Yao Wan, yet had no way to refute her.

"As for my identity, you can explain it to Xiao Yan if you wish. But before that, Miss Xun Er, you'd better explain just what your own situation is."

As soon as Yao Wan finished speaking, Xiao Yan's door opened as well.

The young man in azure robes had barely stepped outside when he saw Xun Er at the courtyard gate, along with the lovely figure who, in his memory, seemed rarely to have left her room.

"Miss Wan?"

Xiao Yan murmured instinctively.

"Hm? Dou Qi Stage Five already? That was fast."

Following the sound of his voice, Yao Wan noticed Xiao Yan's current cultivation and could not help pausing slightly.

"It's all thanks to Miss Wan tempering my body over the past half year. Otherwise, my cultivation speed would probably have suffered greatly."

Xiao Yan smiled, omitting the diligence and hard work he had put in over the past half month.

"There is no need to belittle yourself. Reaching Dou Qi Stage Five in half a month is your own good fortune. I merely gave you a gentle push from behind. If you were incapable, even if I forced pills down your throat, it would have been useless."

There was a faint smile in Yao Wan's voice.

"Come to think of it, it really is rare for Miss Wan to leave the house."

"My legs aren't broken. Are you saying I'm not allowed to go out?"

Yao Wan retorted, and the two of them could not help laughing.

"Mm, I was a little worried before, but it seems there was no need. Whether it's gold coins or materials, if you run short, just come find me. I have plenty here."

As she spoke, Yao Wan stepped forward and gently patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder, then leaned close to his ear.

Xiao Yan only felt a faint, elegant fragrance wash over him. His body had instinctively wanted to retreat, but Miss Wan even held him in place.

"...What is it?"

Xiao Yan asked instinctively. This sort of gesture was somewhat awkward for him.

"Nothing... Your little sister Xun Er is still waiting eagerly for you. I won't make myself unwelcome. If you have any cultivation problems later, just come find me."

Yao Wan lowered her voice and spoke beside Xiao Yan's ear.

The moment she finished speaking, Yao Wan released Xiao Yan. There was not the slightest pause or reluctance in her movements as she turned and left.

When Yao Wan passed Xiao Xun Er at the gate, the two had nothing left to say to each other.

Only after Yao Wan left did Xun Er finally have the chance to say something to Xiao Yan.

"...Xun Er?"

Xiao Yan had still been wondering why Miss Wan had suddenly said such strange things, but when he noticed Xun Er's expression, he suddenly understood something.

"Xiao Yan-gege, has your talent returned?"

Seeing Dou Qi flow endlessly through the young man's body like a stream, a beautiful smile finally appeared on Xun Er's face once more.

"Mm."

Xiao Yan offered no further explanation and merely nodded gently.

"I knew Xiao Yan-gege would definitely pull himself together again."

"Of course. Seeing you always walking ahead of me, I had to feel some pressure too..."

That was the truth. During every family test, Xun Er's talent and cultivation had always astonished everyone and drawn countless looks. Xiao Yan could not exactly call it jealousy, but being left behind did not feel particularly good either.

But now, he finally had the ability to catch up again.

His hand instinctively stroked Xun Er's long black hair. Her dark locks fell like a waterfall, carrying a faint, secluded fragrance.

"...Xiao Yan-gege."

Feeling Xiao Yan's tenderness, Xun Er instinctively raised her head. Her eyes held an emotion Xiao Yan could not understand as she spoke softly.

"Tell me, how did you meet that Miss Wan?"

"Huh?"

He had thought Xun Er might want to drag him out for a walk with her again, but her question made him pause in surprise.

"How did we end up talking about Miss Wan...?"

"'We'...?"

Xun Er narrowed her beautiful eyes. Other than herself, who else had mentioned that woman in front of Xiao Yan-gege?

"My father did. Half a month ago, when Miss Wan had just made a breakthrough in her realm—"

Xiao Yan then explained to Xun Er how he had met Miss Wan.

"Miss Wan may act a little strangely, but she isn't a bad person..."

"That may be true, but doesn't Xiao Yan-gege find it strange? She's an alchemist at the Dou Wang realm. She could live comfortably anywhere she wanted, yet she came all the way to the Xiao Family..."

Xun Er did not want to put it too bluntly. If she did, Xiao Yan-gege might think she simply disliked that woman—

To her surprise, Xiao Yan nodded gently.

"Mm. Actually, I've more or less realized that myself."

"But Miss Wan said it herself—if everything in the world were only about profit, wouldn't that be far too boring?"

Xun Er's heart sank. Even without him saying it, she could already guess what Xiao Yan-gege was about to say.

"Compared to matters of benefit, I'd rather believe she helped me simply because of a passing interest from half a year ago."

"Xiao Yan-gege trusts her that much?"

Naturally, Xun Er did not want to hear Xiao Yan-gege praising another woman in front of her, so she asked directly.

"I do."

Xiao Yan did not hide it.

"Why?"

"There's no particular reason. How should I put it..."

Xiao Yan considered his words for a moment before saying, "After all, over the past half year or so, Miss Wan has been the one who spent the most time with me..."

"Though our relationship may be closer to that of an impromptu guardian and a lost person being guided, it ended up feeling more like a simple friendship. We don't need to care about talent or strength. We can say whatever we want... Isn't that quite comfortable?"

Xun Er's breathing caught, and for a moment, she did not know what to say.

Perhaps only at that moment did she suddenly realize it.

Compared to her argument with that woman earlier, she was the one who had truly lost completely.

After that, Xiao Xun Er and Xiao Yan did not speak for long before she left.

"Ah, you brat."

Once the little courtyard had returned to its usual quiet, Old Yao sighed before revealing himself.

"What is it, Teacher?"

"Nothing. It's just that you'll have plenty to suffer through in the future."

As someone who had been there before, Old Yao stroked his beard as he spoke.

Xiao Yan was utterly confused.

"Enough, cultivate! Looking like you do now, can you even reach One-star Dou Zhe by the next family test?!"

"Huh? Didn't Teacher say before that I could only reach Dou Qi Stage Eight by the next family test?"

"You brat, can't you show a little ambition?!"