After leaving Sunset Forest, Ye Yunxi sighed. Every time, she ended up revealing herself in some unexpected way.
This time, at least, she had won Dugu Bo's allegiance. That was a good thing, all in all.
Leaving Sunset Forest behind, Ye Yunxi strolled along the tree-lined road outside Heaven Dou City. She no longer concealed her peerless beauty. Her flowing glassy skirt swayed lightly with every graceful step, drawing every gaze along the way, yet not a single person dared approach her.
At a crossroads, several figures blocked her path.
It was the Shrek Seven Devils.
They had just returned from the city. At a glance, they recognized the stunning woman who had captivated the entire weightlifting arena. All their eyes turned to Ye Yunxi, their amazement still lingering, now joined by curiosity.
Ma Hongjun was the first to rub his chubby hands and hurry over. His rolls of fat jiggled as he beamed eagerly. "Miss, I fell for you at first sight at the arena. Would you do me the honor of sharing a drink?"
Ye Yunxi's gaze swept over him indifferently. She didn't pause, walking straight past as if she hadn't seen him, unwilling to spare him even a sidelong glance.
Ma Hongjun froze where he stood, the eager warmth on his face instantly congealing. He awkwardly withdrew his hand, thoroughly embarrassed.
Dai Mubai stepped in front of her, his golden eyes blazing. His tone held a hint of arrogance and an attempt to win her over. "Miss, your strength is exceptional, and your beauty unmatched. Shrek would be glad to call you a friend. Would you care to join us for a chat?"
"No need."
The two cool words drifted down. Ye Yunxi lightly tapped the ground with her toes, shifted to the side, and swept right past him.
Oscar hurried after her, conjuring two Recovery Sausages in his palm and offering them with an ingratiating smile. "Miss, just a little something from me. I'm a food-type Soul Master; I might be able to help you someday. How about we make friends?"
A faint tremor of Soul Power flickered at Ye Yunxi's fingertips. A gentle force sent the sausages flying back, landing precisely in Oscar's palm.
"Not interested."
At those three words, Ning Rongrong and the other girls looked astonished. This woman's pride had reached such a degree.
The Seven Devils all stiffened. Only Tang San stepped forward at an unhurried pace.
His Purple Demon Eye fixed on Ye Yunxi, while the Soul Power of his Blue Silver Grass rippled faintly around him. Calm and composed, he kept his aura restrained. When he spoke, his voice was even. "Miss, your strength is unfathomable. I'm Tang San. I'd like to ask you for a few pointers. May I know your name?"
At last, Ye Yunxi stopped.
Her peach-blossom eyes shimmered as they turned, and her lashes fluttered. A bewitching yet icy smile curved her lips. It was soft and alluring to the bone, but her eyes held a mocking chill. Her gaze locked directly onto Tang San as she raised a jade-white finger and traced it across her rosy lips.
Her voice was soft and sweet, yet every word rang clear, carrying a bewitching allure:
"Then tell me, young master. Would you be willing to abandon your girlfriend for me?"
The words fell.
Tang San's aura abruptly faltered. His Purple Demon Eye contracted sharply, and a storm surged through his pupils as he froze in place.
Xiao Wu's pretty face turned deathly pale. She clutched Tang San's sleeve, wariness and anger filling her eyes as the Soul Power of her Soft Bone Rabbit stirred quietly around her.
Dai Mubai and the others were utterly dumbfounded. They had never imagined this peerlessly beautiful woman would say something so devastating.
The tree-lined road fell silent as a grave.
Ye Yunxi watched Tang San standing frozen. Her smile grew colder, yet her eyes remained utterly calm.
She had only asked on a whim, but that was enough to see the calculations and obsessions buried in his bones.
"How boring. Young master, you missed your chance to invite me out. You won't get another one."
She said no more. Her Lingbo Microsteps carried her onward, her slender figure becoming a faint blur as she swept past the Seven Devils and headed straight into the depths of Heaven Dou City, leaving behind only her aloof silhouette and the stunned members of Shrek.
Tang San watched Ye Yunxi's retreating figure until it disappeared at the end of the tree-lined road. The gleam in his Purple Demon Eye slowly dimmed, and an inexplicable emptiness rose in his heart, as if he had truly missed a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity.
Her words echoed in his ears like a curse, making his fingertips tremble and his thoughts grow tangled.
Dai Mubai was the first to recover. He gave Tang San's shoulder a heavy slap, his voice full of regret and rising several notches.
"Little San! How could you let such a good opportunity slip by? She's a peerless beauty and prodigy, the kind you only meet once in a lifetime. Meeting her here was fate itself. You only had one chance!"
"Exactly, exactly!" Ma Hongjun rubbed his chubby hands, looking as if his heart were breaking. "That young lady clearly thought you were special. Anyone else wouldn't even have been worthy of speaking to her!"
Oscar nodded again and again, looking regretful. "You missed your chance, and there won't be another. Someone like her—you might never see her again!"
The three of them chimed in one after another, every word full of regret.
Just then, an icy gaze swept over them.
Xiao Wu's pretty face was frosty, her almond-shaped eyes wide as she glared fiercely at the three of them. The Soul Power of her Soft Bone Rabbit stirred faintly around her, her anger plain to see.
Those words sounded like they were deliberately undermining her!
Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar met Xiao Wu's glare and stiffened all over. The regret on their faces froze instantly, like ducks caught by the neck.
The next moment, all three turned in unison and gazed at the clouds in the distance. They each began whistling off-key, their fingers waving aimlessly through the air as they pretended to be calm and uninvolved. Not one dared draw another breath.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged amused glances, but tactfully said nothing.
Tang San came back to himself. Seeing Xiao Wu beside him, puffed up with anger, he felt some of the emptiness in his heart fade. He raised a hand to rub the top of her head and said softly, "Don't be angry. I wasn't interested in that sort of thing anyway."
But only he knew that the emptiness in his heart had never truly gone away.
That woman's face, her bewitching smile, those devastating words—they had already been seared into his mind, impossible to shake.
When Ye Yunxi returned to Heaven Dou City and reached a quiet alley, she lifted her jade-white fingers and drew the moon-white veil back over her face, concealing her devastating beauty. Only her shimmering peach-blossom eyes remained visible beneath it, cool and otherworldly.
With her sharpness concealed, she strolled through the lanes, avoiding the bustle of the crowded streets, and found a quiet little eatery with a window seat on a street corner.
She pushed the door open, chose a secluded seat by the window, and tapped the tabletop with her fingertips, ordering several delicate pastries and a bowl of fresh soup.
She held her jade chopsticks delicately, eating slowly and gracefully, with a hint of languid ease at the corner of her lips.
Once her hunger had been completely sated and warmth had settled in her stomach, she rested a fingertip against her porcelain cup and gazed through the veil at the streets and passersby outside.
The place was loud with voices, but she seemed apart from it all. Her presence was calm; for the moment, she was nothing more than an ordinary woman in a light veil.
"Tang San did look regretful. Too bad—once you miss your chance, it's gone."
Ye Yunxi smiled. God King Tang wasn't as steadfast as she'd imagined. Still, they would definitely meet again later. It wasn't fate that connected her to them, exactly, but she did seem to have a knack for running into them.
"Imperial Concubine, you seem to be enjoying yourself all alone. Why not have a chat with your husband?"