This Lady Treated You As a Brother, Yet You Actually...

"Qing... Qinglan, why are you here?!"

Looking at the girl who had suddenly appeared and feeling the icy aura rushing off her body, Bai Yifan recognized the pressure unique to a Houtian Realm martial artist.

Bai Yifan's entire body stiffened. His arrogance and viciousness from moments ago vanished in an instant, and even his voice became stammering as his back unconsciously bent a little.

He hurriedly drew in the remaining Killing Intent around him, forcing a stiff, ingratiating smile onto his face. His gaze darted away, not daring to meet Shen Qinglan's icy eyes. Flustered, he explained, "Qinglan, I... I was just chatting with Chen An. I didn't mean anything else."

As he spoke, he instinctively took half a step back. His eyes swept quickly over the two money pouches on the ground, panic flashing through them. He hurriedly lifted his foot, intending to kick the pouches aside, but feared that too much movement would displease Shen Qinglan, so he could only freeze stiffly in place.

The lackeys around him were even more terrified into silence. Their earlier arrogance had vanished without a trace. One by one, they lowered their heads and eyes, not daring to breathe loudly, even softening their breaths for fear of being caught in Shen Qinglan's wrath.

Yet Shen Qinglan did not spare him a glance. Her gaze passed over him and fell on Chen An behind him. Though her voice remained cool, it carried less hostility as she asked gently, "Chen An, he didn't give you trouble, did he?"

A breeze drifted past, carrying the girl's faint, elegant, crisp fragrance and lingering lightly beneath his nose.

Looking at the slender figure before him, deliberately shielding him behind her, then glancing at the two glaring money pouches on the ground, a trace of helplessness flashed through Chen An's eyes.

"I'm fine."

He gently shook his head, looked at the somewhat awkward Bai Yifan with a half-smile, and shrugged. "Young Master Bai was simply too generous. He insisted on giving me money, the kind where I couldn't refuse even if I wanted to!"

"Bai Yifan!!!"

Shen Qinglan had naturally noticed the two money pouches on the ground as well. Upon hearing Chen An's words, she immediately understood what had happened. Her willow brows shot up, and the icy aura around her grew even stronger. The pressure of a Houtian Realm martial artist surged toward Bai Yifan like a tide, making his breath hitch as he staggered back two steps.

"You've got a lot of nerve!"

Shen Qinglan's voice was as cold as ice, every word filled with fury. Her gaze pierced Bai Yifan like frosty blades, while the blood and qi throughout her body churned faintly from anger.

"Q-Qinglan, listen to my explanation..."

Facing Shen Qinglan's raging fury, Bai Yifan no longer retained even a shred of his previous arrogance and swagger. Under the pressure of her Houtian Realm cultivation, his face turned deathly pale in an instant.

"Bai Yifan, are we that close? Who gave you permission to call me that?!" Shen Qinglan cut him off without mercy.

At Shen Qinglan's words, embarrassment flashed across Bai Yifan's face. He clenched his fists tightly, his nails nearly digging into his palms as he forcibly suppressed the humiliation, anger, and unwillingness in his heart.

Taking a deep breath, he barely suppressed his panic and forced himself to calm down. Looking at Chen An behind Shen Qinglan, hatred flashed in his eyes as he gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "Student Shen, Chen An isn't worthy of you!"

"He is nothing more than a mere orphan with a middle-grade Martial Bone and no parents. Yet you are a Houtian Realm prodigy with a future stretching ten thousand miles ahead. Your statuses are as far apart as clouds and mud!"

"How could I possibly watch you debase yourself by associating with someone like him?!"

"Whether he's worthy or not, is it your place to make wild judgments?"

Shen Qinglan sneered at those words. Bone-deep chill filled her brows and eyes as the blood and qi around her body stirred faintly, and the pressure of the Houtian Realm bore down on Bai Yifan.

She turned slightly, shielding Chen An behind her, and stared coldly at Bai Yifan. "The path of martial arts depends on one's true heart and perseverance, never on family background or the grade of one's Martial Bone."

"If I find out that you trouble him again in the future, don't blame me for disregarding our classmates' friendship!"

"Get lost!!!"

Hearing Shen Qinglan rebuke him so mercilessly, Bai Yifan felt as though someone had slapped him across the face in public. His cheeks burned with pain as humiliation, jealousy, and anger tangled together. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Then, he shot Chen An a venomous look and turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Before he could go, Shen Qinglan's voice came from behind him. Then the two money pouches were kicked toward him. "Take your stinking money and leave!"

Bai Yifan lowered his head and looked at the pouches kicked before him. A cold glint flashed through his eyes, but he did not bend down to pick them up. After pausing briefly, he turned and strode away.

One of the lackeys beside him, however, hurriedly picked up both money pouches in terror and stuffed them into his robe before scrambling after him in a miserable rush.

Watching the two money pouches disappear into the lackey's robe, Chen An could not help showing a trace of regret.

That was five thousand Yuan Crystals!

If he used that money to recharge, then according to the system, it would be equivalent to cultivating without sleep or rest for five thousand years.

"What? You look rather regretful that you couldn't accept those Yuan Crystals?"

Shen Qinglan turned her head and looked at Chen An's expression. Her delicate brows lifted slightly, and a faintly teasing smile appeared on her pretty face.

"Cough!"

Chen An gave a light cough and said with a solemn expression, "How could that be? Do you take me for the kind of person who would sell out friendship for Yuan Crystals?"

Pfft!~~

Shen Qinglan could not help smiling. She raised her jade-like hand, curled her slender fingertip, and lightly flicked his forehead. Chen An felt a sharp pain in his head, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"Every little thought of yours is written all over your face, and you still want to pretend to be serious with me?!"

Her eyes curved with sweet amusement. Then she openly extended her hand and naturally draped it over his shoulder, casual and familiar, with none of the usual distinction between men and women. She looked like a close friend treating him as a good brother as she tilted her head and asked softly, "What, are you badly in need of Yuan Crystals?"

"N-No!"

When she suddenly put her arm around his shoulder, the warm, soft sensation came through their clothes. Chen An's body abruptly stiffened, and his whole body tensed.

He instinctively shrank his shoulder slightly. Everything about him radiated awkward discomfort, and the tips of his ears instantly flushed a faint red.

Although he had inherited the memories and knew that Shen Qinglan had always been informal around him, his soul was now his own. Faced with such intimate yet natural physical contact, he truly was not used to it at first.

Her elegant, fresh fragrance lingered beneath his nose, and the distance between them was far too close. His heartbeat suddenly fell out of rhythm on its own.

"Hm, you..."

Shen Qinglan keenly noticed his rigid body and reddened ears. The hand on his shoulder paused slightly. She blinked her clear eyes, immediately catching this subtle anomaly.

She tilted her head slightly and leaned closer, curiously examining Chen An's reddened ears. Her voice was full of surprise, with a hint of mischievous laughter. "Are you... embarrassed?!"

"No way. This lady treated you as a brother, yet you actually want to sleep with me?!"

Chen An reached out and pushed her away, forcibly suppressing the strange feeling in his heart as he stubbornly replied, "What nonsense are you talking about? Go away. I just suddenly felt a little hot!"

"Enough, I'm heading back first!" Chen An said no more, waved his hand, and prepared to leave.

"Wait!"

Suddenly, Shen Qinglan called out to stop him. She quickly came before him, then stuffed an exquisite purse and a white jade bottle into his hands. "Take them. Old Yue specifically asked me to give you this bottle of Qi Condensation Pills. He wants you to cultivate properly over the next few days and see if you can open another meridian and get a good result on the exam!"

"This is from me. There are only a little over a hundred Yuan Crystals inside, and you're not allowed to refuse!" Shen Qinglan added, looking at him domineeringly.

Looking at the two items in his palm, Chen An froze briefly. He instinctively wanted to refuse, but when he met Shen Qinglan's gaze, his eyes flickered slightly. Then he nodded heavily. "Alright. Thank you!"

Seeing Chen An accept them, Shen Qinglan's brows and eyes immediately relaxed, and a radiant, breathtaking smile blossomed across her face...

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