Clear moonlight gathered in the night, and the full moon shone down in silence.
In Ya Fei's room at the Mittal Auction House.
Ya Fei still wore the red cheongsam she'd had on during the day as she reclined on the couch, but it no longer gave her the same alluring charm.
The hem had ridden up slightly, and her discarded black stockings lay off to one side. Her snow-white thighs were exposed to the air, casually crossed over each other.
A spring scene lay bare.
It was a pity that no one was there to admire the lovely sight. Only Ya Fei remained, sighing to herself.
Everything that had happened today was a first in her twenty years of life. Even now, she still felt dazed, unable to come back to her senses.
A fourteen-year-old boy.
Yet he was stronger than a four-star Da Dou Shi!
He possessed a maturity far beyond his years, as well as pills powerful enough to transform a person from the inside out!
And she could even hear his thoughts...
Every single thing that had happened was enough to shatter her worldview, let alone the fact that she'd somehow agreed to a deal with him.
All because of the confidence he'd shown;
the thoughts she'd been able to hear;
and the pill he'd given her.
She'd actually trusted that this little brother could help her claim the position of clan leader.
Thinking of this, Ya Fei bit her lovely lower lip. A strange light flickered in her beautiful eyes as she murmured softly:
"Is this little brother from the Xiao Clan really only fourteen?"
When she finished speaking,
her gaze drifted once more to the porcelain bottle sitting on the tea table beside her.
After a moment's thought, she sat up and picked up the bottle, immediately swallowing the pill inside.
At this point, Ya Fei knew full well that she had no way back.
All she could do now was take things one step at a time.
Over the next few days, Wutan City seemed to have been put on mute. Nothing major happened.
With the Jialie Clan no longer threatening or opposing them, the Xiao Clan began to prosper.
The clearest sign was that Master Gu Ni, from the biggest Auction House in Wutan City, began reaching out to the Xiao Clan.
Xiao Zhan and the three elders were naturally flattered. It was an immense blessing to be able to establish ties with the Mittal Auction House!
Even so, in private, the four of them tried every which way to find out why Master Gu Ni was working with the Xiao Clan.
But Master Gu Ni said nothing about it.
Aside from that, the disguised Xiao Yan continued to auction off diluted Foundation Building Spirit Liquid at the Auction House, just as he had in the original story.
But surprisingly, Ya Fei didn't show up this time. Master Gu Ni was the one who received him.
He'd thought that, with Ya Fei's knack for getting along with everyone, she'd try to please both sides and take advantage of the situation. He hadn't expected her to be inexplicably "faithful."
In fact, after taking the Marrow Cleansing Pill, Ya Fei had discovered that her strength had improved by leaps and bounds. She estimated that she'd soon condense a Dou Qi cyclone and become a Dou Zhe!
So now, rather than cling to a black-robed stranger whose origins and name were unknown, she'd rather hold on to the sturdy future represented by Xiao Yuan, whose background she knew.
During this time, Xun'er hadn't appeared at all. Word had it that she was in seclusion, cultivating.
This made Xiao Yuan very happy.
It wasn't that he hoped Xun'er could bring him any benefits right now.
It was just... a feeling that was hard to describe.
It was like playing a character-building game, watching the character you'd raised grow bigger day by day and grow stronger bit by bit. It gave him a strange sense of accomplishment.
Perhaps that was what it felt like to be a father.
After all, there was only a surname between him, Xiao Yuan, and Gu Yuan...
However, on the day Xun'er ended her seclusion, she came looking for him first thing in the morning.
Knock, knock—
"Brother Xiao Yuan, are you up?"
The same knock, the same question.
But this time, the dignified, lovely girl waited outside only a little while. When no one answered, she gently pushed the door open and slipped inside.
As soon as she entered, she didn't see Xiao Yuan naked again. He was lying in bed, sleeping in.
Xun'er felt a little relieved, but there was also a trace of disappointment she could barely detect.
The girl composed herself, then walked over to the bed with light steps. Bending slightly, she let her long black hair fall down beside Xiao Yuan's ear and spoke gently:
"Brother Xiao Yuan, time to get up~ Otherwise, the sun will be shining on your bottom~"
The tickle of her hair brushing his cheek, and Xun'er's soft, sweet call, gradually roused Xiao Yuan from his dreams.
When he opened his eyes and saw the elegant girl standing by his bed, he jolted in fright. All traces of sleep instantly vanished from his mind!
What the heck! Xiao Xun'er?! When did this girl sneak in?
No, how did she get in? Why is she getting more and more unruly? Just barging into someone else's room? What if I wasn't wearing anything and she saw everything? Wouldn't that be a huge loss?!
Ding! Congratulations, you have obtained Emperor's New Clothes.
Damn it, you Dog System, now you're joining in on the fun too?!
Xiao Yuan grumbled silently to himself.
Ever since Xun'er had seen him naked that day, this girl seemed to have grown bolder and bolder.
Whether it was this time or the sudden appearance by his window last time,
she seemed to have stopped treating him like an outsider altogether.
Xun'er only smiled sweetly, as if she hadn't heard his noisy thoughts.
She twirled a strand of hair around her slender finger, then let her gaze sweep across the room before settling on the washbasin in the corner.
Her lips curved into a faint smile, and she spoke softly:
"Brother Xiao Yuan, let Xun'er bring you some water to wash up today."
Xiao Yuan: "???"
Something feels off about her today. Isn't she being a little too attentive?
Perhaps because he'd just woken up, his mind was still foggy and he couldn't quite get a handle on things. So he didn't think much of it, nor did he refuse.
"All right, then I'll trouble you, Xun'er."
"It's no trouble."
Xun'er answered with a happy smile, then walked over to the basin used for washing up and began preparing clean water for him.
Watching her graceful back as she bustled about like a new bride, especially the round, full little bottom that lifted as she bent slightly, Xiao Yuan found it hard to look away.
Having the number-one young lady of the Dou Qi Continent bring me water to wash my face has to be a first, right?
If anyone else found out, they'd be green with envy.
And that backside, tsk, tsk...
Whether it was because his thoughts were completely unguarded or because his gaze was too heated, Xun'er's movements stiffened slightly as she prepared to lift the water.
The tips of her ears also turned an enticing cherry-pink.
"All ready, Brother Xiao Yuan. Come wash up. Or... would you like Xun'er to help you?"
Xun'er stood beside the washstand like a sweet little bride, giving him a playful smile.
Her smile made Xiao Yuan's heart skip a beat. He hurriedly said:
"N-no, that's all right. I'll do it myself."
Xiao Yuan took a deep breath to calm his restless heart, then went to the basin and bent over to wash up.
Throughout the process, Xun'er stood quietly beside him, watching. Her limpid eyes seemed completely glued to him.
Afterward, she handed him a clean towel at just the right moment.
Once he'd finished washing up, Xun'er spoke gently again:
"Brother Xiao Yuan, if you're free today, would you accompany Xun'er for a walk?"
The girl's suggestion made Xiao Yuan even more suspicious.
This girl really is acting strange today.
Ding! Congratulations, host. You have obtained one Marrow Cleansing Powder.
Ding! Congratulations, host. You have obtained one Yin-Yang Joyous Union Powder.
Hearing the system's reward notifications, and seeing Xun'er's ears turn faintly red, Xiao Yuan froze.
Damn, is this girl up to no good with me?!