Was someone he had only met a handful of times worth giving so much for?
To Ya Fei, of course he was.
A fourteen-year-old Nine-Star Great Dou Master had boundless prospects. Even Yun Yun, the peerless talent of her generation, had fallen short at the same age.
Not to mention, he could casually produce pills of flawless quality, leaving even Uncle Gu Ni astonished.
And what about her?
All she had was a useless head for business and a body everyone coveted.
Even her fate of having poor cultivation talent had been rewritten with the help of this young boy.
Although the thoughts in his heart often strayed into indecent territory,
from beginning to end, this younger brother had never looked at her with that disgusting, lecherous gaze. He had given her the greatest respect, treating her as an equal.
So today, she chose to be a little despicable.
She set aside the calculations of a merchant, and the rationality of one, too.
As a sentimental, single-minded gambler, she had taken a seat at the table and wagered everything she had on this boy, still so young and innocent.
If she succeeded, then even if she only secured the tiniest place in his heart, being his lover would be enough.
She would have one more chest she could lean on.
If she failed,
she, Ya Fei, would have no regrets.
Xiao Yuan woke beneath a weight.
His consciousness was hazy. It felt as though something heavy was pressing down on him.
When he opened his eyes, he saw Ya Fei fast asleep.
Her cheeks were flushed, touched with a faint cherry-pink hue.
She was like a gorgeous red rose, its petals glistening as morning dew trickled slowly down.
For a moment, Xiao Yuan's mind went blank.
After a while, those memories began to grow wildly, like bamboo shoots after spring rain.
[The good news is, I got to eat, and it was pretty damn good. She's even one of the must-eats in Battle Through the Heavens.]
[The bad news is, I got taken from behind by a wicked little temptress, and an older woman took my virginity. My first time is gone just like that... Damn it!]
He hated himself for being so useless.
But he had to admit, the whole older-woman-and-younger-man thing felt pretty strange.
Especially since Ya Fei had been wild enough last night.
That business about being drunk was complete nonsense!
The woman had been even more clearheaded than him!
She had even taken two doses of Joyous Union Powder of her own accord to satisfy him, and only stopped when she finally passed out.
Perhaps because last night's memories had been so shocking, and so worth savoring, Xiao Yuan failed to notice that Ya Fei's breathing had already grown uneven.
In truth, Ya Fei had woken the moment Xiao Yuan's inner thoughts began.
She was simply too embarrassed, so she chose to pretend to be asleep.
After lying there for a while, Xiao Yuan grew uncomfortable and tried to get up. But he accidentally tugged at the wounds on Ya Fei's body, which were coated in salve. She let out a soft, alluring moan.
"Uh... You're awake?"
Ya Fei gave a soft hum. In a situation like this, she couldn't keep pretending to sleep.
"Little brother, it's still early. Won't you sleep a little longer?"
Ya Fei looked at him with tenderness in her eyes. Her voice was languid and content, with a faint huskiness.
She gently rested her head against Xiao Yuan's chest, listening to the steady thump of his heartbeat through his chest.
And to the thoughts that belonged only to him.
[It's not even light outside yet. It really is early. Maybe I could sleep a little longer...?]
Xiao Yuan glanced out the window, then lowered his head.
But when he met Ya Fei's slightly heated gaze, he hurriedly shook his head and changed his mind.
"Better not. I should be leaving soon."
[Dammit, it felt great, but I didn't expect this woman to be a real little juice extractor!]
[If this keeps up, that temptress is going to wring me dry. My kidneys might not survive!]
[ Ding! Congratulations, you have obtained one dose of Joyous Union Powder. ]
[Dammit, Dog System, are you restocking me or what?!]
As he thought this, Xiao Yuan started to get up and leave.
But Ya Fei immediately pressed him back down with both hands, leaning close to his ear to whisper:
"Since you're leaving today, stay and sleep with your big sister a little longer."
Ya Fei's restless little hands started misbehaving, grabbing hold of his future in one swift move!
An hour later, Xiao Yuan finally got out of bed.
After getting dressed and preparing to leave, he was stopped once more by Ya Fei's voice.
"Thank you, Xiao Yuan."
He turned and gazed at the alluring woman reclining on the bed.
This time, Ya Fei hadn't called him little brother.
Perhaps it was because he wasn't as young as she had imagined.
In fact, he was surprisingly mature.
Beyond the bewitching allure in her long, moist, peach-blossom eyes, there was now a deep look of dependence.
[Hiss, why do I feel like some scumbag who pulls up his pants and pretends nothing happened?]
Looking at her, Xiao Yuan thought for a moment, then pulled two porcelain bottles from his Storage Ring and tossed them over.
"Sister Ya Fei, there's one Marrow Cleansing Powder and one Youth-Preserving Pill in here. They're for you."
His gift of pills caught Ya Fei completely off guard. She never expected to receive a second Marrow Cleansing Powder from Xiao Yuan, let alone a Youth-Preserving Pill whose effects were unknown.
After all, that was Marrow Cleansing Powder! A heaven-defying pill capable of stirring up a storm of blood and slaughter across the Dou Qi Continent!
If others knew they could obtain one by offering up their chastity, who knew how many would flock to do the same?
Most importantly, he had changed the way he addressed her.
It was only a small change, from "Miss" to "Sister," but it was enough to satisfy her heart.
At least they no longer felt like strangers.
But there was one more thing she hadn't expected.
The two porcelain bottles Xiao Yuan tossed her landed right on her chest. Then, with a bounce, they sprang away and fell onto the bed.
For an instant, both of them froze.
[Wait, are they really that bouncy?]
Xiao Yuan stared blankly, his hands making a couple of grabbing motions in the air.
When he lowered his head and realized what he had done without thinking, his face instantly turned red.
"Um, Sister Ya Fei, work hard on your cultivation. I'm heading out."
With that, he hurriedly left.
The moment he closed the door, he heard Ya Fei giggling inside her room.
"Honestly... He's surprisingly innocent."
Watching the closed door, Ya Fei murmured to herself from the bed.
When she lowered her head and saw the plum blossom on the sheets, the tips of her ears turned red again.
As far as innocence went,
wasn't she just as bad?
Thinking of it, Ya Fei looked at the salve spread over her body and ran a slender jade finger over it.
After staring at it for a moment, she curiously stuck out her tongue and gave it a lick.
Her brows immediately drew together.
"...It doesn't taste all that good."
After leaving the Auction House, Xiao Yuan didn't head straight back to the Xiao Clan.
Instead, he wandered alone through the deserted streets beneath the night sky.
He was thinking about things between himself and Ya Fei.
Originally, he had only wanted to meet the legendary Empress of Gold and maybe strike a deal with her, each of them getting what they wanted.
But he had never expected their relationship to suddenly change, completely derailing his plans.
He definitely couldn't treat Ya Fei like some kind of tool anymore.
Did he regret it?
A beautiful woman had thrown herself at him. What was there to regret? A person shouldn't be so precious about everything.
He just felt a little guilty about Xun'er back home...
But when he thought of Ya Fei's wavy hair, his heart surged again. Unable to help himself, he slapped his own thigh hard.
[Dammit, I really am a scumbag!]