Goose, is your husband amazing? Let me teach you how to handle Old Deng.

The night was deep.

Moonlight squeezed through the gap in the curtains, carving a thin, silvery line across the floorboards.

Dugu Yan lay sprawled in Ye Qing's arms, gasping for air.

Her long, emerald-green hair was scattered messily across the pillow, and the stray locks at her forehead were dampened by sweat, clinging to her smooth skin.

The cold, arrogant expression that usually graced her pretty face had vanished, replaced by a look that was equal parts shy, annoyed, and utterly helpless.

"Why are you glaring at me?"

Ye Qing propped his head up with one hand while the other mischievously toyed with the ends of her hair, a punchable grin plastered on his face.

"You were the one who started it, you little hooligan."

"Who—who's the hooligan?!"

Dugu Yan's voice was so raspy it startled even her.

"You were the one who said something about wanting a hug... and look what happened! How does a simple hug turn into this?!"

"Well, about that..."

Ye Qing stared at her face, feigning deep thought. "Maybe it's because you're just too beautiful?"

"Cut the crap!"

Dugu Yan tried to raise her hand to strike him, only to find her arms so weak and sore that she couldn't muster any strength.

Damn it.

She was a dignified level thirty-something Spirit Grandmaster with a physique far superior to any ordinary person; how could she lose to a rookie who had just hit level ten in such an inexplicable way?

This wasn't scientific!

No, this wasn't even spirit-logical!

"Did you secretly practice some kind of strange technique?"

Dugu Yan stared at him suspiciously.

"I swear on my life!"

Ye Qing held up three fingers. "I'm just a level ten little Spirit Master who just awakened his spirit; what kind of technique could I possibly practice? This is just natural talent!"

"If I had to name it, I'd say I was born with the Wheel Turning Technique!"

"..."

Dugu Yan didn't want to talk to him.

She buried her face in the pillow, leaving only the back of her head visible to Ye Qing.

But the tips of her ears, burning red, betrayed her.

Watching her like this, the corners of Ye Qing's mouth couldn't help but curl upward.

To be honest, even he hadn't expected things to escalate to this point.

At the start, he really had just wanted a hug.

But as he held her... he just didn't want to let go.

The result of not letting go was that they had been at it from the afternoon until the middle of the night.

"Wife."

"..."

Dugu Yan was too tired to even refute his choice of address anymore.

Ye Qing leaned in, resting his chin on her shoulder. "How was it?"

"How was what?"

"My performance, of course. Even though my spirit power level is indeed weak, I should be top-tier in certain other aspects, right?"

Dugu Yan's body stiffened.

Then, she whipped her head around, her emerald eyes filled with shame and annoyance: "So-so!"

"Oh? Just so-so?"

Ye Qing raised an eyebrow, suddenly flashing a wicked grin as he made a move to lean in closer.

Dugu Yan's expression shifted drastically, and she pushed against his chest with both hands, scrambling backward.

"You, you, you—are you a monster?!" Her voice carried a hint of panic.

What happened to being an ordinary person?!

What happened to being a little level ten Spirit Master?!

She, a dignified Spirit Grandmaster, had been worn to the bone, yet this guy was acting like nothing happened, still full of vigor?!

"Actually, I'm a little tired too."

Ye Qing admitted honestly, "But seeing you push me away like that, I suddenly don't feel tired anymore."

"..."

Dugu Yan swore that if she still had the strength, she would summon her Jade Phosphorus Snake to bite him.

Unfortunately, she did not.

She didn't even have the strength to lift her hand.

Dugu Yan suddenly quieted down.

She looked at Ye Qing, her emerald eyes filled with complex emotions.

Ever since they first met, this guy had been constantly reshaping her worldview.

First, he shamelessly insisted she take responsibility for him.

Then, he exposed the secret of the Dugu Family's bloodline poison in a single sentence.

Next, relying on a single immortal herb, he completed his transformation from a good-for-nothing to a genius right under her nose.

And now...

He had eaten her up and left nothing behind for the second time, while she was completely conscious.

Dugu Yan silently totted up the score in her heart.

The first time, she had been drunk and made the first move, so she could barely count it as her being a hooligan.

This time, however, was different.

This time, she had been the one to agree to the embrace.

Although the final outcome was completely beyond her expectations, she hadn't pushed him away.

Dugu Yan suddenly spoke, her voice low, "Ye Qing, I feel like I've been completely handled by you."

"Hm?"

Ye Qing was slightly stunned.

That sounded suspiciously like she was resigning herself to her fate.

Dugu Yan raised her head and looked into his eyes.

Those emerald eyes no longer held their usual cold arrogance, nor the shame and anger from moments ago; there was only an indescribable emotion left.

"What exactly are you?"

She asked softly, "A waiter carrying plates at a hotel—how do you know everything? How are you not afraid of anything?"

"I'm afraid of plenty."

Ye Qing smiled, "Afraid of death, afraid of poverty, afraid of becoming a good-for-nothing, and afraid that your grandfather might get angry and poison me into dust."

"Then why did you dare to—"

"Being afraid is one thing, but acting is another. Being afraid of death and waiting to die are two different matters."

Ye Qing's voice suddenly turned serious, "In this life, I don't want to be a good-for-nothing ever again. If you ask why... it's probably because I met you."

Dugu Yan's eyelashes trembled.

"Sweet talker."

"It's the truth."

"As if I'd believe you."

Dugu Yan huffed, but she didn't look away.

The two of them just stared at each other like that.

The moonlight lay quietly upon the quilt.

"Right."

Dugu Yan suddenly remembered something, her expression turning grave once more, "When we get to my grandfather's place, how do you plan to convince him?"

This was a major issue.

Her grandfather, Dugu Bo, held the title "Poison" and was the number one person on the continent when it came to toxins.

He was hot-tempered and decisive in killing.

In her grandfather's eyes, any male creature that dared to approach his granddaughter was a pest that needed to be cleared away.

Not to mention someone like Ye Qing, who wanted to be his live-in grandson-in-law.

Dugu Yan could almost imagine the scene when her grandfather met Ye Qing.

"Yan'er, who is this brat?"

"Grandfather, he is your live-in grandson-in-law."

"..."

And then there would be no "then."

Ye Qing would turn into a puddle of green liquid.

"Well, about that..."

Ye Qing suddenly leaned in close to her ear.

Dugu Yan instinctively tried to shrink back, but Ye Qing pressed a hand against the small of her back, pinning her in place.

"Don't be nervous, I'm just telling you what you need to do."

His warm breath brushed against her earlobe, causing goosebumps to erupt all over Dugu Yan's body.

Then, Ye Qing began to speak into her ear.

His voice was very low, so low that only she could hear it.

As she listened, Dugu Yan's expression shifted from wariness to bewilderment, from bewilderment to complexity, and from complexity to a face full of black lines.

After finishing, Ye Qing pulled back with a "trust me, it's foolproof" smile on his face.

"...Are you sure?"

Dugu Yan's tone was filled with doubt. "If I really do what you said, won't Grandpa be angered to death by me?"

"Not necessarily, not necessarily."

Ye Qing waved his hand dismissively. "At most, he'll be angered half to death."

"How is that any different?!"

"Of course it's different."

"If he's angered half to death, he can still recover, but if he's angered to death, he's truly gone."

"Even though your grandfather is an old geezer, he's at least a Titled Douluo; his cardiovascular health is definitely better than the average person's. He won't die from anger."

"..."

Dugu Yan really wanted to take back what she had just said.

What "being played"?

She had clearly run into a lunatic!

"Are you serious?" Dugu Yan asked again.

"Serious."

Ye Qing nodded, his gaze uncharacteristically earnest.

"The only risk is..."

"What?"

"He might beat me up first."

"Then why are you still--?"

"Getting beaten is fine, I won't die anyway."

"Think about it, if you throw yourself over to protect me while he's hitting me, he'll go easier on me. This is called a bitter-meat scheme."

Dugu Yan: "..."

She found that she couldn't refute this bastard's bastard logic.

And thinking about it carefully, her grandfather really did have that kind of personality.

He doted on her, his granddaughter, the most.

If she really did what Ye Qing said, maybe there was a chance?

Dugu Yan was calculating this in her heart when her expression suddenly changed drastically.

Her emerald-green eyes widened abruptly, and she looked at Ye Qing in horror.

"How are you still--?!"

"Uh..."

Ye Qing scratched his head, his expression innocently infuriating. "Can't help it, who told you to be so tempting, Yanzi?"

"Didn't we already... just now?"

"That was the 'just now' before this 'just now'."

Ye Qing corrected her, then flashed a brilliant smile. "Now it's a new round."

Dugu Yan was dumbfounded.

Looking at that smile on Ye Qing's face, a strong sense of foreboding suddenly welled up within her.

"Wait--!"

"Can't wait even a little."

"I want to sleep!"

"Sleep when the sun comes up."

"My grandfather will kill you!"

"That is a matter for after tomorrow."

"You—"

"Are you ready?"

"Who agreed to this! I do not—!!!"

The moonlight lay quietly upon the floor as before.

Through the gap in the curtains, silver light swayed gently with the night breeze.

This night.

Was still very long.