Zhao Linchuan raised an eyebrow at her words, a playful smile appearing on his face. "What, you didn't get the upper hand in your fight this time either? So you want to use your status to put her in her place?"
"Hmph."
Moon Goddess gave a soft snort, but unlike usual, she didn't stubbornly argue back. She simply pressed her cheek against his chest, her voice muffled.
"Yan Fei has received so many resources and benefits from the Zhao Clan, and her cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds. If we don't have her start a family for the Zhao Clan soon and leave behind an heir, wouldn't that be letting her off far too easily?"
Zhao Linchuan lowered his head, looking at the rare girlish softness showing in the woman in his arms. His heart softened. "Can you really bear to... push your own husband toward someone else?"
Moon Goddess lifted her head. Her expression had regained some of its usual coolness, but her eyes were utterly serious. "Husband, do you take me for some jealous woman who doesn't know what's best?"
"With your status and potential, how could you possibly lack beautiful women by your side in the future?"
"What's more..." She paused, adopting a hint of "virtuous magnanimity" in her tone. "At the realm I've reached now, a single retreat could last several years, or even more than a decade."
"During those long years, who'll be there to 'take care of you'?"
"Who can 'unblock your meridians' when I can't spare the time?"
Her fingers tightened slightly as she clasped Zhao Linchuan's hand. "Having more women you know well, whose character and abilities you can trust, by your side to manage the household, bear children, and carry on your bloodline—that's the right way."
"Yan Fei and I have known each other for years. Though we occasionally quarrel, I know her character and methods well enough. If she marries into the family, I'll... feel at ease."
Zhao Linchuan gazed at her seemingly calm, composed face, where every last glimmer in her eyes was actually saying, "Just say yes already." Warmth and amusement mingled in his heart.
He suddenly leaned close to her ear and teased, "Madam, are you really... not doing this so that one day Yan Fei will respectfully offer you a cup of 'sister tea'?"
Moon Goddess's body stiffened slightly, but then her expression returned to normal. Meeting Zhao Linchuan's gaze, she replied evenly:
"Of course. I'm doing this entirely out of concern for your health and your heirs, and for the Zhao Clan's long-term prosperity."
"Yan Fei and I have known each other since childhood. Letting her marry into the family is indeed a suitable choice."
Looking at her "righteous and unyielding" expression, Zhao Linchuan couldn't help laughing softly. He tightened his arms around her and drew her into his embrace, resting his chin lightly against the top of her head. His voice was tender as he said:
"Madam... with a wife like you, what more could a husband ask for?"
Moon Goddess nestled obediently in his arms, letting him hold and cherish her as she savored his reassuring scent and heartbeat.
She closed her eyes and buried her face deep in his lapel. In a place no one could see, the corner of her mouth curved into a faint yet thoroughly sly smile.
Deep in her heart, a clear, slightly haughty thought rippled into being:
'Yan Fei, oh, Yan Fei...'
'No matter how reserved and proud you usually are, no matter how much he favors you...'
'This time, I got there first...!'
'I'll be waiting for the day you obediently offer me tea and call me "big sister"!'
'Then we'll see if you can still keep up that unruffled, dignified composure.'
'If you don't bow your head and offer me that tea willingly...'
'The doors of the Zhao Clan aren't so easy to walk through!'
After a long while, the bathroom door was gently pulled open from within, and warm, fragrant steam billowed out first.
In the corridor outside, a graceful figure in a dark red dress stood waiting.
No one knew how long she had been standing there. Her posture was still as proper as ever, but the slender fingers folded before her had curled ever so slightly.
The sounds that had gone on for more than two hours behind the door—the splashing water, the murmured words, and those faint sounds that made one's cheeks burn—hadn't been blocked by any barrier. They had reached her ears perfectly clearly.
Moon Goddess had never intended to keep them from her. Or perhaps this had been exactly what Moon Goddess wanted.
A complicated emotion stirred in the depths of Yan Fei's eyes.
The young master clearly trusted her more... and so many rare resources had been given to her first for her research. So why had Moon Goddess managed to "steal a march" and get there before her?
A thread of resentment and grievance quietly wound around her heart.
Moon Goddess stepped out of the bathroom and met Yan Fei's gaze. Rather than avoiding it, she lifted her chin slightly and shot her a smug, haughty look.
Then, perfectly naturally, she turned to lean against Zhao Linchuan's shoulder, gently curling an arm around his.
Seeing this, Yan Fei clenched her fingers inside her sleeve. She stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Young master, the banquet has been ready for some time. The meal can be served whenever you wish."
"Mm..."
Zhao Linchuan seemed utterly unaware of the invisible currents between the two women. He gave a casual nod. "Then let's go."
The spacious, elegant living room was brightly lit.
A wide round table of purple sandalwood was already laden with all kinds of delicacies, their aromas filling the air.
Zhao Linchuan took the seat of honor, with Moon Goddess and Yan Fei seated on either side of him.
Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing sat a little farther away, in that order.
Even Ning Rongrong couldn't help marveling at the extravagant spread.
Moon Goddess and Yan Fei seemed to be competing, taking turns piling food onto Zhao Linchuan's plate.
Moon Goddess placed a translucent piece of tendon, clear as crystal, on his plate and spoke softly. "Husband, try this. It's good for your muscles and bones."
Yan Fei ladled out a spoonful of golden broth, her voice gentle. "Young master, this soup is nourishing and will dispel fatigue."
Ning Rongrong looked over the table at the dazzling array of "tonic" dishes. For a moment, she didn't know where to begin, and her cheeks grew faintly warm.
She was screaming inwardly, 'Good heavens... just how wealthy are they? They're eating the choice parts of Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts like ordinary home cooking? W-won't they overdo it if they eat all this?'
She stole a glance at Zhao Linchuan, then quickly lowered her head again, the tips of her ears turning red.
Zhu Zhuqing kept her gaze lowered the entire time, fixed on the dishes before her. She didn't even dare let her eyes wander.
She came from Star Luo nobility and had seen her share of the world, but a banquet this "lavish," with such an unmistakable purpose, was truly beyond her comprehension.
Even Xiao Wu, who had been with Zhao Linchuan for so many years, was seeing this kind of "family meal" for the first time. Her rosy little face flushed bright red, and she sat there helplessly holding her chopsticks.
Moon Goddess took all of this in, a trace of amusement flashing through her eyes.
She deliberately picked up a uniquely shaped piece of meat, rich with yang energy, and placed it in Zhao Linchuan's bowl. Then she looked across at Yan Fei.
"Husband, have some more. This 'Dragon Rhino Virility Horn' was roasted to perfection. It has a rich flavor, and little sister Yan Fei prepared it herself with great care."
The words "Dragon Rhino Virility Horn" slipped softly from her lips, and the atmosphere at the table instantly grew even more delicate.
Yan Fei's fingers paused slightly around her spoon. She looked up to meet Moon Goddess's half-smiling gaze, a faint blush rising on her cheeks.
She bit her lip and didn't object to being called "little sister." She simply lowered her head in silence and ladled another spoonful of soup for Zhao Linchuan.
Before you continue