Yue Shen: It's All For You, My Husband

Zhao Linchuan's eyebrows arched slightly at these words, a playful smile appearing on his face. "What, didn't get the upper hand in your fight this time? Thinking of using your status to press her down?"

"Hmph."

Yue Shen let out a soft huff, but unlike her usual stubborn self, she simply pressed her cheek against his chest, her voice muffled.

"Yan Fei has received so many resources and benefits from my Zhao family that her cultivation has progressed rapidly. If we don't let her start bearing children for the Zhao family soon, wouldn't that be letting her off too easily?"

Zhao Linchuan looked down at the rare display of girlish affection from the woman in his arms, his heart softening. "Are you really willing... to push your own husband toward another?"

Yue Shen raised her head, her expression having regained some of its usual coldness, yet her eyes were incredibly earnest. "Husband, am I the type of jealous woman who lacks a sense of the bigger picture?"

"With your status and your potential, how could you ever be without beautiful companions by your side in the future?"

"Besides..." She paused, her tone taking on a hint of "virtuous magnanimity." "At the realm I have reached, a single period of seclusion could last years or even decades."

"In these long, drawn-out years, who will 'personally attend' to your daily needs?"

"Who will be able to 'clear your meridians' when I am unable to spare the focus?"

Her fingers tightened slightly, gripping Zhao Linchuan's hand in return. "Having more women by your side whom we know well, who are capable and trustworthy, to manage your household affairs, bear your children, and continue your bloodline—that is the proper path."

"I have known Yan Fei for many years. Though we occasionally bicker, I understand her character and methods. If she were to marry into the family, I would... feel at ease."

Zhao Linchuan gazed at her face, which appeared calm and indifferent but whose every glance screamed, "Just say yes already." Warmth and a touch of amusement intertwined in his heart.

He suddenly leaned close to her ear and teased, "Wife, are you truly... not doing this so that one day you can make Yan Fei respectfully serve you a cup of 'sister tea'?"

Yue Shen's body stiffened slightly, but she immediately returned to her usual composure. She met Zhao Linchuan's gaze and said in a steady tone:

"Of course. I am entirely considering your health and your heirs, as well as the long-term foundation of the Zhao family."

"Yan Fei and I have known each other since we were young; having her enter the family is indeed the most suitable choice."

Watching her "righteous and stern" display, Zhao Linchuan couldn't help but chuckle aloud. He tightened his arms to pull her into an embrace, resting his chin lightly on the top of her head as he said gently:

"Wife... with a wife like you, what more could a husband ask for?"

Yue Shen leaned submissively into his arms, allowing him to take his comfort, feeling his reassuring scent and heartbeat.

She closed her eyes and buried her face deep into his robes. In a corner where no one could see, the corners of her lips curled into a faint, yet thoroughly cunning arc.

Deep in her heart, a clear and slightly haughty thought rippled silently:

'Yan Fei, oh Yan Fei...'

'No matter how reserved and proud you are, or how much he values you.'

'This time, I have seized the initiative...!'

'I am waiting for you, waiting for the day you properly and respectfully serve me tea and call me sister!'

'When that time comes, we shall see if you can still maintain that unflappable composure.'

'If you do not willingly lower your head to offer that cup of tea...'

'The gates of my Zhao family are not so easy to enter!'

A long while later, the bathroom door was gently pulled open from the inside, and a cloud of humid steam carrying a warm fragrance drifted out first.

In the corridor outside, a slender figure in a crimson dress stood waiting.

She did not know how long she had been standing there; her posture remained dignified, though the fingers intertwined in front of her were curled slightly.

The movements inside the room for over two hours—the sound of water, the whispers, and those faint, blush-inducing noises—had not been blocked by any barrier, reaching her ears with perfect clarity.

Yue Shen had never intended to avoid her, or perhaps, this was exactly what Yue Shen had intended all along.

A complex emotion surged in the depths of Yan Fei's pupils.

Clearly... clearly the Young Master relied on her more, and many rare resources were prioritized for her research, so why... had she been "home-stolen" and beaten to the punch by Yue Shen?

The unwillingness and grievance in her heart coiled quietly like dense vines.

Yue Shen stepped out of the bathroom and met Yan Fei's gaze. Far from avoiding it, she lifted her chin slightly and cast a look of triumph and haughtiness.

She then turned with extreme naturalness, leaning against Zhao Linchuan's shoulder and hooking her arm through his.

Seeing this, Yan Fei's fingers tightened inside her sleeves. She stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Young Master, the banquet has been prepared for some time. We can serve the meal whenever you wish."

"Mm..."

Zhao Linchuan seemed completely unaware of the invisible undercurrents between the two women and nodded faintly. "Then let's go."

Inside the spacious and elegant living room, the lights were bright.

A large round table made of rosewood was already laden with all sorts of delicacies, the aroma mouth-watering.

Zhao Linchuan took his seat at the head of the table, with Yue Shen and Yan Fei taking their places on his left and right.

Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing sat in order a little further away.

The luxury of the feast was such that even Ning Rongrong couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

Yue Shen and Yan Fei, as if competing, took turns picking food for Zhao Linchuan.

Yue Shen picked up a piece of tendon as translucent as crystal, her voice soft, "Husband, try this; it is good for the bones and sinews."

Yan Fei scooped a spoonful of golden, rich soup, her tone gentle, "Young Master, this soup is nourishing and dispels fatigue."

Ning Rongrong stared at the table full of glowing, "highly tonic" delicacies, momentarily at a loss for where to begin, her cheeks burning slightly.

Good heavens... just what kind of family fortune is this? she muttered frantically to herself. They eat the essence of ten-thousand-year soul beasts like everyday home cooking? This... won't this be too much of a tonic?

She stole a glance at Zhao Linchuan, then quickly lowered her head, the tips of her ears turning red.

Zhu Zhuqing kept her eyelids lowered the entire time, staring at the bowl and plate in front of her, not daring to let her gaze wander.

Coming from the Star Luo nobility, she had seen her fair share of the world, but such an "extravagant" banquet with such a clear, underlying purpose truly exceeded her understanding.

Even Xiao Wu, having followed Zhao Linchuan for so many years, was seeing this "standard" of "home cooking" for the first time; her delicate, pink face was flushed with embarrassment, and she held her chopsticks, at a loss for what to do.

Yue Shen took all of this in, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes.

She deliberately picked up a uniquely shaped piece of meat, brimming with rich yang energy, placed it into Zhao Linchuan's bowl, and looked up at Yan Fei across from her.

"Husband, eat more. This 'Dragon Rhino Virility Horn' is grilled to perfection with a mellow flavor. Sister Yan Fei prepared it herself and put quite a lot of effort into it."

The words "Dragon Rhino Virility Horn" were spoken lightly, and the atmosphere at the table instantly became even more subtle.

Yan Fei's fingers, holding the soup spoon, paused slightly. She looked up to meet Yue Shen's playful gaze, a faint blush rising to her cheeks.

She bit her lip, choosing not to refute the title of "sister," and simply lowered her head to add another spoonful of soup for Zhao Linchuan.