Xue Mei

At the entrance stood a slender girl whose clear eyes resembled icy springs atop snow-capped mountains. She had an exquisite face, long delicate brows, and a graceful, curvaceous figure clad in a fitted silver gown. The silver fabric complemented her skin, smooth as warm jade, lending her an unmistakable chill like polished metal. Most astonishing of all was the silver-haired girl's long hair, which fell all the way to her waist.

"Teacher."

Though she was clearly still a young girl, she exuded an air of complete aloofness.

Seeing her, Frank looked up and greeted her warmly. "Xue Mei, come over here."

Xue Mei nodded and walked over to Frank with her long strides.

Frank introduced her to Xiao Fan. "Young friend Xiao, this is my disciple, Xue Mei. She has only just begun learning alchemy, but she seems rather well matched with you."

"Xue Mei, this young friend is Xiao Bufan. He has just successfully..." Frank paused, turning to Xiao Fan. Only after receiving Xiao Fan's signal did he continue, "...completed the assessment for a second-tier Alchemist. You should learn from him properly."

The cool expression on Xue Mei's face changed abruptly. She stared at her teacher in disbelief, and her aloofness instantly vanished.

She looked up at Xiao Fan, but after just one glance, she turned her gaze away. This guy... actually seems kind of handsome.

As she thought this, a flush spread across her face.

Xiao Fan suddenly felt a chill down his spine, followed by a burst of killing intent.

Sure enough, when he turned around, he saw Zi Yan staring fiercely at Frank, veins bulging on her clenched fists. Yet Frank seemed completely unaware as he continued talking to himself. "Young friend, you must have only recently arrived in Black Rock City. There are surely many places you are unfamiliar with, so why not let Xue Mei show you around?"

"Ahem." Xiao Fan interrupted Frank. He first shielded Zi Yan behind him, making sure the little girl could not look at Frank. Otherwise, he feared Frank would go flying again in a moment.

"Thank you for your kindness, President, but there's no need—"

"Alright, Teacher!"

Xue Mei answered even faster than Xiao Fan. The moment Frank saw the look in his disciple's eyes, he immediately felt there was hope for this matter. But Xiao Fan was the one suffering now.

If he had not used all his strength to hold back the head of the restless little girl behind him, there would probably have been bloodshed today.

Without Sugar Pills to suppress her, Zi Yan was extremely dangerous at the moment.

Helpless, Xiao Fan scooped Zi Yan up into his arms and gently patted her back. "Xiao Yan'er, be good. I'll make you Sugar Pills later."

Seeing how close Xiao Fan and Zi Yan were, Xue Mei asked curiously, "Teacher, who is that?"

Frank was stumped for a moment. The guards had not told him about this, so he did not know how to introduce her.

"Oh, she's my little sis—"

"Wife!"

Startled by the voice, everyone turned toward Zi Yan. Then Xue Mei and Frank both looked at Xiao Fan, seemingly questioning him, You would even... with such a little girl?

Xiao Fan hurriedly covered Zi Yan's unfiltered little mouth and hastily explained, "She's my younger sister. She's usually mischievous and clingy, so don't overthink it."

"That's not true!" Zi Yan could only make muffled noises with her mouth firmly covered by Xiao Fan.

"Arwooo!" Catching Xiao Fan off guard, Zi Yan bit down hard on his palm.

The pain made Xiao Fan immediately let go. "Hiss!"

The row of teeth marks was clearly identical to the marks on Xiao Fan's shoulder.

Zi Yan still refused to let it go. Puffing out her chest, she shouted loudly enough for the entire hall to hear, "I'm his child bride! I'm going to be his wife in the future!"

Every gaze in the hall turned toward them, some shocked, some disgusted, some envious...

"It's over!"

Feeling those stares, Xiao Fan only wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it. The truth that he was a—control freak was now known far and wide.

Xiao Fan grabbed Zi Yan and fled the Alchemist Guild at top speed. "President Frank, I'll come find you next time!"

"My Medicine Cauldron!" It was one of Frank's few Medicine Cauldrons. Of course he was heartbroken.

Xiao Fan also took the Alchemist robe with him. "Xiao Yan'er, I'm going to give you a proper scolding when we get back!"

"But it's true!"

"Xiao Fan, are you going to abandon me?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? How could I abandon you?" Xiao Fan could not understand Zi Yan's train of thought.

"Then if I don't marry you in the future, how can you stay with me forever?" Dangling in Xiao Fan's grip, Zi Yan waved all four limbs through the air, as though that was the only way to express her displeasure and determination.

"Who did you learn all this from?"

Xiao Fan did not understand how Zi Yan had become like this. It seemed that after that accident in the cave, she had changed considerably.

"Hmph, don't think I'm stupid. Sister Yun Yun said that once you grow up, Xiao Fan, I can eat you!"

"Eat... me?" Xiao Fan inwardly complained about what kind of description that was.

But he had also figured out why Zi Yan had changed. "Yun Yun! That foolish woman actually led my Little Dragon Maiden astray!"

With heaven and earth as witness, Xiao Bufan swore to the heavens that he had absolutely never thought of Zi Yan as a child bride!

"Xiao Yan'er, from now on, you are not allowed to associate with Yun Yun, and you are not allowed to believe that foolish woman's words!"

"Why?" Zi Yan still pouted, looking at Xiao Fan with great dissatisfaction.

"Because that Sect Master has something wrong with her brain. You don't want to become as foolish as her, do you?"

Zi Yan fell silent, and Xiao Fan thought she had understood.

But Zi Yan was actually thinking, You still think I'm a little kid! Once Xiao Fan grows a bit more, I'll show you how amazing I, Zi Yan, am!

Zi Yan could not help recalling the special Aphrodisiac Powder she had hidden away earlier. Though she did not know why taking it had temporarily made her grow up, Xiao Fan would definitely be unable to take his eyes off her once he saw what she looked like as an adult.

When that time comes, Xiao Fan will be mine!

But Zi Yan had clearly overlooked one thing: by the time Xiao Fan grew up, his strength would definitely surpass hers.

When that time came, it was still uncertain who would be riding whom.

Time passed quickly, and Xiao Fan did not plan to remain in Black Rock City for too long. In a few days, he intended to leave for the Tagor Desert.

Still, Xue Mei came to visit Xiao Fan every day during those days.

"Xiao Bufan, do you have time today?"

Xue Mei stood outside Xiao Fan's room, eagerly awaiting his answer.

Xiao Fan could not figure out why the girl had kept finding all kinds of excuses to visit him these past few days. She even lingered in his room, forcing awkward small talk with him.

The crucial point was that her excuses were sometimes terribly clumsy. For example, when Xiao Fan was refining medicine, Xue Mei would ask, "Xiao Bufan, what kind of work do you do?"

This greatly irritated a certain purple-haired little girl who was jealous, possessive, and fiercely protective of her food. If Xue Mei had not brought various medicinal ingredients with her each time, Zi Yan would probably have turned hostile long ago.

Xiao Fan thought that freeloading off the Alchemist Guild these past few days did seem rather inappropriate. Though there had been an exchange of benefits, he still felt somewhat guilty. After all, he had indeed gained rather more than he had given.

Since Xue Mei was Frank's disciple, he thought that giving the girl some guidance in alchemy should be enough to compensate for it.