A little girl who looked about his age and wore a maid's uniform had probably been hurrying while carrying a heavy tray. She stumbled, and the set of exquisite glazed tea ware on it—obviously worth a fortune—slid off with a crash and shattered across the gleaming floor.
The new maid, who had only started today, went deathly pale in an instant.
"Please forgive me, young sect master! Please forgive me, Sect Master! I didn't mean to! I deserve to die! I'll pay for it! I promise I'll pay for it..."
Shui Bing'er's brows knitted almost imperceptibly. Her icy-blue eyes swept over the terrified maid, then turned to Ning Xiaochun.
She had seen too many noble youths fly into a rage over the slightest accidental mistake by a servant. They might whip them for it—or beat them to death or leave them crippled.
The boy before her looked to be the young master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. What would he do?
Her heart turned cold as she braced for the worst. She even hesitated over whether to speak up for the poor maid, though she knew she had only just arrived and had little influence here.
Yet the scolding, or even beating, she expected never came.
Ning Xiaochun merely glanced at the pile of shards. A hint of "what a pain" crossed his little face, but it was certainly not directed at the maid.
"Oh, come on, get up, get up. Why are you kneeling? It's just a tea set. It's broken, so it's broken. Why are you crying? If someone sees this, they'll think the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is so poor we can't afford to replace a tea set, and that we mistreat our servants."
The maid froze, forgetting to cry as she stared blankly at her young master.
Ning Xiaochun had already pulled a finely crafted Gold Soul Coin card from his robe and casually pressed it into the maid's hand.
"Here, this card has a thousand Gold Soul Coins on it. That should be enough to buy ten sets like this one. Go get a new set just like it. You can keep whatever's left as a little something to calm your nerves—or, no, as this month's bonus. Be more careful when you walk next time. You dropped a cup this time, but if you fall and hurt yourself next time, that'll really sting. Go on, go on. Clean this up."
A thousand Gold Soul Coins! A bonus! The maid was completely dumbfounded. Cradling the card, light as a feather yet heavy as a mountain, she felt as if she were dreaming.
Only when an alert older maid came over, gently tugged at her, and whispered a reminder did she snap out of it. Laughing and crying at once, she kowtowed, then hurriedly began gathering the shards. Her eyes brimmed with disbelieving gratitude as she looked at Ning Xiaochun.
Shui Bing'er watched in silence. Deep in her frostbound eyes, the faintest ripple stirred.
This young master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect seemed... different from those spoiled noble brats.
By then, Ning Xiaochun had sent the maid off and turned to Ning Fengzhi.
"Dad! You're finally back! There's something really important I wanted to discuss with you!"
He ran over and naturally took hold of Ning Fengzhi's sleeve.
"Oh? What could my Xiaochun consider 'really important'?" Ning Fengzhi chuckled and ruffled his son's hair, his eyes full of affection.
He was not surprised at all by the way his son had handled the maid. The boy might be timid around outsiders, but he had always been excessively generous to the servants, as long as they didn't threaten his safety. He called it "improving employee loyalty and reducing internal risks."
"I want to buy a piece of land!" Ning Xiaochun declared, chin raised.
"Land? The sect owns countless estates and properties. Which one have you got your eye on? I'll give it to you." Ning Fengzhi didn't think twice.
"Not just any land. It's... a rather special piece."
Ning Xiaochun lowered his voice a little, though it was still loud enough for Shui Bing'er to hear.
"It's deep in Sunset Forest. There's something special about that place. It's a treasure, actually. I read about it in an ancient book... Buying it would be a sure thing."
Ning Fengzhi didn't even ask for details. He simply waved a hand and agreed.
"If that's what you want, I'll see what I can do. With the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's reputation, a sincere offer, and enough Gold Soul Coins, most things in this world can be negotiated. I'll take care of it."
"Thanks, Dad! You're the best!" Ning Xiaochun was delighted. He hugged Ning Fengzhi's arm and gave it a shake, only then seeming to "notice" Shui Bing'er, who had been standing quietly nearby. Curiously, he leaned over to look at her.
Ning Fengzhi took the opportunity to guide Ning Xiaochun over to Shui Bing'er. A smile crossed his face, mingling pride, anticipation, and a touch of mischief.
"Xiaochun, don't get so caught up talking about land. Come, let me introduce you. This is Shui Bing'er, from Skywater Academy. She's five years older than you, and... she's also your birthday present from me."
"Birthday present?" Ning Xiaochun blinked his big eyes, looking from Shui Bing'er's stunning yet frosty face to his dad's "go on, praise me" expression. For a moment, he couldn't quite process it.
A big sister as a present? She was beautiful, sure, but a present was supposed to be an object... This didn't seem right.
Ning Fengzhi bent down and leaned close to his son's ear. He spoke in what he thought was a whisper, but all three people present could hear him perfectly.
"You little rascal, aren't you always worried no one will protect you? Don't you keep going on about 'core teammates' and 'bodyguards'? Well, I found you the best!
"Bing'er has peerless talent and a limitless future. When she grows up, she'll definitely be able to protect you. I've already spoken with Bing'er and her master. Once Bing'er comes of age, she'll marry you and be your wife! What do you think? Do you like this present?"
The smile on Ning Xiaochun's face froze.
As if an invisible thunderbolt had struck him, he stood rooted to the spot, his little mouth slightly open and his eyes wide. He looked at Ning Fengzhi, then whipped around to stare at Shui Bing'er.
W-wife?!
A child bride?!
What kind of Soul Beast joke was this? I'm only six! Six, Dad! Even if you're arranging a marriage for me, isn't this way too early? And... you're just handing her over to me like that?
Doesn't that make me a freeloader? Seriously... am I really that kind of person?
Ning Xiaochun took a deep breath. In an instant, his face lit up with an even brighter, even more "innocent" smile.
He stepped forward and looked up at Shui Bing'er, who was much taller than him. His eyes curved into crescents, and his clear voice was filled with just the right mix of curiosity and warmth.
"Hello, Sister Bing'er! My name is Ning Xiaochun. Ning, like the Ning in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect; Xiao, as in 'small'; and Chun, as in 'pure'! I hope you'll look after me from now on!"
He smiled as if he had no ulterior motives at all, as if he hadn't just heard the word "wife," as if this really were just an ordinary greeting.
Shui Bing'er: "...?"
She looked at the six-year-old boy before her, who had changed expressions in an instant and was grinning from ear to ear. At last, a huge boulder plunged into her frozen heart lake, sending out fierce ripples.
So... this was Ning Xiaochun? Her nominal... fiancé?
He really was just a six-year-old child! His eyes were lively, and he seemed much sharper than an ordinary kid, but his childish face and short stature made his age unmistakable.
Shui Bing'er suddenly felt a profound absurdity and helplessness. She had imagined all sorts of possibilities: an arrogant spoiled brat, a brooding scion of a powerful family, perhaps even a good-for-nothing who never studied. But she had never imagined someone who looked... rather pleasant, and surprisingly good at winning people over.
Especially after seeing how he had treated the little maid. His unassuming kindness and "deep pockets" seemed... not entirely unlikeable.
In fact, they slightly eased the intense aversion and humiliation she felt over the arrangement—at least the person she'd been handed over to wasn't someone she despised.
But that was all. The engagement was a transaction, a shackle. Shui Bing'er would never resign herself to it just because the boy seemed likeable.
She gave a slight nod in response to Ning Xiaochun's greeting. The frost on her face didn't melt in the slightest, and her voice was as cool as a spring. "Shui Bing'er."
She was a woman of few words, and her manner was distant.
Ning Xiaochun seemed not to notice her coolness at all. His smile remained bright, and he even asked curiously, "Sister Bing'er, what's your Martial Soul? Is it really powerful? Dad said you'd be able to protect me, so you must be super good at fighting, right?"
Shui Bing'er: "..."
She suddenly felt that meeting once a month in the future might not be as easy to endure as she'd expected.
This Ning Xiaochun seemed... a little too friendly. And what was with that gleam in his eyes, as if he'd just spotted a "top-notch bodyguard"?
Before you continue