Just wanted to give it to her...
Qian Renxue gazed at the young face before her and, for a moment, lost herself.
Truthfully, ever since she had begun carrying out the Infiltration Plan, she had never again felt such sincere affection.
In the past, all she had faced were nobles who fawned over her while harboring hidden motives.
Even when she occasionally returned to Spirit Hall, Qian Daoliu could hardly offer her much warmth.
Living the same life day after day had long since numbed Qian Renxue.
So when Lin Yan gave her a "gift," her first thought had been to secure a reward of equivalent value for him, rather than to thank him.
"You..."
Qian Renxue parted her lips, but seemed not to know what to say. Then she closed them again.
Taking advantage of her dazed state, Lin Yan piled on another log, tilting his head with an adorably innocent expression.
"Me? What about me?"
At those words, the girl could no longer contain her emotions. She immediately covered her face, turned, and hurried out of the room.
She even forgot to use her Soul Bone Skill to conceal her identity...
Click!
The door shut, and silence fell around them.
"Tsk~"
"Did I overdo it? Was I being a little too much of a scheming flirt?"
Remembering the harmless, innocent look he had just put on, Lin Yan pursed his lips, a trace of guilt flickering in his eyes.
But he quickly composed himself.
"Whatever. So what if I'm a scheming flirt?"
"Who cares?"
"As long as I can win the little angel over, I can do whatever I want!"
The courtyard of the Crown Prince's Mansion.
At Ci Xue's reminder, Qian Renxue had used her Soul Bone Skill to disguise herself in time and had not revealed her identity.
Now, Xue Qinghe stood with both hands on the railing, staring fixedly at the ground.
He looked almost disheveled, utterly unlike his usual dignified and noble self.
"Lin Yan!"
"Who are you, really? Why are you so good to me?"
He murmured inwardly, his mind filled with Lin Yan's obedient, innocent smile.
"Damn it! This boy, with eyes only for me... and I'm supposed to raise him into a tool for Spirit Hall?"
"Damn it. I'm the one who deserves to be damned!"
A feeling called guilt welled up inside him, and Xue Qinghe's vision blurred without him realizing it.
"Ci Xue."
The courtyard was empty, so Xue Qinghe called out in a low voice.
Before long, Ci Xue appeared at his side like a shadow.
"Young Master!"
Xue Qinghe looked up at the sky, then let out a long, trembling breath before speaking.
"There's no need to report anything about Lin Yan to Grandpa."
"From now on, without my permission, neither you nor She Long may tell anyone anything about him—not even my grandfather."
A breeze stirred Xue Qinghe's hair, and an unmistakably tender look appeared in his golden eyes!
Time flew by like a white pony flashing past a crack. In the blink of an eye, six years had passed.
Inside the Crown Prince's Mansion.
The gentle sunlight gilded the old locust tree in the courtyard.
Compared with six years ago, the tree had not changed much. Only its dense branches had spread far and wide, reaching... gradually, beyond the walls of the Crown Prince's Mansion.
Inside the bedchamber.
The girl, who had only just caught her breath, lay limp atop a strong, muscular body.
"W-When you go back this time, stay at Shrek Academy a little longer."
She seemed so exhausted that, after speaking, she closed her eyes.
"Huh? Why?"
Lin Yan looked down, taking in Qian Renxue's utterly worn-out appearance.
"My grandfather knows about us..."
At those words, Lin Yan's whole body tensed.
The girl still wrapped in his arms, neither of them having separated, felt a sharp ache in her lower abdomen and drew in a breath.
"G-Grand Enshrined knows we're dating? He even knows we've already...?"
Qian Renxue nodded. "Mm."
Sunlight streamed through the window and fell over them. For a moment, silence filled the room.
After a long while, Lin Yan ventured, "It's not that big a deal, is it? I... I haven't done anything wrong, have I?"
He stammered, clearly a bundle of nerves.
There was no helping it. Qian Renxue's grandfather was a Level 99 Limit Douluo!
He had now learned that Lin Yan and Qian Renxue had been secretly dating for six years—and that during that time, they had done everything they should and shouldn't have done.
He was bound to come looking for trouble.
Qian Renxue did not answer.
Haven't done anything? In these six years, aside from having Lin Yan's child, she had done everything. How could that possibly count as doing nothing?
If her grandfather caught Lin Yan now, he'd chop him into minced meat—unless his blade was dull.
Lying atop him, Qian Renxue sighed softly.
Just then, Lin Yan said pitifully, "But I can't bear to leave you!"
"Spare me!" Mustering her strength, Qian Renxue craned her neck to look at his fair, seemingly innocent face. "You can't wait to hurry back and see that little girlfriend of yours, can you? Don't think I don't know."
Lin Yan had been exposed, yet his expression remained unruffled.
"She's her, and you're you!"
As he spoke, he took his hands off her rounded, pert backside and cupped her face instead.
"Mmm~"
Their lips met, and another muffled moan sounded through the room.
Outside the window, birds chirped in a gentle flurry...
A moment later, their lips parted.
There was no trace of reproach left in Qian Renxue's eyes; they were filled instead with a dazed, dreamy look.
"Scoundrel!"
She scolded him without much force.
"If I'd known you were like this, I shouldn't have trusted you that night six years ago... Ah~"
"Sister Xue'er, you're so beautiful."
"I love you so much."
Before the girl could finish speaking, Lin Yan's movements had already robbed her of all ability to think.
It was one of Lin Yan's usual tricks... and it worked like a charm.
Just as expected, as the two continued their intimate entanglement, Qian Renxue completely lost her reason.
"Kiss me."
Six years ago.
Qian Renxue had taken one misstep and regretted it for a lifetime. Lin Yan's gift—and the obedient, innocent look he had put on—had touched her, leaving her utterly bewitched.
Although they had not made their relationship official that very day, Lin Yan had still won her over before long.
Six years had passed.
Now, thanks to his union with Qian Renxue's Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, Lin Yan had become a Level 49 Soul Ancestor.
His Soul Ring Configuration was exactly as he had planned: two purple rings and two black ones!
Twelve years old, Level 49!
Talents like his were few and far between across the entire continent—or even throughout history.
If things followed their normal course, he was sure to become a Limit Douluo someday.
Unfortunately... Qian Daoliu had found out about him.
Although they knew Qian Daoliu was unlikely to do anything outrageous, they both understood that now was absolutely not the time to make their relationship public.
There was no helping it. No matter how talented he was, a Soul Ancestor was still just a Soul Ancestor.
In Lin Yan's plans, he would need to obtain his Martial Soul Avatar before he dared face Qian Daoliu.
Otherwise, if the old man wanted him to do the splits, he wouldn't even dare lift an arm. How miserable would that be...