A Straight Man? No Such Thing...

"Young Master Xia, five gold coins is already a very high price. I really can't go any higher..."

"Come on, Boss. Look at the color and texture of this necklace. It has to be worth at least twenty gold coins, right? How could it only be five?"

"Young Master Xia, this necklace is priced at that much. Five gold coins is already the highest I can offer. I really can't go any higher." The stall owner looked like he was about to cry. You're a dignified young master of the Xiao Clan, yet you've been haggling with me for half an hour over a necklace worth a few gold coins! Can't you just act like a decent person?

"I'm telling you, this necklace was personally polished by yours truly! Twenty gold coins is a fair price, isn't it?"

"Young Master Xia, I..."

"Enough! I'll buy this necklace..."

Xiao Xun'er, who had been standing nearby, finally could not stand it anymore. She stepped forward, snatched the necklace from Gu Xia's hand, casually tossed twenty gold coins to him, then stormed off angrily.

"Uh... Little Flower, do you think I should go after her?"

Watching his little sister walk away with the necklace in hand, furious enough not to look back, Gu Xia awkwardly rubbed his nose. He even asked his mount whether he should chase after that retreating figure...

Little Flower: "Meow! (Little Flower thinks you should...)"

Gu Xia: "Meow meow? (Why?)"

Little Flower: "Meow~ (Isn't she Master's little sister? If little sister is angry, shouldn't big brother comfort her?)"

Gu Xia: "Meow. (Mm, makes sense.)"

Everyone: "..."

Were these two idiots? Chatting in cat language here? And wasn't your mount a tiger? Why was it meowing?! And so flawlessly too!...

"Little Flower, let's go!"

Having received its master's command, Little Flower let out a tiger's roar before charging off like the wind on all fours...

"Stupid brother! Dumb blockhead! Big idiot!..."

On an open patch at the other end of the street, Xiao Xun'er was kicking a stone on the ground to vent her frustration! As she kicked it, she occasionally turned back to look, waiting for that person to appear...

Yet as time passed, she never saw the person she wanted to see. The more Xiao Xun'er thought about it, the angrier and more wronged she felt. Her little face puffed up like a tiny frog, and mist gradually welled up in her big, doll-like eyes...

"You big jerk! You insist on making me say it... Ah!"

Just as she was about to cry, she suddenly felt herself being lifted into the air, then pulled into someone's embrace.

The sudden attack made Xiao Xun'er cry out in surprise. Before she could struggle, she was set down atop the back of a large tiger...

"Little sis, what were you about to say just now?" The voice beside her ear belonged to the person she had been waiting for. The grievance in her heart vanished in an instant, replaced by a young girl's bashfulness...

"N-Nothing." Xiao Xun'er answered Gu Xia behind her with a shy squirm. Suddenly, she felt as if sweetness had come after bitterness. This blockhead had finally caught on!

Just as Xun'er was guessing how someone was going to confess to her, a certain hopelessly straight man spoke...

"Heh heh, I know even if you don't say it..." Seeing Xiao Xun'er's bashful, embarrassed appearance, Gu Xia became even more certain of his guess!

(Begins chanting...)

"What do you know?" Xun'er still clung to the last of her maidenly reserve. She felt she had finally made it to the end...

"Xun'er, actually, you..."

"Brother Xia, you're so annoying~ It's enough that you know, don't say it out loud~≧?≦"

"No! I have to say it! This concerns our future relationship!..."

"Xun'er..."

"Brother Xia..."

"Xun'er, you just want those twenty gold coins back, right!"

o(°▽°)o Huh?

In an instant, the air fell silent...

"GU! XIA!!!!!!!!!!!!"

>To be continued!

The next day...

"Hiss... How could that brat hit so hard?"

After getting up, Gu Xia sucked in a breath of cold air. He discovered that a certain unspeakable part of him was still faintly aching... "Sigh, looks like even for a Dou Di, the defense of that place doesn't change..."

After a while, Gu Xia was finally able to get out of bed. However, this top-tier Dou Di walked like a duck. It would have been one thing if he had no imposing aura at all, but he also looked ridiculously dumb!

With no other choice, someone returned to bed and used his invincible Dou Qi to thoroughly nourish his body.

An hour later...

"Whew... It finally doesn't hurt anymore." Gu Xia had finally returned to normal. After getting out of bed, he unexpectedly spotted a certain protagonist secretly developing himself on the way to Xun'er's residence...

"Oh? Is that his old grandpa?" Gu Xia looked at the youth cultivating bitterly in the back mountain. Not far from the youth stood a slightly illusory figure, helping him train. Gu Xia knew that figure had to be Yao Chen, Xiao Yan's cheat!

"Forget it, I'll let those two hop around for now. Comforting my little sister is more important... I'm out." After thinking it over, Gu Xia decided not to bother with Xiao Yan and the others for now. After all, he did not have any deep-seated grudge against them, did he?

He could let them develop. No matter how powerful they became, they would never be stronger than him anyway. Of course, if they dared to show off in front of him, that would be another story...

"Knock, knock, knock..."

Having arrived at Xiao Xun'er's residence, someone knocked on the door, straightened his clothes, and worked on his expression. He tried to make himself look dignified and upright... Pah! Warm and gentle, that was it...

"Who is it?"

Hearing the knock, Xun'er opened the door in confusion. When she saw Gu Xia, yesterday's model man, she immediately slammed the door shut again without a word...

"Ah!"

However, she was too late. A tremendous force shoved the door open. Then Xun'er felt herself fly into the air once more, and after a dizzying whirl, she was pinned down on the bed. His entire body pressed against hers as she stared in disbelief at his peerlessly handsome face inches away...

"Xun'er, I'm sorry..."

"..."

Xiao Xun'er said nothing. Looking into his eyes, so full of genuine feeling, she seemed to understand why Nalan Yanran had been so foolish that day...

"Xun'er, can you forgive my mistake that day? I only realize now that you're the most important person to me... I swear I'll love you for the rest of my life. Please believe me, okay?..."

"Mm... Mm..."

Xiao Xun'er had no idea what could have happened to turn a hopelessly straight man into this overnight.

Listening to his heartfelt confession, she remembered what he had done to nourish her meridians, and she seemed to see once again that figure desperately gathering medicinal herbs...

His gentle whispers tickled her ears. Under someone's domineering confession, her cheeks rapidly turned red. She did not dare meet his burning gaze...

"Xun'er, you are my one and only! Are you willing..."

"I am!"

"Really?! You're willing to give me your allowance!"

Xiao Xun'er: "(*?ω?)?╰ひ╯"

...(The scene here is too brutal. Please use your imagination)...

In someone's room...

"What kind of garbage book is this?! It's not reliable at all!" Having learned from experience, Lord Dou Di had not been struck in the vital spot again. He had merely been blasted back by Xun'er...

Little Flower was lying in the courtyard, basking in the sun. Watching its master toss a book titled <How a Domineering CEO Teaches You to Win a Woman's Heart> in front of it, it lazily yawned, pulled the book beneath its huge head with one massive paw, and continued its sunbathing endeavor...

"No, I need to consult more references..."

Someone casually tossed out another book, How to Win the Heart of a Wealthy Young Lady. He did not give up! For his allowance! He had to earn Xun'er's forgiveness!

Thus, just like the previous night, someone plunged into the sea of knowledge again. It was just that this sea of knowledge was a little crooked...