Chapter 6

Although the original book had not dwelled on Ye Qingchuan's family, it was clear that neither parent had loved him as a child. When he met the heroine—his senior sister, Ye Qingyao—her warmth was like a lifeline to a drowning man. From then on, he clung to her desperately, hopelessly obsessed, unwilling to let go until death.

Sure enough, the moment his senior sister's love life came up, he stopped squeezing. His fingers brushed against Ye Zhenzhen's neck. "Junior Sister, how do you know Senior Sister will end up with Shen Xingyan? And how do you know he'll do those filthy things?"

Ye Zhenzhen's head throbbed, her temples pulsing. She could hardly tell him they were just characters she had read about in a book.

Who would believe that? She might as well try fooling a ghost.

[Remember the auspicious signs when I was born? I'm a little angel sent from heaven to save the whole sect.]

[If you don't want Shen Xingyan and Senior Sister together, I can join forces with you to break up their cursed romance. We can teach that scumbag a lesson too. What do you say, Senior Brother?]

"Of course." Ye Qingchuan finally let go.

He looked at the tiny Little Glutinous Rice Ball before him. Her eyes were wide as a startled fawn's, her rosy face had gone pale with fright, and bright beads of sweat dotted her forehead. A twisted smile spread across his face.

"Make sure we teach him a harsh lesson," he added.

When Ye Qingchuan carried Ye Zhenzhen back, Ye Qingyao was chatting with Shen Xingyan through her Communication Jade Tablet.

The Communication Jade Tablet could transmit images as well as sound. Shen Xingyan's tall figure appeared aboard the Kongtong School's magnificent Golden Dragon Flying Ship as he gave Ye Qingyao a tour from afar.

"Look, this is the Elixir Hall, this is the Spirit Herb Pavilion, this is the Magic Artifact House, and this is the Energy Room. Spirit Stones power the Flying Ship. Over here are the Personal Disciples' bedrooms. Everyone else shares a room, but I'm special—I have a deluxe private room with a cloud view." Shen Xingyan pushed open his door and aimed the tablet out the window. Seven-colored clouds floated past, dreamlike and beautiful as an immortal realm.

"Wow, the clouds are gorgeous! The Flying Ship is so huge and amazing." The girl had never seen a Flying Ship, let alone ridden one. Her almond-shaped eyes shimmered with admiration and longing.

"The Golden Dragon Flying Ship is nothing special." Seeing Ye Qingyao so awestruck gave Shen Xingyan a swell of pride, and he could not resist showing off. "It's just an ordinary Flying Ship belonging to the Kongtong School. It can't compare to the ones I've collected over the years. Let me show you some truly extraordinary ships."

He took several miniature Flying Ships from his Heaven-and-Earth Ring: a flying fish ship shaped like a red carp, an Illusory Moon Flying Ship curved like a crescent, a Divine Bird Flying Ship with rainbow-hued wings, a Giant Shell Flying Ship clad in a hard carapace... Each shimmered with otherworldly beauty. Together, they were a dazzling sight.

"Flying Ships are wonderful, but without someone lovely beside me, they're nothing more than cold collectibles sitting in my Heaven-and-Earth Ring. Qingyao, if you like them, I can take you around the world in these ships. We can see a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers, and all the splendors this world has to offer."

Holding out his fleet of luxurious Flying Ships, the wealthy young heir of the Cultivation World extended a tempting invitation to a girl who knew little of the world. Who could have helped feeling moved?

But Ye Zhenzhen's thoughts jolted the girl awake from her dream at just the right moment.

[The nerve of him, flaunting his wealth in front of Senior Sister.]

[Don't listen to him, Senior Sister. All he'll do aboard those ships is trick you into becoming his Furnace. Every one of them will become a nightmare for you.]

[One day, Zhenzhen will work hard to earn Spirit Stones and buy you the biggest, most luxurious Flying Ship of all!]

Zhenzhen: Senior Brother, you're so handsome!

Ye Qingchuan remained expressionless and reached out with his wicked claws.

Zhenzhen: Losing her mind (gif)

I complimented you, and you grabbed me by the throat!

Chapter 6

Lately, Xie Jingshu had been baffled. Ever since Ye Zhenzhen's one-month celebration, why did Ye Qingyao and Ye Qingchuan keep coming to see her daughter—and insist that she leave them alone?

Neither of them had seemed especially fond of children before. Besides, Zhenzhen was still a baby. Even if they could hear her thoughts too, what could they possibly have to talk about?

But she was wrong.

They had plenty to talk about.

[Senior Sister, quick, let me see! What has he said to you these past two days?]

Little Glutinous Rice Ball, barely over a month old, waved her tiny fists excitedly and babbled, blowing bubbles all the while. A baby's days consisted of eating, drinking, sleeping, and filling diapers. It was a leisurely life, but terribly dull. Her one daily pleasure was hearing the latest gossip about Shen Xingyan and her senior sister.

Seeing her Junior Sister's expectant little face, Ye Qingyao sighed helplessly and reluctantly took out the Recording Stone.

Shen Xingyan's eyes, more lovesick than a puppy's, appeared along with his scene-stealing nostrils:

"Good morning, Ah Yao. Today, the sun rises over Mount Zhaoyao for you."

"Good afternoon, Ah Yao. Hear that lingering spring breeze? It's me calling to you with all my heart."

"Ah Yao, how did the day end so quickly? I've done nothing all day but think of you."

Ye Qingchuan: "Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!"

Ye Zhenzhen: "Hahahahaha!"

[Help, why does Shen Xingyan have an endless supply of these cheesy lines?]

"He was calling her Qingyao before, and in less than a week he's shamelessly switched to Ah Yao. Has he no shame?" Ye Qingchuan nearly flew into a rage. He had never even called his senior sister Ah Yao so intimately.

Ye Qingyao's little face flushed scarlet.

For the past few days, she had done as her junior brother and sister asked: each day, while speaking to Shen Xingyan through the Communication Jade Tablet, she had secretly recorded their conversations with the Recording Stone.

She was only fourteen. She had never left Cloudsky Mountain or met many people. If she had not known what was going on, those flirtatious words really might have swept her off her feet. Every "Ah Yao" sounded so tender, and paired with Shen Xingyan's lovesick puppy eyes, it still made her blush and her heart race—even though she knew it was all a lie.