Ling Yuan, You've Changed!

Ye Wanqing crouched in front of a shop, propping her chin up with one hand. Her cheeks were puffed out, her face filled with anger.

Her gentle, lovely, mature figure was sulking in front of a storefront, drawing plenty of attention to both the street and the shop.

The shopkeeper chuckled. "Customer? Has the person you're waiting for not arrived yet?

Why not come inside and have a seat?"

Ye Wanqing shook her head. "It's fine. I'll wait for her outside. Maybe she got lost?

If I'm outside, she'll see me right away."

The shopkeeper smiled. He was only being polite; he wished Ye Wanqing would stay seated outside. With such a beauty drawing customers in, today's sales had already risen quite a bit.

Bored, Ye Wanqing nudged the pebbles on the ground around, picked one up, and tossed it into the distance.

"Damn Ling Yuan, you actually stood me up. I'm never talking to you again!"

A graceful figure in black skintight clothes appeared out of thin air, a smile on her face.

"Really not going to talk to me anymore?"

Ye Wanqing pursed her lips, got to her feet, and patted down her skirt.

"Talk to you, my ass! Is someone talking over here? How come I can't hear anything? Seems like it's time to eat. I'm leaving~"

Acting as though she had not seen her, Ye Wanqing walked past Ling Yuan and deliberately rammed her shoulder into Ling Yuan's, as if venting her displeasure.

"Hehe~"

Ling Yuan was amused by her. She reached out and took her soft hand, then, under Ye Wanqing's adorably fierce glare, pinched her plump cheek and teased, "Why are you still like a child? You're so cute when you're angry."

"Hey, get lost~"

For some inexplicable reason, Ye Wanqing felt shy. She slapped away Ling Yuan's restless hand. Every time they met, she had to touch there. Honestly...

Ling Yuan clicked her tongue. "They've gotten quite a bit bigger again. Tell me, do you have some secret? Hurry up and tell me."

Ye Wanqing looked down at her.

"It's talent. Besides, isn't yours enough already? They fit perfectly in one hand. If they were really like mine, they'd weigh me down every day when I walked."

"For us Spirit Masters, what does that little weight even count for?

I'm serious. Tell me, do you have any secret or not?"

Ye Wanqing stopped walking and eyed Ling Yuan suspiciously.

"What's gotten into you today? You never used to care about this sort of thing.

Could it be...

Oh~ I get it. During the hours you stood me up, you went to see your Boyfriend, didn't you?!

Tsk, tsk. I never thought you'd finally get a clue too."

Ling Yuan's pretty face reddened. She coughed lightly.

"What nonsense are you saying? Who's fallen in love? Not me.

It's just that... I suddenly wanted to take better care of myself."

Ye Wanqing narrowed her eyes and sneered.

"Did I say you'd fallen in love? You gave yourself away!"

Ling Yuan's face darkened. Grabbing Ye Wanqing's hand, she ignored her yelps and cries.

"Come on, let's eat. We're having your favorite Emperor Crab. My treat."

Ye Wanqing called out loudly.

"Even if you feed me and shut my mouth, you still can't change the fact that you've fallen for someone... Mmph."

Somewhat flustered, Ling Yuan covered Ye Wanqing's mouth and glanced around. Seeing that no one was paying attention, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ye Wanqing, my dear auntie, all right? I'm begging you, can you stop talking nonsense?"

Ye Wanqing looked at Ling Yuan with some resentment. "Ling Yuan, you've changed. You used to call me Qingqing."

"Did I ever call you that? I didn't."

"No, you did."

The two arrived at the Hotel. Ye Wanqing sucked her fingers clean and wiped away the grease.

Then she asked solemnly, "So, you're saying you've fallen for a man younger than you?"

Ling Yuan nodded.

"Hey, what's the big deal? My brother-in-law is a few years younger than my sister too. What are you scared of? Just go for it!

With our Ling Yuan's beauty, wouldn't those stinking men come crawling over with the crook of a finger?"

Ye Wanqing lifted her chin and huffed.

Ling Yuan spoke weakly. "Well, he's... quite a lot younger..."

Ye Wanqing frowned, realizing things were not so simple.

"How much younger?"

"Well..." Ling Yuan turned her head aside. "More than ten years."

"How much?"

Ye Wanqing shot to her feet in an instant.

Her pupils dilated as she stared at Ling Yuan, her face full of shock.

Ling Yuan was embarrassed by her reaction. She rubbed her forehead and gave a wry grin.

"Well, that... um..."

Ye Wanqing scratched the back of her head, her expression conflicted.

"That's still fine, though. A Titled Douluo can live for several centuries. Just wait until he grows up a little more, and it'll be about right, won't it?

You don't know this, but I heard—heard, mind you!—that the nobles in Heaven Dou City get up to all sorts of wild things! The master of one household in the West of the City is a forty-year-old woman. A few years ago, she married a Spirit Master who had just come of age.

And not many people criticized them for it.

So relax. Anyway, I support you."

Ling Yuan sighed softly. "Xiao Qing, it's so good to have you."

Ye Wanqing sat down beside Ling Yuan, rubbed her soft hand, and comforted her.

"Of course. We're best friends. Friends should support each other's choices unconditionally!"

Ling Yuan was deeply moved and ordered another three plates of Emperor Crab from the server.

Ye Wanqing wiped the corner of her mouth, thoroughly pleased with herself.

Once they had finished eating, Ye Wanqing rubbed her round belly and let out a satisfied burp.

"Come on, come back with me. I'll give you some advice."

Ling Yuan looked at her doubtfully.

"You?

Haven't you been single since birth too? What experience could you possibly have?"

Ye Wanqing paused, then snapped irritably, "I don't, but my sister does!

I forgot to tell you—my sister and brother-in-law were in a situation pretty similar to yours, you know?"

Ling Yuan suddenly understood.

"Come to think of it, your sister seems to have had a child, right? If I calculate the time, she should already be over three years old?

Spirit Awakening..."

Ye Wanqing's gaze dimmed, and her tone turned sorrowful.

"Yes. If nothing unexpected happens, when Ling Ling awakens, she should..."

Ling Yuan's heart tightened.

"Sorry, I said the wrong thing..."

Ye Wanqing broke into a smile.

"It's all right. This is the fate of our Nine Heart Begonia Family. Everyone knows that...

Don't think about that. Come with me. Let's ask my sister properly and have her teach you a good lesson."

"Okay..."

Ling Yuan was pulled toward the East of the City. Looking at the lively figure before her, she sighed inwardly.

Heaven had granted the Nine Heart Begonia Family the finest Healing Type Martial Soul in the Spirit Master World, yet it had taken away the possibility for the family's lineage to continue any further.

Whenever a new wielder of the Nine Heart Begonia underwent Spirit Awakening, the previous wielder of the Nine Heart Begonia would lose her Life.

It truly was the jealousy of heaven. It would have been one thing if the Martial Soul itself could only possess a single Soul Skill, but its inheritance had such a restriction too...

A restriction?...

Ling Yuan's eyes flashed. Perhaps this could be considered a Spirit Undefeatable Flaw?

Could Xiao Feng possibly solve this problem? After all, his talent for theory was unmatched throughout history.

At that thought, Ling Yuan's previously gloomy mood suddenly improved somewhat.

Instead of merely being pulled along by Ye Wanqing, she began walking beside her.

She took Ye Wanqing's hand in return and smiled.

"I'll listen to you. Let's visit your family first."

Thanks to reader 170116165858521 for the monthly vote, and to Reading222222 for the bonus submission!