Sylus came home

Xiao Yan sat at the dining table eating white fungus soup while reading Zayne's replies beneath his Moments post.

[I was just checking whether to have another bowl of dessert.]

[Please don't read too much into it. Thank you.]

[She is still young, like a little sister.]

[I'll invite you over another time when there's a chance. Now isn't a good time. We are newlyweds, after all. I hope you understand.]

Oh, honestly. Showing off while trying so hard to play it cool.

Too cute.

Xiao Yan enlarged their photo together and couldn't resist puckering her lips at Zayne for a little kiss through the screen.

Ah, today was such a good start~ Progress with both Xavier and Zayne~

But what about Rafayel, Sylus, and Caleb?

Xiao Yan sank into thought.

Nothing came to her. Forget it. She stopped thinking about it.

The next morning, Uncle Sang suddenly told Xiao Yan that the bodyguards were already waiting in the gym.

Xiao Yan was dazed for a moment. "A workout?"

"Have you forgotten, young miss? The family head required you to study mixed martial arts from childhood." Uncle Sang always wore a kindly expression.

Xiao Yan said, "...That hardcore?" The problem was, she didn't know how.

"The Xiao Family is one of the top three families in City S. Naturally, its only young miss should have some ability to protect herself."

Uncle Sang counted on his fingers. "Besides mixed martial arts, there's swordsmanship, rock climbing, swimming, diving, skydiving..."

"Wait." Xiao Yan raised a hand to interrupt him. "With all those things to practice, can I even fit them all in?"

"You've always enjoyed these training sessions, young miss." Uncle Sang chuckled. "But considering that you've only just recovered from your injuries, the family head said each course could be reduced from once a week to once a month."

Even going through them all in rotation would take ages!

No, that wasn't the point. The point was that, out of everything Uncle Sang had listed, she could only manage a bit of dog-paddling when it came to swimming. She didn't know the first thing about anything else!

She was considering what excuse she could use to send Uncle Sang and the bodyguards serving as her sparring partners away.

Suddenly, a voice came through Uncle Sang's communication earpiece, reporting that Sylus had returned.

"Mr. Sylus doesn't have an appointment. Young miss, should we let him in?" Uncle Sang asked.

Xiao Yan was utterly speechless. "This is his home too. Does he need an appointment to come home? From now on, give all five of them VIP status. Don't ask me about coming home or any of these little things again. Give them the green light across the board."

Still smiling, Uncle Sang nodded.

The roar of a motorcycle engine followed, and soon Sylus walked in, dressed in leather.

That swaggering walk, that handsome face with its sharp features.

The sight sent Xiao Yan's heart swinging wildly.

"Haven't had breakfast. Anything to eat here?" Sylus asked bluntly.

Xiao Yan liked him this arrogant, as though everywhere he went was his own home.

Uncle Sang nodded quickly. "The young miss didn't eat much breakfast. Shall I have the chef warm up the leftovers? Or make something fresh?"

"Warm them up." Sylus plopped down on the sofa beside Xiao Yan.

Then he crossed his legs. "Heat up an extra portion. Your young miss will have a few more bites with me."

"Of course. Young miss, Mr. Sylus, please wait a few minutes. It'll be ready shortly." Uncle Sang left happily.

As long as it meant Xiao Yan would eat more, Uncle Sang was always happy to bustle about.

But Xiao Yan was a little dazed. She hadn't said she would join Sylus for a second breakfast.

Sylus pulled a few sheets of paper from behind his waist and spread them over the coffee table. "No appetite? Can't even stomach breakfast? Something happen in the family?"

Only after finishing his questions did he turn to look at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan finally understood what it meant to be overwhelmingly handsome.

Looking at him up close really did make her feel cornered by his good looks, with nowhere to retreat.

She shook her head. "Nothing happened. I just don't eat much."

"A kitten's stomach?" Sylus curled his lips. "You're still growing at your age, aren't you? You won't grow tall if you don't eat properly."

"...You really can spout nonsense." Xiao Yan leaned forward and picked up the papers on the table. "What's this? Another confirmation form transferring your income or existing assets to me?"

"Another?" Sylus raised an eyebrow. "Looks like someone's already had you sign one of these. You know the drill, then. Go ahead and sign."

He offered no explanation or clarification.

But Xiao Yan caught sight of the countless zeros following the estimated value of Sylus's assets.

She was stunned.

Looking through the remaining sheets, she found that they were actually two types of simply worded agreements.

One transferred all his assets to Xiao Yan.

The other stated that Xiao Yan voluntarily relinquished any claim to his other assets and would accept only his future income.

Just as with Xavier and Zayne, there was no getting around the income. The rules required it to be handed over to their wife.

But an agreement could still allow them to retain their existing assets.

It could be understood as the distinction between premarital property and joint marital property.

Without a second thought, Xiao Yan pushed aside the papers belonging to the first category.

She held out a hand to Sylus. "A pen... Oh, there are some on the table."

She had almost forgotten. After her experiences with Xavier and Zayne, she had already asked Uncle Sang to put a pen holder on this coffee table, with a few fountain pens inside.

"You're signing this one?" Unsurprisingly, Sylus was surprised. "That means giving up all those zeros you saw. Have you thought it through?"

As if that were anything new.

She ignored him and signed.

Then she took out the bank card custom-printed with a crow design. "I don't want your future income either. Have them... Actually, who's making sure you follow all these procedures? There's someone who can keep even you in line?"

Utterly puzzled, Xiao Yan turned to study Sylus, looking him over.

Sylus laughed. "There's always someone above you. Skipping this process would have a major impact on all sorts of business I do in the future."

"Oh." Seeing that he couldn't be bothered to explain, Xiao Yan switched to another question. "Then why not just stay unmarried? Is someone forcing you to find a wife?"

"Do you really not understand, or are you playing dumb?" Sylus's smile faded, and he grew a little impatient. "If I still haven't found a wife to take me in at my age, every business partner I have will question my credibility. That's a beastman's lot."

"All right." Xiao Yan really didn't want to ask any more.

This world was already unfair to men. If she kept asking and pissed Sylus off, it would do her no good.

"Aren't you curious why I chose you instead of someone else?" Sylus, however, had something to say.

Xiao Yan pursed her lips and gave a couple of little hums. He could tell her or not, as he pleased.

"Of the human women choosing husbands lately, you were the one I found most pleasing to the eye," he said.

Xiao Yan muttered, "So you only care whether someone's good-looking?"

"In terms of looks, you're hardly the best. I just find you pleasing to look at." At that, he picked up the crow bank card. "My future earnings go into this card?"

His words left Xiao Yan both pleased and frustrated.

He thought she wasn't pretty enough.

Yet he also said she suited his tastes.

Thoroughly annoyed, she nodded in answer.

"All right." He tossed the card back onto the table.

Xiao Yan picked it up again and handed it back to him. "Keep the card. I don't want it."

"Oh? How generous." Sylus smiled again. "I can't accept something for nothing. Is there anything you need my help with?"

There actually was.

Xiao Yan was afraid that if she practiced martial arts with the bodyguards, they would notice she didn't know how and report it to Xiao Jue, causing trouble for her.

Sylus didn't know what the original owner of this body had been capable of, so that worked out perfectly.

"Come practice boxing with me. You're not allowed breakfast until we finish," she said.