Brother-in-law, wouldn't it be bad if my sister found out about us?

Carlotta dragged Kexi all the way to the entrance of the hall, let go of her hand, and gestured with her chin towards the inside.

"They're here to invite you. Go obediently and resolve the matter before you come back. If I find out you're up to no good again, you'll face the consequences."

Kexi rubbed the back of her neck and reluctantly glanced into the hall.

He was prepared to see a hundred women wielding knives, but when he saw who it was, his jaw nearly dropped.

"Yangyang? It's you?"

Yangyang stood in the center of the hall. When she saw him enter, her eyes lit up, and she smiled sweetly and obediently, "Brother-in-law!"

Kexi almost flew to heaven from that shout.

He abruptly raised his hand in a stop gesture. "Wait! Wait a minute!"

Yangyang tilted her head, her face full of innocence.

"Who taught you to call me that?" Kexi walked over quickly and lowered her voice.

"Aren't you with my sister? Is there anything wrong with me calling her that?" Yangyang blinked her innocent eyes.

Kexi felt a throbbing pain in her temples. "No, didn't your sister say anything to you when she went back?"

"She did say that," Yangyang nodded, her tone as natural as if she were talking about what she ate that day. "She said I'm not allowed to get close to you anymore."

"Then why are you still calling him brother-in-law?"

"But I think... aren't you my brother-in-law? Aren't we family? How can family members not be close?" Yangyang spoke eloquently and logically, leaving Kexi unable to find a point to refute her for a moment.

As if oblivious to the devastation on Kexi's face, she continued, "After hearing that, my sister didn't say a word. She just went back to her room and smashed a lot of things. It's really strange."

Kexi tilted her head back, took a deep breath, and felt her soul drifting away.

"Ah, Yangyang, you really are..."

"What's wrong with me?" Yangyang blinked again, her eyes so clear they could be used as a mirror.

Looking at her face, Kexi suddenly felt that since things had already come to this, one more woman wouldn't make a difference. Most importantly, he hadn't given up on grinding his mission progress. With Yangyang standing there, that face, those eyes—it would be a disservice to all the suffering he'd endured today if he didn't give her a kiss.

"Let's not talk about this anymore." He suddenly took a step forward, his tone softening. "Can you do me a favor first?"

"What kind of help?" Yangyang looked up at him, completely unprepared.

"Close your eyes first."

Yangyang obediently closed her eyes, her long eyelashes casting two small shadows on her cheeks. Kexi didn't hesitate any longer, leaned in, and gently pressed her lips to Yangyang's forehead. That spot was where the Tacet Mark was.

Yangyang trembled slightly, and her eyes snapped open.

Kexi's face was inches away.

Her face flushed bright red at a visible speed.

[Ding, Resonance Synchronization -- Yangyang.]

Kexi waited a few seconds and found that the task progress on the system panel remained unchanged. He shouted in his mind, "System, what's going on? Why isn't the progress increasing?"

[Note: Yangyang has not yet been upgraded to a five-star limited-time character. She is currently in her four-star form and is not included in the mission objectives.]

Kexi almost spat out a mouthful of blood. What the hell?! They'd already kissed, she'd lent him her strength, and now she's telling me she doesn't count? Damn system, you've screwed me over!

Just as he was about to mentally curse the system's ancestors for eighteen generations, he heard Yangyang's soft and gentle voice ring in his ears.

"Brother-in-law," her face flushed crimson, her hands twisted in front of her, her head almost buried in her collar, "If my sister finds out we're like this, it won't be good, will it?"

Kexi looked down at her shy, timid, and expectant expression, and the curses in his mind instantly turned into a different kind of pressure.

He coughed lightly, took half a step back, and tried to make himself look like a respectable person.

"Um, Yangyang," he straightened his collar, his tone serious, "The wind was a bit strong today. I was careless just now."

"But..." Yangyang looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears, like a fawn whose head had just been stroked, "Didn't you tell me to close my eyes?"

Kexi fell silent. He found himself unable to refute.

"That's not the point. The point is, why did you come here?" Kexi quickly changed the subject away from the forehead kiss incident.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot." Yangyang slapped her forehead, as if she had just remembered something important. "The Prime Minister sent me to invite you over."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Kexi grabbed her wrist and walked out so fast that Yangyang could only manage a half-uttered "Eh."

His reaction wasn't particularly enthusiastic; he was mainly afraid that if he stayed any longer, Yangyang would say something that he wouldn't know how to respond to.

When Selina saw them come out, she followed them lightly, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

"Yangyang, what does Jinhsi want me to do?" Kexi asked as she walked, trying to gather some information beforehand.

"I don't know either," Yangyang shook her head. "I heard it's related to a fire."

Kexi frowned. A fire? What did that have to do with him? He'd been chased all day and hadn't even touched a match.

But for some reason, the closer he got to his destination, the stronger his bad premonition became, as if an invisible hand was slowly squeezing his stomach.

He deliberately slowed down by half a step, falling behind Yangyang, and turned his head to whisper, "Selina, remember. If anything serious happens later, you must protect me immediately."

Selina nodded, her expression as serious as a guard receiving the highest-level orders. "Don't worry, young master, I'm here."

"We've arrived," Yangyang's voice came from ahead.

Kexi looked up at the courtyard where he was temporarily staying. The gate was open, but the air inside seemed to be covered with an invisible layer of frost. He took a deep breath and tried to mentally prepare himself.

He didn't do anything particularly heinous today. At most, he kissed a few people, fooled a few others, and took a member of the Fractsidus back to be his maid. There shouldn't be any major problems.

He followed Yangyang inside. Yangyang told him to wait in the front hall while she went to report to the magistrate. Kexi nodded, walked around the front hall twice with his hands behind his back, then felt he looked too much like a student waiting to be reprimanded, so he simply plopped down in a chair.

A moment later, hurried footsteps came from the inner corridor. Kexi had just stood up and hadn't even had time to put on a smile Jinhsi rushed up to him.

He opened his mouth to say hello, but the next second, a loud slap landed on his face.

Smack

A crisp sound rang out in the front hall.

Kexi was knocked to the side by the blow, her right cheek burning with pain.

He stared wide-eyed, covered his face, and looked at Jinhsi, who was trembling all over with red eyes, as if struck by lightning.

"Why did you hit me right away?" His voice was full of shock and grievance.

Jinhsi stood before him, her chest heaving violently, the anger in her eyes almost burning through his face.

She stared intently at him, uttering each word through clenched teeth.

Why would I hit you? I'm not only going to hit you, I'm going to kill you!