"S–Sister Ying'er!?" Yuan stammered, with voice cracking as if he had seen a ghost. "When did you… get in?"
She stepped forward, her features reflecting in falling moonlight. "Brother Yuan, did you forget? I am at Peak of Foundation Realm."
"Ah— ofcourse… I… I know!" Yuan forced a smile, his voice dry. "You are a genius, reaching the Peak stage Foundation Realm at just twenty-four..."
Ying'er only stared at him in silence. "...."
"Hehe! I… I think it's too late. You should probably go and sleep—"
"You—" A sudden flash of anger crossed Ying'er's face, her delicate fingers seized his robes.
Before Yuan could react, she threw him across the room onto the bed, her movements fierce with control.
Then, she jumped on his stomach with a thud, like a child pouncing on a toy.
"Argh!" Yuan gasped, his face twisting in pain.
However, Ying'er held back her true strength otherwise, that might have been his last cry before death.
"Massage… Fuck! She's heavy!"
Ying'er glared down at him, her lips curving into a sly smile. "You know, Junior Brother, your mouth is sharp enough to talk nonsense even around elders. But it should be put to more… useful work."
From her sleeve, she drew out a small black pill. Its surface was marred, slightly charred around the edges.
"Do you know what this is?" she asked, holding it between her fingers, her eyes gleaming with pride. "This is my new research from my best recipe."
"Alas… It's still showing some side effects…"
An evil smile on her face stretched, wide like a demon who is about to devour its prey. "You should try it. It will keep your stomach clean in every few hours,"
As her hand was about to reach near his mouth, suddenly Yuan's expression changed and he grabbed her waist, twisting her body, pressing her beneath on the bed.
His hands pressed her down delicate arms, pinning her against the sheets.
"Junior Brother, You—" Ying'er's face flushed red, her voice breaking with sudden his action.
"Sister Ying'er…" Yuan lowered his voice, his breath brushing against her cheek.
"I know how much you carry worry in your heart…
…But believe me, we will definitely find a way to solve this."
"B… But what can we do in just thirty days?" Ying'er whispered, her words trembling as she felt the warmth of his body so close to hers.
"I can't promise about the recipe," Yuan said softly, "but I can promise to stand with you. Together, we will definitely find some way."
But then, suddenly, Ying'er's face stiffened, her brows knitted together in confusion, she felt something pressing against her thigh.
"Huh?"
Actually it was a hard, undeniable truth forgotten by Xu Yuan.
"Hu—huh?" Yuan's face turned blank, he realised instantly, and absently gave a strange grin. 'Hehe'
Her face burned even more red. "You—!"
A surge of qi flared, and in the next instant, she vanished from beneath him. Standing near the door, her breath ragged, her face unreadable.
"I… I'll see you tomorrow!"
And with those words she was gone, leaving Yuan sprawled on the bed, staring up at the ceiling in disbelief.
"Aiye~" he sighed, dragging hand on his face. He was just trying to show a little dominance but… this went too far.
But Xu Yuan was also wondering what kind of quest is that, how can such a tall, handsome man like him, is not being considered grown up.
The air felt thick with awkwardness, but soon he dismissed his thoughts. "Forget it… It's not even my fault her body is just too soft."
"Haih~ I'll think about it tomorrow." With that, his eyes slipped closed, and he drifted into uneasy sleep.
…
…...
Meanwhile, Inside her chamber, Ying'er closed the door with a soft thud, her back pressing against it.
Her face still red, her heartbeat refused to settle, thudding loudly in her ears.
She drew a shaky breath, unable to push away the memory of what had just happened.
In the heat of the moment, she didn't realize her actions were not different from what she used to do in childhood—thoughtless, instinctive, and utterly childish.
She was stronger, leagues above him in cultivation, yet in that instant she had been overpowered. And she knew why, because it's always been like that, so it's normal for her to casually beat him in such ways.
And so, around him, she always let her guard down without thinking.
Her fingers touched her cheek, still warm. "Relax, Ying'er… relax… he's just—"
But remembering those moments her mind slipped backward, filled by some old memory.
—
—
—
Years ago, when she was only ten, the rumors spread like wildfire 'The Zhao family's second daughter, a genius child not even properly eleven but refined a pill!'
The pill itself was lowest in low, useless, but the fact she had done it at such a young age spread like wildfire.
Even though the Zhao family was one of well established families in the Empire's central capital. That spark alone was enough to shock the entire province, eventually passing even through Jin Yang in the East.
"Hey! Did you hear? Zhao's second daughter refined a pill!"
"I heard it was high grade!"
"Bah, Zhao family is rich. Of course she has the best resources."
"No, no—I heard she even saved a dying man with her alchemy!"
Gossip filled every corner. The Zhao family, known from their Auction House, basked in the noise.
And soon after that Alchemist Xu Yuhong of the Xu Family, a respected second-tier alchemist, took her as a direct disciple.
There were only four known alchemists in Jin Yang City, two of them belonging to the Xu Family. Xu Yuhong herself, and the venerable Grand Elder Xu Wanshan. Their presence alone gave Xu Family a towering reputation.
At that time with the addition of another second-tier alchemist, the Xu Family's name secured a strong foothold in Jin Yang.
Zhao Ying remembered clearly the day she arrived at Xu residence for the first time. She had been brimming with excitement—only to see a small boy, barely four or five years old, standing in the courtyard.
He wore a tiny purple robe, his big black eyes staring stubbornly ahead, his tiny hands clasped behind his back.
He carried himself with the air of a lofty immortal, as though the whole world rested in his palm.
"Hey, You! Little girl!" he spoke in a childish but mighty tone. "Leave that butterfly hairpin here!"
She blinked in amusement. .'So small… and so cute.'Walking forward, she bent down closer to him.
"But little brother, that's for girls."
His face turned red, lips trembling. "Is… Is that so? Then I'll just ask Old Gui to make me a boy's one… Hmph!" he turned his head in an instant, pouting his small cheek.
It was the first time she met Xu Yuan. Back then, she had only thought of him as adorable—so much fun to tease, like a little doll that pouted up with every poke.
But as the years passed by, the bond between them eventually became stronger.
Sometimes unwillingly, Yuan even became her test subject—she tricked him into testing her rough, half-finished pills, slipping them to him like candies.
Yet, she also helped him in other aspects like Xu Yuan's physical cultivation, guiding him through the harsh but necessary process of tempering his body.
Since childhood, Xu Yuan had endured countless blows, at her hands.
She even kept this secret hidden from Xu family elders.
She concluded that it was Zhao Clan's secret tempering art, otherwise it's not like she enjoyed beating him.