In a daze, Xuanchen pulled her back with a reverse motion, causing Xia Yueyou to lose her balance and fall right into his arms. He lifted one long leg—clad only in pajama pants—and pressed it down over her.
Instantly, her delicate body was locked tightly in his embrace, unable to move at all.
Her flushed little face happened to be pressed right against his chest.
Xia Yueyou finally understood the meaning of the phrase "blushing like a boiled shrimp."
She struggled with all her might, but it was completely useless.
Blushing fiercely, she cried out, "Hey, Ah Chen, let me go already! I know you're just faking it!"
Xuanchen remained completely unresponsive, even letting out a soft snore.
"Stop pretending and let me go."
"You'er, stop making a fuss and go to sleep," Xuanchen murmured, applying a slight downward pressure with his arm once more.
Her little face was completely buried in his chest, her lips pressed tightly against his skin.
Four words flashed through her mind: *Good thing it's not salty.*
Knowing he was doing this on purpose and that she couldn't break free, Xia Yueyou simply gave up struggling.
The tension of the past few days finally melted away, and listening to his steady heartbeat, she slowly drifted off to sleep.
A long time later, Xuanchen opened his eyes, a full smile on his face. With a flick of his spiritual sense, he extinguished the lights, closed the door, and closed his eyes once again.
...
Early the next morning, Xia Yueyou slowly woke from her slumber. Feeling that her pillow was somewhat hard, she instinctively reached out and pressed down on it.
The next instant, a deafening explosion went off in her mind!
She realized that right at that moment, she was draped over Xuanchen like an octopus.
"You'er, did you sleep well? Good thing you don't drool when you sleep."
Xuanchen had one hand resting behind his head, while the other supported her willow-slim waist, a smile on his face and a teasing tone in his voice.
Xia Yueyou scrambled off the bed in a flash, grabbed the quilt, and pulled it tightly over him to cover him up. She hurriedly straightened her somewhat rumpled sleepwear and bolted out of the room with a burning red face.
"Hahaha..."
Hearing the hearty laughter echoing from the bedroom, the flush on her cheeks deepened. She made her way to a pavilion in the backyard, sat cross-legged to calm her mind, and absorbed the fresh morning Spiritual Energy.
By seven-thirty, the domestic staff were already up and busy. The ones sweeping the grounds began clearing away fallen leaves, while the cooks started preparing breakfast.
Don't let the early start fool you; they only had to work three or four hours a day.
Yet their monthly salary was twenty to thirty thousand, and on top of that, they got to live in a courtyard house in Kyoto where every inch of land was worth a fortune. Who wouldn't jump at a job like that?
Xià Zhènguó walked out of the master bedroom, glanced at his granddaughter meditating in the pavilion, and smiled kindly.
He walked over to the side, went through a set of boxing forms, and circulated the Qi and blood within his body. After a night's rest, the lingering medicinal efficacy in his dantian had been completely absorbed.
Not only had his spiritual sea been fully restored, but his cultivation had even advanced by quite a bit.
"Recovery looks good. You have a chance at Golden Core Formation in this lifetime," Xuanchen said in a casual tone, still dressed in his flowing ancient-style attire.
"Sir, we meet again. Thank you for your lifesaving help," Xià Zhènguó said, cupping his fists with deep respect in his voice.
"Save the polite acts; you'll have to pay it back later." Xuanchen waved a hand dismissively—he was certainly not doing charity work.
"Pay what back? Didn't I already promise you three requests for that spirit medicine?"
Xia Yueyou, having just finished her meditation, heard this and immediately stood up, marching over with her cheeks puffed out in a fierce expression.
"Little You'er, you've got so much energy. Looks like you slept pretty well last night." Xuanchen raised an eyebrow, an ambiguous smile playing on his lips.
"Jerk."
A blush crept up her face once more. If he hadn't firmly pinned her down before bed, how on earth would she have ended up sleeping on top of him?
"Yueyou, show some respect! The Sir has bestowed immense grace upon our family. Not to mention this time, even when you were born, if the Sir hadn't lent a hand, you might not have a mother today," Xià Zhènguó said with a slightly stern face.
"Grandpa, what did you say?"
Xia Yueyou widened her eyes in disbelief as she looked at Xuanchen.
"It's true, Yueyou. When Mom gave birth to you, there were complications leading to heavy hemorrhaging. It was the Sir who used his magical power to ensure both mother and daughter survived safely," Jiang Wanru said, walking over and taking her daughter's hand. Even after more than twenty years, she still found the memory miraculous.
At the time, she had felt as though she were dying, but then a gentle wave of magical power enveloped her body. Not only did she give birth to Yueyou smoothly, but her wounds were healed instantly as well.
"Well? Little You'er, now you know how I knew your birthday, don't you?" Xuanchen chuckled, raising an eyebrow.
"Hmph!" She let out a soft huff and turned her head away, refusing to look at him. She still had many questions, but clearly, this was not the right time to ask them.
...
Inside the dining room, an exquisite huanghuali eight-immortal table was laden with a delicate and sumptuous breakfast.
Xuanchen pulled Little You'er along, and the two of them took the seats of honor, with him attentively helping her to breakfast. The five of them ate in quiet harmony.
Feeling the occasional glances cast by her grandfather and parents, Xia Yueyou felt a mixture of helplessness, shyness, and a tiny trace of sweetness in her heart.
The three older members of the Xia family had mixed feelings of joy and worry. They were overjoyed that their granddaughter/daughter was held so dearly in the heart of such a powerful being.
Their worry stemmed from the fact that all they knew of this being was his name—and worse yet, they didn't dare ask any more questions!
"Dad, you're awake!"
A middle-aged man with sharp, penetrating eyes that seemed capable of seeing right through people walked into the dining room with steady, powerful strides, a look of joyful surprise on his face.
Xià Zhènguó put down his chopsticks, glanced at the clock as it neared nine o'clock, and said with displeasure, "At this hour, why aren't you off at your post? What are you doing here?"
"Dad, Second Brother said you woke up, so of course I rushed over to see you."
Looking at his father, who seemed even younger than himself, Xia Chenyang offered a bitter smile.
"Don't make excuses. Have you had breakfast? If not, sit down and eat something."
"Not yet, and I am getting hungry." Without standing on ceremony, he pulled a chair up next to his second brother, picked up a crab-roe steamed bun, and devoured it ravenously.
His gaze drifted to Xuanchen, whom he felt looked a bit familiar, though he couldn't quite place him for the moment.
"Dad, who is this?"
"Don't talk while you're eating. Finish your meal and get straight to your post. Come back to the old ancestral home tonight, and I'll talk to you then."
Xià Zhènguó's tone brooked no argument. As his eldest son holding a high-ranking political position, he had to hold himself to strict standards—he had raised him that way since childhood.
"..." Xia Chenyang was left speechless. In this household, he held the lowest status simply because he was in politics; his father demanded absolute perfection from him.
Finishing his breakfast hastily, he stood up, turned to Xia Yueyou, and said, "Yueyou, your eldest uncle misjudged people before. I'm apologizing to you now, so please don't take it to heart."
"Uncle, what's in the past is in the past. Just make sure you never try fixing me up with any young masters or scions again, or Grandpa won't be able to save you either."
Her tone was calm, and she cast a pointed look at Xuanchen sitting beside her.
Xia Chenyang's gaze tightened. He took a deep, lingering look at Xuanchen, and replied, "Alright."
He turned to his father and said, "Dad, I'm heading out. I'll come back tonight."
"Mmm, and don't forget what I told you, or I'll break your legs." Xià Zhènguó said with a serious expression.
"Understood." He nodded heavily, turned, and left the dining room. As he stepped out through the gates of the courtyard house, he bumped into a figure in the alleyway that sent a violent shock straight through his heart.
That person had actually entered his family's courtyard!