Chapter 93: A Fortunate Mistake

Chapter 93: A Fortunate Mistake

Chen Yin didn’t stop eating until he had finished four bowls of stinky tofu. Even then, he wasn’t satisfied—he made sure to drink every last drop of the broth. Finally, he leaned back contentedly, patting his stomach as he said,

"Ahh! I finally got to eat a full meal."

He grinned at Nan Xiaoxiang. "Many thanks to Miss Nan for her generosity!"

However, Nan Xiaoxiang lowered her head.

"What’s wrong?"

"...When you dragged me out in such a hurry, I didn’t have time to bring any money."

Chen Yin froze, his smile stiffening as his face fell.

"So, in the end, I still have to pay for myself..."

A hint of amusement flashed in Nan Xiaoxiang’s eyes. She seemed to find great joy in seeing Chen Yin suffer.

After paying the owner, Chen Yin was still sulking when Nan Xiaoxiang suddenly laughed lightly.

"So, when Young Master Chen claimed he had no money, that was a lie, wasn’t it?"

"It was the truth!"

Chen Yin stubbornly stuffed his money pouch back into his robes. "This is my savings for marrying my wife! Not a single coin can be touched!"

"Young Master Chen already has a fiancée?"

"Uh... Can’t a single man prepare for the future?"

Nan Xiaoxiang chuckled softly. "I see that the young lady traveling with you, Miss Qing Ying, is quite beautiful. Why not pursue her? You might just settle a lifelong matter."

"Her?"

Chen Yin immediately thought of the woman who had stabbed him in the chest the first time they met. His head shook so fast it looked like a rattle drum.

"I’d rather live a few more years, thanks."

"Young Master Chen is in his prime, healthy and strong. Why would you say that? Miss Qing Ying isn’t some kind of demon that sucks away a man’s vitality."

She smiled gently. "If you’re really worried, I do have a few medicinal recipes that might help you."

Chen Yin immediately gave a sheepish laugh. "...This is the first time I’ve heard you make such a suggestive remark, Miss Nan."

"Hehe, I have no idea what Young Master Chen is talking about."

Nan Xiaoxiang seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood. She skipped forward lightly, her white robes fluttering in the wind.

The smile on her lips was completely different from before.

—No longer elegant and reserved, no longer composed and graceful—she looked just like an innocent young girl untouched by the world.

"Alright, now that we’ve eaten, we should head back to the medical hall—"

As she spoke, she realized Chen Yin was standing completely still, staring at her.

She frowned slightly. "Young Master Chen?"

"Don't move."

Chen Yin suddenly reached out, cupping her delicate face as he brushed his sleeve gently against the corner of her lips.

"—You didn’t wipe off all the stinky tofu broth."

Nan Xiaoxiang froze as if struck by lightning, momentarily forgetting to react.

The next second, just as she was about to exclaim in embarrassment, "You—you dare act so intimately in public—"

"Holding hands won’t get you pregnant, so why would wiping your face?"

Chen Yin's voice was as shameless as ever, completely unfazed. "I was just being considerate. If you went back looking like that, wouldn’t you be embarrassed? And now you’re accusing me of taking advantage of you?"

"B-but what kind of man touches a woman’s face so intimately—"

"Then I could say your face took advantage of my hand." Chen Yin countered righteously. "This is why men need to fight for their dignity."

Nan Xiaoxiang almost crushed her own fists.

How can you say something so shameless with such confidence?!

Forcing herself to swallow her anger, she tried to keep her voice steady.

"Young Master Chen, please show some restraint."

"Such actions in public are improper. I ask that you refrain from—"

She had only spoken halfway when she realized—

Chen Yin wasn’t even looking at her.

His expression was no longer the carefree, roguish one from before. Instead, he turned his head calmly, his gaze distant and indifferent.

Nan Xiaoxiang stood in a daze for a long moment before she finally heard him murmur,

"They’re gone."

"Who?"

"The ones watching us."

Nan Xiaoxiang immediately caught on.

"Was it... the attendants of Young Master Ju?"

"Most likely."

Chen Yin returned to his usual carefree demeanor, casually placing his hands behind his head as he strolled leisurely back toward the medical hall.

Nan Xiaoxiang quickly followed. "But if that attendant saw what you just did and reports it back to Young Master Ju, wouldn’t that make things even more irreconcilable between you two?"

Chen Yin stopped in his tracks, turning back to her with a cheeky grin.

"—That’s exactly what I wanted."

Nan Xiaoxiang froze.

He did it on purpose?

"Why...?"

"Don’t ask so many questions."

Chen Yin replied nonchalantly, "An eye for an eye. You can just think of it as me using you as a shield. Now we’re even."

"Let’s go. Just sit back and enjoy the show."

Nan Xiaoxiang had no choice but to keep her questions to herself, deep in thought as she walked. It wasn’t until they reached the medical hall’s entrance that she noticed Chen Yin had stopped and was now holding out his hand toward her.

"...What?"

"The money for the stinky tofu," Chen Yin said matter-of-factly.

Nan Xiaoxiang was stunned for a long moment before stammering,

"Y-you already paid for it—"

"I told you, that was my savings for my future wife," Chen Yin said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "You were the one treating me to this meal, weren’t you? Of course, you have to reimburse me."

Crack Nan Xiaoxiang could hear the sound of her own fists tightening.

—I take it back.

This guy is still as insufferable as ever.

<+>

On the top floor of a luxurious tavern in the eastern district

Crash! A teacup shattered on the floor.

"Unbelievable!"

Ju Shaohe’s face was dark with fury, his voice laced with anger.

"They’ve already reached the point of touching faces and holding hands?"

"That Nan Xiaoxiang! After all the effort I’ve put into pursuing her, she chooses some no-name minor cultivator instead?"

Inside the room, a kneeling attendant spoke respectfully, "It’s still uncertain, Young Master. The distance was too great for me to see clearly. I could only make out the man’s movements, and it seemed like Miss Nan was not entirely willing."

"So you’re saying that this ‘Chen Yin’ was the one making advances on her?"

A cold glint flashed in Ju Shaohe’s eyes.

"Heh. You’ve just handed me the perfect excuse to deal with him."

"If I eliminate this little nobody, I might even earn Nan Xiaoxiang’s admiration."

He rubbed his chin, narrowing his eyes in thought before giving his order in a low voice.

"Go. Take a squad and keep a close watch on him."

"The moment he leaves the medical hall alone—bring him to me immediately!"

"Yes, sir." The attendant gave a low acknowledgment and was about to leave when he suddenly hesitated and turned back.

"Young Master, there’s another matter. The Sect Leader has given strict orders—you must return to the sect within three days and are forbidden from wandering about."

Ju Shaohe’s expression darkened with displeasure.

"Why is my father rushing me back so urgently? What has he been busy with these past few days?"

"That..." The attendant averted his gaze, looking troubled. "This subordinate does not know."

"Alright, alright, I got it."

Ju Shaohe waved his hand impatiently. "I’ll return to the sect in three days. Let me have two more days to play with that little girl first."

Only then did the attendant bow respectfully and take his leave.

<+>

Meanwhile, in a patient room at Xiaoxiang Medical Hall

A small device in Qing Ying’s hand was slowly playing back the conversation. She turned to glance at Chen Yin.

"—Looks like the intel was accurate."

"Ju Canghai is an extremely cautious man. If he’s ordering his precious son to stay put in the sect, then he must be plotting something big."

Chen Yin frowned slightly, lost in thought.

"This confirms it— that old dog really intends to sink his teeth into the Misty Spirit Sect."

"And why wouldn’t he? Right now, the only one holding up Misty Spirit Sect is a young and inexperienced junior— the Frost Moon Sword Immortal, Shen Shuanglian. Neither her seniority nor her strength is enough to command true authority."

"The Misty Spirit Sect is like meat on the chopping block. Other sects might still hesitate out of respect for old alliances, unwilling to openly break ties just yet. But the Canghe Sword Sect has coveted Misty Spirit’s dominance for years. There’s no way they’d pass up such a golden opportunity."

Qing Ying smirked. "If you had realized this any later, your dear senior sister might have been in real trouble."

"Heh, I have faith in her."

Chen Yin’s smile remained relaxed. "She’s much more capable than you think."

Qing Ying raised an eyebrow. "And how are you so sure?"

"Because I know her."

Chen Yin chuckled softly. "She’s not the type to act tough needlessly. If she needs help, she’ll go to my master."

—Of course, that only applies when the matter has nothing to do with him.

If he were in danger, that girl would be the most reckless of them all.

Chen Yin had no desire to see her jump off a cliff for him again.

"Since we happened to stumble upon this, we might as well take care of it for her."

Stretching lazily, he suddenly changed the subject. "By the way, that little gadget of yours is pretty handy. Where’d you get it? Make one for me too."

Qing Ying snorted. "It’s one of a kind, there are no more copies of it, and even if you want one, you can’t have it."

Of course, she wouldn’t tell Chen Yin that it was a function of her system.

Compared to other Chosen, her system wasn’t as rigid or extreme when it came to following the storyline records. But the fewer people who knew about it, the better.

If something like this was exposed, it would only bring trouble.

However, what she didn’t notice was the strange look in Chen Yin’s eyes when he saw the little device.

—Oh?

So, you’ve got a system too, huh?

Back when they first met, Qing Ying had asked him, "Are you a Chosen too?"

At the time, Chen Yin had no idea what that even meant, so he brushed it off.

But now, he knew.

—He’d have to find a way to get this little brat to spill her system’s secrets.

Chen Yin was already plotting how to mess with her.

<+>

Night had fallen

Inside the room, several little foxes had already been coaxed to bed by Chen Yin.

On the large bed, the small foxes lay sprawled in every direction, their fluffy ears and tails creating an unbelievably soft and heartwarming scene.

Luo Luo and Ya Ya snuggled together, their tiny faces peaceful in sleep, little mouths moving faintly as if they were dreaming.

Chen Yin sat by the bedside, his gaze gentle as he stroked Luo Luo’s soft hair.

Then, from the rooftop, the faintest of sounds reached his ears.

—They were here.

Chen Yin exchanged a glance with Qing Ying.

"Take care of Luo Luo and the others," he whispered.

Qing Ying nodded.

With that, Chen Yin slowly got up and stretched, feigning sleeplessness as he strolled lazily out of the room, acting as if he was just going for a late-night walk.

Then, he casually wandered out of the medical hall.

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