When Ruan Tang saw Xu Lai's attire, her face turned an even deeper shade of red. She sat uneasily on the edge of the bed with her hands clasped, staring down at the floral pattern on her pajamas.

This shy, delicate appearance makes me want to transform into the big bad wolf and pounce on this little lamb.

He grinned and said, "Can't wait, can you?"

"...No!"

"Then let's watch a documentary first."

As he spoke, Xu Lai lay down beside Ruan Tang, took out his phone, and started playing a documentary. It was about national cuisines, and Xu Lai watched with great interest, so much so that he started to feel a bit hungry.

He kept asking, "Honey, should I try making some rice noodles tomorrow? Since you don't eat stinky tofu, we could have pita bread in lamb stew instead."

AHHH! This jerk is torturing me on purpose! It's a double torment, for both my mind and my stomach!

Ruan Tang shot him a glare. "Hurry up and stop dilly-dallying."

"I'm not dilly-dallying."

"..."

Ruan Tang suspected Xu Lai was just messing with her. She was too thin-skinned to handle such a charged, flirty atmosphere. In a fluster, she suddenly shoved Xu Lai down onto the bed. Closing her eyes, she pressed her lips against his.

She had intended to pull away right after the kiss, but something unexpected happened—Xu Lai wrapped his arms around her, seizing the initiative!

The sudden turn of events made Ruan Tang's eyes fly open. Wait a minute, this isn't what we agreed on!

Under the bright moonlight, the kiss lasted for a long, long time.

「...」

By the time Ruan Tang came to her senses, she was nestled in Xu Lai's embrace. She tried to struggle, but his gentle voice whispered in her ear, "Stay and sleep here tonight, okay?"

As if on cue, the dark clouds that had been hovering over East Sea City all night finally burst, unleashing a torrential downpour. A cool breeze carrying raindrops drifted through the window, feeling refreshing against her skin.

Stay. Or not stay?

Ruan Tang's heart began to race again. Her mind was a battlefield, as if two little figures were arguing.

"Say yes to Xu Lai! You two already have Yiyi; your relationship should go to the next level!" the little black devil on her shoulder shouted. "This is a great opportunity. Don't miss it!"

"No way! You agreed it would only be one kiss," the little white angel with the halo countered. "A man has to keep his word!"

"You shut up!"

"No, you shut up!"

The conflicting voices gave Ruan Tang a headache. Finally, swallowing her embarrassment, she pushed Xu Lai away. She feigned composure and said, "It's raining. I need to go to the balcony to get the clothes."

"Alright."

Although the excuse was clearly flimsy, Xu Lai didn't press the issue and simply watched his wife leave.

What a shame, he thought, watching her graceful figure sway as she left.

"Couldn't you have picked a better time to rain?" Xu Lai sighed, leaning on the windowsill and gazing out at the rain-swept East Sea City.

Already wide awake, Xu Lai now found it impossible to fall asleep. He got dressed and headed down the mountain.

Meanwhile, Ruan Tang returned to her room, her face as red as blood. She buried her head under the pillow, clearly not as calm as she had appeared. Hearing the faint sound of a door opening, she walked to the window in confusion. She looked down just in time to see Xu Lai leaving alone in the rain, and she froze, taken aback.

「...」

As Xu Lai walked on, Tan Chang's figure appeared beside him. Neither of them spoke.

Tan Chang looked at Xu Lai with some surprise. Once a cultivator reached the Seventh Grade of the Martial Dao, they became a Martial Ancestor. At this level, one could use Spiritual Energy to form a protective barrier, repelling every drop of rain and flake of snow. Just like Tan Chang himself—not a single raindrop penetrated the half-meter radius around him. It looked incredibly cool. Yet, Xu Lai wasn't using his Spiritual Power, allowing the downpour to soak him to the bone like an ordinary person.

Seeing the confusion in Tan Chang's eyes, Xu Lai chuckled softly but offered no explanation.

Getting caught in the rain once in a while is actually quite nice. It makes you feel like a normal person.

"Recently, a few shadows from the Jiang Family have been investigating Xu Yiyi's whereabouts," Tan Chang said suddenly. "I've killed them all."

"The Jiang Family..." Xu Lai's eyes narrowed. "They really aren't afraid of dying, are they?"

Not afraid of dying! Those words sent a chill down Tan Chang's spine. The Jiang Family of Yanjing was a genuine Martial Dao wealthy family; they definitely had Martial Ancestors. It was even rumored their Family Head was on the verge of reaching the Ninth Grade! And yet Xu Lai, a mere Seventh Grade, had the audacity to say such a thing. Where did he get this confidence? He frowned, and a sudden realization flashed through his mind. Could it be... the Flower Fairy was furious and wanted to make a move on the Jiang Family?! And Xu Lai's words were just a test of his reaction!

Tan Chang sucked in a sharp breath. "Xu Lai, the Jiang Family Head might be a Ninth Grade. Are you sure you want to make a move?"

Xu Lai was a little surprised, not expecting Tan Chang to be so eager for a fight. He decided to wash his hands of the matter and said, "In that case, I'll leave it to you."

BOOM!

Tan Chang's scalp tingled with excitement. Even though he had rejected the Flower Fairy's affection at the beach, she was now entrusting him with such a heavy responsibility. What did this mean? It meant the great Flower Fairy trusted him!

"Although I am only at the Seventh Grade, I, Tan Chang, will have no regrets, even in death!" he declared, performing a Martial Dao salute with resounding conviction.

The words sounded heroic, but Tan Chang's true intention was to inform Xu Lai—or more accurately, the Flower Fairy behind him—that while he wasn't afraid to die, his Boundary was a bit low. Surely the great Flower Fairy would provide some assistance from the shadows, right?

Xu Lai, oblivious to Tan Chang's elaborate scheming, pondered for a moment. He had to agree that Tan Chang's Boundary did seem a bit low for the task.

"Find a weekend," Xu Lai said calmly. "I'll take Yiyi with me to let her appreciate the magnificent landscapes of our country."

Tan Chang frowned. Xu Lai was not only going himself but taking Xu Yiyi with him. Wasn't that sending a lamb into the tiger's den? No, that couldn't be right! This must mean that the great Flower Fairy would be following them in secret. Otherwise, how could she possibly feel at ease letting her son and granddaughter walk right into the Jiang Family's territory? He shot Xu Lai a meaningful look. He, Tan Chang, was a trusted confidant of the great Flower Fairy, yet he wasn't even told this information directly and had to figure it out himself... The Flower Fairy, despite being at the Divine Gate level, was far too cautious. Still, Tan Chang could understand. For a powerhouse of her level, a single move could have widespread repercussions. Staying hidden was absolutely the correct choice.

Just then, Tan Chang sensed someone approaching and vanished in a flash. Xu Lai, however, remained standing in the rain, feeling its cool touch.

Suddenly, a yellowed oil-paper umbrella appeared over his head, its surface drumming softly with the falling rain.

Xu Lai turned to see Ruan Tang, dressed in a long white skirt. She held the umbrella, a look of gentle anger in her eyes. "What if you catch a cold from being out in the rain?!"

"It's fine."

"It's not fine!" Ruan Tang glared at him. "Xu Lai, I may have refused to spend the night at your place, but by punishing yourself like this, are you trying to make me feel guilty?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.