“No way! Get out quick! Don’t disturb us!”
Mi Xue’er couldn’t take it anymore. No matter how much she wanted to get close to Yan Zhen, she couldn’t suddenly act like a devoted married couple overnight.
Her mother clearly still suspected they were faking it, so she was forcing them into all sorts of embarrassing acts to make them slip up.
There was no way she would give in so easily!
“You child, what’s gotten into you?” Madam Mi said, displeasure clear in her voice. “I just want Son-in-Law Yan Zhen to treat you better. Is there anything wrong with that?”
Mi Xue’er shot back unhappily.
“But I want to be alone with Yan Zhen. Mom, you keep hanging around here—how are we supposed to get intimate?”
Madam Mi replied coolly.
“If I don’t keep an eye on you, how will I know if it’s real intimacy or just for show?”
“It’s real, of course.” Mi Xue’er felt her head spinning from frustration with her own mother. “We were planning to get nice and cozy right after our baths, but you’ve been interrupting us nonstop.”
“Oh?”
Madam Mi shifted her gaze to Yan Zhen. He coughed twice and put on an embarrassed expression.
Madam Mi gave her daughter a deep look and shook her head to herself.
“Fine, then. I’ll check back in a bit.”
With that, she glided out gracefully, leaving not a trace behind—only the two awkward young people in her wake.
Yan Zhen wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. Finally, she was gone. This Madam Mi was even more unpredictable than the script described. There was no scene about helping each other bathe—that had nearly thrown him for a loop. Good thing his professionalism held strong.
Seeing the poor color in his face, Mi Xue’er felt a pang of guilt.
“Sorry, Yan Zhen little bro. I’ve put you through a lot. My mom still thinks we’re just pretending to be a couple, so she’s pushing us into all these intimate couple things.”
Yan Zhen scratched his cheek.
“No need to apologize. I’m not exactly losing out here. Still, if this keeps up, it won’t end well.”
“Then let’s just turn in early.” Mi Xue’er gave a light smile. “Sleep until the sun’s high in the sky, and all our worries will be gone.”
“Should we… sleep together?” Yan Zhen asked. “I can take the floor.”
“Mom’s definitely going to check on us later. Better to share the bed—it’s huge, plenty of room for two without crowding. We’re already being totally ‘honest’ with each other like this. Lying side by side won’t kill us. We’ll make do for one night and save her the nagging.”
“Uh… alright.”
Such a minor deviation from the script shouldn’t matter.
In his book, sharing a bed with a girl wasn’t a huge deal—as long as they kept their distance and their bodies didn’t touch.
Yan Zhen hung his towel back over the bucket’s rim, taking care not to let his eyes linger on that distractingly alluring pink-and-white figure.
“Then, Senior Sister Xue’er, I’ll step out for a bit.”
Mi Xue’er let out a shy hum.
His mouth dry as dust, Yan Zhen poured himself a cup of tea to wet his throat. While he was at it, he pulled up the System Interface to check his task progress.
“70%… One more round with Madam Mi before bed.”
She would bring them sugar water soon. His bowl would be laced with an aphrodisiac strong enough to set him ablaze with lust for a full day and night.
But as a skilled Pill Refiner and drug expert, how could he fall for such a cheap trick?
Spot it in time, neutralize the effects, and everything would be fine.
The tricky part? Madam Mi would eavesdrop outside the door to see if they were actually getting busy. They’d have to shake the bed and have Mi Xue’er let out a few ecstasy-filled moans to fool her.
That was the toughest stretch in this whole fake-boyfriend storyline.
Yan Zhen dismissed the System Interface, steadied his nerves, and resolved to tackle the scene head-on.
“Whatcha thinking about, Yan Zhen little bro?”
Mi Xue’er’s voice rang suddenly in his ear, pitched loud on purpose to startle him.
Yan Zhen had sensed her approach long ago. He turned calmly toward her.
“Nothing much. Just admiring the decor in your room—”
His words cut off. Mi Xue’er’s face was right there by his lips—they’d nearly kissed.
Yan Zhen whipped his head back to face forward.
Mi Xue’er inwardly cursed her luck. She’d misjudged the distance—her ploy had failed.
She circled around in front of him and spread her arms wide, showing off.
“Quick, Yan Zhen little bro, check it out! This new sleep set I bought—pretty, right?”
Yan Zhen looked her up and down and nodded.
“Very pretty.”
It was a camel-yellow semi-sheer silk robe with wide sleeves that fell to three-quarter length, baring a glimpse of her snowy wrist. The hem skimmed just past her hips, accentuating the graceful curves of her long, pale legs. A ribbon cinched her slender waist into a cute bowknot, and the parted front revealed matching undergarments beneath—pushed into a pronounced curve by her barely handful-sized C-cups.
Her damp, waist-length hair hung neatly down her back, with a single lock tucked behind one ear to heighten her refined, ladylike air.
This outfit was pretty bold, but Mi Xue’er pushed through her embarrassment to put it all on display. His compliment filled her with delight.
“Then… um… shall we head to bed?”
The words left her feeling strange. Her, a proper young lady, actually inviting a boy onto her bed…
Yan Zhen felt odd too. It was the first time a girl his age had invited him to bed—even without any naughty intentions, it sent a little thrill through him.
“Shouldn’t we wait for Auntie?”
“We can wait on the bed just fine.”
Mi Xue’er’s bed was enormous—big enough for three or four without issue. Aside from the pillows and quilt, there was even a body pillow that made for the perfect divider between them.
They sat side by side and shared a glance before both breaking into shy smiles.
“So, Yan Zhen little bro… got any thoughts on this?”
“Thoughts on what?”
“Your feelings right now!” Mi Xue’er scooted boldly closer. “Here you are in your senior sister’s room, sitting on her bed. No naughty ideas popping into that head?”
Yan Zhen couldn’t match her boldness.
“Cough. Well, maybe a few. But just a little.”
“Good, as long as you did.” Mi Xue’er huffed playfully. “If you’d said no, I wouldn’t let you off easy.”
Yan Zhen scratched his head with a wry smile.
“You don’t need to doubt your appeal, Senior Sister Xue’er. You’re the Campus Belle—nearly half the guys at the academy are head over heels for you.”
“Oh? What about you, Yan Zhen little bro?”
“Sure, I’ve got a bit of that too. But what I really want is to focus on cultivation. For me, that’s everything.”
“Why push yourself so hard? You’re already amazing.”
Mi Xue’er felt a touch of heartache for him, but Yan Zhen just smiled faintly.
“Because I want to get stronger—strong enough to control my own destiny. I won’t stop until then. What about you, Senior Sister Xue’er? What’s your goal?”
“I used to dream of getting into Holy Land Academy, of becoming someone everyone could rely on, like Mentor Yu Xuan. But now? I just want to be with the person I like. As long as I’m with them, I’d do anything.”
Yan Zhen nodded thoughtfully—only to yelp as Mi Xue’er pinched the soft flesh at his waist.
“Why didn’t you ask who that person is?”
“Wasn’t I respecting your privacy?” Yan Zhen said helplessly. “Okay, then—who is it you like, Senior Sister Xue’er?”
“Hmph. Zero sincerity. I’m not telling, you dummy!”
