“Cousin, what’s this dual cultivation? Isn’t it just simple treatment?”
“Why does treatment require dual cultivation? Th-this definitely isn’t right!”
Yan Meng’er and Mi Xue’er’s reactions were the most intense.
“Sister Ji Ya, are you just teasing us?”
“I-I also think the Chief Manager is joking…”
Yan Ruyu and Xiao Xinyan both tried to smooth things over.
“How could Sister joke about a young lady’s chastity?” Ji Ya struck a shy, demure pose like a bashful maiden. “There’s simply no other way. Sister thought it over for a long time before finally accepting it.”
After hearing her out, Yan Ruyu and Xiao Xinyan both turned to look at Yan Zhen.
Yan Meng’er and Mi Xue’er stared at him too.
Yan Zhen broke out in a sweat and hurriedly tried to calm them down.
“Actually, there’s another way to treat it without dual cultivation. I just haven’t figured it out yet. I-I’ll do my best to come up with something.”
Mentor Yu Xuan chimed in softly.
“What if you can’t figure it out?”
Yan Zhen paused before replying.
“Then we’ll have no choice but to do dual cultivation. We can’t just abandon Sister Ji Ya.”
No sooner had he spoken than all five women shot him dirty looks. Mortified, Yan Zhen could only shoot a resentful glare at his Good Big Sister—no, his Bad Big Sister!
—This was obviously on purpose! Why come over and put your little brother in a tough spot like this?
Ji Ya covered her mouth and giggled, looking every bit the sly little fox that had just made off with a chicken. She even winked flirtatiously at Yan Zhen.
“Rest assured, dear sisters. It’s purely for treatment. Afterward, Sister absolutely won’t cling to Little Brother Yan Zhen and demand he take responsibility.”
The women exchanged uneasy glances.
“You’re serious?”
Ji Ya let out a wistful sigh, her voice tinged with pity.
“Sister knows her fate is a harsh one. If he’ll acknowledge me as his sister, that’s more than enough to satisfy me. How could I dare ask for anything more?”
The bitterness in her tone left the women feeling ashamed. They had been too narrow-minded, judging her with suspicion when all Sister Ji Ya wanted was to survive—even if it meant sacrificing her purity.
If it were them, their own feelings would be just as conflicted, even if the partner was Yan Zhen.
Compared to such a reluctant union, they would much rather enjoy a normal romance with Yan Zhen and become his wife.
In his previous life, Ji Ya had indeed only been Yan Zhen’s Good Big Sister. She had even personally arranged his wedding for him. As she said, she hadn’t clung to him for responsibility. She might have even pushed him away on purpose, insisting on maintaining a strictly platonic sibling bond. Otherwise, with Yan Zhen’s personality, he probably would have married her no matter what—just like his main wife, whose status had risen with her child’s birth.
Had they misjudged Ji Ya after all? Even Yan Zhen started rethinking things.
Sister Ji Ya might seem bold on the surface, but she was actually quite conservative at heart.
He was reluctant to dual cultivate with her—did that mean she was eager for it?
She was merely sacrificing her chastity out of necessity to survive.
It was only the influence of her precognitive dreams that made her so enthusiastic toward him, even hinting at becoming lovers.
But after meeting Meng’er and Cousin Ruyu, Good Big Sister seemed to have changed her mind. She no longer planned to pursue anything deeper with him.
A pang of guilt hit Yan Zhen. He had been so focused on completing the System’s tasks and sticking to the script that he hadn’t considered Sister Ji Ya’s own feelings.
Was that what a good little brother would do? How lame!
“Don’t say that, Sister Ji Ya. I’ll do everything I can to find a way to cure you without dual cultivation. But if I can’t… then I’ll take responsibility for you too!”
The five women in the residence heard his words. Though a twinge of jealousy stirred in their hearts, they couldn’t bring themselves to object. That would make them seem petty.
“Sister knew she hadn’t misjudged you…”
Deeply moved, Ji Ya continued.
“But Little Brother Yan Zhen doesn’t need to go that far. You already have your fiancée. For Sister, offering my blessings is more than enough.”
—All the grievances, Sister will bear them alone.
Those words seemed to shimmer in Ji Ya’s bright, foxy eyes.
Yan Zhen sighed inwardly. Was this the path he was meant to take?
Not the precognitive dream route, nor the scripted one, but the natural flow of real events.
Without the medicine pool formula from his Beautiful Female Master, his only option was dual cultivation with Good Big Sister.
But even after that, she would remain just his Good Big Sister. The outcome wouldn’t change.
Ji Ya didn’t linger long. After confirming tomorrow’s plans with Yan Zhen, she left gracefully with her Twin Bodyguards, leaving behind a room full of people with complicated emotions.
“…Yan Zhen, come with me to the Martial Dao Arena.”
Mentor Yu Xuan was the first to snap out of it. Without another word, she grabbed Yan Zhen’s shoulder and dragged him to the academy’s Martial Dao Arena. She slammed the door shut behind them.
“Your movement technique training isn’t finished yet. Since you’re leaving tomorrow, let’s wrap it up today.”
Yan Zhen scratched his head. It should have ended ages ago, but Mentor Yu Xuan had secretly raised her cultivation—from One-Star Mystic Scholar to Two-Star, then Three-Star—ensuring he never won a single time. That meant daily punishments.
Mentor Yu Xuan had clearly done it on purpose, using these little tricks to earn the right to punish him and plant strawberries all over his body.
Speaking of which, Yan Zhen recalled one close call when Yan Meng’er and Yan Ruyu had almost discovered them. While helping him undress, the two had spotted a pink strawberry mark on his chest and grown suspicious.
Luckily, Yan Zhen had reacted quickly. He claimed it was a welt from Mentor Yu Xuan’s Mystic Energy Water Whip during sparring, with traces of water Mystic force lingering. It could only be erased gradually with mystic power.
After a demonstration, he dispelled their doubts. But that night, after a long break, they had drained him for four rounds—despite their promise to hold back…
“What are you thinking about? Get up here.”
“Oh, right.”
Yan Zhen shook off the unpleasant memory and leaped onto the array stake to spar with Mentor Yu Xuan.
The afternoon wore on.
Drenched in sweat, Yan Zhen sat on the ground, staring incredulously at his hands.
He had actually won. He had successfully knocked Mentor Yu Xuan off the array stake.
Was it because he had experienced General Rank power the other day, giving his strength a slight boost?
“With that, the training is over.” Mentor Yu Xuan bit her lip. “Y-you can punish your mentor however you like. I won’t go back on my word.”
Fresh from the training, Mentor Yu Xuan was covered in fragrant sweat. Strands of hair clung to her flushed cheeks, and beads of perspiration trailed down her swan-like neck. They paused at her collarbone before vanishing into the deep valley of her cleavage. Her ample bosom rose and fell with her ragged breaths, drawing the eye.
Gazing at the plump and juicy Mentor Yu Xuan before him, only one phrase came to Yan Zhen’s mind.
Gulp.
Yan Zhen swallowed hard. Then he grinned and spread his arms wide, deliberately letting his sweaty scent waft toward her.
“My punishment for Mentor Yu Xuan is a hug—right now.”
“What kind of punishment is that?” Mentor Yu Xuan blinked in surprise, a flush of embarrassment creeping over her. “It’s clearly… a reward.”
“If Mentor doesn’t like it, then it’s a punishment.”
“…”
Weren’t those her exact words to him before?
A sweet warmth bloomed in Mentor Yu Xuan’s heart. Steeling herself against the shyness, she stepped forward into Yan Zhen’s embrace.
