Facing the Snake Woman’s seductive charms, Yan Zhen stated firmly:
“I’m sorry, Commander Ye Mei, but I already have someone in my heart!”
Commander Ye Mei didn’t seem bothered. She gently sniffed his scent, her features growing even more alluring.
“Having someone in your heart is fine, but no one on your body yet~ This servant would be delighted to be Young Master Yan Zhen’s ‘body companion’~”
—No, I already have people on my body too, and plenty of them—too many for me to know how to take responsibility.
Unmoved, Yan Zhen glanced at the wardrobe and said coolly:
“To be honest, we’ve already been intimate, and I will surely marry her one day! Please stop teasing me, Commander Ye Mei.”
A faint ripple stirred from someone inside the wardrobe, nearly giving her away.
Commander Ye Mei spoke with a hint of resentment:
“I’m not teasing. This servant truly likes Young Master Yan Zhen and wants to be your partner.”
“I already have a partner.”
“Just one, right? This servant doesn’t mind sharing a bed with one or two sisters. For an outstanding hero like Young Master Yan Zhen, having a few partners is perfectly normal~”
“Commander Ye Mei, please have some self-respect!”
Yan Zhen tried to struggle, but held fast by this Nine-Star Mystic King, he couldn’t budge an inch.
“Clinging” was a serpent’s innate talent, after all!
With a coquettish laugh, Commander Ye Mei leaned close to his ear and whispered:
“When facing someone you like, how can you hold back? Just give in to this servant, Young Master Yan Zhen~”
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, Commander Ye Mei had shifted them both onto the bed. Her voluptuous hips settled firmly on his lap as she pinned his wrists above his head—a complete reversal of roles.
Yan Zhen struggled again, but finding it futile, he went still. He closed his eyes, seemingly resigned to his fate.
Commander Ye Mei leaned down and began to kiss him.
First his forehead, then both cheeks, and finally his lips.
Yun Xiu watched clearly as the Snake Woman’s slender tongue flicked out like a serpent’s, probing to pry open Yan Zhen’s teeth and slip inside his mouth.
Her heart pounded wildly, a stifling pressure building in her chest that left her utterly miserable.
—No! Don’t! You can’t!
Commander Ye Mei, oblivious to Yun Xiu’s inner cries, lost herself in the thrill of ravishing the handsome youth. She continued her assault on his lips.
Seeing Commander Ye Mei greedily suck on Yan Zhen’s lower lip, Yun Xiu’s mind went blank with a boom. When she came back to herself, she had burst from the wardrobe like a gale, reaching the bedside in an instant. Her hand flashed out, striking two of Commander Ye Mei’s major acupoints and immobilizing her.
This was a technique Yun Xiu had learned from Jiu Youyue. Though not yet proficient, it was enough to hold Commander Ye Mei until dawn.
Commander Ye Mei’s lithe body went limp, collapsing onto Yan Zhen.
Shock filled her face. Her eyes darted sideways to the figure at the bedside and widened upon recognizing Yun Xiu. Panic seized her.
“Miss Yun, weren’t you…”
“I wasn’t asleep.”
Commander Ye Mei spotted the open wardrobe and understood at once:
“You’ve been hiding in the wardrobe the whole time?”
A flush of shame and anger rose in Yun Xiu at the words:
“How else was I supposed to protect my little brother from a Snake Woman like you? For a woman to force herself on a man—utterly shameless!”
Commander Ye Mei felt a pang of guilt at the rebuke, but she quickly recovered:
“So Young Master Yan Zhen’s beloved is you, Miss Yun? You’re no siblings at all!”
“That’s none of your business!”
Coldly shoving Commander Ye Mei aside, Yun Xiu carefully helped Yan Zhen up.
“Yan Zhen, are you all right?”
Yan Zhen inwardly noted that Yun Xiu had indeed emerged, a mix of delight and headache stirring within him.
Very well, then. Time to execute Plan B!
Frowning, he lifted the back of his hand to wipe his lips. His nose twitched, and his expression visibly turned aggrieved:
“I’m soiled now… I—I’ve been defiled… I’m no longer worthy of you.”
Stunned beside them, Commander Ye Mei thought, No way—that’s too much! It was just a couple of kisses; my tongue didn’t even get in!
But Yun Xiu’s heart ached terribly. She immediately spread her arms and pulled Yan Zhen’s head into her embrace, her ample bosom enveloping his face.
“It’s fine. I don’t mind. Don’t overthink it.”
“But—but I—”
Hearing the quiver in Yan Zhen’s voice, Yun Xiu felt her heart shatter. After a moment’s thought, she cupped his face and kissed him.
A deep, passionate kiss brimming with healing warmth.
As if moved by it, Yan Zhen’s expression gradually calmed. He began to respond.
After a long while, their lips parted. They gazed at each other, eyes brimming with affection.
“I’ve erased every trace of that wicked woman. You’re still you—never say you’re unworthy of me again.”
Deeply touched, Yan Zhen “couldn’t help himself.” He wrapped his arms around Yun Xiu’s slender waist and took the lead, kissing her back.
Commander Ye Mei watched from the side. Yun Xiu felt a touch of bashfulness and hesitated, but ultimately yielded to Yan Zhen’s advances, subtly holding herself back.
Another deep, passionate kiss full of healing warmth—even the onlooker felt her heart stir with envy.
By contrast, Commander Ye Mei’s earlier forced kiss on Yan Zhen seemed a utter joke. It lacked any love, not even desire.
Yan Zhen hadn’t made a sound from start to finish; she’d been performing solo!
Suddenly feeling like a clown, Commander Ye Mei’s pride flared into humiliated rage.
“You two—stop it right now! Don’t flaunt your affection in front of me!”
—Finally lost her temper, huh?
Only then did Yan Zhen release Yun Xiu. As their lips parted, he even licked away the fragrant saliva at the corner of her mouth, leaving Yun Xiu flushed with embarrassment. Her exquisite jade-like features blushed like the fiery clouds at dusk—utterly adorable.
“As you can see, Commander Ye Mei, I already have a partner. I must decline your feelings.”
Commander Ye Mei bit her lower lip hard, clearly unwilling to accept it.
Yan Zhen sighed:
“Since things have come to this, there’s no need for us to stay. Farewell.”
He cupped his fists toward her, then stepped off the bed.
Panic gripped Commander Ye Mei, as if she were on the verge of losing something precious, filling her with regret:
“Wait, Young Master Yan Zhen—”
Yan Zhen ignored her, taking Yun Xiu’s hand and leaving the room. Commander Ye Mei slumped dejectedly on the bed, staring blankly into space.
The City of Water’s nights blazed with lights. Yan Zhen and Yun Xiu walked hand in hand down the unfamiliar streets, their hearts calm.
The mission had been a close call but successful. The reward was the Special Trump Card: Pretty Boy Ploy. When activated, it would dramatically boost Yan Zhen’s masculine charm, drawing women’s gazes intensely—but only effective on older-sister types.
—What’s the point? To seduce the Evil Consort? Ridiculous!
Wearing a look of disdain, Yan Zhen casually tossed it into his System Backpack for storage.
Without Commander Ye Mei’s help, he’d have to find the Water Element Heart on his own.
According to the script, she couldn’t obtain it anyway.
After the Myriad Snake Queen’s battle with the Red Sand Scorpion Lord, the Extreme Flame had entered her body, bringing excruciating agony. She needed vast quantities of Water Element Hearts to suppress the injury and ease the pain.
Thus, all Water Element Hearts on the market had recently been bought up by the Royal Family.
To get one, Yan Zhen would have to infiltrate the palace himself.
