For Xiao Xinyan, Yan Zhen’s deepest impression was her debauched look as she sat in the bathtub after Xiao Shi had drugged her.
In order to help her neutralize the drug’s effects, Yan Zhen had even been sprayed all over his body, which left him thoroughly displeased.
But after that incident, Xiao Xinyan stopped playing by the rules. She moved into the house and seemed to undergo a complete personality change. Whenever she saw him, she no longer mocked him coldly. Instead, she acted all shy and timid—even when he accidentally caught sight of her in an M-legged pose, she didn’t get angry.
Yan Zhen had assumed Xiao Xinyan was simply afraid of him, but he gradually realized that wasn’t the case.
Though she didn’t show it very obviously, she was just like Mi Xue’er, lusting after his body!
Yan Zhen could only continue playing dumb. He didn’t want to stray from the script by interacting too much with Xiao Xinyan, let alone accept her feelings.
When he called her “Senior Sister Xinyan,” it was genuinely treating her like a senior sister, with no ulterior motives.
Xiao Xinyan hadn’t done anything too outrageous, either.
That changed a couple of days ago, when Mi Xue’er gave herself fully to Yan Zhen. Even his Second Master had been moved by her intense confession, accepting her in a moment of half-hearted reluctance.
This stirred Xiao Xinyan’s thoughts into motion.
However, whenever she faced Yan Zhen, she felt an instinctive urge to submit. She didn’t dare go on the offensive like Mi Xue’er—not even sneakily. At most, she would fantasize about him before bed.
Yet after Xiao Xinyan was injured, Yan Zhen had thrown down with the Third Prince of the Black Horn Empire for her sake. That sent her the wrong signal.
—He does care about me a little, even if it’s just a tiny bit.
Bolstered by this, Xiao Xinyan mustered her courage. She planned to seize the moment and do something bold, to make Yan Zhen notice her charms. Instead, she walked in on them preparing to get wild together—and got mocked by the infuriating Mi Xue’er.
In the heat of the moment, the words “Me too” slipped out of her mouth. Then, like a petulant little girl, she threw herself into Yan Zhen’s arms.
Truth be told, Xiao Xinyan was regretting it now.
If Yan Zhen rejected her at this point, she might never have the face to stay around everyone like this again.
But it was too late for regrets. Her hands clutched tightly at Yan Zhen’s shoulders, refusing to let go.
Yan Zhen never expected his usually “well-behaved” Senior Sister Xinyan to throw herself at him like this. For a moment, he was at a loss.
A beauty hurling herself into his arms was great, of course—but when there were too many, it became a real problem.
“Senior Sister Xinyan, don’t do this. Calm down a little.”
“I’m very calm.” Xiao Xinyan buried her head against Yan Zhen’s chest. “I want to be with you too. If Mi Xue’er can do it, then I—I can too.”
Yan Zhen smiled wryly.
“This isn’t a question of whether you can or not…”
“There are already three of us. A fourth shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Xiao Xinyan mumbled. “After all, Junior Brother Yan Zhen, you’re so very ‘strong.'”
—You mean my talent and strength are strong, right?
“But we haven’t really talked much. Why would you like me?”
“…”
Xiao Xinyan fell silent. Yan Zhen continued.
“It couldn’t be because of that time I helped you detox, could it?”
In a small voice, Xiao Xinyan replied,
“The first time I saw you, I thought you were so handsome. But you were so close to Mi Xue’er, and I got jealous of her.”
The three women nearby exchanged surprised looks, especially Mi Xue’er, who frowned. This petty girl had set her sights on her little Yan Zhen bro from the very start—what a sneaky one.
But none of them spoke up. They quietly watched for Yan Zhen’s response.
Yan Zhen was surprised too. He hadn’t realized his innocent boyish face was exactly Xiao Xinyan’s type.
—So that’s why she kept saying “look at me, look at me” back then?
Xiao Xinyan went on.
“Then you saw me at my most shameful, all exposed. How could I not care about you after that? The more I cared, the more I noticed your handsome side and your cute side. I just couldn’t help falling for you.”
—Ah, this… I bet it’s the protagonist halo messing with her.
That was what Yan Zhen figured. Among Xiao Xinyan’s suitors, there were plenty of handsome and cute guys, yet she was obsessed with him alone. It had to be the protagonist halo at work.
Mi Xue’er, meanwhile, thought back to her own experience. She had started out trying to play matchmaker for her tsundere best friend, so she’d approached Yan Zhen and gotten to know him. Before she knew it, she’d been “enchanted” by him, trapped in her feelings with no escape. She hadn’t dared tell anyone, hiding it deep inside. Without her rebirth, she might never have ended up with him.
In this moment, she felt a twinge of sympathy for Xiao Xinyan.
“I really like you, Junior Brother Yan Zhen. Let me be with you too. I’ll serve you properly alongside them. I can do anything, and I’ll learn whatever I don’t know. Okay?”
—Your words are awfully tempting, but…
Yan Zhen could tell she wouldn’t listen no matter what he said. So he tossed the ball to the three women.
“Whether it’s okay or not, you should ask them. Since I’ve accepted them, I have to respect their feelings. I can’t just be indiscriminate, collecting whoever catches my eye.”
Xiao Xinyan’s heart skipped a beat. She caught the hint of rejection in his words.
Forget Yan Meng’er and Yan Ruyu—Mi Xue’er had such a bad relationship with her. There was no way she’d agree.
Mi Xue’er was probably dying to watch her fail and then rub it in.
As expected, she was only suited to watching him quietly from afar.
“I—”
“—I don’t really have any objections.” Mi Xue’er said coolly. “But on one condition: If you really want to join us, you have to call me ‘sister.’ After all, you’re the latest to confess.”
Xiao Xinyan jerked her head up, staring at Mi Xue’er in disbelief.
Yan Meng’er and Yan Ruyu looked equally stunned. They had figured Mi Xue’er would be the first to object—yet here she was, the first to agree!
As for Yan Zhen, he was dumbfounded once again.
—Sister, your beef with each other is all fake? You can just agree to this? Am I not your one and only? You’re okay sharing me just like that?
—Why, why won’t any of you play by the rules? I hate it!!! (Dog baring teeth)
“You’re serious, Mi Xue’er?”
“As long as little Yan Zhen bro likes it, I’ll support him unconditionally. Mhm~”
Mi Xue’er smugly positioned herself as the magnanimous, open-minded “virtuous wife.”
—I don’t need you spoiling me like this! Give me some normal reaction, sis!
Yan Zhen was just about to say something to salvage the situation when another knock came from outside.
“Yan Zhen, are you asleep yet?”
—Mentor Yu Xuan!?!?
The five in the room jolted in shock. The lingering trace of sorrow in the atmosphere was instantly replaced by panic.
If Mentor Yu Xuan saw them in such a disheveled state, she’d skin them alive.
The four women scrambled off the bed, hurriedly straightening their clothes.
