With a ripple through the space, Yan Zhen’s figure appeared atop the altar. Before his vision had fully cleared, he heard the Beautiful Master say:
“…Don’t worry, Mentor Yu Xuan. Zhen’er is here.”
Yan Zhen focused his eyes and saw the Beautiful Master sitting cross-legged in meditation as she always did, while Mentor Yu Xuan hurried toward him.
“Yan Zhen! Are you alright?”
She looked him up and down, clearly worried that the impulsive Dean Little Aunt had injured him without restraint.
Yan Zhen shook his head.
“I’m fine, Mentor. The Dean and the Grand Mentor wouldn’t really fight me.”
“My aunt wouldn’t, but Little Aunt is another story,” Mentor Yu Xuan sighed. “When her temper flares up, she doesn’t care about anything.”
Yan Zhen thought to himself that she was right. Among the three sisters of the Yu Family, the Dean had the best talent, but she had a bit of that “all brawn, no brains” vibe—bluntly put, she was a hotheaded woman. Holding up the vast Yu Family still relied on her two older sisters.
“First Love said she’d first test the waters with your mother and then arrange for us to meet.”
Hearing him casually call her “Aunt” one moment and “future mother-in-law” the next, Mentor Yu Xuan’s heart fluttered with a mix of shyness and joy. She felt like everything was worth it. It took her a moment to snap back to reality, and she exclaimed in surprise:
“Wait, Yan Zhen—you’re going back with me to see my mother?”
“Of course.” Yan Zhen said it with earnest sincerity. “Otherwise, you’d just get punished if you went alone.”
“But…”
“No buts! I’ll protect the person I care about with everything I’ve got. I won’t let anyone hurt you—not even your own family, Mentor.”
His resolute words nearly melted Mentor Yu Xuan’s heart. She gazed at him, her eyes brimming with affection.
“Mm, I’ll do whatever you say~”
“—Cough, cough!”
A sudden cough shattered the intimate atmosphere between them, snapping them back to reality. Two red blushes bloomed on Mentor Yu Xuan’s cheeks, and Yan Zhen awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
Chen Xi’s expression remained calm, her tone equally flat.
“Mentor Yu Xuan, if there’s nothing else, you should head out first.”
Before Mentor Yu Xuan could even respond, she was teleported away.
“Come here, Zhen’er.”
Yan Zhen’s scalp tingled, but he scurried over anyway. He knelt down in front of the Beautiful Master and curled his body up into a little ball.
“Master, let me explain…”
Chen Xi’s face was expressionless.
“Come into Master’s arms.”
Huh? Yan Zhen blinked in confusion. Then he felt an invisible force take hold of him, pulling him straight into the Beautiful Master’s embrace. His small face plunged into the majestic peaks of her G-cup bosom.
The familiar softness and fragrance surrounded him, but it did nothing to calm his nerves—in fact, it only made him more tense.
He craned his neck to look up at the Beautiful Master’s expression, only for her hand to press his head back down, burying his face once more in that deep, enticing cleavage.
“Master…”
“Go ahead and speak. Master’s listening.”
Yan Zhen could feel one of her arms wrapped around his waist and her other hand pressing on the back of his head, as if she had him restrained and was preparing to deliver some punishment.
He didn’t dare move a muscle. Instead, he nestled obediently against the Beautiful Master’s chest and confessed.
“I’ve gotten together with Mentor Yu Xuan.”
Chen Xi kept one arm around her precious disciple’s waist while gently stroking his hair with the other.
“When did this happen?”
“After we got back from the desert, we officially confirmed our relationship.”
“So that means, even before you left, the two of you had already started getting close?”
“Mm, yes.”
Chen Xi fell silent.
Yan Zhen quietly swallowed, his throat bobbing nervously. It was a long while before he heard the Beautiful Master speak.
“Were you the one who took the initiative with her, Zhen’er? Or was it Mentor Yu Xuan who pursued you?”
Yan Zhen blinked.
“Mentor Yu Xuan took care of me in every way possible. At first, I thought it was just her being a caring mentor… but little by little, I realized it was more than that.”
“Then why did you accept her feelings?” There was a hint of disappointment in Chen Xi’s tone. “Is Master not good enough for you?”
“No, Master is the best, of course. It’s me—I’m just too greedy for my own good.” Yan Zhen nuzzled against the cloud-soft mound of her breast and said honestly, “I already have such a wonderful Master, and yet I couldn’t bring myself to refuse the Mentor’s kindness. I’m not a good disciple. I’ve let you down, Master. I’m sorry.”
Hearing her precious disciple blame himself like that softened Chen Xi’s heart instantly. She cupped his face tenderly, filled with affection.
“Master won’t allow you to talk about yourself that way. No matter what happens, Zhen’er, you’re Master’s best disciple—the greatest source of pride in Master’s entire life. You’re Master’s one and only disciple, and Master wants to be your one and only as well. Do you understand?”
Yan Zhen stared at the Beautiful Master’s stunning jade-like features. Her beautiful eyes, which reflected his own face, overflowed with indulgence.
“Master…”
“Master isn’t trying to scold you, but… Master has selfish desires too.” Chen Xi bit her lip, a shy note entering her voice. “Master wants to hold a position in your heart that’s utterly unique—one no one else can match. Not Yun Xiu, not Jiuyou, not even She Ji or Yu Xuan. They can all come second. Master will always be first.”
“Master is already number one in my heart!” Emboldened by a surge of courage from who-knows-where, Yan Zhen suddenly wrapped both arms around the Beautiful Master’s slender waist. A stubborn light flickered in his pink little face. “Master is my enlightening teacher, my first love, the one who shared my first night, and even my dual cultivation partner. Everything I’ve achieved so far is thanks to Master. You’re the most important person in my life!”
Chen Xi’s heart stirred deeply.
“Zhen’er, do you really mean that? First love and all that…”
“Yes. Master is so beautiful—she captivated me from the very first moment I laid eyes on her. Then she took me as her disciple and taught me Mystic Techniques. She even offered herself up to help me refine the Extreme Flame and has always been so gentle and caring with me. I’ve been in love with Master for a long time now.”
“Zhen’er~”
After a brief pause, Yan Zhen mumbled weakly:
“In the future, I want to take Master as my wife. Will you say yes, Master?”
“Eh? Zhen’er, what—what did you just say?” Chen Xi’s beautiful eyes went wide with astonishment. After the shock came pure delight. “Master didn’t quite catch that. Could you say it again?”
Blushing furiously, Yan Zhen repeated himself:
“I… I want Master to become my Dao companion. That way, we can be together openly and forever.”
Chen Xi’s breath caught in her throat. She was on the verge of happy tears. At long last, the words she had yearned for across her previous lifetime had finally come from his lips.
She couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from curving upward. Shy and joyous, she said:
“Zhen’er, are you proposing to Master right now?”
Yan Zhen was red-faced and mortified, but he nodded anyway. He gazed up at the Beautiful Master with wide, expectant eyes.
“Aren’t you afraid of what the world will say? Afraid that Yun Xiu and the others won’t be able to accept it?”
“I’m not afraid. Nothing matters more than Master.”
Chen Xi covered her mouth with her hand and let out a string of delighted giggles, her usual serene and otherworldly poise completely vanished.
Yan Zhen’s heart began to race with anxiety. He started imagining that his Master might reject his proposal, and the thought left him in a panic.
“Master… Mm?”
He had barely lifted his head when the Beautiful Master sealed his lips with a kiss.
