Her oval face was soft and alluring, her features delicate like a subtle ink wash painting. Her hair was black on the outside fading to blue within—a mark of her cultivation of the Yu Family’s core technique, the Timely Rain Scripture. Silky strands were woven into princess braids, and a pair of glasses rested on her nose bridge, enhancing her elegant and intellectual beauty.
Ever since leaving Mystic Academy, Mentor Yu Xuan had stopped wearing her mentor’s robes and had switched to her casual clothes. She was dressed in a simple water-colored long skirt of silk-like fabric that accentuated her graceful curves. The hem fell just to her knees, revealing her fair calves in a perfectly relaxed, at-home style.
The moment she opened the door, Mentor Yu Xuan said with some impatience, “Mother, I told you I wanted to be alone. Don’t come—”
Her words cut off abruptly. Her eyes reflected the figure she had been dreaming of day and night.
So this was what he meant earlier—chatting amiably with his beauty mentor’s mother at her home?
Yan Zhen scratched his cheek and grinned. “No ‘quiet time.’ How about a ‘Zhen Zhen’ from your student instead? Want it?”
A soft, charming smile bloomed on Mentor Yu Xuan’s face. “Of course I want it. Are you really giving it to me?”
Blushing faintly, Yan Zhen spread his arms wide.
Tears welled in the corners of Mentor Yu Xuan’s eyes. With a light tap of her toes, she flung herself into his embrace and hugged him tightly.
“Yan Zhen, I missed you so much.”
It had only been a little less than a month since they’d last seen each other, yet it felt more agonizing than the three months they’d been apart before. Aside from her cultivation sessions, her mind had been filled with thoughts of him—replaying their sweet memories, wondering when he would finally come.
“I missed you too, Mentor,” Yan Zhen said, his arms wrapping around her slender waist. “I missed you so much that I couldn’t wait another moment to see you.”
“Mm, I knew you’d come.”
Mentor Yu Xuan’s heart stirred. She rubbed her cheek gently against his face, nearly lost in the warmth of his fervent breath.
They lifted their heads and gazed into each other’s eyes, their lips drawing slowly closer.
But just as they were about to meet, a cough sounded from outside the courtyard, shattering the intimate atmosphere. Startled, they sprang apart.
The young pair’s faces flushed red as they guiltily glanced toward the courtyard gate.
“…Come inside first, Yan Zhen. Let me show you my room.”
“Sure.”
Mentor Yu Xuan took Yan Zhen’s hand and led him into her private chambers.
The room itself wasn’t particularly large—at least not as extravagant as Sister Ji Ya’s Elegant Garden—but it connected to several others: a bedroom, living room, cultivation chamber, game room, study, music room, bathroom, and even a kitchen, likely for her to practice her cooking skills.
Compared to this “little courtyard,” Yan Zhen’s own modest residence as the young city lord of Martial Tang City seemed downright shabby.
After touring every room, they returned to the living area adjoining the bedroom and sat intimately close on the soft couch.
Watching as Mentor Yu Xuan gracefully brewed tea for him, Yan Zhen asked, “Mentor, how have you been lately?”
“Not well. Every day was either missing you or cultivating.” Her pretty face blushed as she boldly added, “Look, I’ve even broken through to the Mystic General Realm.”
Yan Zhen hadn’t noticed before, but Mentor Yu Xuan had actually reached the One-Star Mystic General stage. When she’d returned home, she’d only been at Seven-Star Mystic Master. To skyrocket two stars and an entire major realm in a single month? Even faster than him, the protagonist.
Mentor Yu Xuan’s natural talent wasn’t exceptional, but she was perfectly suited to the Yu Family’s core technique, the Timely Rain Scripture. With ample pills and her experience from her past life, her focused cultivation progressed at an astonishing rate.
Her mystic power felt a bit unstable from the rapid advancement, so she had paused to rest and consolidate her foundation.
“Ahem, I’ve advanced too. I’m at Six-Star Mystic Master now,” Yan Zhen said, unwilling to be outdone. “And I even beat a Four-Star Mystic General. I’m ranked ninety-ninth on the General Star List. Next month’s update will bump me to thirty-three, and they’ve started calling me the ‘Strongest New Student’!”
He’d made up that last part.
“My star pupil lives up to his reputation.” Mentor Yu Xuan lifted a cup of fragrant tea and held it to his lips with a smile. “Here, your reward.”
Yan Zhen slurped it down in one go and smacked his lips, pushing his luck. “Just a cup of tea?”
“Besides that, what else do you want as a reward?” Mentor Yu Xuan looked at him with charming eyes. “Whatever your mentor has, it’s yours~”
Her look made Yan Zhen’s face heat up, his mind wandering to fanciful places.
“Shouldn’t the mentor decide on the reward?”
Mentor Yu Xuan set down the teacup, looped her arm around his, and murmured softly with flushed cheeks, “Then I’ll reward you with a kiss. How’s that?”
Yan Zhen blinked, feeling the large, soft weight pressing against his arm from her side. Desire stirred within him. “Mentor…”
With a shallow smile, Mentor Yu Xuan leaned in and offered her sweet kiss.
Their lips met, and both their bodies trembled slightly. They savored each other’s saliva, swallowing it down.
It was a long while before their lips parted. Traces of each other’s scent lingered at the corners of their mouths, and the sweetness in their hearts threatened to overflow, making the very air taste like sugar.
“Is this reward enough?” Mentor Yu Xuan whispered.
Yan Zhen hesitated. He’d promised his future mother-in-law just before coming over that he wouldn’t cross any lines. If they got caught being too intimate, it would be disastrous.
“It’s enough, Mentor. It’s not like it’s some huge accomplishment anyway.”
“Really enough?” Her eyes held a gaze. “No waiting around forever, you know.”
“Ahem, yeah, it’s enough.”
“Silly~”
Mentor Yu Xuan playfully scolded him, then composed herself. She picked up a colorful fruit platter and began feeding him.
“Have you met any other girls in the Inner Academy?”
Yan Zhen started to deny it but realized there was no point in hiding it, so he answered honestly. “Just one very special Purple-Clothed Girl. And I got tangled up with a Loli Dragon Girl too.”
Mentor Yu Xuan sighed inwardly. As expected, he had crossed paths with the Purple-Clothed Goddess, which could even lead to marriage down the line.
Both the Purple-Clothed Goddess and the Myriad Snake Queen were enviably fortunate.
One had formed a betrothal with the man she liked, while the other brimmed with Pregnancy Qi.
“What about Miss Wenqing? Didn’t she enter the Inner Academy with you?”
“Yeah, Wenqing’s at the same level as me right now. She’s made the General Star List too.”
“Has anything happened between you two?”
“Well…”
Yan Zhen didn’t know how to respond and hemmed and hawed.
Seeing his discomfort, Mentor Yu Xuan quickly plucked a grape and popped it into his mouth.
“Never mind. No more talk of other women for now. Tell me something else—how did you get here?”
Yan Zhen chewed the fruit twice and swallowed. “Auntie promised me I could come see you once a month.”
“Really?” Mentor Yu Xuan’s beautiful eyes lit up. “That’s strange. Why didn’t Auntie tell me?”
“Probably didn’t want to distract you.” Yan Zhen grinned. “I just met with Mother-in-Law too.”
Hearing him call her that, Mentor Yu Xuan covered her mouth and giggled, though worry soon crept in. “Did Mother say anything to you?”
Yan Zhen looked a bit awkward. “Mother-in-Law promised me generous terms to join the Yu Family in peace.”
“What terms?”
“That’s…”
