Yan Zhen felt as if Dean Little Aunt had sucked every last trace of Wind-Thunder Power from his shoulders, neck, arms, and lower abdomen. He truly felt much lighter now.
The wounds that would normally take a full day to heal would likely be completely mended by tomorrow morning after her treatment. Not bad at all.
It would have been even better if she’d used her hands.
Yan Zhen couldn’t quite fathom Dean Little Aunt’s intentions. This didn’t match her usual behavior at all.
Normally, after covering his eyes, she would start teasing him mercilessly. Yet here she was, genuinely healing him—and in such an intimately close manner, just like Mentor Yu Xuan had done before.
As he mulled this over, her voice came again.
“There’s still some on your legs… You—you mustn’t open your eyes.”
Yan Zhen wouldn’t dream of peeking now. He obediently murmured his assent. Moments later, he felt her small hands release his eyes and shoulders. From the subtle shift in the air, he could tell she had knelt down in front of him. Those tender white hands then wrapped around his thighs.
A familiar tingling itch soon spread across his legs as her tongue worked methodically, spreading Water Mystic Power evenly over the wounds like a soothing ice pack, cool and refreshing.
After a long while, Yan Zhen sensed her lips leaving his thigh. One of her small hands released its grip, and a slender jade finger reached out to tap the Dragon Mark.
“What’s this? Why do you have a Dragon Mark here?”
—Does everyone have to ask about it?
Yan Zhen answered softly.
“It’s the power of the Evil Spirit Dragon Breath Flame condensed into form—like a kind of enhancement.”
Dean Yu Qing sounded surprised.
“The Evil Spirit Dragon Breath Flame has a function like that?”
Yan Zhen explained.
“It was born from a true dragon’s corpse, so it naturally carries potent draconic power.”
“…It’s so ugly. Looks just like a child’s scribble.”
“Ahem—I think it’s fine. As long as it doesn’t affect the function.”
After a moment of silence, Dean Yu Qing muttered under her breath.
“There’s… Wind-Thunder Power lingering here too, it seems.”
Yan Zhen jolted in alarm. No way—that was nonsense! Thanks to the power of the Evil Spirit Dragon Breath Flame, that area had never been affected by the Wind-Thunder Crystal Fire from the start. How could any Wind-Thunder Power be left there?
—This turn of events spelled trouble!
Yan Zhen hurriedly opened his eyes and grabbed Dean Little Aunt’s head with both hands, stopping her from doing anything foolish.
But it was too late. Her bright red lips had already pressed against the Dragon Mark.
Just then, Shui Bailan’s voice rang out from the doorway.
“Yan Zhen, may I come in?”
Yan Zhen’s heart skipped a beat. Dean Yu Qing snapped out of her daze as well.
Before they could separate, Shui Bailan—who had been peeking from the door for quite some time—sauntered in casually. Upon seeing the scene before her, she stood there, jaw dropped in shock.
“Yu Qing, Yan Zhen, you—you two are—”
Yan Zhen’s scalp tingled. He blurted out hastily.
“Aunt, it’s not what you think! Let me explain!”
Dean Yu Qing’s face flushed crimson, her words tumbling out in a panicked mess.
“I—I’m not—that—Bailan, you have it all wrong!”
Shui Bailan blinked her beautiful eyes, glancing at her good friend—kneeling before her nephew-in-law with her head cradled in his hands. She was at a loss for words.
“You’re like this, and you call it a misunderstanding?”
Dean Yu Qing let out a startled cry and wrenched herself free from Yan Zhen’s grasp. She shot to her feet, flailing her arms helplessly.
“I-It really is a misunderstanding! The bathroom floor was too slippery—I, I just slipped and fell. Yan Zhen was helping me up. That’s all!”
—Yu Qing, that excuse is just making it worse. You might as well say nothing.
A Mystic Ancestor expert slipping in the bathroom? Even ghosts wouldn’t buy that—no one would.
And would helping someone up involve cradling their head like that?
Shui Bailan was utterly speechless, feeling that even rebutting her would drag down her own intelligence. She could only shoot her a pitying glance reserved for the simple-minded.
Dean Yu Qing knew her explanation was full of holes. Mortified beyond measure, she hung her head, her face burning all the way to her ears. She mumbled in a tiny voice.
“Don’t… don’t tell anyone, Bailan.”
Her tone carried a hint of a sob.
“I don’t know what came over me. I only meant to check his injuries, and then… somehow it just happened.”
Dean Yu Qing’s eyes rimmed red. She sniffled in halting gasps, like an Eldest Miss stripped of her haughty facade, reduced to a delicate, fragile girl.
“Yu Qing…”
Shui Bailan stared in astonishment. She never imagined her usually overbearing best friend would break down in tears. Regret washed over her instantly, and she hurried forward to console her.
“Don’t cry, Yu Qing. I won’t say a word—because I’m in the same boat.”
“The same how?”
“Like this.”
With that, Shui Bailan suddenly yanked Yan Zhen over, pulling him into her embrace. She swiftly pecked him on the lips.
Yan Zhen was stunned.
Dean Yu Qing gaped at the scene, frozen in place.
“Bailan, you—how could you—”
Shui Bailan’s cheeks bloomed pink, her heart pounding with embarrassment. But remembering Yu Shizun’s orders, she steeled herself and declared.
“Now we’re accomplices.”
“Accomplices…” Dean Yu Qing echoed the word, a flicker of realization dawning on her face. “So something did happen before, didn’t it?”
Shui Bailan adjusted her silver-framed glasses, offering no denial—effectively confirming it.
“You—hmpf.” Dean Yu Qing regained her usual Eldest Miss temper and whipped around to glare at Yan Zhen. “This is all your fault!”
Yan Zhen blinked innocently.
Dean Yu Qing vented her frustration.
“You rotten scoundrel! Having Xuan’er wasn’t enough for you? Flaunting your good looks and a bit of talent to seduce your elders—it’s utterly shameless. Hmph!”
Well… Yan Zhen scratched his cheek awkwardly. Seeing Dean Little Aunt on the verge of losing her composure, he yielded a step to avoid pushing her over the edge.
Shui Bailan quickly played peacemaker.
“Yu Qing, don’t be like that. It’s not Yan Zhen’s fault. I took liberties with him on my own… Weren’t you doing the same?”
At those words, Dean Yu Qing’s bluster deflated. Even so, she stubbornly insisted.
“N-No, he seduced me! It had nothing to do with my own will. I just… got momentarily swayed by his charms.”
Shui Bailan twitched at the corner of her mouth. How had she never noticed before that her best friend was a master at playing dumb?
She glanced at Yan Zhen and saw his expression screaming “even a dog wouldn’t buy it.” She inwardly sighed—Yu Qing always botched these things. Was making her an accomplice the right call?
No, she couldn’t indulge this. Otherwise, she’d end up with a deadweight teammate down the line.
Shui Bailan bit her lip and countered.
“So, Yu Qing—are you snapping out of it now, or are you going to keep falling deeper?”
Dean Yu Qing turned her face away, sulking.
“I don’t know.”
“Stop lying to yourself, Yu Qing. You’ve liked Yan Zhen ever since he first came to the Yu Family. Isn’t that right?”
Shui Bailan laid bare her best friend’s secret.
Dean Yu Qing cracked once more.
“Bailan? What nonsense! I haven’t! Who’d fall for some kid who’s not even a Mystic King? I’ve got Mystic Lords and Mystic Ancestors lining up outside!”
“You have.”
“I haven’t!”
Such flimsy excuses… Shui Bailan snorted coldly.
“Keep it up, and I’ll tell Xuan’er and your sister. We can all crash and burn together.”
Dean Yu Qing caved immediately.
“No, no, no—Bailan, I-I’m sorry.”
Shui Bailan pressed on.
“You like Yan Zhen, don’t you?”
Dean Yu Qing buried her burning face in her hands, peeking at Yan Zhen’s shocked expression through her fingers. Then, in a sob choked with utmost shame, she let out a faint “mm.”
