Yu Shizun, who knew the full story, quickly regained her composure and spoke calmly.
“Has it already come to this? There’s really no need for such measures. Yan Zhen will protect the Yu Family in the future.”
The Family Head Yu Lu bowed her head in silence before murmuring softly.
“The Supreme has misunderstood. This was merely an accident.”
“Whether accident or plan, as long as you have it under control. But being too aggressive might backfire. He may seem mature, but he’s still just a child.”
“. . . Yu Lu understands.”
Yu Shizun glanced at Yan Zhen, who was blissfully suckling away, then down at her own impressively ample bosom. Does he like them that much? she wondered to herself.
She shook her head lightly, banishing the odd thought from her mind. With a final “Take good care of yourself,” she turned and departed.
The spatial rift slowly sealed shut. The Family Head Yu Lu exhaled a fragrant breath of relief, though her emotions remained a tangled mess.
She was usually so aloof, yet she was not without a sense of shame. To have the Supreme witness her in such an undignified state was truly mortifying.
Feeling the emptiness on her left side, and with Yan Zhen still not sated, she shot him a gentle glare. After a moment’s hesitation, she shifted him into the crook of her right arm.
—Consider it a small compensation.
Her delicate frame trembled faintly, her breathing growing erratic. A soft, stifled hum occasionally escaped her dainty nose.
Just then, the messaging talisman at Yan Zhen’s waist began beeping insistently again: beep-beep-beep.
The Family Head Yu Lu assumed it was the Supreme at first, but upon closer inspection, she saw it was a low-grade talisman—cheap, with only basic text messaging functions.
She reached over and activated it. Her expression shifted subtly as she read the message.
The sender’s name was “Yan Liang True Summer Night, Rain-After Xuan Grass Worry,” with the note “Mentor Yu Xuan.”
【Mentor Yu Xuan: Yan Zhen, what did Mother say to you? Why haven’t you come back yet?】
Beep-beep-beep. A new message popped up.
【Mentor Yu Xuan: Hungry? I made you a night snack. Hurry back and eat~】
In that instant, the Family Head Yu Lu felt a forbidden thrill she’d never experienced before—uneasy and tense, yet faintly exhilarating. She couldn’t help thinking:
He’s so naughty. Did he pick it up from Xuan’er?
Only when Yan Zhen finally released her did the Family Head Yu Lu set him down. She hurriedly retied the strings of her bellyband, pulled her slipped robe back up over her arm, crossed the lapels to cover her massive bosom, and fastened the sash at her waist.
In his deep slumber, Yan Zhen smacked his lips. A faint trace of white lingered at the corner of his mouth, and his breaths carried a sweet, milky scent.
A soft smile touched the Family Head Yu Lu’s usually icy, beautiful face. She took out her personal handkerchief and gently wiped his mouth clean before stepping back. She positioned him to rest on the cushion and moved to the other side of the room, arranging herself as if nothing intimate had ever passed between them.
—If all went as expected, her daughter would arrive soon.
The Family Head Yu Lu brewed a fresh pot of fine tea and waited quietly.
Sure enough, after about the time it took to drink a cup, a servant announced that Eldest Miss Xuan’er was seeking an audience outside.
She instructed the servant to show her in. Upon seeing Yan Zhen lying in the tea room, Yu Xuan jumped in fright and blurted out a question without even greeting her mother.
“Mother, what’s wrong with Yan Zhen?”
“He’s just tired.” The Family Head Yu Lu did not elaborate. “You two can rest here tonight.”
Hearing that Yan Zhen was fine, Mentor Yu Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. She scooped him up in a princess carry and followed her mother to the room next door to her own—the one she’d slept in as a child.
At thirteen, she’d been given her own courtyard, and she only came back here occasionally. Come to think of it, she hadn’t set foot in this room since being “exiled” to teach at the Mystic Academy in the Garo Kingdom.
The furnishings were exactly as they had been back then, unchanged down to the tiniest detail. Even her childhood toys remained.
Array formations lined the walls, maintaining perfect temperature, humidity, and cleanliness within. It was spotless, cool in summer and warm in winter.
Mentor Yu Xuan laid Yan Zhen on the bed and turned to her mother, who handed her a pill bottle and said impassively.
“Take this bottle of Soul Recovery Pills. Have Son-in-Law Yan Zhen take one when he wakes.”
Mentor Yu Xuan accepted the bottle.
“Thank you, Mother.”
The Family Head Yu Lu stole another glance at Yan Zhen on the bed. A pang of reluctance stirred unexpectedly in her heart, startling her enough that she spun away at once.
“I’m heading back to my room. Get some sleep. Be up on time for ancestor worship tomorrow.”
Watching her mother’s retreating figure, Mentor Yu Xuan inexplicably called out.
“Wait, Mother!”
The Family Head Yu Lu paused but did not turn.
“What is it?”
Mentor Yu Xuan bit her lip and asked softly.
“Has Mother’s strange condition flared up again?”
The Family Head Yu Lu’s heart skipped a beat. After a long moment, she replied.
“It’s just a lingering aftereffect.”
“Is it serious?”
“I’ve already received acupuncture treatment. Two more sessions, and it will be fully healed.”
“Was it Yan Zhen who treated you?”
“Mm.”
Mentor Yu Xuan lowered her head and murmured wistfully.
“What do you think of Yan Zhen, Mother?”
The Family Head Yu Lu’s delicate brows furrowed in confusion.
“What do you mean?”
“You know… Do you like Yan Zhen?”
“Naturally, I’m pleased with him. It’s a pity we can’t keep him in the Yu Family. Otherwise, with him and the Supreme, our clan could reclaim its former glory—perhaps even surpass it.”
“Oh.”
“It’s late. Save any more questions for the ship assembly tomorrow.”
With that, the Family Head Yu Lu strode out.
“Farewell, Mother.”
Mentor Yu Xuan did not forget her manners after all.
The door creaked shut. Only then did Mentor Yu Xuan’s gaze return to Yan Zhen.
She sat on the edge of the bed, removed her blue nightgown and hung it neatly, leaving only her green undergarments and intimate pants. She drew the gauze canopy closed and lay down beside him, draping a jade arm over his body and nestling her face close.
—A faint milky fragrance wafted from his mouth.
Mentor Yu Xuan bit her lip, her eyes filled with resentment and a deeply aggrieved expression.
“You naughty rascal. How could you even… with Mother? Can’t you spare a thought for my feelings? I’m going to tattle to Master Chen Xi and have her punish you severely!”
The more she spoke, the more wronged she felt. Crystal tears welled at the corners of her eyes, yet her arms only hugged him tighter, as if terrified he might vanish in the next moment.
In his sleep, Yan Zhen seemed to sense her. He rolled over to face her, his arm draping across her waist—as if to comfort her.
Mentor Yu Xuan lightly swatted his hand away and huffed.
“No touching!”
Yan Zhen didn’t stir. He smacked his lips again, releasing another wave of fragrant sweetness.
Mentor Yu Xuan caught the scent and grew even angrier. She leaned in and bit his lip.
When Yan Zhen awoke, his mouth felt swollen and sore, as if it had been suckled all night long. He blinked his eyes open and saw someone lying beside him, clad only in her undergarments and intimate pants. His groggy mind snapped instantly awake!
He remembered that after treating the Yu Family Head mother-in-law’s meridians the night before, he’d passed out from extreme mental exhaustion. Could he have…
He focused his gaze. It wasn’t the family head mother-in-law after all. Though the mother and daughter shared some facial similarities, they were distinct enough that Yan Zhen wouldn’t mix them up.
“Whew, that scared the hell out of me.” Yan Zhen wiped away a sheen of sweat. “All because of that weird dream last night. Treating Mother-in-law like she was my master, acting all spoiled… What a ridiculous plot twist.”
