She?
Xu Ping’an was taken aback by the question, only then realizing what his Lady was referring to. She wasn’t asking about the one inside the room, was she?
“That one… Lady, you mean?”
“The one in the Prince’s Mansion, the one you went to see today.”
Xu Ping’an immediately put on a shocked expression, looking her up and down in disbelief.
Pei Qingxuan seemed to suddenly realize she had let something slip.
Her face, originally as delicate as a pear blossom in the rain, flushed with a rosy glow as her eyes darted away.
“I… I was worried about you, so…”
“So you installed a Locator on me?”
“Locator… what?”
Pei Qingxuan was confused by the unfamiliar term but quickly caught on.
“Husband… I’m sorry.”
Seeing his obedient Lady bow her head in admission, Xu Ping’an tenderly pulled her into his arms.
“Alright, no matter how many ‘her’s there are, you will always be the one I value most. Are you satisfied with that answer?”
Curled up in Xu Ping’an’s embrace, Qingxuan let out a soft whimper and playfully pounded her small fists on his chest.
“Husband, you knew all along?”
“Haha, how could I not?”
After all, he possessed the Chaos Golden Eyes; no fluctuation of Spiritual Energy could escape his gaze.
It could be said that unless an Ancient Divine Artifact was involved, nothing could be concealed from these eyes.
Still, Xu Ping’an understood that Qingxuan’s concern for his safety had made her install this safeguard.
The device’s function was probably limited to constantly monitoring his location and vital signs; nothing else.
He was actually quite pleased that his Lady would occasionally play little tricks on him. After all… that was the kind of woman who felt truly alive.
“If I couldn’t spot even this little trick, your husband would have been played to death a long time ago.”
“Ying~”
Perhaps embarrassed that her little scheme had been uncovered, Qingxuan buried her face deeper into his embrace, refusing to come out.
Seeing this, Xu Ping’an could only smile and soothe her.
After some time of this affectionate banter, Qingxuan finally reminded him.
“Husband, the one in the room is still watching us~”
“Ah~ Let her watch then. It can’t be hidden anymore anyway.”
What the hell?
She was clearly changing clothes, yet he had barged in so rashly and even hugged her.
At the time, she probably hadn’t processed it, but once she calmed down, anyone not stupid would realize something was up.
Instead of letting her guess, it was better to tell her directly.
Perhaps it would even make this little girl give up on something.
But he didn’t expect her to actually give up on him.
After all, she’d already seen his body, and in this era, that was as good as having entered.
There’s an old saying: If you’re not going to marry, don’t flirt.
But the problem was… he never planned to flirt in the first place!
Why did he keep running into these romantic entanglements all this year?
Maybe he really needed to find someone who could read fortunes for him?
Except, even Heavenly Dao couldn’t detect his fate, let alone fortune-tellers. They’d probably burst into blood and sacrifice the heavens the moment they tried.
“Well, Husband, you can explain to her later… I’m a little tired now, so I’m going to sleep.”
His Lady pushed Xu Ping’an away, cheeks flushed red.
Clearly, facing a younger junior and being caught in such an embarrassing scene was a little too much for her to handle.
Xu Ping’an rarely saw his Lady so shy in front of others and watched with amusement as she took quick little steps back to her room.
A moment later, the graceful lotus-like figure stood just outside the door.
Two fair, soft hands nervously fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, head bowed low, avoiding his gaze.
Her little face was flushed with peachy pink, and her big watery eyes held a mixture of affection and shyness.
Xu Ping’an felt a twitch in his index finger.
“Princess Yuanle, come and sit.” “Zhier.”
“Hm?”
“Please, please call me Zhier…”
Uh~ this routine feels oddly familiar.
It was just a couple of days ago that someone had corrected him with the same line.
“Ahem~ Well then, Zhier, come over.”
The little girl shyly nodded, but knowing she couldn’t escape this situation, she braced herself and stepped forward.
Xu Ping’an walked into the Pavilion and sat down on the Stone Chair.
He then turned to the little girl.
“Zhier, sit down. If you have any questions, ask them now.”
Li Zhi’er nodded and sat opposite him, but her head remained lowered, playing with the hem of her skirt.
Xu Ping’an wasn’t impatient; he removed his shoulder strap and took out his Medicine Box.
From it, he poured out a single golden… peanut.
Yes, in appearance, it was just a peanut, nothing strange about it.
But peculiarly, this peanut shimmered with golden light, as if made of pure gold.
Xu Ping’an handed the peanut over.
“Eat this. It will benefit your current body and help you grow quickly.”
Li Zhi’er took it without hesitation, her trust in Xu Ping’an reaching an unprecedented level.
Without asking, she popped it into her mouth.
“It smells so good~”
The little girl was surprised, seeing Xu Ping’an’s interested gaze, then immediately shyly lowered her head again.
After swallowing the seed of some unknown herb, the rich aroma filled her mouth.
She suddenly felt stronger and more spirited.
And this newfound strength and vitality gave her a little courage to finally lift her head and meet Xu Ping’an’s gaze.
“Sir…!”
Xu Ping’an smiled faintly.
“Mm.”
“You… you and Pei Sect Leader…”
“She is my Lady. The story is complicated yet simple. She was injured; I saved her, and feelings grew between us, so we became husband and wife. We haven’t revealed this because it’s to protect me. After all, I’m not an Immortal Cultivator. I have some self-defense ability, but I can’t withstand scheming and conspiracies.”
Li Zhi’er hadn’t expected Xu Ping’an to be so frank, and somehow, a lightness bloomed in her heart.
But then more worry crept in.
“Sir, I… I…”
The little girl was too shy to speak, the memory of the earlier scene enough to leave her mind blank.
“You already know my situation, and there’s nothing to hide. If you’re willing, I will marry you when you come of age. If not, we’ll pretend none of this ever happened.”
Though he knew this was a bit unfair to Pei Qingxuan, Xu Ping’an could not back down.
“No need to rush your answer. There’s plenty of time. When you’ve made up your mind, just tell me.”
He walked out of the Pavilion.
Hearing his footsteps, Li Zhi’er suddenly froze.
Somewhere deep inside, a voice told her this was her last chance.
Otherwise, she would never have the courage again to say those two words.
“Sir!!”
Whether it was the courage granted by the seed she had just eaten or simply the nature she was born with, Li Zhi’er suddenly stood up, her moist eyes fixed unwaveringly on Xu Ping’an.
“I’m willing!”
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