“Young Hero Lian has a good memory; it is indeed the same place where Hero Zhao and Heroine Xin had their duel last time.” Jin Manjue immediately followed up, his intuition prompting him to flatter Lian Li in passing.
However, Lian Li didn’t buy it, especially coming from Jin Manjue. He simply gave a “hmpf” and turned his head away, ignoring him.
Jin Manjue didn’t feel awkward. He didn’t know Lian Li and Yun Huizhou were already together, so he felt a bit guilty about impulsively gifting them an erotica book last time.
Thinking it over, he felt that anything that could be settled with money wasn’t a problem at all.
Thus, he tried speaking again: “It’s been quite a while since I last saw you two. I heard you recently ventured into the Southern Border’s Spirit Sect with Hero Zhao to rescue Heroine Qu. I, Jin, admire you immensely for that. Knowing you would definitely come for the appointment, I have already prepared a small gift for you both. I hope you won’t find it beneath you.”
Lian Li was quite surprised. He hadn’t expected that despite Jin Manjue’s peculiar tastes, the man was actually quite courteous. He gave a gift every time they met.
Then again, with such a twisted sense of humor, if he weren’t a bit generous, he’d probably have been beaten so badly he couldn’t get out of bed by now.
Neither of them declined; two pairs of eyes simply stared at Jin Manjue.
A dignified smile appeared on Jin Manjue’s face. He raised his hand and clapped twice, then sat up straight with his hands on the armrests and his chin slightly tilted. He actually looked somewhat impressive.
If he hadn’t just seen the man trembling in fear of Yun Huizhou, Lian Li would have almost thought he’d been soul-transmigrated.
Just as he was about to whisper a few complaints to Yun Huizhou, he saw Yun Huizhou deliver a verbal blow that left Jin Manjue’s head ringing.
“Stop acting cool,” Yun Huizhou said. “I hate posers the most.”
Lian Li: …
Those lines sounded so familiar, as if he’d heard them somewhere before.
But that wasn’t the point. The point was—Yun Huizhou, you brat, don’t you usually enjoy putting on airs when we’re outside too?
Jin Manjue was fuming but didn’t dare speak up. He could only explain, “Heroes, my maid is about to enter. Give me some face.”
Just as he finished speaking, someone lightly knocked on the door. Then, a female voice that could melt one’s bones drifted in: “Tower Master, your servant has come to deliver the items~”
It was a short sentence, but her voice curved through eighteen bends. Lian Li subconsciously shivered.
The pretentious smile instantly returned to Jin Manjue’s face, and even his voice became strained and high-pitched. He said, “Yuan’er, come in.”
Lian Li: …
Suddenly, he felt the atmosphere becoming thick with affectation.
Yun Huizhou’s brow was also furrowed in a strange way as he turned to look at Lian Li.
Lian Li: …Are you feeling the “heat” too?
The door was pushed open, and a young woman walked in. Lian Li looked over and saw that she had a face like a peach blossom, a graceful and seductive figure, and a swaying, elegant gait.
Logically speaking, this woman’s appearance should have been enough to make it onto the Beauty List.
But Lian Li had studied the Beauty List for a while before, carefully looking over everyone on it. This woman was not among them.
Was it because she worked for Jin Manjue, and since Jin Manjue’s Jinzui Tower was the publisher of the Beauty List, she was left off to avoid suspicion?
As Lian Li pondered this, his gaze lingered on Yuan’er for a moment longer.
Before Yun Huizhou could even say anything, Jin Manjue spoke up first: “Young Hero Lian…?”
His voice held a hint of hesitation, and his eyes kept darting toward Yun Huizhou, as if he were terrified that Yun Huizhou would hit him in front of Yuan’er.
Sure enough, in the next second, he was glared at by Yun Huizhou.
Hearing his name, Lian Li snapped out of it and stopped looking at Yuan’er, immediately turning his attention to Yun Huizhou.
As it turned out, Yun Huizhou wasn’t looking at him at all but was instead glaring at Jin Manjue. Lian Li scratched his cheek, thinking that Yun Huizhou probably wasn’t angry or bothered… right?
He was simply thinking about the Beauty List, not staring at her on purpose.
Having been glared at, Jin Manjue instinctively wanted to shrink his neck back but forced himself to endure it. He said to Yuan’er, “Yuan’er, come here. Give me the items.”
“Yes, Tower Master~” Yuan’er replied softly.
As she passed Lian Li carrying a small golden treasure chest, she tilted her head slightly and gave him a shy, bashful look.
Lian Li: …Huh?
Before Lian Li could even get a clear look, she turned her face back and continued toward Jin Manjue.
When she passed Yun Huizhou, she similarly turned her head slightly toward him. Lian Li couldn’t see Yuan’er’s expression from his angle, but given the look she had just given him, it wasn’t hard to guess what her expression was now.
Lian Li: …Huh? What?
Wait… Jin Manjue is still right here?
It wasn’t that he wanted to doubt the relationship between Jin Manjue and Yuan’er, but Jin Manjue’s voice had become so forced and high-pitched since she arrived; he most likely had some ulterior motives regarding her.
As for what Yuan’er thought of Jin Manjue, Lian Li wasn’t sure. But he felt that if Yuan’er was Jin Manjue’s maid, she likely didn’t have many other choices or ways out, unless she stopped working for him.
However, if her indenture contract was in Jin Manjue’s hands, then it wasn’t just a matter of whether she worked there or not.
Regarding the look Yuan’er gave him, Yun Huizhou only spared it a glance before his gaze began to slide downward, finally coming to rest on Yuan’er’s feet.
Lian Li was naturally paying attention. Seeing Yun Huizhou’s actions, he felt a bit uneasy, but he also knew Yun Huizhou wasn’t that kind of person. Nevertheless, his gaze subconsciously followed Yun Huizhou’s to look at Yuan’er’s feet.
Then he noticed that Yuan’er’s steps seemed to falter for a split second. But when he tried to look closer, it seemed as if nothing had happened, making him wonder if he had just hallucinated.
Yun Huizhou’s eyes also narrowed for an instant before he nonchalantly looked away and walked over to Lian Li’s side.
Lian Li looked up at him and saw that he had that expressionless look again, his eyes very calm. This was the expression Yun Huizhou usually wore when he didn’t want anyone to know what he was thinking.
Seeing this expression now, Lian Li’s eyes widened slightly. Had he discovered some problem?
Recalling that Yun Huizhou had been looking at Yuan’er’s feet, could there be something wrong with her?
He glanced over at Yuan’er and Jin Manjue, seeing Jin Manjue taking the treasure chest from her. As they exchanged the box, the two were looking at each other with tender affection.
Although Jin Manjue had some peculiar tastes, he was actually a decent person. If there really was something wrong with Yuan’er, did he know?
Seeing Lian Li’s brow furrow slightly as he looked toward Jin Manjue, his eyes filled with a hint of worry, Yun Huizhou immediately knew what Lian Li was thinking.
