After school in the afternoon.
The road was painted in shades of orange.
A few fallen leaves scattered the ground as students laughed and played on their way home.
Sitting in the car driven by Wang Yanran, Ye Chuan silently watched the scene, his mind drifting to memories of playful moments with Luo Xi on their way home.
Though still young, he found himself already nostalgic for the past.
Ye Chuan arrived home, where the Maybach was parked in the newly built garage of his house.
"Hmm, not bad?" He glanced at the exterior of the house. Though the modest homestead seemed mismatched with the luxury car worth millions, it didn’t matter.
No matter how humble the dwelling, what truly mattered was the indomitable spirit within.
Inside, treasures flourished—this car might not even be worthy of them.
"Ye Chuan, since we’re home, I’ll head back now," Wang Yanran said after parking, though her feet remained planted, her toes shifting slightly.
She brushed a hand through her slightly curled hair, pretending to admire the scenery.
Then, with her hands clasped behind her back, she let the breeze gently tousle her hair.
The atmosphere was quiet and still.
"..." Ye Chuan naturally noticed this. His hand rested on the door handle as he casually remarked, "Miss Yanran, if you have time, you could come in for some tea before leaving."
The moment he finished speaking, Wang Yanran was already standing behind him, a bright smile on her face.
"Ye Chuan, I happen to be a little thirsty."
So fast?!
Seeing the girl who had seemingly teleported behind him, Ye Chuan twitched his lips. "Come in."
"Okay."
Wang Yanran had been waiting for this very moment. After all, as the young mistress of a martial arts family, she could easily afford a chauffeur. Her insistence on driving Ye Chuan was purely to strengthen their connection.
In fact, it was her own initiative—staying close to a powerful figure like Ye Chuan always brought unexpected benefits.
Upon entering, Wang Yanran was slightly surprised by the clean, minimalist wooden decor inside.
It was nothing like what she had imagined.
The outside and inside seemed like two different worlds. And whether it was her imagination or not, the house, which appeared no larger than a hundred square meters from the outside, now felt closer to two hundred—impossibly spacious.
The wooden floor beneath her feet was even pleasantly smooth to the touch.
"Feel free to look around," Ye Chuan said as he walked to the fridge and opened it. "Want a cola or mineral water?"
"Mineral water."
Ye Chuan tossed her a cola.
Wang Yanran: "?"
She stared at the can in her hand. "Ye Chuan, I just said... water?"
"The fridge only has cola," Ye Chuan replied.
"Then why did you ask?"
"You’re the guest. Just following the courtesy. Next time, I’ll prepare." He grabbed his own cola and sat across from her.
Typical of him.
But hearing "next time," Wang Yanran’s mood instantly brightened. Did this mean she could visit again?
Progress!
Major progress!
"Huh?" Just then, Wang Yanran suddenly gasped in surprise.
"What’s wrong?" Ye Chuan asked, noticing her sudden shiver. Had she touched something strange?
Wang Yanran raised her hand, summoning her contracted spirit. Sensing the energy fluctuations, she turned to Ye Chuan. "Ye Chuan, I think... I just broke through?"
Then, she froze again, her voice rising slightly. "How... how did I jump from Level 1 to Level 3?"
Ye Chuan glanced at the spirit beside her, greedily absorbing the dense spiritual energy in the air.
Like a sponge that had never been full, it was now devouring energy at a frantic pace.
"Breaking through is normal. I just set up a few things here to speed up cultivation," Ye Chuan said casually.
A few things?
And just like that, she leaped two levels?
Wang Yanran was stunned. She thought she knew quite a bit about Ye Chuan, but now she realized she barely understood this man at all.
Though curious about how he managed it, Wang Yanran wasn’t foolish enough to ask outright—what if it annoyed him?
Still, Ye Chuan’s methods left her utterly astounded.
"If you drive me home every day, you can stay here for a while. It’ll help your cultivation," Ye Chuan said between sips of cola. He had noticed Wang Yanran’s efforts, though he knew her motivations were ultimately tied to her family’s interests.
Still, he considered her half a friend, and her growth posed no harm to him—hence his decision.
"Okay!" Wang Yanran replied, visibly grateful.
As they spoke, her contracted spirit grew even larger. Under Wang Yanran’s stunned gaze, it reached Level 4—
Mid-stage Qi Refinement.
To Ye Chuan, it was still pathetically weak. But for Wang Yanran, this defied all logic.
She felt like she was dreaming. Level 4—she now matched her father’s strength.
From Level 1 to Level 4 in mere moments?
Yes, terrifying.
Just then, a door nearby opened.
Bai Qianshuang stepped out, cradling her treasured sword. Seeing Ye Chuan and Wang Yanran in the living room, she wasn’t surprised—she had already sensed them with her divine consciousness.
"Ye Chuan, Miss Wang."
"Miss Bai!" Wang Yanran quickly greeted, not daring to be impolite.
After all, she knew Bai Qianshuang was even stronger than Ye Chuan—the true powerhouse.
"Ye Chuan, I tried cooking a new dish at noon. It was delicious, but Little Ke couldn’t eat it," Bai Qianshuang said.
"Oh?"
"Want to try it for dinner?"
"Sure."
The conversation shifted to streaming and other casual topics, leaving Wang Yanran baffled.
Because...
It was all so... ordinary?
She had imagined their exchanges would be more like—
[Ye Chuan, have you trained today? Mastered the XXX divine technique yet? Hurry and go into seclusion.]
[Yes, Senior Sister.]
Instead, they were just chatting about food and leisure.
"By the way, Miss Wang, would you like to stay for dinner?" Bai Qianshuang asked.
Wang Yanran stiffened.
She sensed the underlying message—this was a polite way of telling the guest to leave!
Recognizing the subtle hint, she immediately stood. "I still have things to do. I should go!"
"Oh? Alright," Bai Qianshuang nodded.
"Be careful on the road."
"Will do!"
Watching Wang Yanran hurry off, Bai Qianshuang tilted her head in confusion. "She didn’t seem in a rush earlier?"
"Who knows?" Ye Chuan replied.