Punish You

Lan Xiaoke's words about "offering herself in marriage" seemed to stir something in Bai Qianshuang, but she hesitated and held back.

Had she mentioned this a few days ago? But back then, Ye Chuan had rejected her.

Because of that, Bai Qianshuang had made a heavenly oath to stay by Ye Chuan's side until his natural death—a way to repay his kindness toward her.

However, Ye Chuan had now become a Qi Refining cultivator, extending his lifespan by several decades.

But for cultivators, decades pass in the blink of an eye. Once Ye Chuan grew old, Bai Qianshuang would have to reconsider her plans—whether to continue living in this world or find a way back to the Tianxuan Continent.

Lost in thought, Bai Qianshuang silently took a bite of her steamed bun.

Delicious…

Ye Chuan glanced at Bai Qianshuang, who was engrossed in eating, then turned to Lan Xiaoke floating mid-air. "You two behave while I’m at school."

Bai Qianshuang nodded lightly, while Lan Xiaoke immediately stretched out her hand. "Hey, kid! You still haven’t helped me get a phone number!"

"I’ll get you one today. Stay home." Ye Chuan replied. Getting a SIM card was easy—he could stop by a phone store after school or even order one online.

"Oh." Lan Xiaoke muttered. She had nowhere else to go anyway, especially with that collar around her neck.

All because of that woman who’d given her electric shocks.

Like training a dog.

But having her own little room, playing games without lifting a finger—sounded pretty nice, didn’t it?

Heh, being a dog might not be so bad.

After breakfast, Ye Chuan left the house, leaving Lan Xiaoke and Bai Qianshuang staring awkwardly at each other.

Lan Xiaoke couldn’t shake the feeling that Bai Qianshuang harbored some ill will toward her. She floated in place for a moment before slinking back to her room like a guilty puppy. Though she couldn’t register an account to play games yet, she could still browse the web or watch videos.

Bai Qianshuang’s serene eyes followed Lan Xiaoke’s retreat. For some reason, she felt an inexplicable hostility toward the girl’s presence.

Lowering her gaze, she absentmindedly touched her chest.

Then, she stood and returned to her room to cultivate.

——

On his way to school, Ye Chuan noted the light schedule—only morning classes today.

The sky was a clear blue, the air crisp and fresh.

His steps slowed when he spotted a ponytailed girl standing near a steamed bun stall. Dressed in a simple uniform, she leaned slightly back on one foot, her snow-white legs straight and full of vitality.

"Hmph." Luo Xi turned away the moment she saw Ye Chuan, clearly displeased.

"What’s wrong, beauty?" Ye Chuan grinned.

"You jerk! Did you use me as material last night?" Luo Xi planted her hands on her hips, leaning forward with a pout. Despite her angry tone, she didn’t seem intimidating—more like she was sulking.

Last night?

Ye Chuan recalled awakening his Chaos Immortal Body but couldn’t remember doing anything strange. He raised an eyebrow. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Luo Xi scowled at his feigned ignorance. "Then why did you call me, all shaky and weird?"

"Oh…" Realization dawned on Ye Chuan, and he chuckled. "I was just scratching my butt. Why’d you think that? Have you done it before?"

"…" Luo Xi stiffened, then inhaled sharply, forcing a stern expression. "No. Of course not." But her voice grew smaller, betraying her lack of conviction.

"Really?" Ye Chuan didn’t press further. Instead, he pulled a small packet from his pocket. "Here. This is my family’s secret remedy."

It was crushed deer blood pills mixed with some banlangen to make it look like traditional Chinese medicine.

"You got better after taking this?" Luo Xi studied Ye Chuan’s face—his complexion was healthy and glowing. Her bright eyes flickered with curiosity.

Could this medicine really work?

She saw Ye Chuan almost daily, and his improvement was undeniable. There had to be some effect.

"Absolutely works." Ye Chuan nodded firmly. "You should definitely try it."

Convinced, Luo Xi carefully tucked the paper-wrapped medicine into her pocket. She’d take it home for her mother to try after school.

"Beauty Luo, do you know where this medicine came from?" Noticing her slight smile, Ye Chuan seized the moment to ask.

"Where?" Luo Xi tilted her head.

"Turns out my grandpa left me an inheritance—lots of money and some… miscellaneous stuff." Ye Chuan coughed lightly.

Luo Xi blinked, not quite following.

An inheritance?

"Didn't his grandfather die a long time ago? If there really was an inheritance, how could Chuanchuan have been so poor all these years?"

"Right, the inheritance was only given to me after I came of age. The hard times before that were meant to temper my character." Ye Chuan began spinning his tale with a serious expression—otherwise, no one would believe his sudden increase in spending was just rent money from tenants.

Not even the gullible Lan Xiaoke would buy that.

Though he didn’t want to lie to Luo Xi, some things still needed to be kept under wraps.

"Really? That’s great!" Luo Xi seemed genuinely happy. "You should save up properly then. Maybe you can buy a nice apartment in the city someday?"

She didn’t pry into how much Ye Chuan had inherited, simply rejoicing sincerely for him.

"Why buy an apartment? It’s not like I don’t have a place to live," Ye Chuan said, pausing briefly before adding, "Just renovating the old house would be enough."

"But don’t you need a car and a house to get married these days? Chuanchuan, if you ever start dating seriously, you’ll need a proper home. Apartments in the city go for thirty thousand per square meter, you know." Luo Xi’s thoughts drifted far ahead as she murmured.

"Even if I marry you, I’d still need a car and a house?" Ye Chuan teased.

"Of course not! Living here is just fine—I’m already used to it." Luo Xi replied instinctively before freezing for a second.

She suddenly punched Ye Chuan’s arm, her expression playful yet feigning annoyance.

"What, got your eye on me now?"

"I’ll consider it if I can’t find anyone else," Ye Chuan said, his smile deepening, dark eyes glinting with amusement. "After all, no need to buy a car or house."

"Making me sound cheap, huh? Punishment—treat me to bubble tea!" Luo Xi huffed.

"Alright~ Let’s go, beauty Luo." Ye Chuan tugged at her ponytail.

"Hey, wait for me!"

"Oh, and do you want this baozi? I can’t finish it."

"No… actually, fine, give me a bite."