Act according to my expression... What, you don't get it

Perhaps it was because her mood was particularly good today, or perhaps it was Yanyun's selfless devotion to her master that moved her. Bai Xuanling first glanced at Xie Lingyu, pondered briefly, and then, in an uncharacteristically generous mood, refrained from making things difficult:

"You may come in, but if you dare put on airs here..."

Lv Xuan brightened at her words, finally daring to lead Yanyun into the courtyard as he replied,

"What airs could I possibly have? Even if I did, you’ve long since dismantled them all."

Bai Xuanling then turned her gaze to Chu Xingchen, her tone carrying a hint of apology:

"Then I’ll trouble you to accommodate two more. But let things proceed as they always have—these two wouldn’t dare hold a grudge."

Seeing Bai Xuanling make a rare request, and considering it was no great inconvenience, Chu Xingchen agreed.

After all, they were here to play games, not to fight.

If these two didn’t enjoy the games, they could always be sent to sip tea on the side.

As Yanyun stepped into the courtyard, her eyes immediately sought out Xie Lingyu. After a moment, she offered a faint smile and congratulated her:

"Congratulations to Junior Sister Xie for also reaching the Nascent Soul realm."

Xie Lingyu nodded lightly. "I’m late to the milestone. How embarrassing."

"That’s not what I meant..." Yanyun began to explain but ultimately held back, only managing an awkward chuckle.

Chen Baiqing’s gaze swept over the two, faintly sensing something amiss.

She then glanced at Qinghe, whose emotions were always written plainly on her face—unlike their master, who wore a perpetual smile, making his thoughts inscrutable.

As expected, Qinghe eyed Yanyun with slight wariness, clearly unenthused by her presence.

Chen Baiqing instantly confirmed that Senior Aunt Xie and this so-called Yanyun shared an unpleasant history—one where Xie Lingyu had come out the worse.

Her eyes darted to her master, only to find his gaze already fixed on her eldest senior sister.

From this angle, Chen Baiqing couldn’t see her master’s expression, but she could see her eldest sister’s—she shot him a look that said, Leave it to me.

Indeed… if it concerned their master, nothing escaped his notice.

Chu Xingchen, sensing Chen Baiqing’s stare, turned to her and returned a silent message: Restrain yourself.

To Chu Xingchen, Chen Baiqing would always be his warm, dependable little quilt—unlike Li Yingling, who was reliably drafty, or Xing Tian, who was reliably absent.

Yet he also knew that no matter how adorable, devoted, or comforting Chen Baiqing appeared before him, it didn’t change the fact that despite her youth, she had a reliably cunning streak.

After all, on multiple occasions when Chu Xingchen had sought her out for casual conversation—hoping to gently steer her toward kindness and virtue—he’d instead found her manipulating fish into roasting themselves.

Witnessing such a scene, even Chu Xingchen had briefly questioned reality.

He’d thought letting fish grill themselves was already absurd enough, but this? This was evolution.

Truly baffling…

In the end, Chu Xingchen adopted the same approach as Xing Tian: pretending he saw nothing before turning away.

Chen Baiqing pressed her lips together. Though unsure whether her master had misjudged her, she still nodded lightly in acknowledgment.

Whatever her master said, she would obey.

"Then let’s play a few simple games. With so many people…" Chu Xingchen’s gaze shifted to Li Yingling.

Without hesitation, Li Yingling retrieved a full Monopoly set from her spatial ring, along with a brand-new, unopened deck of penalty cards.

The penalties ranged from cringeworthy lines and performances to borrowing items and abstract dares—each toeing the line of acceptability without quite crossing it.

The kind where refusing to comply would make one seem like a sore loser, yet none were outright unbearable.

Harsh, but not too harsh.

Li Yingling slapped the oversized Monopoly board onto the ground. "Since you two are new, I’ll explain the rules!"

The rules weren’t complicated—even Qinghe grasped them after one explanation.

Let alone Yanyun, who had been groomed as the Tianyan Sect’s core disciple, or Lv Xuan, its current sect leader.

Both nodded in understanding.

But rules weren’t absolute.

Li Yingling brandished the penalty deck. "Since this is just for fun, penalties won’t involve spirit stones or anything serious—just lighthearted dares. Draw a card, do what it says. Nothing too embarrassing, I promise."

She placed the deck on the table and demonstratively drew one:

[Imitate a cat’s meow twice.]

Lv Xuan’s brow furrowed instantly at the sight.

The esteemed Tianyan Sect leader… meowing like a cat?!

Li Yingling flipped the card face-down and, noting his expression, offered kindly:

"Of course, since you and Senior Yanyun are new, if a penalty truly feels unbearable, you may redraw—then choose between the two."

"This privilege is exclusive to you two."

Exclusive privileges bred confidence—especially when they weren’t really privileges at all.

Choosing between two unpalatable options was worse than being forced to swallow one.

Yanyun skimmed the cards and asked, "May I see the penalties beforehand?"

"Of course… not. The fun lies in the unknown, doesn’t it?"

Li Yingling met her gaze evenly, utterly unflinching.

Yanyun conceded with a nod, though her eyes lingered on the unmarked card backs. Then she turned to Lv Xuan.

"Master, respecting elders and cherishing juniors—why don’t you go first?"

Lv Xuan cleared his throat. "This is a game for the young. You youngsters should play."

Though she’d expected this, Yanyun shot him another disappointed look.

"Afraid we’ll trap you?" Bai Xuanling scoffed. "Fine, I’ll join too."

Li Yingling’s eyes gleamed. "Since you’re both here, why not play? This round will include me, Aunt Xie, Senior Bai, little Baiqing, and you two."

"As for the referee… let’s leave that to my master."

"Though ‘referee’ just means overseeing the game. Penalties are drawn and performed by the players themselves."

After absorbing the rules, Lv Xuan understood Li Yingling’s message: We’ve tailored everything to favor you, even giving you privileges. What more could you want?

Moreover, Bai Xuanling herself was joining. With his cultivation, he’d detect any cheating under his nose.

He’d come voluntarily—backing out now would be shameful.

And besides, apart from Bai Xuanling, the players included a literal child… Surely it couldn’t get too outrageous with a kid involved, right?

After a brief internal struggle, Lv Xuan finally smiled and nodded.

"Very well. Let’s play a round or two."

Seeing her master relent, Yanyun felt marginally appeased—regardless of the outcome.

Qinghe, noticing the group finalizing, stood to join—eager to avenge Xie Lingyu—but was promptly yanked back by Cui Hao.

Qinghe cast a puzzled glance at Cui Hao.

Cui Hao's face remained mostly expressionless, but he offered a gentle smile as he explained,

"Too many people would make things chaotic."

Qinghe didn't grasp the underlying meaning of his words, but she recognized that particular expression on Cui Hao's face.

It was the same secretive look he wore when selling elixirs!

Could this be a trap?

Her eyes widened in sudden realization.

These people were truly cunning!

Her gaze then shifted to Chen Baiqing, who stood nearby with an innocent smile, ready to join the game.

"Go for it, Baiqing!" she encouraged.

Chen Baiqing turned her head and shot back a look that said, Don’t worry.

Unfortunately, Qinghe hadn’t yet mastered the art of reading subtle cues—a skill everyone else in the sect seemed to possess.

Her small face flickered with confusion.