"So there are four teachers in Yuexuan now, including the two of us?"
Fu Ye raised a brow, slightly surprised.
Tang Yuehua nodded with a gentle smile. "Mm, since we don't have many students, it's manageable. I'm the founder, but my focus is on temperament training, speech, etiquette, and guqin. The other two teachers handle calligraphy, painting, and chess."
Fu Ye nodded in understanding. With her cultivation level at Soul Master rank, it made sense—her energy was limited.
"Then what about me?" He leaned in slightly, a playful glint in his eyes. "Will I be your little assistant, Sister Yuehua?"
Tang Yuehua's lips curved as she let out a soft chuckle.
"Yes, just a little follower," she teased, stretching lazily under the warm sunlight. Her delicate face radiated elegance and comfort. "It'll give me a chance to rest a little."
The corners of Fu Ye's lips lifted. He liked this version of her—relaxed, natural, glowing in the golden light.
"By the way," she turned toward him with curiosity in her eyes, "you haven't told me your level or martial soul yet. Is it okay to share it with your sister?"
That one word—sister—carried such softness that even Fu Ye's heart skipped a beat. A sweet, perfect little brother who called her that… What woman could resist?
After all, Tang Yuehua was still in her early twenties, a young lady with her own hidden yearning for sweet, tender love.
"I'm seventeen," Fu Ye replied casually. "My martial soul is a sword. My soul power… is alright, I guess."
He kept it vague. There was no need to expose the fact that he could probably flatten the entire continent if he wanted to.
"Seventeen?" Tang Yuehua's eyes widened in disbelief. From her perception, he looked at least twenty.
Fu Ye chuckled softly. "There's still half a year before I turn eighteen."
Soul power came with its own quirks. The stronger he grew, the more mature he appeared. He couldn't help it.
He tilted his head slightly. "But how old are you, Sister Yuehua? You look about my age."
Blunt as ever. But he didn't believe in beating around the bush—especially not with beautiful women.
Tang Yuehua, who was lying back on the sofa, shot him a sideways glare. "What kind of guy just asks a lady her age like that?"
Fu Ye laughed and, without warning, sat beside her. In one smooth motion, he reached out and took her soft hand, threading his fingers through hers and lifting it before her face.
"Sister Yuehua has beautiful hands," he said with a grin, admiring them openly. "They look like mine. I'd say you're just eighteen, no?"
His movements were fluid and confident, leaving Tang Yuehua stunned and flustered. He was bold—but not too bold.
And unbeknownst to her, her system pinged softly:
> [Tang Yuehua: Favorability +55% – "We are good friends."]
Without a spark of attraction, she never would've invited him to Yuexuan to begin with. Did people really think his absurdly high charisma and flawless temperament were for nothing?
Before she could reply, Fu Ye gently released her hand and laid her palm open again.
"Sister Yuehua, see this line? That's your career line—straight and strong, just like how you built Yuexuan from the ground up."
He didn't really know palm reading, but he knew how to keep a conversation flowing.
Tang Yuehua sat at 1.73 meters. Fu Ye stood tall at 1.85. In his eyes, she was the little one.
"What about this long one here?" she asked with genuine curiosity.
"That's your lifeline," he answered with a soft smile. "It means you'll live a long, fulfilling life."
As they talked, his right hand casually moved to her shoulder, resting there gently without her noticing.
He knew how to chase a woman: timing, proximity, and confidence. Not brute force. Not money. Those were too shallow.
They chatted for what felt like hours—sharing laughter, secrets, and sorrows.
Tang Yuehua even told him things she'd never shared with anyone else. Her heart had long been under lock and key, but now, it cracked open ever so slightly.
Unconsciously, Fu Ye ended up holding her. Their closeness didn't cross the line, but they hovered delicately near it.
He rested his head lightly on her shoulder, and her cheeks turned crimson.
But Fu Ye didn't push further—no kisses, no declarations. Just soft whispers, playful cheek pinches, and a few sweet nothings that made her heart flutter.
Of course, not every man could pull this off. If he had been plain or awkward, she would've summoned Yuexuan's guards in seconds. Tang Yuehua, though gentle, was still the pride of the Heaven Dou Empire and a noble of the world's strongest sect.
As the sun dipped low in the sky, painting everything in gold, Fu Ye knew it was time to leave.
But not before one last tease.
"Fu Ye, what level are you really?" Yuehua asked suddenly, voice soft.
Her cheeks were still warm, and she couldn't explain why her heart beat so fast. Somehow, she had let him hold her and talk for so long...
Fu Ye raised a brow, grinning. "Sister Yuehua, isn't it rude to ask a man his soul power level like that?"
She turned her face away in mock irritation.
But Fu Ye wasn't done. Still holding her, he gently turned her chin back with his fingers, tilting her face toward him.
Their eyes met. Her lashes trembled.
And then… his face slowly moved closer.
In her mind, two little versions of herself started arguing.
White Yuehua: "No! He's so much younger than me—this isn't right!"
Black Yuehua: "So what? Age is just a number. Go for it!"
White Yuehua: "But what if—"
Black Yuehua: "No 'but'! We're having sweet love today. Move aside, pure one!"
Tang Yuehua's heart raced wildly. Her face burned red. Without thinking, she shut her eyes tightly, bracing for…
A kiss?
No.
"Sister Yuehua, why are your eyes closed?" Fu Ye chuckled. "Relax, I was just getting that little strand of hair off your cheek."
> [Tang Yuehua: Favorability +69% – Blushing]
---