Ye Xinghan smiled when he heard Ume's words.
Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief as well. They were afraid their earlier reactions might have irked her.
Ye Zong smiled and nodded at her, then turned to Ye Xinghan. "Xinghan, can you take her out of the room for a while? We need to discuss some matters. Don't worry, we won't disappoint her again."
Ye Xinghan beckoned Ume to follow him.
They both stood next to each other outside the room in silence when Ume suddenly whispered, "Thank you."
"What for?" Ye Xinghan raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
'For everything,' Ume thought but only said aloud, "Nothing. I just wanted to thank you."
Ye Xinghan looked at her, confused, and shook his head. "To be honest, I haven't done anything particularly difficult. So you don't need to worry about anything. I just hope you'll do your best from now on."
"You can count on me!" Ume said, giggling, her eyes squinting as she patted her chest.
Any boy who saw her profile at that moment would have been bewitched by her beauty. She rarely laughed, but when she did, she lit up the world around her with her smile. Unfortunately, Ye Xinghan, being much older, only saw her as a little sister, devoid of any romantic thoughts. He had never expected that the infamous Daki of the Upper Moon was actually naive and somewhat of an airhead, no different from any other girl.
'I wish you to have a lot of fun from now on, unlike your original self,' Ye Xinghan thought.
"Feel free to ask me anything," Ye Xinghan said to her, considering her previous imprisonment might have left her lacking in common sense.
"Oh, is that an offer?" Ume replied with a grin.
"Offer? What offer?" Ye Xinghan was puzzled by her train of thought.
Before Ume could reply, they heard Ye Zong's voice calling them back inside.
---
This time, when Ume faced the highest-ranking Elders, she was not as fearful as before. The previous banter with Ye Xinghan had calmed her significantly.
"Little niece Ume, we welcome you to our Snow Wind Family. I'll skip the pleasantries and get straight to our discussion outcomes," Ye Zong began solemnly.
"First, you will temporarily live with Ye Xiao's family since you're more familiar with them. Don't hesitate to make friends within the Snow Wind Family. If anyone dares to disturb you, just tell me, and I will bash their heads into oblivion, including Ye Xinghan."
Ye Xinghan twitched his eyes at the last sentence, but then Ume's happy laughter beside his ear made him lament, 'This girl has no conscience!'
"Second, you are welcome to join the Holy Orchid Institute, the best academy in Glory City. You will start in the Apprentice Class. We hope you strive for your best and make many friends. Your tuition is fully covered, so focus on your studies without worrying about work."
"Third, we will assign you a guardian, a female gold-ranked demon spiritualist."
"Fourth, you are allowed to practice any techniques owned by the Snow Wind Family. We'll also help you find a demon spirit that suits you if you manage to break through to Silver Rank."
"Fifth, you'll receive monthly pills and other resources. Don't worry about the cost; use them as you need. The Snow Wind Family won't go bankrupt over this."
'Smart!' Ye Xinghan thought. The offers were generous. Although the City Lord couldn't control her openly, these benefits would make it hard for her to refuse any family requests due to gratitude. 'These offers would make even the direct descendants drool! Plus, this will save my money since Ume will surely share many pills with Gyutarou. Hehehe.'
His thoughts were interrupted as Ye Zong continued, "And the last benefit we offer..."
"You will be personally guided in your cultivation by the guardian of Glory City."
"Legend Ranked Demon Spiritualist, Ye Mo!"