Drizzle, drizzle—
As dawn broke over the Jia Ma Holy City, a fine autumn rain began to fall. The gray mist of early morning cloaked the streets, while the soft patter of raindrops against the eaves and windows filled the air with a tranquil rhythm. A faint, soothing fragrance mingled with the aroma of freshly cooked meat porridge within the quiet chamber.
"Huu~"
Chen Mo gently lifted a spoonful of porridge, blew on it, and carefully brought it to Yun Yun's lips.
Though still unconscious, Yun Yun's body reacted instinctively—her brows knit faintly, and her eyelashes trembled under the dim light.
The porridge Chen Mo had prepared was made with the flesh of a magical beast, boiled until smooth and thin for easier feeding. To restore her energy, he had even added a few drops of Amethyst Essence Source.
Sitting nearby on a round stool, Nalan Yanran watched as the young man tenderly fed her teacher, even wiping the porridge from her lips with a cloth. For reasons she couldn't quite explain, an inexplicable irritation welled up inside her. With her delicate brows furrowing, she finally spoke:
"When did you and Teacher get this close?"
Her tone carried confusion more than accusation. After all, she was almost always with Yun Yun—whether her teacher was meditating, cultivating, or even sparring with Chen Mo in the past, she had been there to witness it all.
So when had this happened? When had things developed to the point that her teacher would risk her life for him?
"I fell in love with Sister Yun Yun at first sight," Chen Mo replied with a faint smile.
"Tch." Nalan Yanran scoffed softly. Yes, Chen Mo was handsome, and there was indeed something magnetic about him—but her teacher wasn't the kind of woman to fall in love at first sight.
At least, she had never been.
"Then what about your relationship with Queen Medusa?" Nalan Yanran asked curiously, eyes narrowing slightly.
"She's my woman," Chen Mo answered calmly, without hesitation.
"You—you're two-timing them!" she blurted out, startled and indignant.
"Two-timing?" Chen Mo's voice was low and smooth as he continued feeding Yun Yun. "I don't see it that way."
"What do you mean you don't see it that way?! You said Queen Medusa is your woman, and yet you're this close with Teacher—how is that not two-timing?" Nalan Yanran snapped, her voice rising slightly.
Chen Mo stopped moving for a moment and turned his gaze toward her. His deep eyes locked onto hers.
"This doesn't concern you, does it? Why are you so angry?" he asked calmly.
Nalan Yanran's heart skipped a beat under that gaze. Flustered, she stammered, "O-of course it concerns me! Teacher is my master—betraying her feelings is unforgivable!"
Chen Mo frowned slightly. "Betray her feelings? How am I betraying her?"
"You already have Queen Medusa, and yet you're with Teacher too! Isn't that betrayal?"
"You really don't understand," Chen Mo said, his tone indifferent. "If I denied my bond with Medusa, that would be betrayal. Besides, in this world, isn't it normal for strong men to have multiple wives and concubines? Even your father has a few concubines, doesn't he? I'd think a young lady from a noble family like you would know that."
"You—!" Nalan Yanran's words caught in her throat. True, her father had officially married only her mother, but everyone knew he had other women in private… and her mother knew it too.
After a moment of silence, she muttered, "With Teacher's temperament, she'd never allow that…"
For some reason, her voice softened slightly, tinged with a strange, almost expectant tone.
Chen Mo didn't respond. Even he wasn't sure what Yun Yun would decide when she woke.
The room fell quiet.
After finishing the porridge, Chen Mo infused a bit of his Dou Qi into Yun Yun's body, helping to stabilize her condition. Then he stood and sat across from Nalan Yanran, speaking casually, "I heard you went to the Xiao Clan to annul your engagement?"
"How did you know that?" she asked, startled.
Though she was secretly pleased he cared enough to ask, her joy faded quickly. After all, she had rushed to dissolve that engagement because of him. Yet when she returned, she learned that he was tending to another woman with such tenderness—it stung more than she wanted to admit.
"It's big news. Anyone who asks around would hear about it," Chen Mo replied lightly. The information had come to him through his spirit connection to Mo Yan, along with other updates about the Jia Ma Empire.
However, something puzzled him—there had been no mention of a three-year agreement.
Seeing that he'd actually inquired about her, Nalan Yanran felt an unspoken warmth in her heart. Remembering how he'd earlier used the handkerchief she'd given him, most of her anger quietly dissipated.
"That engagement was arranged by our elders," she explained softly. "I never liked him, so I naturally had to end it."
"Did the other party say anything—like setting some kind of future challenge or agreement?" Chen Mo asked with interest.
The question carried an odd glint in his eyes. After all, the original conflict of Battle Through the Heavens began precisely because of that annulment.
He even recalled a popular saying from his previous life:
"If I had known this would happen, I would have personally presided over Nalan Yanran and Xiao Yan's wedding," joked Hun Tiandi.
"Hm?" Nalan Yanran tilted her head, not understanding his muttering. "The annulment went smoothly. I even offered a Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill as compensation."
"Oh." Chen Mo lost interest instantly.
For the next two days, he remained in Nalan Yanran's courtyard, resting by Yun Yun's bedside when tired, bickering idly with Nalan Yanran when bored.
Without realizing it, her feelings toward him quietly deepened.
Meanwhile, Yun Yun's pale complexion gradually regained its natural rosy hue. Though she hadn't yet awakened, Chen Mo could tell it would only be a matter of a day or two.
Soon, he would need to visit Ya Fei. He had been back in the imperial capital for days without seeing her—and she was surely upset.
Night fell.
The soft rain began once more, delicate as spring drizzle, whispering across the mansion grounds.
Within the small mountain courtyard, the Little Amethyst Winged Lion King whimpered softly toward its parent, still craving a taste of Chen Mo's blood.
The Amethyst Winged Lion King merely raised a paw and smacked the cub unconscious.
Inside the chamber, Ya Fei lay awake in the dark, the candlelight long extinguished.
She knew Chen Mo had returned to the capital—yet he hadn't come to see her.
A faint sorrow lingered in her expression as she muttered, "So he's already forgotten the old for the new… that heartless man."
With a sigh, she rolled over, closing her eyes. But even as sleep took her, her body seemed to remember his touch.
In her dream, she murmured softly, "Your Majesty… please… don't…"
Outside, the rain whispered against the windowpanes, blurring the sound of her faint, restless sighs.
Though the room was empty, Ya Fei's slender hands gripped the edge of her robe, her legs faintly shifting under the covers as if struggling against something unseen—forgetting entirely that she was alone in the room.
****
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