On the other side of the city—
Chen Mo soared directly from the Nalan Estate to the Mitre Family Manor.
The shadows hidden throughout the estate stirred briefly, but the moment they saw who it was, they immediately retreated back into the dark.
Within a cave under a small hill, the Amethyst Winged Lion King, who was hiding from the rain, lifted its massive head. A moment later, it lowered it again.
Its cub, who had just woken up, sensed something and was about to let out a roar, but before it could, the Lion King smacked it unconscious with one paw.
After personally witnessing Chen Mo slaughter four Dou Zongs and crush a peak Dou Huang like an ant, the Amethyst Winged Lion King only wanted to cling to Chen Mo's thigh as tightly as possible.
It no longer felt that being his mount was anything shameful at all.
The night rain fell in a soft drizzle, but before a single drop could land on Chen Mo, the water vaporized instantly—burned away by the Dou Qi that constantly surrounded him.
Entering the manor, Chen Mo looked around briefly before walking straight toward the end of the corridor. He stopped before a certain room—the one belonging to Ya Fei.
He tilted his head slightly, listening. A faint breathing sound came from inside.
The room was pitch-dark. Chen Mo could only rely on the weak moonlight filtering in through the window as he approached the bed.
Lifting the curtain, he could vaguely make out the silhouette of a woman lying there.
Chen Mo leaned down and kissed her.
"Mmph—!"
"It's me," Chen Mo murmured, cutting off Ya Fei's impending scream with his lips.
Hearing that familiar voice, Ya Fei's resistance weakened. She turned her face aside, anger and grievance lacing her tone.
"You heartless man! You still remember to come back?"
Chen Mo froze for a moment, his movements stopping as confusion flickered in his eyes.
"My beloved consort, how have I become a heartless man now?"
"Hmph! You've clearly forgotten your old lover now that you've found someone new. You've been in the imperial capital for days, and only now do you remember me. And when you finally show up, you don't even greet me—just start bullying me right away."
Ya Fei slapped away his hand that was roaming near her chest, pushing his body off of hers.
"Didn't you hear that Yun Yun was gravely injured? She only just recovered these past two days. And the moment she did, I came here to see you at night."
Sensing the strong jealousy in her tone, Chen Mo quickly tried to comfort her.
Hearing that, some of the bitterness in Ya Fei's eyes faded. Though still a bit jealous, her worry for him outweighed it. Now that he was in front of her, she couldn't help but ask softly:
"I heard you passed out that day. How are you now?"
Chen Mo scooped Ya Fei into his arms, letting her rest horizontally against his chest. He then caught one of her delicate feet in his palm and began to massage it.
"I've mostly recovered. But to return to my peak condition… it'll take a bit more time."
Ya Fei sighed in relief, trying to suppress the ticklish feeling at her foot.
"I've prepared some medicinal ingredients to help you recover. I'll bring them to you tomorrow morning."
Chen Mo nodded, then suddenly remembered something.
"I heard you're now the head of the Mitre Family?"
"Mhm," Ya Fei replied proudly. "After I suggested merging the Mitre Family with your Shadow Pavilion, the Grand Elder insisted I take over as family head."
"So I've gained both the beauty and the fortune, huh?" Chen Mo said with a playful grin.
"'Both beauty and fortune'? Hmph, you've practically devoured everything I have." Ya Fei pouted and shot him a sharp glare.
Chen Mo narrowed his eyes slightly, gently laying her flat on the bed again before lowering himself over her.
"My dear consort… I'm starving."
The next morning.
The rain had stopped, and the skies were clear once more.
The uneven streets in the southern part of the imperial capital were filled with puddles.
A vendor stepped across one such puddle, splashing water around.
Cries from street hawkers echoed through the alleyways.
"Fresh dumplings here!"
"Hot steamed buns!"
"Boss, how much for the buns?"
"Three for one gold coin."
"What? So expensive? Only three for a gold coin?"
"These are made with meat from a Rank One Magical Beast—the Red Sun Beast! Mixed with my secret recipe, three for one gold coin is a bargain. My buns are from a century-old brand— even the princess herself—"
"I'll take six."
Chen Mo interrupted the vendor's boasting, placing two gold coins on the counter.
"Right away, sir! Six meat buns, here you go!"
Back at the manor, Chen Mo entered the room with a smile. Seeing Ya Fei still asleep, he walked over and pulled off her blanket.
"Lazy cat, wake up. The sun's already shining, and I bought you meat buns."