Chapter 278: Groomed from a Young Age
The City Lord's Mansion was enormous, practically the size of a small city, with countless buildings, gardens, and pavilions, making it quite difficult to manage. Searching for someone in such a vast estate was no easy task.
Fortunately, with the advancement of soul tools, communication technology had also evolved, and now, even mobile phones were a common feature among White Cloud City's high ranking officials.
As the mansion's stewardesses, the quintuplet maids naturally had their own phones. Zhu Zhuqing also had their contact information.
She could have called Ye Cheng directly, but she wasn't looking to speak to him just yet.
What she really wanted to know was:
Who exactly was this "Miss Alan"?
Asking Ye Cheng about it directly would be far too awkward.
And as his disciple, it wasn't her place to question his personal affairs.
So, she decided to get her answers from someone else.
Retrieving her phone, she opened her contact list.
Looking at the names of the five sisters, she thought for a moment and then sent a message to Yotsuba.
As the fourth born of the quintuplets, Yotsuba was the easiest to talk to, and Zhu Zhuqing got along best with her.
A few moments later, a cheerful girl with short, reddish pink hair came skipping toward her.
The quintuplets were identical, so to distinguish themselves, they each had different hairstyles.
Yotsuba, the fourth sister, sported shoulder length hair with a ribbon tied into bunny ear loops, complementing her bright, sunny smile resembling an energetic little rabbit.
"Zhuqing~"
Even from a distance, Yotsuba waved enthusiastically, then jogged over to her.
"Did you need something?" she asked curiously.
Zhu Zhuqing got straight to the point.
"I want to ask you about this 'Miss Alan' who's been around lately. What's the story with her?"
Since their relationship was good, there was no need for small talk.
"Miss Alan, huh…"
Yotsuba tapped her chin thoughtfully before answering.
"I don't know much either. All I know is that the Master brought her back, and she's extremely attached to him. She even lives close to him. But what's really odd about her is…"
"Odd? In what way?" Zhu Zhuqing's expression shifted slightly, her curiosity piqued.
"Well… despite looking like a mature woman, she sometimes acts like a clueless little girl."
Yotsuba frowned, as if searching for the right words.
"She's strangely naive about a lot of things."
"Master has been keeping her by his side lately, always teaching her things almost like…"
Yotsuba suddenly paused, as if having an epiphany.
"Ah! It's just like how a father teaches his daughter!"
Then, with an exaggerated gasp, she exclaimed,
"Wait! Do you think she could be Master's illegitimate daughter?!"
"Illegitimate daughter?!"
Zhu Zhuqing was speechless at this wild guess.
But before she could refute it, Yotsuba immediately shook her head.
"No, no! Not an illegitimate daughter… A child bride would make more sense!"
"A CHILD BRIDE?!!"
Zhu Zhuqing froze, her entire body stiffening.
She was very familiar with this concept.
In Star Luo Empire, it was common for nobles to scour the land for young, talented, and beautiful girls to groom from childhood molding them into perfect wives or concubines.
It was a widely accepted practice among wealthy aristocrats.
But she never imagined that one day, her own revered teacher might do the same thing!
…Wait.
By that logic… wouldn't she fit the role of a child bride even more?!
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, her face turned bright red.
"Huh? Zhuqing, why's your face so red?" Yotsuba asked in surprise.
Before Zhu Zhuqing could answer, a sudden ringing sound interrupted them it was Yotsuba's phone.
Glancing at the screen, she saw a message from her sisters.
"Oh! Master and Miss Alan just returned."
"Teacher is back?"
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing immediately pushed aside her embarrassment.
Right now, she only had one thing on her mind
She needed to see this "Miss Alan" with her own eyes!
At the City Lord's Mansion
Ye Cheng leisurely walked into the estate, his hand gently holding Alan's.
Recently, he had been taking her out often, guiding her through the outside world.
Of course, both of them were disguised, as his fame had reached a point where he could be recognized anywhere.
Having too much fame was not a good thing even a simple stroll could turn into a public spectacle.
To avoid unwanted attention, Ye Cheng always altered his appearance when going out.
Naturally, Alan was also masked by an illusion, making her look completely unremarkable.
In many ways, Alan was like a child newly born, with no understanding of the world.
Ye Cheng took on the role of a father, guiding her through life's experiences.
It was… an interesting experience.
Despite her innocence, the contract between them had granted her basic knowledge, allowing her to behave normally.
But her occasional childlike wonder made her stand out.
Upon returning to the mansion, Ye Cheng led Alan to the garden pavilion to rest.
Surrounded by artificial lakes, elegant rock formations, and rare exotic flowers, the garden was a perfect retreat.
They sat in the stone gazebo, and Alan casually picked up a bowl of fish food, tossing it into the lake.
The colorful koi fish eagerly swarmed the water's surface, competing for food.
Alan watched with fascination, completely absorbed in the sight.
Ye Cheng, meanwhile, simply sat beside her, watching over her fondly, much like a father admiring his daughter's joy.
However, in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, this scene looked completely different.
A man and a woman, sitting intimately together in a picturesque pavilion.
The woman, breathtakingly beautiful, exuded elegance and grace so much so that even feeding fish seemed ethereal.
Even Zhu Zhuqing herself felt a tinge of inferiority just looking at her.
Her aura was simply too refined.
Beside her sat Ye Cheng, dressed in flawless white, exuding otherworldly charm.
His gentle smile, his warm gaze, and the way he watched Alan with deep affection
It was a scene of pure harmony.
A perfect match.
Zhu Zhuqing suddenly felt like an outsider.
She wasn't even sure if she had the right to approach them.
For the first time, she hesitated.
She felt like if she stepped forward, she would be intruding on something…
Something sacred.
(End of Chapter)
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