"Father."
At that moment, Xiao Yan walked into the main hall.
Xiao Xun'er looked over at him, and Xiao Yan also met her gaze. Their eyes locked for a brief moment.
Soon, Xiao Xun'er averted her eyes.
But Xiao Yan kept staring at her, thinking to himself:
"Damn, what an adorable little loli… I'm in love.""What do I do now? Help. Urgent."
"Yan'er, this is your little sister Xun'er," Xiao Zhan introduced.
"Oh."
"Nice to meet you, Xun'er. I'm Xiao Yan. From now on, I'll protect you. As long as I'm around, no one in the Xiao Clan will dare bully you." Xiao Yan said with a confident grin.
"Thank you, Brother Xiao Yan," Xun'er replied sweetly.
Though...
She didn't particularly like this goofy-looking Xiao Yan, he was at least better than those other brainless blockheads in the clan. She didn't find him repulsive.
Since she'd be starting her undercover life here, building a good relationship with this little fool wasn't a bad idea.
"That voice… I think I'm in love."
Xiao Yan melted inside upon hearing her gentle, bell-like voice.Yes—this was the feeling he had been waiting for.
That night.
In Xiao Xun'er's room.
She lay on her bed and took out the divine artifact that Hun Xiu had given her, hidden in the ring she wore around her neck.
Staring at the object, she whispered:
"Brother Hun Xiu… You said you'd come for me. When will you come?""Xun'er really misses you."
As she spoke, her eyes welled up. Her nose tingled with grievance, and tears shimmered on the edge of her lashes.
Just then—
"Huh?"
She heard a soft sound from outside.
Tightening her grip on the artifact, she sat up abruptly. Her little face hardened with resolve—not a hint of fear.
Silently, she tiptoed off the bed, clutching the divine artifact Hun Xiu had given her.
Creak—
The door opened.
A small figure crept into the room, fumbling in the darkness toward the bed.
"A thief?"
Xun'er blinked. This figure was about the same size as her—way too small to be a real thief.
Still, she hardened her heart and thought:
"Thief or not, you dared to sneak into this young lady's room. You're finished."
While the figure tiptoed toward the bed, Xiao Xun'er silently trailed behind, holding the artifact like a weapon.
Her plan?
Confiscate the "thief's" tools and teach them a lesson:No one sneaks into Xiao Xun'er's room and gets away clean.
"Xun'er, you're so frail. Sleeping alone must be really cold!"
Xiao Yan whispered softly as he climbed onto the bed, reaching out to hug her.
But—The bed was empty.
"Huh? Where is she?"
He blinked in confusion.
But at that exact moment—he felt a chill shoot up his legs.Something sharp was flying toward him.
He twisted to dodge—barely escaping a direct hit—But his pants weren't so lucky. A huge hole had just been snipped open.
"Scissors?!" Xiao Yan yelped, grabbing the tear in horror.
"Thief! How dare you sneak into this young lady's room!" Xun'er shouted, holding the scissors confidently.
With that, she lunged for another strike. Though she missed again, she didn't seem discouraged in the slightest.
"Crap. I've been caught!"
Even someone as dense as Xiao Yan realized what was happening. He bolted.
Creak—
The door flung open as Xiao Yan fled without looking back, terrified of getting caught.
He glanced at the gaping hole in his pants and shuddered.
"If I get caught now, I'm done. That won't just be a broken pair of pants—it'll be the end of me!"
Back in Xun'er's room...
Her eyes flickered with golden flame, and in the blink of an eye, every candle in the room ignited.
The room brightened instantly.
She stowed the artifact away, crossed her arms, and called out in a crisp, angry voice:
"Uncle Ling!"
Swoosh—
A figure in black robes, Ling Ying, appeared and knelt down on one knee.
"Miss."
"Uncle Ling," Xun'er said, her cheeks puffed in anger,"Why did a little thief manage to sneak into my room? Aren't you supposed to be protecting me?"
"I..."
Ling Ying broke out in a cold sweat. He didn't even dare lift his head.
Just moments ago, for some bizarre reason—he had fallen asleep.Yes, a Dou Huang-level expert—actually fell asleep while on duty.
That's how the little thief managed to sneak in undetected.
If anything had happened to Xiao Xun'er...
He'd be dead.Not just him—his entire family line would be done for.
If it weren't for Xun'er's shout, he'd still be asleep right now.
He couldn't comprehend it.
Why had he suddenly fallen asleep?Something like that should never happen to someone like him.
[Xiao Yan: Bet you didn't expect this! I'm the protagonist. This is what they call the protagonist's aura. You'll never understand. Ever.]
"This subordinate is guilty," Ling Ying murmured, drenched in cold sweat, still bowing low.
He was utterly terrified.
This cute little girl in front of him... would one day become the leader of the Gu Clan, one of the strongest powers on the continent.
"Hmph."
Xun'er huffed, still annoyed.
Thankfully, she hadn't fallen asleep yet.If she had, who knows what that little pervert would've done?
Fortunately, nothing had happened.
"Uncle Ling, did you see the thief's face?" she asked.
"This subordinate is useless," Ling Ying answered, ashamed.
"Fine..."
Xun'er sighed. Her tiny face filled with frustration.
"You may go now. But this is the first and last time. It won't happen again."
"Yes, Miss!"
Ling Ying exhaled in relief as if he had just received a royal pardon.
Swoosh—
His figure vanished once more into the shadows.
Xun'er pouted, puffing her cheeks in frustration.
She glanced at the piece of cloth she'd snipped off, and coldly muttered:
"You better pray I never find out who you are. If I do, you're dead."
As her words fell, golden flame flickered in her eyes—and the fabric on the floor turned to ash.
Meanwhile, in Xiao Yan's room...
"Whew…""Thank goodness I didn't get caught," Xiao Yan muttered in relief.
He felt a breeze around his groin and sighed in gratitude.
"Good thing I dodged it... Otherwise, my little mushroom would've been chopped off for sure."