Ye Qian's voice rang in Yue Ming's ears.
Though the words carried an undeniable dominance, warmth bloomed unexpectedly in Yue Ming's chest.
"Yes, Young Master!"
Yue Ming nodded, the motion firm and resolute.
She'd discovered something peculiar—Ye Qian wasn't nearly as insufferable as she'd believed.
Her earlier disgust had been nothing more than prejudice, assumptions formed before she'd truly known him.
Through weeks of observation, though, the reality had shifted.
Ye Qian wasn't the villain her preconceptions had painted. Serving him no longer felt like a burden she'd been forced to bear.
…
Beside Yun Yao, Yun Xi stood watching Ye Qian with an intensity she couldn't quite suppress.
The matter of his three personal maids still pricked at her.
She understood perfectly well what 'personal maid' actually meant—their master could ravage them without restraint, and no one would bat an eye at such treatment.
Her gaze traced Ye Qian's profile, and heat flooded her face.
Memories surfaced unbidden—childhood days spent playing together, her laughter echoing through the Ye Family courtyards.
After leaving for her sect, she'd buried those moments deep, channeling everything into cultivation instead.
The technique she practiced had reshaped her.
It gave others the impression of someone cold and unapproachable, forever maintaining distance.
Only around those closest to her did cracks appear in that icy facade, allowing the barest glimpses of emotion. Even then, such moments were rare.
Yet seeing Ye Qian again ignited something dormant.
Her heart—that organ she'd thought frozen solid—burned now, its rhythm accelerating beyond her control.
The change startled her, but it also crystallized a truth she'd been avoiding.
Her feelings for her cousin ran deeper than blood.
The cultivation technique had trained her in aloofness, though, made it second nature.
Expressing such feelings directly? Impossible. Her pride wouldn't allow it.
Her jade-white fingers tightened involuntarily around the fabric of her robes.
Yun Yao caught the subtle gesture immediately.
A smile curved her lips.
So Yun Xi has thoughts about Qian'er. That's jealousy if I've ever seen it.
Perhaps I truly can bring them together…
The idea had occurred to her before. She'd even broached the subject with the previous Ye Qian—the boy who'd existed before the Qi Deviation changed everything.
Unfortunately, young Ye Qian had spent his childhood being thoroughly trounced by his cousin. Fear had taken root, and when Yun Yao suggested a match between them, he'd rejected it without a moment's hesitation.
She'd considered pressing the issue, using her authority as his mother to reshape his thinking.
In the end, though, she'd abandoned the effort. Restraining Ye Qian with her position felt wrong, manipulative in ways she couldn't stomach.
But now, watching Yun Xi's barely concealed yearning, hope stirred.
Moreover, since recovering from his Qi Deviation, Ye Qian had transformed. His personality had shifted dramatically, opening possibilities that hadn't existed before.
A plan formed in Yun Yao's mind. Once the banquet concluded, she would corner Yun Xi privately. Probe her true feelings.
If the girl's heart aligned with what those small gestures suggested, then Yun Yao would gladly orchestrate their union.
Some distance away, Ye Qian remained blissfully unaware that his mother had already begun scheming to formally pair him with Yun Xi.
Had he known, he would have laughed heartily in approval.
This fairy‑like cousin of his was someone he had no intention of letting slip from his grasp.
Yun Xi's beauty was breathtaking, her figure elegant and refined. Her personality aligned perfectly with his tastes, and her background spoke for itself.
In nearly every respect, she stood on equal footing with Yue Ming.
Though, in the future, she might fall short in cultivation and sheer potential, for now she was even stronger.
Yesterday, Ye Qian hadn't paid proper attention—he'd focused entirely on investigating Li Luo's information, neglecting to examine his cousin thoroughly.
Just moments ago, though, while scanning for Children of Destiny, he'd stumbled across a revelation.
Though Yun Xi wasn't a Daughter of Heaven herself, she represented a crucial character who would intersect repeatedly with a Child of Destiny's path.
Her Luck Value had reached six thousand.
Not comparable to Yue Ming's, certainly, but substantial nonetheless.
[Name]: Yun Xi
[Age]: 20
[Identity]: Young Miss of the Yun Family, True Disciple of the Moon Essence Palace Master
[Cultivation]: Enlightenment Realm Late Stage
[Physique]: Nine Yin Profound Body
[Cultivation Technique]: Moon Essence Profound Art, Ice Soul Divine Record, Ice Soul Sword Art
[Magic Treasure]: Polar Severance (Divine Artifact)
[Luck Value]: 6000
[Affection]: 70
[Introduction]: Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, Yun Xi never lacked for anything, and so had access to the finest resources.
Once it was discovered that she possessed the Nine Yin Profound Body, she was given the perfectly compatible Moon Essence Profound Art to cultivate.
Her talent with this technique was so extraordinary that she was sent to the Moon Essence Palace as a child and became the True Disciple of its Palace Master.
In the future, she will become entangled in the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty's succession struggle. There, she'll fall in love with the Child of Destiny—Li Fei, the Second Prince.
Their affection will be mutual and deep.
After Li Fei seizes the throne and controls the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty, he'll become mortal enemies with the Yun Family.
Yun Xi will be trapped between the two forces, desperately attempting to prevent war.
During the final battle between the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty and the Yun Family, she'll be struck down accidentally and die.
Her death will devastate Li Fei, intensifying the conflict exponentially. The war will escalate beyond all reason, becoming endless and consuming.
…
Ye Qian's expression flickered as he absorbed Yun Xi's destined fate.
He hadn't expected such a tragic end for his cousin. With Luck Value that substantial, she should have been classified as a Daughter of Heaven.
Yet the System had still predicted her death.
Now that he'd transmigrated into this world, however, he would never allow such an outcome.
To let a goddess like her be wasted as nothing more than a tragic love interest for the hero would be an insult.
It was far better to have her serve him instead.
Wife, concubine, maid, slave, or lover—none of it mattered to Ye Qian.
In the end, no matter which title they bore, the women in his harem would all share the same fate and be held to the same standard.
Ye Qian steadied himself and addressed the System mentally.
"System, what's this Affection statistic? I haven't encountered it before."
His previous investigations hadn't revealed anything about Affection values. Had the System upgraded itself somehow?
[Ding! Master, because Xia He and the others are servants, their status shows Loyalty. Yun Xi's identity is different—she owes you no fealty, so Affection is recorded instead. Note: Affection applies only to female characters.]
[Affection below 30 indicates a mere acquaintance. 30 to 60 reflects familiarity. 60 to 70 shows a favorable impression. 70 to 80 marks budding affection.
80 to 85 means falling in love. 85 to 90 represents a spiritual connection. 90 to 95 indicates devotion stronger than any bond. Above 95 means love unto death.]
[When a high-Luck character's Affection reaches above 80, the Master receives corresponding rewards for each subsequent milestone.]
After absorbing the System's explanation, understanding crystallized.
Yue Ming displayed Loyalty because her role as personal maid placed her in a servant category.
What shocked him was discovering his cousin's Affection had already reached seventy points.
With minimal effort, developing their relationship into something romantic seemed... entirely achievable.
Wait.
A realization struck him like lightning.
Could it be… that I can now intercept the Child of Destiny, Li Fei?