"Mother!" Yiren's cheeks flamed, a blush blooming across her skin like a rose in full bloom. "What are you doing here? And… why did you kiss him?"
"Darling," the Queen purred, her eyes sparkling with mischief, "we had a little agreement with Xuefeng. A wager, if you will. I simply came to collect my winnings." A delicate shrug, and the blame was artfully shifted to Xuefeng.
"Xuefeng?" Yiren's gaze turned to him, filled with a mixture of confusion. "A wager? What wager?"
Xuefeng rubbed the corner of his eye, his expression a mixture of apology and mischief. "You see, we just happened to wager on who would win one of the battles in the arena. If I won the bet, I would earn a hundred Fate Stones, but if I lost—" he paused with a conflicted gaze. "If I lost, she would be able to join us for tonight."