Late at night.
The city was quiet, and everything was still.
In her hotel room, Ye Xi, who was sound asleep, seemed to sense something. Her deep blue eyes slowly opened as she scanned the room around her.
Her gaze quickly locked onto someone sitting directly in front of her.
A young man sat there, calmly sipping tea while silently observing her.
Their eyes met, and an odd silence settled over the room.
"You're awake?"
"Who are you?"
They both spoke at the same time.
Ye Xi watched him cautiously, while the young man simply continued examining her with interest.
Tsk tsk… I've only read about her in letters before.
Now that I see her in person, I realize every word in those letters was true.
What on earth did Grandfather feed her? She looks like a life-sized porcelain doll.
Only slightly less cute than I was as a child…
These thoughts flickered through the young man's mind, though he showed nothing on his face.
He was none other than Qian Renxue, currently disguised as Xue Qinghe. The face she wore was still that of the Crown Prince.
Who is this guy?
How did he get in here without making a sound?
Ye Xi narrowed her eyes at Qian Renxue and quietly released a bit of spiritual energy to probe her strength.
To her surprise, she sensed no soul power at all—this could only mean one of two things:
He was a normal person, not a soul master.
His strength far exceeded her own, enough to conceal all fluctuations.
Judging by the lack of disturbance in the room, Ye Xi quickly ruled out the first option.
Should I make a move just to test her?
Or maybe mess with her a little?
Both women were having similar thoughts.
At almost the same instant, both slipped a hand behind their backs. In Ye Xi's palm glowed a faint blood-red soul power, while Qian Renxue's shimmered with a pale gold.
Then, in a near-synchronized motion, both of them struck. The gusts of their attacks lifted each other's hair.
Qian Renxue easily blocked Ye Xi's strike, while her own attack stopped just before touching Ye Xi.
"Tsk. Only at the Grandmaster level, but the power you unleashed is almost on par with a Soul Sect."
Qian Renxue gave a small, appreciative remark and sat down casually on Ye Xi's bed.
"Who exactly are you?"
Ye Xi's expression grew serious, but she didn't strike again. Instead, she stared quietly at Qian Renxue.
"My name is Qian Renxue."
"Strictly speaking, you should call me 'big sister.'"
As she spoke, Qian Renxue waved a hand in front of her face, dispelling the illusion and revealing her true appearance.
Her long golden hair cascaded freely down her back. Her skin was fair as snow, her phoenix eyes slender and sharp, her features flawless—almost unnaturally perfect.
Though still dressed in men's clothing, her aura carried an elegant heroism.
"Sister…?"
Ye Xi called out tentatively, her tone uncertain.
"Mhm. It's our first time meeting, so I brought you a gift."
Qian Renxue reached out and playfully pinched Ye Xi's cheek, then snapped her fingers.
The door to the room opened, and She Long and Ling Yuan entered together.
"Young Master."
"Second Miss."
Both of them bowed respectfully to Qian Renxue and Ye Xi.
"Second Miss, this is a gift from the Young Master to you."
She Long placed an exquisitely crafted gift box in front of Ye Xi.
"You may leave us now. I'd like to spend some time alone with my sister."
Qian Renxue waved a hand, and the two quietly exited the room.
"Sister… wasn't this a bit much?"
Ye Xi glanced at the gift box, then at Qian Renxue, feeling a little embarrassed.
After all, it was their first time meeting. Qian Renxue had prepared a gift for her, but she had brought nothing in return.
"It's fine."
"Open it and see if you like it."
Qian Renxue waved off the concern and gestured for her to open the box.
Ye Xi carefully opened it—and inside was a beautifully crafted hairpin. Just one glance told her it was extremely valuable.
"Well? Do you like it?"
"It's made from a very rare and warm piece of jade."
Watching the sparkle in Ye Xi's eyes, Qian Renxue couldn't help but smile.
"I do."
Ye Xi nodded gently, her eyes fixed on the hairpin.
"As long as you like it."
Qian Renxue reached out to touch Ye Xi's hair—surprised at how soft it felt in her hand.
"Thank you, Sister."
"I didn't prepare anything for you…"
Ye Xi's voice grew a little shy.
"It's really not a problem."
"By the way, what brought you to Tiandou City all of a sudden?"
Qian Renxue stood and poured two cups of tea, handing one to Ye Xi.
"I came out for some training," Ye Xi replied naturally.
"I had some business in Tiandou City anyway, and I thought I'd see if there was anything I could help you with."
"Just didn't expect you to show up so soon."
That part was true—her plan had been to visit Tiandou City as part of her training, and maybe meet the sister she'd never seen before.
She hadn't expected Qian Renxue to arrive so quickly—after all, she had only just arrived in the city that same day.
"Business? Help me?"
"What kind of matter in Tiandou City requires you to handle it?"
"Still… you did help me. I was just about to write to the Hall of the Pope, asking them to transfer Yang Wushuang to me. Turns out, you brought him yourself."
Qian Renxue took a sip of tea, her tone tinged with amusement.
"Sister, what I'm handling is a secret for now—I can't tell you yet. But if you need Yang Wushuang, he can go with you."
Ye Xi gave her a mysterious smile, then asked,
"Sister, how's the situation progressing with the Tiandou Empire?"
A trace of curiosity shone in her blue eyes.
"Xue Qinghe is already Crown Prince. The second and third princes have been dealt with. Only the fourth prince, Xue Beng, remains. He was taken in by Prince Xue Xing."
"Xue Beng's a typical good-for-nothing. He won't affect my plans."
"As for Prince Xue Xing—he may have sensed something, but I've already covered the traces. He won't be a threat."
"The only issue is time. It might take ten years… maybe twenty."
Qian Renxue spoke while slowly walking over to the window. She gazed out into the starry night sky, her eyes reflecting some unreadable emotion—lost in thought.
Ye Xi, meanwhile, sat on the bed and tapped her fingers lightly on the headboard. Her deep blue eyes were filled with contemplation.
Neither of them spoke again.
The room fell into silence, broken only by the soft rhythmic tapping of Ye Xi's fingers.
As she recalled the storyline of the original work, her eyes gradually lit up with a faint glow.
(End of Chapter)
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