Chapter 204: The Ice Empress Joins the Family
A few hours later.
Ye Yunxi was just about to call Ye Chen and the others for dinner.
Before she could approach, she saw Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya dashing out of the cultivation room completely bare, running under the setting sun… fleeing straight back into their rooms.
"Ah… young people these days…"
Ye Yunxi's face turned scarlet, unable to keep watching.
This was far too bold.
At that moment, she finally understood why Ye Chen insisted she work at the Tang Sect.
Because the only ones allowed in here were Ye Chen's own "people."
No outsider could ever enter this place.
"Sigh, Nannan was such a good girl… how did she get led astray like this..." Ye Yunxi sighed softly, a little melancholy.
But she didn't regret it.
Though Ye Chen could be quite playful, as someone older, she could tell he sincerely cared for Jiang Nannan.
Moreover, given Ye Chen's background, talent, and cultivation—all at the top of the world—being with such a man was truly Jiang Nannan's blessing. As long as her daughter was happy, Ye Yunxi felt content.
As for herself…
She just needed to keep doing her job well.
Life here at the Tang Sect was countless times better than those dark days of illegal labor she had endured before.
One must learn contentment.
Now, she truly felt at peace—and if one day she had grandchildren, she could even help take care of them…
…
…
In the days that followed, Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan took leave from their academy duties to stay at the Tang Sect and accompany Ye Chen in cultivation.
After meals, in his free time, Ye Chen would bring the Ice Empress out for walks to build a closer bond—much like raising a pet, in a way.
Along the small river outside Shrek City, Ye Chen strolled while holding the Ice Empress's hand.
But today, her mood seemed off. With a candied hawthorn skewer in hand, her adorable face puffed up in irritation—clearly sulking.
Her sense of smell was still extremely sharp, and she had picked up the scent of Ye Chen's "hidden affairs"…
"Still mad?" Ye Chen asked helplessly.
"Hmph! You actually kept three women hidden away and didn't tell me! I was shut up alone in that dark room while you were out enjoying yourself every day! You're the worst!"
The Ice Empress glared indignantly, pouting in frustration.
Ye Chen had told her before that keeping her secluded was to avoid being discovered—for her own safety. She had actually believed him.
Only now did she realize he'd been keeping her hidden just to prevent her from finding out about his other affairs.
"Ahem, that's not what it looks like. I didn't want anyone to misunderstand. And besides, there are only two—Ye Yunxi doesn't count… don't say nonsense."
Ye Chen coughed awkwardly, trying to explain.
"Sooner or later, she will count."
The Ice Empress rolled her eyes, still pouting.
"Alright, alright. Then when we get back, I'll introduce you to them. I won't lock you up anymore, okay?"
Ye Chen squatted down and directly picked her up, letting her cling to him like a koala.
He could clearly hear the jealous tone in her voice.
Even though nothing overly intimate had happened between them, their soul connection made their bond grow stronger day by day—but the Ice Empress hadn't yet realized what that truly meant.
She didn't even recognize her own jealousy, only feeling an inexplicable annoyance in her chest.
"Really?" she asked softly, resting her chin on his shoulder while instinctively wrapping her arms around him.
Hearing his gentle tone, her mood immediately improved.
At least Ye Chen wasn't brushing her off—he genuinely cared.
"Of course. Before, I couldn't expose your identity as a soul spirit, but now it's fine. Sister Xiaoya and Sister Nannan are both on our side. It's safe to tell them about you."
He nodded earnestly.
As he spoke, his hand absentmindedly kneaded her soft little foot.
Because she was a soul spirit, she usually floated a few inches off the ground and rarely wore shoes, leaving her feet pristine—much to Ye Chen's convenience…
"Hmph, fine then! But don't ever lock me up again!" she huffed.
As for his small gestures, she was already used to them.
Ye Chen liked it, and she didn't really mind.
…
Night fell over Shrek City, lanterns lighting up thousands of homes.
To make up for her earlier sulking, Ye Chen had spent the whole day accompanying the Ice Empress before returning home.
Pushing open the courtyard gates, he was greeted by rising cooking smoke and the aroma of freshly prepared food.
It was clear Ye Yunxi and the girls were preparing dinner.
Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya had taken leave from school to rest and enjoy some leisure time together.
"Xiao Chen!"
"Ye Chen, you're back!"
Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan looked up at once, smiling brightly as they rose to greet him.
Ye Yunxi also set her things down with a gentle smile.
However, when their eyes passed over Ye Chen and fell upon the small figure beside him, the smiles froze into stunned disbelief.
It was a little girl, around twelve or thirteen years old.
She was quite short—barely reaching 1.5 meters, much smaller than Jiang Nannan.
Her long, mint-green hair was tied into twin ponytails that shimmered faintly like ice crystals under the light.
Her delicate face resembled that of a porcelain doll—pale, flawless skin that carried a faint chill, like the touch of ice and snow.
Yet, within her jade-green eyes, which should have held a noble glint, there was instead curiosity—and an almost imperceptible nervousness.
At that moment, the Ice Empress began to regret this. She was naturally a bit shy, and having all these people stare at her made her uneasy. Would living together like this be awkward now?
And from what she'd heard, human women could be quite fierce when it came to competing for affection… Would she be left out?
"Xiao Chen, this is…?" Tang Ya was the first to react, looking between Ye Chen and the girl in bewilderment.
Jiang Nannan's eyes widened, equally confused, while Ye Yunxi remained silent but visibly curious.
Ye Chen felt the small, cold hand clutching his tighten slightly.
He smiled reassuringly, stepping forward while gently pulling her along and giving her hand a squeeze.
"Sister Xiaoya, Sister Nannan, Auntie," Ye Chen said warmly, drawing the Ice Empress forward. "Allow me to introduce her properly—this is the Ice Empress, my soul spirit."
"Soul spirit… what's that?"
"Soul spirit?" all three women echoed at once, the term completely unfamiliar to them.
"It's a form of spirit ring fused with high intelligence," Ye Chen explained simply.
"In short, she's my spirit ring, but she has her own complete consciousness and body—just like a person. You can think of her as a kind of spirit being."
Ye Chen deliberately omitted her true identity as a 400,000-year-old ancient beast. For now, that truth was far too shocking to reveal. He emphasized only the part that she was a 'sentient spirit ring.'
(END CHAPTER)
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