"That's nü'er hong, nü'er hong!!!"
Meanwhile, at the banquet table, the servants hurriedly cleaned the spilled wine while Fourth Sister stood there clutching the remaining half cup, completely torn over whether she should throw it in Second Sister's face.
Infuriating. Absolutely infuriating.
Beside her, Second Sister watched Fourth Sister's chest rise and fall with suppressed anger and grinned mischievously. Avoiding Axel's gaze, she stuck out her tongue and teased her younger sister.
"It's only a jar of wine. I didn't strip you naked and toss you into Husband's bed, so why are you panicking so much?"
She laughed softly before continuing.
"At worst, after today I'll bury a few more jars for you. Since you like it so much, I'll prepare a hundred more next time, enough for your future husband to drink to his heart's content."
"You're disgusting!!!"
Fourth Sister glared at her, then picked up her cup and downed the remaining wine in one gulp.
As the taste spread across her tongue, her heart trembled slightly.
Is this really... my nü'er hong?
She once believed her life would remain trapped on this mountain forever, surviving day after day with no future beyond Spider Silk Ridge. Even though she longed to see distant lands and walk unfamiliar roads, she could only spend her days praying beneath dim lantern light rather than wasting herself on a group of worthless scorpions.
Yet after only a few hundred years, everything around her suddenly seemed to be changing.
Thinking about that, she quietly picked up the wine jar and poured herself another cup.
Second Sister nodded approvingly.
"That's better. Fourth Sister is usually decisive and capable, so don't act petty today."
She raised her cup with a smile.
"Come, let your Second Sister drink with you."
"No need."
Fourth Sister immediately shook her head and stood up.
Ignoring her sister, she walked directly toward Axel while holding the wine cup with both hands.
Axel blinked in surprise before laughing.
"What's this? That posture looks serious. Are you trying to swear brotherhood with me?"
"Brotherhood?!"
Fourth Sister's eyes widened.
At that moment, she regretted not being bold enough to dump the wine on his head.
Suppressing her frustration with great difficulty, she shook her head quickly.
"Of course not. It's just..."
She hesitated for a long moment before finally gathering the courage to speak.
"Great Sage, yesterday afternoon you already came to our home. And you also said you would save... save..."
"Save you, right?"
Axel grinned and casually drained the wine in his bowl.
Fourth Sister's face immediately turned bright red, so red that even the dark makeup on her cheeks could not hide it.
She hurriedly drank her own wine to steady herself before speaking again.
"Not just me. My sisters too, and our family."
She lowered her voice slightly.
"I only want to ask you one thing. If the Great Sage considers himself a hero, then will you keep your word?"
"A hero? Nah, I'm definitely not one."
Axel chuckled.
"But if we're talking about keeping promises, then you found the right person. I always keep my word."
As his voice fell, Axel tapped the wine jar beside him with a finger while looking at the Spider Sisters around the table.
"You girls still haven't seen what I'm capable of."
He laughed loudly.
"I already drank your treasured nü'er hong, so every single one of you whose wine I drank, I'll take you out of this miserable place."
He leaned back in his seat.
"What, you thought I came all the way here just to eat a free meal and leave afterward?"
Axel snorted.
"I'm rebellious old Axel, not some food critic reviewing restaurants."
The Spider Sisters immediately brightened after hearing his words.
Even the usually reserved sisters could not hide the joy in their expressions.
But just as the atmosphere relaxed, Fourth Sister suddenly spoke again, her voice tense.
"But Mother didn't give you any nü'er hong to drink. Are you planning to leave Mother behind in Spider Silk Ridge?"
"Pfft!"
Axel nearly choked on his wine.
He stared at Fourth Sister in disbelief.
Fourth Sister froze as well before hurriedly covering her mouth. Embarrassed, she turned away and stopped looking at him altogether.
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
Seeing her like that, Axel could not help laughing again.
He stood up, reached over, and roughly ruffled her hair until her hairpin tilted crookedly.
Only then did he raise a finger and flick her forehead.
Thunk.
Fourth Sister stumbled back a step and secretly peeked at him with nervous anticipation.
Axel ignored her stare and instead looked toward the other sisters.
"Honestly, this table really needs someone as straightforward as Fourth Sister."
He smiled.
"Now that she asked directly, all your worries should be gone, right?"
"If she didn't speak up, Second Sister probably would've kept feeding me wine until she finally found the courage to ask."
Axel waved his hand casually.
"Relax. Once this meal is over and your mother finishes catching up with Zhu Bajie, pack your things and come with me."
"Thank you, Uncle!"
Sixth Sister immediately threw her hands up excitedly, her bright smile completely innocent and adorable.
Beside her, Fifth Sister bit her lip hard to stop herself from crying while nervously twisting the fabric of her clothes.
Third Sister hid her face behind her round fan, though the flushed cheeks and trembling shoulders behind it revealed her excitement.
Who knew what kind of romantic story she was imagining now.
Perhaps she was already dreaming about the world outside the mountain.
Second Sister gently held Axel's wrist and spoke softly.
"Husband, your kindness truly leaves us grateful."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"But after taking us away, how do you plan to settle our family?"
"Our family is small and insignificant. We aren't powerful demons, nor do we possess remarkable abilities. We're only a group of little spiders."
Her eyes lowered slightly.
"We may not be able to help you much. Won't you eventually resent us for becoming a burden?"
"Settle you?"
Axel frowned thoughtfully.
"Why would I need to worry about that? Your family is pretty capable already."
He pointed toward the sisters one by one.
"Your Eldest Sister knows how to deal with people. Second Sister is good at managing things. Third Sister is educated and cultured. Fifth Sister's weaving skills are excellent, she could easily support a business."
Then he glanced at Sixth Sister.
"And Sixth Sister is cute enough to make people lower their guard immediately."
Sixth Sister proudly puffed out her chest after hearing the compliment.
"With all of you together, who exactly is going to bully you?"
"What about me?"
Fourth Sister suddenly interrupted with an annoyed expression.
"You praised everyone except me."
She crossed her arms and stared at him stubbornly.
"Is there really nothing good about me?"
"Hm?"
Axel tilted his head and looked her up and down carefully.
The moment his eyes landed on her, Fourth Sister's body immediately stiffened.
Even her toes curled nervously inside her shoes.
After examining her for several seconds, Axel finally nodded seriously.
"You've got plenty of good points too."
"For example, you travel fast."
He paused deliberately before grinning.
"And your feet are really pretty."
"Ah?!"
Fourth Sister let out a shrill cry and instantly retreated to her seat.
Blushing furiously, she squeezed her legs together and hurriedly hid her feet behind the stool.
"So in the end, you still think I can't do anything important!"
"But Fourth Sister really is the carefree type."
Second Sister laughed softly beside her.
"Even if Husband exaggerated a little, he's still not wrong."
===
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