In a secluded corner, Jiang Yi and Gu Yue sat down side by side.
"Congratulations on being accepted as a disciple by the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo,"
Jiang Yi said sincerely.
He had only guessed Leng Yaozhu's identity immediately upon seeing Gu Yue.
"Thank you,"
Gu Yue nodded gently, a faint smile curving her lips.
Then, her gaze lingered on Jiang Yi's face for a moment, and suddenly, as if remembering something, she asked softly,
"Was that... your mother?"
Her eyes flickered slightly as she spoke, and her seemingly casual tone seemed to contain a unique kind of concern.
"No! She's my older sister... My mother passed away when we were young,"
Jiang Yi shook his head, his voice slightly low.
That's good...
Gu Yue inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly realized something, and two red clouds instantly appeared on her cheeks.
Ugh!
Gu Yue, why are you thinking about this again! This is really weird.
She shook her head slightly, trying to shake off those inexplicable thoughts.
These past few days, she didn't know if she was bewitched; whenever she saw Jiang Yi, she couldn't help but want to hug him, like…like a mother…
"Gu Yue?"
Jiang Yi patted her shoulder and called softly.
"Ah…I'm fine…I just suddenly thought of some other things."
Gu Yue snapped out of her reverie, meeting Jiang Yi's probing gaze, and awkwardly turned her face away.
Her breathing was slightly erratic, and she turned her head away like a child caught doing something wrong, her eyes darting around.
Seeing Gu Yue's appearance, Jiang Yi's lips curled up slightly, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.
Gu Yue, how long are you planning to keep pretending? Don't hold back anymore, just accept it!
The powerful figures on the Douluo Continent either flee at the sight of me or adopt me as their godson.
The value of a Divine Son, an Emperor's Son, or a Holy Son is self-evident; a Dragon Son wouldn't be out of the question!
Of course, this was just Jiang Yi's own thought.
Gu Yue's body was the same age as his, so he naturally couldn't just bow down like he would to the Demon Empress.
However, he wasn't in a hurry. Worshiping a foster mother was like simmering over a low flame; the more you worship a mother that way, the more meaningful it would be.
This was based on experience.
After chatting for a few more minutes, Gu Yue suddenly stood up and said goodbye to Jiang Yi.
"Ahem! I have to go now; my teacher is waiting for me over there."
She felt her gaze towards Jiang Yi soften again.
"Goodbye!"
Jiang Yi waved, watching Gu Yue's slightly hurried back, and couldn't help but chuckle.
This foster mother is quite adorable!
Then, Jiang Yi also stood up and walked towards Na Nali nali.
...
The rest of the banquet proceeded without further incident.
Leng Yaozhu only came to introduce Gu Yue to the others before leaving.
Leng Yulai, however, was nowhere to be seen; she didn't return until the banquet ended and the guests had left.
"Let's go! She's probably gone back first."
Nanali stood at the door, noticing Jiang Yi still looking around, and reminded him.
"Okay!"
Jiang Yi thought for a moment and nodded, then got into the car with Nanali.
When they returned to their residence, they indeed saw Leng Yulai.
On the second floor of the villa, moonlight streamed down the balcony, and empty wine bottles were scattered around.
Leng Yulai sat against the wall, her eyes closed, her long legs casually propped up on the floor, a wine bottle clutched in her arms, the strong smell of alcohol filling the air.
Her red lips moved slightly, uttering indistinct murmurs.
"Sister?"
Jiang Yi called tentatively, but received no response.
"Let's take her back to her room, she'll be fine after a nap. I'll go take a shower first."
Na Nali yawned. They'd been partners for years, so this was nothing new.
Late-night ecstasy, she'd gotten used to it.
Alcohol usually couldn't get a Title Douluo drunk; Leng Yulai was just trying to get drunk.
After saying this, Na Nali turned and left.
Seeing this, Jiang Yi had no choice but to step forward, put his arms around Leng Yulai, and carry her to the bedroom.
Entering Leng Yulai's bedroom, Jiang Yi gently placed her on the bed and covered her with a blanket.
Just as he was about to leave, a fair hand suddenly reached out from under the blanket and tightly grabbed his wrist.
A tremendous force struck, catching Jiang Yi off guard, and he was pulled down onto the bed.
Before he could even get up, a soft body pressed against him, along with a pungent smell of alcohol.
"Sister?"
Jiang Yi tried to pry her hand away, but the difference in their strength was too great; even Leng Yulai's subconscious action was beyond his ability to resist.
"Don't go… Sister…"
Leng Yulai murmured unconsciously, leaning closer to him, her cheek pressed against his chest.
"You've forgotten… When we were little… Our promise…"
Her voice was choked with sobs, exceptionally clear in the quiet room.
Jiang Yi wished he could sew his ears shut.
But Leng Yulai seemed to have found an outlet, pouring out her grievances and resentments over the years, like a little sister whining in front of her older sister.
"We clearly agreed… Yun Ming… I could disregard him… But sister, how could you lie to me… Is he more important than me…"
"Sister! I hate you! But I hate the man who took you away even more!"
A few lines of tears streamed down her face, her pitiful appearance heartbreaking.
Jiang Yi hesitated whether to wipe her tears, but the whispers in the room suddenly stopped.
In the moonlight, a pair of eyes that should have been closed suddenly opened, meeting Jiang Yi's gaze. The smell of alcohol in the air had dissipated.
In an instant, both of them stiffened slightly, a deathly silence spreading between them.
"You know me... I'm just a Great Soul Master..."
Jiang Yi blinked, explaining softly.
Before he could finish, with a whoosh, the warmth in his arms was abruptly pulled away.
The next moment, Leng Yulai had already landed by the window, her back to Jiang Yi, her icy voice echoing in the room.
"Get out!"
Jiang Yi wisely didn't say anything more, getting up and leaving the room.
Bang!
The moment the door closed, Leng Yulai slowly turned around, her pretty face still wet with tears, a hint of shame and anger flashing in her eyes.
This was the first time she had shown this side of herself in front of outsiders.
However, the next moment, as if remembering something, she suddenly deflated, her body slowly leaning backward, falling back onto the bed.
Moonlight streamed down, illuminating her face, its light and shadow shifting, and Leng Yulai was filled with confusion.
Even if Jiang Yi hadn't stopped her today, would she really have harmed her sister?
She and Leng Yaozhu were the two most outstanding members of the Leng family in their generation, and were also blood-related sisters, but their situations within the family were worlds apart.
Her elder sister's personality, like her martial spirit, was warm and cheerful, and she was deeply loved and valued by the family.
However, due to the influence of her martial spirit, she was introverted and extreme. Even though her cultivation was higher than her sister's in her early years, she was always just an accessory to her sister wherever she went.
But she didn't care about any of that; as long as her sister cared about her, that was enough.
In this world, the only person she cared about was her sister.
Until that man appeared, everything changed…
…
Coming down from the second floor, Jiang Yi rubbed his temples and headed towards his room.
However, as soon as Jiang Yi entered, he saw Na Nali sitting inside with her legs crossed, drying her wet hair with a towel.
She looked at Jiang Yi as he entered, a sly smile appearing on her face.
"How was it? The little phoenix was crying and fussing, wasn't it especially funny?"
(End of Chapter)