...
The sky gradually darkened without anyone noticing.
Under the gentle evaporation of the essential oils and the subtle soothing effect of the Qi and blood, Tang Yuehua's tense nerves completely relaxed, and she actually fell into a deep sleep during Xuan Hao's massage.
Suddenly, as if some kind of alarm had been triggered in her subconscious, she woke up with a start.
The shameful images from before she fell asleep flashed through her mind, and Tang Yuehua's heart skipped a beat as a strong sense of panic surged through her.
How could she have fallen asleep so unguarded?!
Her clothes were all torn. Could it be that Xuan Hao, that lecherous little bastard, had secretly done something outrageous while she was asleep?
She suddenly opened her eyes, her body tensing instinctively.
However, the expected sense of unease did not materialize.
She found herself lying peacefully on the bed, completely covered by a soft silk quilt.
Apart from the feeling of ease and comfort that comes from the ultimate massage, which permeates even the bones, there was no discomfort whatsoever.
Even the sheer curtains around the bed were carefully drawn, creating an absolutely private and safe space.
Tang Yuehua slowly breathed a sigh of relief, sat up, casually grabbed a large outer robe from the head of the bed and simply draped it over her body, tightly wrapping her alluring curves.
She carefully lifted a corner of the curtain and peeked out.
In the dim light of the room, she saw that Xuan Hao had not left, but was lying sprawled on the cashmere carpet not far away, his hands behind his head, his chest rising and falling with his even breathing, and he had actually fallen asleep.
Seeing his completely unguarded sleeping posture, Tang Yuehua was completely relieved.
But when her gaze swept across the room and she noticed the half-open window for ventilation, and then looked at Xuan Hao lying casually on the carpet without any covers, her brows furrowed slightly.
Tang Yuehua quietly lifted the curtain and got out of bed.
She carried the silk quilt that was still warm on her body and walked over.
She bent down and gently covered Xuan Hao with the quilt.
Then she turned and walked to the window.
It was completely dark by then, but this was, after all, the most central and prosperous area of Tiandou City.
As dusk settles and the night market begins, the streets outside the window are bustling with traffic, and the lights of thousands of homes illuminate the entire city like a dazzling galaxy.
A cool night breeze blew in through the crack in the window, ruffling her long, loose hair and making Tang Yuehua, who was only wearing a thin garment, shiver slightly from the cold.
She reached out her hand, preparing to close the window.
"How was your rest? Are you still feeling sore?"
A lazy, slightly hoarse male voice suddenly rang out behind her without warning.
"ah!"
Tang Yuehua was startled by the sudden sound, and with a forceful slam, she closed the window tightly.
She turned around abruptly, glaring at Xuan Hao, who had somehow opened his eyes and was now looking at her with a beaming smile.
Her cheeks flushed, and she snapped, "How dare you ask!"
Xuan Hao sat up on the carpet, looked at the silk quilt covering him, and helplessly spread his hands.
"I really didn't mean to do it back then, it was all muscle memory..."
"Shut up!"
Tang Yuehua rolled her eyes at him, embarrassed and annoyed, and had no desire to recall that embarrassing interlude.
She turned her head, walked quickly back to the bedside, and drew the curtains.
After a short while, Tang Yuehua emerged from behind the curtain again, amidst the rustling sounds of dressing.
At this moment, she had changed back into a neat and elaborate court dress.
That noble, dignified, and elegant demeanor of the Yuexuan Pavilion Master returned to her, as if the little woman who was just now filled with shame and indignation was not her at all.
However, since she had just woken up, her long, flowing hair hadn't been styled yet and was draped messily over her shoulders, adding a touch of languid charm to her dignified appearance.
Upon seeing this, Xuan Hao immediately jumped up from the carpet and fawned over him, volunteering, "Come, come, sit down, I'll fix your hair!"
Tang Yuehua walked to the dressing table and sat down.
She glared at the eager guy behind her through the mirror, but in the end, she didn't say anything to shoo him away.
Speaking of which, Xuanhao's skill in combing and tying hair was taught to him by her back then.
That little rascal, wanting to please Na'er, said he wanted to do her hair himself, and shamelessly pestered her for a long time to learn.
It must be admitted that although this guy usually seems carefree, he learns things incredibly fast, which is enviable. In no time, he had mastered her exquisite hairstyling skills perfectly.
Xuan Hao picked up the wooden comb, his slender fingers deftly weaving through Tang Yuehua's soft hair.
He got the hang of it quickly, his technique was skillful and gentle, and he even used a little bit of his qi and blood to massage her scalp.
Before long, a noble and elegant hairstyle, without a single mess, took shape in Xuan Hao's hands.
He casually picked out a jade hairpin and inserted it into his hair to secure the final look.
"Done!"
Xuan Hao clapped his hands, looked at the stunning beauty in the mirror who had regained her elegant radiance, and snapped his fingers in satisfaction: "Perfect! As expected of me, this skill is absolutely unique in Tiandou City."
Tang Yuehua stood up, glared at him through the mirror on the dressing table, and urged, "Alright, it's getting late.
Don't linger here any longer, hurry up and go."
Upon hearing this, Xuan Hao blinked in confusion and spread his hands, asking, "Go where? Where to?"
"Of course you should go back to yourself..."
Tang Yuehua's voice trailed off mid-sentence. A complex emotion flickered in her gentle, beautiful eyes, and she swallowed the rest of her sentence.
Go back to your own home?
Looking at the arrogant young man who commanded respect in Tiandou City, Tang Yuehua felt a pang of sadness.
Xuanhao is an orphan.
She had known about this for several years.
This brat, who is now lawless in Tiandou City and is mistaken by various top forces and royal relatives as having some unspeakable behemoth behind him, has been completely relying on others for power since the first day he stepped into Tiandou City!
He relied solely on his unparalleled "pretentiousness" to carve out a bloody path for himself in the turbulent Tiandou City and rise to his current status.
Everyone in Tiandou City believed that he was backed by a powerful and hidden family, so both the Tiandou royal family and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School tried their best to win him over and curry favor with him.
Several years ago, on a similarly quiet night, Xuan Hao was lingering in her room when he suddenly revealed this secret to her.
He laughed and said that he actually had no background and was just putting on an act to scare people.
Her first reaction was disbelief. How could this be?
But later, as she calmed down and carefully examined the situation, she gradually discovered the fatal flaws that everyone had subconsciously overlooked.
The fact that Xuan Hao has a powerful, hidden family behind him has become an unquestionable fact in the eyes of the major forces in Tian Dou City.
However, no one has ever actually seen even one of the elders or even one servant of his family!
Moreover, Xuan Hao's current immense wealth and vast assets were all obtained through deception, fraud, robbery, and extortion from the Tian Dou royal family and other unfortunate nobles, relying on his "mysterious background" and formidable martial prowess.
This kid is practically a complete bandit, collecting protection money and recruiting henchmen all over Tiandou City.
He acted too arrogantly, to the point of having no bottom line.
Coupled with his terrifying talent and abnormal strength that defy common sense, everyone was wildly speculating.
Everyone firmly believed in his background, even though Xuan Hao himself had never explicitly admitted to having any hidden family in any public setting.
To put it bluntly, Xuan Hao's terrifying background was entirely fabricated by these self-righteous nobles out of fear and awe!
When Tang Yuehua finally understood everything, she truly realized just how audacious this lawless little rascal really was!
The Heaven Dou royal family, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and countless noble families of the Heaven Dou Empire... were all completely fooled by this kid's pretentious act of getting something for nothing!
However, after the initial shock came a deep sense of heartache and lingering fear.
This orphaned child, with a sister of equally unknown origin, survives in the ruthless and vicious Tiandou City, relying on various displays of pretense to intimidate others and compete for resources...
If one day you slip up or things go wrong in this kind of situation, what an irrecoverable danger that would be!
Tang Yuehua looked quietly at Xuan Hao in front of her, her eyes gradually softening and becoming complicated.
She often felt that she and Xuan Hao were similar in some ways, but in essence, they were completely different.
The reason she was able to run the world-renowned Moon Pavilion was because she had a wide network of connections and a superior status.
Even though she was just a useless person with less than ten levels of soul power, everyone was willing to give her face.
That's because everyone knows her surname is Tang, and everyone knows that the number one sect in the world—Haotian Sect—is behind her.
She also has two older brothers who are titled Douluo.
She relied on the immense prestige of the Haotian Sect as her absolute foundation, which allowed Yuexuan to establish a firm foothold in the Tiandou Empire.
And what about Xuan Hao?
Behind him was nothing but an abyss.
He has come this far, earning the awe and respect of the entire world, purely through his extraordinary talent and his audacious ability to deceive the world, managing to create a safe haven for himself and his sister in this cruel world!
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