Stepping out of the restaurant, bright moonlight washed over the entire street.
Ye Xun turned his head to look at Columbina beside him.
Under the cool, clear glow of the moon, her face appeared all the more pure and holy, like a flake of first snow falling from the sky, untouched by dust.
He spoke in a gentle voice, “Lady Columbina, I will be leaving the Winter Capital for a while.” “Mhm,” Columbina uttered a soft hum in response.
The two walked side by side through the quiet night, with only the faint sound of soles stepping on the damp pavement echoing softly across the empty street.
Reaching an intersection, Ye Xun stopped and spoke again.
“Let us part ways here.” Columbina blinked in surprise, then asked, “When…
when will you be back?” “Perhaps a few months, or perhaps…” Ye Xun shook his head, leaving the sentence unfinished.
The enemy he had to face was extremely dangerous.
Perhaps one day he would open his eyes to find himself inside some somber, cruel human experimentation lab.
Columbina nodded.
“Then come back soon.” “I will.” Ye Xun smiled faintly, turning and walking away with easy grace.
After a short walk, he arrived in front of an elegant villa.
In front of the door, several pots of pure white Cecilias bloomed quietly, their soft petals glistening under the moonlight with residual raindrops.
Ye Xun stepped forward and rang the doorbell lightly.
A moment later, the door slowly opened.
Rosalyne’s svelte, mature figure gradually came into view.
She wore a fiery red silk nightgown that clung to her skin, outlining her alluring curves.
The collar was slightly parted, revealing a fair, snowy expanse of chest.
“It’s so late.
What do you want?” Her chin was slightly raised, her tone carrying a touch of elder-like authority.
The corners of Ye Xun’s lips curled up.
“I came to seek shelter with you.” Rosalyne paused to think before quickly realizing the reason for his visit.
Dottore had suffered such a massive setback that he would undoubtedly seek frantic retaliation.
“Come in.” She snorted coldly and turned to walk inside.
Ye Xun followed behind her, stepping into the house.
Inside the living room, warm yellow light bathed the neatly arranged furniture, creating a cozy and peaceful atmosphere.
Ye Xun kicked back onto the soft sofa with utter natural ease, not treating himself like a stranger in the slightest.
Rosalyne sat down gracefully opposite him, her red lips parting with a hint of disdain: “You’re nothing more than an ordinary human, yet you insisted on seeking revenge against an enemy comparable to a god…
Now you know fear, don’t you?” “Lady Rosalyne, I told you I’m not stupid,” Ye Xun said calmly.
“I’ve always known.” “Then why do such a foolish thing?” Her brows knit slightly, her voice laced with confusion and scolding.
“Isn’t it better to just live a quiet, peaceful life?” For a long time, she had always opposed Ye Xun seeking revenge.
The reason was simple: his power was far too weak, and blind vengeance was nothing short of throwing his life away.
Ye Xun pulled back his smile, looking down.
“Actually, before my foster mother Annika passed away, she told me to forget the hatred and live a good life.” He paused, his voice low but firm.
“Yet I still chose this path.
Because I don’t want to see similar tragedies happen again.
The harder the ‘present Ye Xun’ works, the fewer ‘past Ye Xuns’ there will be.” As his words fell, Rosalyne felt a jolt in her heart, an unmistakable flicker of emotion touching her eyes.
She realized she had never truly understood the man standing before her.
His revenge was not just for himself, but for all those innocent children.
“Fool!” she cursed under her breath, turning her head away, though her tone softened considerably.
“What do you want to drink?” “A glass of wine, please,” Ye Xun said with a smile.
Rosalyne glared at him exasperatedly, standing up and heading toward the refreshment cabinet.
The fiery red nightgown hugged her perky hips, swaying gently with her footsteps to trace an alluring curve.
Before long, a steaming cup of fragrant black tea was set on the coffee table before Ye Xun.
“Lady Rosalyne,” Ye Xun murmured, gazing at the curling steam before meeting her eyes head-on, “if I remember correctly, we have a bet between us.” “Of course I remember.” Rosalyne sat down opposite him again, crossing her arms.
“Though I must remind you—I won’t agree to anything unreasonable.” “Sounds a bit like backing out,” Ye Xun said casually, his voice carrying a subtle hint of provocation.
Rosalyne was momentarily choked for words.
“How could I back out?
It’s just…” “Just what?” Ye Xun leaned forward slowly, a dominant, aggressive intensity gleaming in his eyes.
Facing him as he drew closer, the usually cold and proud Rosalyne showed a rare flash of fluster and nerves on her face.
She subconsciously bit her lower lip, her voice trembling slightly.
“It’s just…
you’d better think carefully about the consequences.” The distance between them shrank until their breathing was almost audible, their faces growing clearer under the warm light.
When they were less than ten centimeters apart, Ye Xun suddenly stopped, smiling brightly.
“I thought through the consequences a long time ago.” Rosalyne unwittingly clenched her hands, forcing herself to stay calm.
“Out with it!” “I want…
to go to Mondstadt and help you retrieve the Gnosis.” The moment the words left his mouth, he leisurely leaned back against the sofa as if that subtle confrontation had never taken place.
Rosalyne froze, then immediately realized—this bastard was teasing her on purpose!
“Ye Xun,” she gritted her teeth.
“Still, working under me won’t be easy.” Ye Xun picked up the teacup, took a light sip, and smiled warmly.
“I’m already yours anyway.
Feel free to use as much force as you like—I won’t resist.” “You—!” Rosalyne flushed with embarrassment and irritation, her cheeks turning slightly red.
“Fool!” Coldly dropping that insult, she got up and walked toward her bedroom.
*Bang!* The door slammed shut.
Ye Xun withdrew his gaze, leisurely savoring the rich, fragrant black tea.
The system’s prompt rang out right on cue: [Rosalyne’s Favorability +5] His brow arched, his smile deepening.
So she liked this approach.
He then checked the favorability list, which showed: [Columbina: 30/100 (Neutral)] [Arlecchino: 30/100 (Neutral)] [Sandrone: -35/100 (Dislike)] [Rosalyne: 50/100 (Cares)] Except for Sandrone, everyone else had increased quite a bit compared to before.
Though if this went on, he would be heading down the path of a scumbag.
Sigh…
and to think he was such a pure-hearted romantic at heart!
System, oh system, you’ve really made me suffer!