After Dong Yue left with Tang Yubo, Ni Manxin picked up Ye Yue from the couch and walked over to Fang Yi, smiling mischievously: “Fang Yi, how did you manage to make Dong Yue fall for you so quickly?”
A faint smile appeared in Fang Yi’s resentful eyes: “Manxin, to be honest, I really owe it to your help that I got the chance to get close to him. Without you, how could I have managed?”
Ni Manxin patted Fang Yi’s shoulder with a laugh: “That’s true. For your happiness, I’d do anything. But when the good times come, don’t forget about me, alright?”
Fang Yi said: “Really? You’d truly do anything for me?”
Ni Manxin nodded emphatically.
Fang Yi watched Ni Manxin’s retreating back, her beaming smile instantly vanishing as she stared gloomily at her entering the room.
Ni Chang, you said it yourself—you’d do anything for me. Don’t blame me later. If you must hate anyone, hate yourself for trying to steal my man.
Ye Yue lay on the bed, idly swishing his tail as he watched Ni Chang sleeping. He simply couldn’t understand—the Monarch had made things so clear today, so why was Ni Chang still so oblivious?
Though he was only about twenty thousand years old, still a child, he knew a thing or two about matters of the heart between men and women. But someone as foolish as Ni Chang—this was his first time encountering such a case.
Could this be what they meant by: “When the flower blooms, the leaf is unseen; when the leaf appears, the flower is gone; flower and leaf never meet, forever missing each other through lifetimes”? The thought made him shiver—what a pair of star-crossed lovers.
Outside the window, a dark shadow flitted away from the tree and vanished.
Fang Yi seemed to sense something and quickly opened the window to look around, but saw nothing.
Had she been in the mortal realm too long, losing all her immortal aura? Or was she just being overly sensitive.
In the pitch-black alley, not a soul was in sight. Moments later, two figures suddenly materialized out of thin air.
“Demon Lord. What instructions do you have for summoning your humble servant today?”
“Dong Yue has indeed come to the mortal realm. As for why he’s here, that remains to be investigated. I’ll be staying here for some time. Unless there’s major business in the Demon Clan, do not come looking for me here arbitrarily. Understood?”
“Yes, as you command.”
“Also, investigate this mortal woman named Fang Yi for me. I suspect she may not be human. From her aura, she might be from the Heavenly Realm. Look into it carefully and report back to me.”
“Yes, Demon Lord.”
In an instant, the black-clad man disappeared.
Dong Yue, I want to see just what in the mortal realm could make you so attached. Could it be because of that girl? Probably not—isn’t it said throughout heaven and earth that Dong Yue is devoid of emotion and desire? How could he take a liking to a mortal woman?
Or perhaps this girl holds some secret, and that’s why Dong Yue is willing to stay?
That girl Fang Yi seems quite fond of Dong Yue, but she doesn’t seem human—there’s a hint of immortal aura about her. How interesting—both the underworld and celestial beings are gathering here. I’ll wait and see what kind of grand drama they’re preparing.
“Hey, what’s your name? Didn’t you say your place had no water or electricity? Then what’s this?”
Tang Yubo ran out of the bathroom, dripping wet. He looked around—huh! The person was just in the living room moments ago, but in less than two minutes, they’d vanished.
Thinking that his clothes were still with Ni Manxin, he quickly washed up and prepared to rush out the door.
With a bang, Tang Yubo was thrown back before he could even open the door, landing flat on his back.
Clutching his sore buttocks, he groaned while rubbing them, “What kind of lousy house is this? It’s already screwing me over first thing in the morning.”
Earlier, when he went to the bathroom, the showerhead suddenly went haywire for no reason, soaking his only set of clothes and making him unbearably uncomfortable. Now, when he tried to go out to get his clothes, he ended up falling flat for no reason.
“I refuse to believe this nonsense today!”
With that, he charged toward the door again.
Ah…
Tang Yubo was so focused on whether he could rush out that he forgot about the doorstep, tripping and falling flat on his face.
Fang Yi, returning from outside with breakfast, saw Tang Yubo sprawled on the hallway floor and couldn’t help but squat down, laughing. “Who are you bowing to so early in the morning? Tsk tsk, look at you. You’ve only stayed at Dong Yue’s place for one night, and you’re already in this state?”
Tang Yubo gritted his teeth against the pain and slowly got up from the floor. He glanced back at Dong Yue’s residence—what kind of cursed house was this? He had learned his lesson today. If he stayed another night, he might not survive.
“Manxin, I’m here. I’m so hungry.”
Tang Yubo’s voice rang out before he even entered the room.
Ni Manxin had just placed breakfast on the table when she turned to see Tang Yubo standing at the door. She was taken aback by his disheveled appearance.
Standing at the entrance, Tang Yubo felt a chill rush straight to his chest before he even stepped inside, causing him to sneeze several times in a row.
Ni Manxin quickly put down the food in her hands and walked over, looking at him with concern. “You should go upstairs and change your clothes! As for everything else, I’ll ask you about it later.”
Tang Yubo hurriedly dashed upstairs. Ni Manxin looked at Fang Yi, hoping to glean some understanding from her expression, but Fang Yi could only shake her head helplessly.
After a while, Tang Yubo came downstairs dressed in casual clothes. Seeing Dong Yue sitting elegantly at the dining table eating breakfast, he felt a surge of disdain.
What man needs to eat so delicately? With so many bowls and plates laid out, it was as if he thought he was the emperor himself.
“Manxin, I’m hungry.”
Tang Yubo shouted toward the kitchen door, glaring provocatively at Dong Yue.
Dong Yue remained expressionless, continuing to eat from his bowl. Tang Yubo felt somewhat deflated and glanced at Dong Yue again before shouting even louder, “Manxin, I want to eat…”
Before he could finish his sentence, a steamed bun somehow ended up in his mouth.
The bun tasted surprisingly good. Tang Yubo took it out of his mouth and began eating it heartily.
Spotting the empty seat next to Ni Manxin, Tang Yubo immediately moved toward her without a word. Just as he was about to sit down, the chair had somehow shifted from its original position. With a thud, he fell flat on his back again.
Fang Yi couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh, while Ni Manxin quickly stood up to help him. After thinking for a moment, Tang Yubo sat on the floor and shouted angrily, “Dong Yue, you’re behind all this today, aren’t you? Explain yourself, or don’t blame me for turning on you.”
Dong Yue still ignored him. After a long pause, he finally spoke, “What if I am? What can you do about it even if I’m not?”
Tang Yubo clenched his fists, his expression fierce as he stared fixedly at Dong Yue. Meanwhile, Dong Yue paid him no mind, acting as if nothing had happened.
Ni Manxin sensed the tense atmosphere and quickly stepped in to mediate: “Yubo, I’m sorry. This chair was broken today, and I forgot to take it out. I’m really sorry you fell. Are you alright?”
Tang Yubo understood what Ni Manxin was trying to do, but he didn’t want to embarrass her. Reluctantly, he got up, brushed off his clothes, and began eating the breakfast Ni Manxin had personally prepared with large bites.
Dong Yue watched them sitting across from him and suddenly found the food tasteless. After just a couple of bites, he stood up and headed for the door.