The following morning, the sun rose above Azure Cloud City, its rays reflecting across the snow accumulated on the rooftops while the warmth of daylight gradually began melting the thin layers of frost that had covered the roads since the previous night.
Within the Ye Family estate, the atmosphere was considerably calmer than the turmoil that had swept through the city over the past several days.
In all of Azure Cloud City, only a handful of places could truly be considered safe.
The City Lord’s residence naturally ranked first, as it was personally guarded by the City Lord himself, an expert who had reached the peak of the Spirit Companion Selection Realm.
Immediately after it came the Ye Family estate.
The Ye Family did not rely solely on its reputation to protect its territory.
One of its ancestors, an expert in the Spirit Companion Selection Realm, resided within the inner grounds and personally oversaw the estate’s protection.
For that reason, no matter how furious the Liu Family became, they would not easily dare to break into this place and forcibly seize someone.
Along one of the stone pathways, Ji Lin walked forward at an unhurried pace while Xiao Yun followed behind him.
She wore an elegant purple dress that flowed smoothly around her figure, giving her an appearance that blended maturity with quiet grace.
Meanwhile, her face retained the same pure beauty that made her features appear far younger than her true age.
Ji Lin was not leading her toward a place he had chosen at random.
His destination was a courtyard the Ye Family had assigned to Ye Fang as one of the most outstanding talents among the family’s younger generation.
Under normal circumstances, Ye Fang’s followers gathered here to cultivate, spar with one another, and discuss matters related to cultivation.
Therefore, it was not easy for an outsider to enter this place without a proper reason.
In the past, Ji Lin had never truly been part of that world.
In everyone’s eyes, he was merely a highly skilled physician who completely lacked the ability to cultivate.
Because of that, he rarely visited this courtyard unless one of Ye Fang’s followers had been injured or required treatment.
But that was now a thing of the past.
Ji Lin now possessed genuine cultivation.
Even if he wanted to continue concealing it, he knew that doing so would not last for long.
His movements would only increase as time passed, and every time he was forced to use his strength, the possibility of someone witnessing it would rise.
Once that happened, questions would inevitably arise, and they would not be easy to explain.
Therefore, rather than waiting for his cultivation to be exposed at a moment beyond his control, Ji Lin believed that the incident involving Xiao Yun provided him with an appropriate opportunity to reveal part of his strength in a way that appeared reasonable.
After all, with three dead cultivators lying inside the courtyard of her home, concealing everything that had happened would be far more difficult than revealing part of the truth himself.
Ji Lin continued walking until he stopped before one of the rooms.
He reached out and pushed open the door before turning toward Xiao Yun with a calm smile on his face.
Madam, you can stay here.
Xiao Yun looked inside the room for a moment before turning her gaze back toward him.
Ji Lin continued in a reassuring voice
After what happened yesterday, it is no longer safe for you to remain alone in that courtyard.
The Liu Family may try to reach you again.
He glanced toward the surrounding area before adding
That was precisely why he had brought her here.
As long as Xiao Yun remained within the Ye Family grounds, under the protection of an expert in the Spirit Companion Selection Realm, the Liu Family would be forced to think carefully before attempting to approach her again.
Madam, please come in.
You can stay here for the time being.
Xiao Yun felt the warmth of his palm surrounding her hand, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
She blinked before quickly glancing along the corridor around them, as though afraid someone might see them.
Then, embarrassed, she gently withdrew her hand from his fingers and entered the room with slow steps.
Ji Lin watched her for a moment before following her inside.
Bringing her here had not been a casual decision.
After the Liu Family’s attempt to abduct her, leaving her alone in an isolated courtyard was no longer a safe option.
If their first attempt had failed, there was nothing preventing them from sending stronger cultivators the next time.
Within the Ye Family estate, however, the situation was entirely different.
As long as Xiao Yun remained here, especially within the courtyard assigned to Ye Fang, the Liu Family would not be able to make a move against her easily without risking turning the existing conflict into a direct confrontation with the entire Ye Family.
With that, her safety was largely guaranteed.
Xiao Yun walked several steps into the room before stopping to look around.
She knew this room well.
It was her son Ye Fang’s room.
Despite his status among the younger generation of the family, there was nothing inside that suggested any particular interest in luxury.
A large bed stood against one wall, accompanied by only a few meditation cushions, while most of the room remained free of unnecessary furniture or decoration.
Everything was simple and practical.
That was hardly surprising for Ye Fang.
Most of his time was devoted to cultivation.
Even when others his age sought comfort and entertainment, he could spend long hours training without paying much attention to his surroundings.
Ji Lin, however, had not been paying attention to the details of the room from the moment Xiao Yun entered.
His gaze had settled upon her as she moved ahead of him in her purple dress, which flowed gracefully around her mature and slender figure.
Despite her exceptionally youthful features, the proportions and curves of her body carried the unmistakable allure of a woman in the fullness of maturity, like a peach that had reached the peak of ripeness.
As she bent slightly to place some of her belongings beside the bed, Ji Lin’s eyes unconsciously followed her movements for a few moments before he regained his attention in the next instant.
Ji Lin did not allow the distance between them to remain for long.
He stepped forward calmly until he was standing directly behind Xiao Yun, then extended his arms and gently wrapped them around her waist, drawing her closer to him.
From this close, Ji Lin found that her choice of the purple dress suited her even better than he had noticed earlier.
The deep color complemented her mature charm and emphasized her serene beauty in a way that made it difficult for him to look away.
The sensation of holding her, however, was entirely different.
Her body felt soft and warm within his arms, so light that for a moment he almost imagined he was embracing a gentle cloud with scarcely any weight at all.
Ji Lin lowered his eyes slightly and silently observed her reaction.
Had he done this several days ago, Xiao Yun would have immediately pulled away from him and perhaps reprimanded him before allowing him even a moment to remain so close.
But now, something had truly changed.
The events of yesterday had not suddenly erased all her reservations, but they had created an unmistakable crack in the barrier she had tried to maintain between them.
He had appeared before her at the moment of her greatest despair and rescued her from the Liu Family men.
More importantly, he had made her believe that he had risked his own body and suffered an injury in order to protect her.
Ji Lin could clearly see the effect this had produced.
Even when Xiao Yun showed resistance to his closeness, her resistance no longer carried the same firmness with which she had rejected him at the beginning.
The corner of his lips rose slightly at the thought.
A hero saving a beauty might be an old and predictable cliché, but its simplicity did nothing to diminish its effectiveness.
J-Ji Lin…
Xiao Yun’s body flinched the instant he embraced her.
Her hands rose as though she intended to remove his arms from around her, but her fingers stopped before she could do so.
She lowered her gaze as a blush slowly spread across her cheeks until even the tips of her ears turned red.
Don’t do this…
Her voice came out softer than she intended, completely lacking the firmness she had tried to put into it.
Then the image of the blood she had seen spilling from his mouth yesterday suddenly flashed through her mind, and the embarrassment in her eyes immediately gave way to obvious concern.
She turned within his arms just enough to raise her face toward him, her eyes carefully examining his features as though searching for any lingering sign of the injury she believed he was still suffering from.
You’re still injured.
Her brows drew together slightly, and a pleading look appeared in her eyes.
Meanwhile, the tension that had seized her body when he first embraced her gradually began to fade.
After a few moments, she relaxed within his arms, although the blush covering her face showed no sign of receding.
She continued looking at him with concern before whispering pleadingly
At least don’t exhaust yourself any further.
Ji Lin released a quiet sigh before leaning toward her and burying his face against her neck, breathing in her faint fragrance.
He then pressed a kiss against her skin and gently bit her, leaving behind a faint love mark.
Ah~ Mm~
Xiao Yun trembled within his arms, her breath catching for an instant before a soft, flustered murmur escaped her lips.