Chapter 83: Nearly Exposed

"Oh!" After listening to the words of the Sky-swallowing Sparrow, Yuechan naturally refused to believe them. With deep suspicion, she turned to Ye Qiu and asked, "Have you ever thought about marrying ten wives?"

"Hmm?" Ye Qiu was taken aback, instantly feeling frustrated. Why was this woman so fixated on whether he wanted to marry ten wives? Could it be... she secretly liked him?

Well, that sounded nice, but it might not be good news. This woman was far too cold, unsuitable for warming the bed, and besides... With her around, Ye Qiu's dream of ten wives might never come true. With her pride and arrogance, how could she tolerate other women approaching Ye Qiu?

"Damn! Am I being targeted?" Ye Qiu froze, sensing things were not going well. He answered, "Never thought about it, not even once. I swear on Cao He’s character—if I ever have such an idea, may Cao He be childless and single forever..."

Ye Qiu shamelessly betrayed Cao He yet again. From the warehouse, hearing his name, Cao He curiously poked out his head and asked, "Boss, were you calling me?"

"No, just keep doing your work," Ye Qiu replied guiltily. How could he admit he'd once again sworn upon Cao He's happiness? It wasn't the first time, after all.

Cao He nodded and turned back to his tasks.

Seeing these two oddballs, Yuechan couldn’t help but laugh, "Pfft… Look, you really are a gentleman after all…" She didn’t want to expose Ye Qiu’s tricks. Deep inside, she felt a strange envy towards Ye Qiu, who could live in such an amusing place.

Here, laughter filled the air, there were no scheming plots or intrigue, and every day was lived with genuine joy. Unlike her Heavenly Palace, where all she saw were cold, empty halls and a crowd of emotionless women, women who knew only how to obey orders and adhere to rigid rules...

If she had followed Ye Qiu back then, perhaps she wouldn’t be the person she was now. Maybe she would have been like other girls, wearing an innocent, radiant smile in the prime of her youth.

Ever since chaos befell her world, Yuechan’s life had changed. Perhaps a person's character shifts with a single small change.

Yuechan glided gracefully into the tavern, elegantly sitting across from Ye Qiu. Ye Qiu remained silent, unable to fathom what this woman was after, keeping his guard up.

What intrigued Ye Qiu was—

"Why does she always go barefoot? Such beautiful feet, yet she never wears shoes. Does she not need to walk?"

Hmm… It seemed she truly didn’t. Since meeting her, he’d never seen her walk. She always floated above the ground, stepping on celestial lotuses, never touching the earth.

To be fair, Yuechan was truly extraordinary. Her whole being radiated pure celestial energy, lacking even a hint of worldly femininity. Standing there, she resembled a genuine immortal, not a facade.

Just from her aura alone, Ye Qiu dared say she was the most beautiful woman in the Wilds, unrivaled and unique.

It was a pity. Such a beautiful woman—no one but the protagonist could approach her. Ye Qiu didn’t dare entertain such thoughts.

He sensed she might be interested in him, but… unless he was certain he was the protagonist, Ye Qiu wouldn’t dare act. It wasn’t narcissism; the feeling was real.

"Of course! If I’m not a gentleman, then there’s no gentleman in the world. With my uprightness, in ancient times, I would at least have been a sage! As the saying goes, ‘He pays no heed to the affairs beyond his window, focused only on the books of sages!’ That’s me…"

Ye Qiu declared without any false modesty. Upon hearing this, Yuechan’s expression froze, a shock stirring within her.

He pays no heed to the affairs beyond his window, focused only on the books of sages?

Hmm? Could it be that the righteous energy he possessed was cultivated from books?

Yuechan couldn’t help but suspect. After all… none of the immortal arts in the world included methods for cultivating such righteous energy. It seemed more like a special path.

And such a method did not exist in the Wilds. So… how did Ye Qiu acquire it?

Clearly, it related to his actions.

"He pays no heed to the affairs beyond his window, focused only on the books of sages? Hmm… These words carry a certain charm, an implicit sage-like intent, which connects to the righteous energy he possesses…" Yuechan mused inwardly. She had guessed half the truth. It had to be said… this woman was frighteningly clever. No wonder she achieved such cultivation at a young age.

Among her peers, she was someone everyone looked up to, an existence none could surpass.

Thinking of this, Yuechan couldn’t resist teasing Ye Qiu again, "Back then, you really never went to the Divine Capital? The more I look at you, the more familiar you seem… as if I’ve seen you somewhere before."

Ye Qiu broke out in cold sweat. "Damn, why bring this up again? Am I about to be exposed?"

In truth, he had already been exposed, though he didn’t know it. Had Yuechan not figured out his real identity, she wouldn’t be sitting here talking to him.

With her temperament, it wouldn’t matter how powerful you were—even if you were the King of the Heavens, she wouldn’t spare you a glance.

She was just that kind of independent girl. What? Don’t like her attitude? Then challenge her to a duel.

But even if you could beat her, you couldn’t change the fact she wouldn’t pay you any mind…

Ye Qiu answered nervously, "I really haven’t been to the Divine Capital, please stop asking! If you ask, the answer is still no…"

"Oh! Maybe I mistook you for someone else again, truly sorry!" Yuechan pretended to be regretful, then suddenly her face turned cold, feigning anger, "That damned heartless man from back then—if I ever find him, I’ll slap him flat!"

With that, Yuechan struck the table, instantly reducing it to powder, startling Ye Qiu.

"Damn, that’s terrifying! Does she have to be so ruthless?"

Ye Qiu was genuinely frightened. This woman was as fierce as ever! If she recognized him, wouldn’t he be doomed?

No, he absolutely couldn’t let her figure it out, or he’d truly be finished…

Ye Qiu hastily explained, "I don’t think that’s necessary. A young lady should be more ladylike—resorting to violence is not good. Even if he committed unforgivable sins, he can still be forgiven. Everyone makes mistakes, and besides, he was still so young at the time, it’s understandable he went astray…"

Oh no, as soon as he said this, Ye Qiu felt his heart sink.

Damn, he slipped up!

Sure enough, as soon as Yuechan heard this, she gave him a meaningful look, narrowing her eyes, "Senior, how do you know he was young back then?"

"Ah? Haha, well, I just guessed. How could I possibly know? Really, just a guess!" Ye Qiu replied nervously, knowing he couldn’t keep talking or he’d truly give himself away…

Yuechan found it amusing but didn’t expose him. She suddenly felt that this was quite enjoyable—she was happy to see Ye Qiu like this, so very interesting.

"Oh, Senior, you truly are resourceful, to even guess that!" Yuechan smiled gently, letting the matter drop. She didn’t want Ye Qiu to reveal himself; that would ruin the fun, so there was no need to press further.

"Phew… that was close!" Seeing Yuechan relax her vigilance, Ye Qiu finally breathed a sigh of relief.