A gentle drizzle veiled the sky, a tender breeze whispered through the air.
Dingzhou, beneath the rain and wind, appeared soft and serene, as if wrapped in silk.
Beneath a delicate paper umbrella, Li Xiaoye walked beside Qin Ren, shielding him from the rain. But the wind, as mischievous as a child, curved the falling droplets toward her, soaking the hem of her light summer dress.
The damp fabric clung faintly to her lithe frame, outlining her youthful curves with just enough subtlety to stir the imagination. At times, veiled beauty stirs more longing than bare exposure.
But the "Third Young Master," a man who lived for such sights, didn't spare her so much as a glance.
His eyes were locked, utterly and completely, on the two figures striding out of the inn's front doors.
Beads of cold sweat formed on his brow, his breath quickened, and his face turned grim.
There are people in the world who predict disaster with uncanny accuracy—jinxes, as they're called. And now, it was clear Qin Ren had joined their ranks.
Just after muttering about a "bad feeling," those very two walked out before him—and the expression on his face turned to stone.
Li Xiaoye, sensing his tension, followed his gaze. She saw a man and a woman, not particularly fierce-looking, and wondered: Why did Qin Ren suddenly look like a mouse staring down a pair of cats?
The two wore matching crimson martial outfits, styled their hair the same way, and even shared similar heights. Both had thin toothpicks perched in their mouths like idle rogues from the marketplace.
The only difference?
One was a man—a brawny brute with a full beard, whose honest face hid eyes as sharp as a hawk's, muscles bulging beneath his tunic as if his clothes barely contained them.
The other was a woman—tall, nearly as tall as Qin Ren himself.
At a glance, she could be mistaken for a man. Her haircut, posture, and even the cocky way she crossed her arms and tilted her neck all screamed "street thug." Her features, too, had a sculpted, masculine beauty: sword-like brows, a chiseled jawline, and a nose sharp and high.
Her shoulders were broader than most men's. But her eyes—those eyes—were something else entirely.
Li Xiaoye blinked. Despite all that masculine bravado, those eyes shimmered with a bewitching femininity. If I had to describe them, she thought, *only one word fits—*womanly.
This street-tough girl with her swagger and swaggering shoulders, under Li Xiaoye's second look, had somehow transformed into a strangely... beautiful woman.
And now, this strangely beautiful woman was striding toward Qin Ren, flanked by the bearded brute, both grinning with mischief in their eyes.
The sweat rolled into Qin Ren's eyes, but he didn't blink. Didn't wipe it away. Didn't even move.
Behind him, Qiao Wei and Uncle Li could feel the shift in atmosphere. Qin Ren's aura had collapsed. His breathing was all over the place.
What's this? Is he aroused by her? Qiao Wei wondered, then immediately discarded the thought. This was the man who'd flirted with fairy-level beauties and survived the seduction arts of the infamous Nine Yin Maiden. If even she couldn't break his defenses, how could this tomboy?
Old enemies, maybe? mused Uncle Li. But which of his enemies could shake him like this? Surely not with both me and Qiao Wei by his side…
In their eyes, the duo seemed powerful—but not powerful enough to make this Third Young Master quake.
So who were these two, and why did Qin Ren suddenly look like he was attending his own funeral?
They strutted closer like bullies collecting protection fees on a rainy afternoon.
Stopping right before him, the girl smirked, tilted her chin up, and snorted.
Hngh.
Qin Ren's expression transformed—humble, reverent, almost tearfully respectful.
Clearing his throat, he offered a glowing, bootlicking smile and bent low in a deep bow.
"Little brother greets Cousin Brother and Cousin Sister! It's been years, and yet you both look... even more radiant than before! Cousin Brother, you are truly the paragon of manly charm—tall, handsome, suave beyond measure! And Cousin Sister, why, you are a blooming lotus, a divine beauty beyond compare! Had you not walked straight up to me, I'd never have guessed the pair before me to be my noble kin! What a blessing! What an honor!"
Qiao Wei, Uncle Li, and Li Xiaoye finally got it.
These two troublemakers were none other than Qin Ren's cousins—Tie Jian and Tie Xuanxuan, children of his mother's brother, Iron Mountain Tie.
But that only deepened the mystery—why such fear?
Tie Jian grinned like an ox chewing cud and clapped his massive hand on Qin Ren's shoulder with the force of a hammer striking stone.
"Well said, Ah-Ren! Still got that silver tongue, I see! You're right of course—I am even more dashing than before. As for your flattery, it's unnecessary. We're family! No need for formality! After all, it's been so long—we should catch up properly!"
Each friendly clap on Qin Ren's back echoed like a drumbeat of doom. Thunderous. Heavy.
Qin Ren didn't collapse, but…
His face had turned a deathly pale. His left shoulder sagged from the impact. The stone pavement beneath his feet shattered. One foot sank ankle-deep into the ground.
Li Xiaoye, Qiao Wei, and Uncle Li exchanged horrified glances.
Was this a reunion or an execution?
One thing was now certain: Tie Jian was not just a meathead. That jovial exterior masked a cunning devil, every bit as dangerous as Qin Ren himself.
Once Tie Jian had finished with his "affectionate greetings," Tie Xuanxuan stepped in, her smile bright and... deadly.
"Little Ren," she purred. "Seven years! You haven't changed at all—still the same clever little monkey! Though taller now… and so strong. Mmm. Those chest muscles!"
Her hands roamed.
If the beatdown from Tie Jian had drained Qin Ren's blood, this groping was enough to freeze it.
From the sidelines, the trio exchanged awkward, mortified expressions. A cousin groping her cousin—in public? Even for the Daqin Empire, this crossed several lines.
Thank the heavens for rain—at least the streets were mostly empty. If there'd been a crowd, they'd have probably pulled out stools and snacks, ready for a live performance: Tomboy Cousin Gropes Helpless Pretty Boy.
But the truth was far darker.
Tie Xuanxuan wasn't teasing. She was exacting revenge.
Her lips hovered near his ear, her voice sugar-sweet, her words sharp as poisoned needles.
"That's for stealing my candied hawthorn nine years ago. This one's for putting a scorpion in my shoe. That's for peeping when I bathed. That's for tearing my favorite dress. That's for cutting my hair while I slept. That's for—"
Her whisper was just loud enough for Li Xiaoye to catch, and Qiao Wei and Uncle Li—well-trained ears honed from years in the martial world—heard every word too.
Without a word, the two men crouched down and began tracing circles on the rain-soaked stones, whistling tunelessly like they'd never met this man in their life.
Li Xiaoye stared at her toes, her expression a mosaic of disbelief and delight.
Finally, Tie Xuanxuan pulled back and gave Qin Ren two hearty slaps on the chest.
Then she turned to Li Xiaoye with a sunny smile. "What's the matter, little girl? Staring at the ground like it owes you money. Got something to say?"
Li Xiaoye raised her head, eyes bright and innocent. "Elder Sister, may I offer a suggestion?"
Tie Xuanxuan beamed. "Of course, sweetheart. You're so cute, how could I say no?"
Li Xiaoye pointed directly at Qin Ren.
"Then I suggest… you kill him. A guy like this really isn't worth the trouble."