novelraw Chapter 286 284: The Business Saintess Is Furious After Learning Her "Home" Was Stolen
Chapter 286 284: The Business Saintess Is Furious After Learning Her "Home" Was Stolen
"That's not necessary. Brother Pei is a busy man. Qianqian can see herself out."
Lin Qianyan's tone was as gentle as ever, her voice as soft as water, seemingly filled with endless consideration and understanding.
But as she turned, her eyes lowered, her long lashes casting a shadow beneath them, hiding the complex emotions in their depths.
"I... I'll walk you out."
Just then, Pei Yuhang finally spoke.
He hesitated for a moment before quickening his pace to catch up.
Hearing his voice, Lin Qianyan paused. The gloomy look in her eyes was replaced by a radiant light, and a smile touched her lips.
She said nothing, neither refusing nor agreeing, and simply continued walking forward.
Pei Yuhang followed silently behind her. The sound of their footsteps, one light and one heavy, echoed in the empty corridor, weaving together like a silent symphony.
A strange atmosphere filled the air, making even breathing feel difficult. It wasn't heavy, nor was it intimate, but somewhere in between. It was like dancing on a knife's edge—tense, yet tinged with a secret anticipation.
This pair of "ex-wife and ex-husband" were both waiting for the other to speak first.
Just as the two were about to reach the door, Lin Qianyan finally spoke.
"Brother Pei, you can stop here. Doesn't Sister Ye still need you to make lunch? I'll be very busy for the next few days, so I might not have time to come see you."
The elegant and lovely Fairy tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear, her voice as soft as water, carrying its usual gentleness and consideration.
"Mm... Qianqian, if you need any help in the Dao Sect, you can contact me anytime. I have some connections with the Dao Sect's Great Elder. Maybe I can help you with a lot of things..."
Pei Yuhang's deep voice carried a hint of concern and apology.
Lin Qianyan nodded, a bright smile gracing her lips. "Then while I'm in the Dao Sect, Qianqian will be relying on Brother Pei a lot~"
"Lastly, can Brother Pei close his eyes? Qianqian wants to give you a gift." Her tone was playful and intimate.
"A gift?"
Pei Yuhang was slightly taken aback.
"Hurry up and close your eyes, Brother Pei~ Are you afraid Qianqian is going to hurt you?"
There was a hint of playful complaint in Lin Qianyan's voice, as if scolding him for his mistrust. For her, who already possessed the dignity and grace of a One Sect Saintess, this rare touch of flirtatiousness made Pei Yuhang feel as if he had returned to the past.
It was as if he could see the innocent, carefree girl who used to always follow him around.
"Qianqian... I'll close my eyes. Don't play a prank on me."
"I know, I know! Hurry and close them, Brother Pei~ I'm just giving you a gift. Why are you so nervous?"
At Lin Qianyan's urging, he slowly closed his eyes. His long lashes cast a shadow beneath them, hiding the complex emotions in their depths.
Lin Qianyan gazed at Pei Yuhang's face, his eyes now closed. Her chest rose and fell slightly, her breathing growing a little ragged.
For a moment, it was as if she had returned to her childhood, to a time when she would secretly play pranks on Brother Pei.
That day, she had given him her first kiss.
She slowly approached Pei Yuhang, rose lightly onto her tiptoes, and gently pressed her lips against his.
The moment Pei Yuhang felt the soft, moist warmth on his lips, a numbing tingle shot through his body as if he'd been electrocuted. His eyes snapped open, the soft touch still seeming to linger on his lips.
This sudden, stolen kiss made Pei Yuhang stumble backward.
"Qianqian, you..."
"That was Qianqian's gift to you. Did you like it, Brother Pei~?"
Her lips curved upward in a playful smile, but her eyes held an imperceptible depth. She even deliberately stuck out the tip of her tongue, a provocative gesture that made Pei Yuhang's ears turn red.
"You're already a One Sect Saintess! How can you act so frivolously? What has become of your decorum!"
"None of your business! Brother Pei, you're not my real brother, nor are you my Brother Qing, so why are you so concerned~?"
Pei Yuhang wanted to say more, but Lin Qianyan had already flown away laughing, using Sword Control, leaving only a few wisps of her fragrance lingering around him.
He touched his lips, as if burned by the warmth left there by the Jade Pool Saintess, and quickly snatched his fingers away.
'This girl... I thought she had grown up, that she wasn't the same Qianqian anymore... Turns out, she hasn't changed a bit from the past.'
Pei Yuhang took out a handkerchief, wiped the faint trace of lipstick from his lips, and then turned to go back inside the mansion.
...
...
Inside the Yin Yang Sacred Land's embassy in the Dao Sect, the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost suffocating.
The candlelight in the hall flickered, casting a dim, yellow glow on Shang Miaoyan's cold and beautiful face, making her gaze appear even more profound and majestic.
Shang Miaoyan sat upon a high seat, a long black and red dress accentuating her majestic and inviolable aura.
Her beautiful eyes, like a bottomless cold pool, stared coldly at the Purple-clothed Fairy kneeling prostrate below the steps.
Fan Ya kept her head bowed, not even daring to look up at the Holy Daughter's vermilion-painted toes.
She swallowed, and a thin layer of sweat beaded on her snow-white, swan-like neck, glistening faintly in the candlelight.
"Fan Ya, I recall the intelligence you reported to me stated that Lin Qianyan returned to the Jade Pool Sacred Land's embassy and did not meet with Xiaohan, correct?"
Shang Miaoyan's voice was as placid as water, betraying no emotion, yet it carried a heart-pounding pressure.
Her fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of her chair, making a soft TAP TAP sound, as if she were knocking on Fan Ya's very heart.
"Yes..."
Fan Ya's voice was almost inaudible, laced with a tremor. Her gaze remained lowered, not daring to meet Shang Miaoyan's eyes, as if that gaze would pierce right through her.
"Then why... did someone tell me today that Lin Qianyan was seen leaving the Cold Palace Sword Mansion?"
"The Jade Pool Saintess has always been known for her purity, but this generation's Saintess seems a bit unruly~ To stay for so long in the residence of a married man...
Fan Ya, tell me, what do you think a man and a woman, all alone, would talk about in Xiaohan's home? Or what would they *do*~?"
Shang Miaoyan's voice remained placid, yet it carried a suffocating pressure.
Her gaze swept coldly over Fan Ya, a flash of iciness in her eyes, as if silently reprimanding her for her dereliction of duty.
Fan Ya's body trembled slightly. Her breathing became rapid and unsteady, her chest heaving violently, as if even the strength to kneel had been drained from her.
She swallowed, her voice hoarse and trembling:
"This subordinate... This subordinate does not know..."
STEP—
Just then, a graceful, black-clad figure suddenly emerged from the darkness behind Shang Miaoyan.
Jiu gave a slight bow, her posture respectful and elegant. Her long black dress swayed gently with her movements, like an orchid in the night breeze.
"Your Highness, the investigation is complete."
"Today, Lin Qianyan appeared in three places. Besides the Cold Palace Sword Mansion, she was also spotted near the Dao Sect's Ancestral God Pavilion.
However, the area around the Ancestral God Pavilion is difficult to infiltrate. Furthermore, Lin Qianyan is a Void Refining Great Cultivator, so our Red Lotus Guard could not follow her to investigate further... But we have discovered the reason why Lin Qianyan was able to appear in three different locations within the Dao Sect."
"Speak."
Shang Miaoyan closed her beautiful eyes. Her voice was steady, but her trembling fingertips revealed that her mind was anything but calm.
"The Jade Pool Sacred Land has a Secret Technique that only the Sect Leader and the Saintess's lineage can cultivate. It is called One Qi Transforms the Three Pristine Ones. It's possible that Lin Qianyan... used an avatar to go to the Cold Palace Sword Mansion and meet with Pei Yuhang the moment she arrived in the Dao Sect."
Jiu's voice was extremely cautious, as if she could already smell the coming storm.
After she finished speaking, Shang Miaoyan slowly opened her eyes. A layer of blood-red had tinged her bright, enchanting eyes, and a spectral chill emanated from the depths of her pupils. Her voice was slightly hoarse:
"So you're saying... after I let Xiaohan go that day, he ran right into Lin Qianyan, is that right? I personally pushed Xiaohan right in front of her?"
When Shang Miaoyan finished speaking, the hall fell into a deathly silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"Why aren't the two of you answering me? I'm asking if I'm right."
Shang Miaoyan's voice was still calm, but judging from the gilded armrest that was steadily cracking beneath her palm, the Holy Daughter was actually in an unprecedentedly foul mood.
As Fan Ya and Jiu, who had served her for many years, both understood, defying the Holy Daughter at a time like this would lead to a very unpleasant end...
"...Yes, Your Highness. According to our Red Lotus Guard's investigation, when Pei Sword Immortal returned to the Cold Palace Sword Mansion, Lin Qianyan was likely waiting for him inside."
Jiu's gaze held a complicated mix of emotions. Left with no other choice, she told Shang Miaoyan the cruel truth.
Shang Miaoyan herself had delivered her most beloved man to the lips of her greatest rival.
Shang Miaoyan could just imagine it. With an exquisite delicacy like Pei Sword Immortal delivered right to her, if Lin Qianyan didn't seize the opportunity to take a vicious bite, or even entertain the thought of devouring him completely, she wouldn't be a woman with normal physiological urges.
What's more, Lin Qianyan and Pei Yuhang's old feelings had never been severed. It was probably just like when Shang Miaoyan herself had met Pei Yuhang again this year—dry tinder meeting a raging fire the moment they saw each other.
At that moment, Shang Miaoyan, with the greatest malice, imagined all the despicable ways Lin Qianyan was toying with her Xiaohan.
'Perhaps she's also using his past as a Cauldron Slave—the one he can't tell Ye Liyuan about—to threaten him...'
"That bitch!!"
Shang Miaoyan ground her silver teeth, her fragrant shoulders trembling. But in the end, she burst out laughing, laughing until her eyes glistened with tears.
"HAHAHAHA~~... Heh, Lin Qianyan, you have some impressive methods~ A true masterstroke, that brilliant feint. As expected of a Righteous Fairy, you've perfected the art of being two-faced."
'But this isn't over... We'll see about that!'
After speaking, Shang Miaoyan took out her Transmission Token and sent an invitation to Pei Yuhang.
[Xiaohan... You're coming to keep me company tonight. You're not allowed to refuse!]