C488 Intimacy

Zhang Miao, at the nod of Yu Yuan, opened the door.

"Ah!"

The next second, Zhang Miao, usually reserved, let out a soft gasp.

She gazed in astonishment at the mayor of Asvetaesi, clad in a vibrant red dress with a touch of makeup, clearly having taken care to dress up.

"Whom are you looking for?"

Zhang Miao hesitated before asking timidly.

From her corner seat, Zhang Manman couldn't catch a glimpse of Yuan Lianyao.

But as the sisters shared a bond through their Heart Lake, the instant Zhang Miao beheld the "blazing red lotus," she relayed the sight through their connection.

Zhang Manman's delicate frame quivered, and she promptly rose from her seated position, moving to the doorway to gaze at Yuan Lianyao with amazement.

At the doorway.

The mayor, elated to learn that Yu Yuan was aboard the "Sea Wanderer," was taken aback to find not Yu Yuan, but a striking young woman upon the door swinging open. She momentarily suspected Tong Laoqian of playing a trick on her.

She resolved to confront the big devil on the fourth floor later and demand an explanation.

Having ascended to the Lunar Spirit and won the Ruby Hand's esteem, she was privy to many secrets and no longer feared rogue cultivators like Tong Laoqian.

Her heart, once brimming with joy, now harbored frustration.

"I must have been mistaken."

She chuckled, shaking her head in apology, ready to leave.

Yu Yuan's bed, situated near the window, was out of her line of sight.

She had only noticed Zhang Miao and Zhang Manman, who had curiously approached from the corner after her arrival, silently admiring the lovely siblings.

"Cough, cough."

As she was about to depart, a familiar cough halted her.

Her heart, heavy with disappointment and irritation towards Tong Laoqian, suddenly surged with excitement. The room seemed to brighten in that instant.

Without waiting for Zhang Miao to react, she burst into the room like a flame.

Her captivating eyes, irresistible to any man, instantly fixed on Yu Yuan. Her stunning visage shone with a brilliance too intense to face directly. "Little brother, didn't you notice me when I boarded the ship?"

Under the astonished stares of the two sisters, the 'blazing red lotus', who had made a name for herself in the Silvermoon Empire and was now gaining renown across the Land of Quiescence due to the Ruby Hand's favor, briskly approached Yu Yuan.

Zhang Manman watched her swift passage, then her gaze lingered on the woman's back, silhouetted by a tight, bright red dress that highlighted a slender waist and perfectly rounded buttocks...

Her seductive form and the provocative curve of her back were enough to make Zhang Manman feel utterly inferior.

In every aspect—be it cultivation level, status, potential, or even beauty and poise—the fire lotus who had burst into the room outshone her by leagues.

Her so-called confidence and pride, which she held before Yu Yuan, crumbled to dust in the wake of Yuan Lianyao's appearance.

"How could she be here? Does Lee Qi actually know her?" Zhang Miao's voice of surprise echoed in her Heart Lake, slightly steadying her shaken composure. "Lee Qi is from the Shadowlight Empire, a branch member of the Lee family. I've heard the Silvermoon Queen held her in high regard when she ruled the empire. Is that why she knows Lee Qi?"

Yuan Lianyao's arrival sparked a flicker of curiosity in her about Yu Yuan.

Initially, she had been adamant about leaving, not wanting to waste any more time with Yu Yuan.

"You made quite the entrance when you boarded the Sea Wanderer; of course, I noticed," Yu Yuan said with a smile.

"You noticed, and yet you didn't greet me?" Yuan Lianyao shot him a fierce glare, chiding, "What? Have you forgotten your sister now that you've experienced the vastness of the sea and sky overseas?"

While speaking, she casually took a seat on the edge of Yu Yuan's bed.

Despite the cost of ten soulstones a day, the second-floor room was cramped, and the single bed provided by the Skyreach Consortium was barely enough for one person.

The red lotus, with her ample curves, made the wooden bed seem even smaller as she sat down, her hips snugly against Yu Yuan's thighs.

Oblivious to Zhang Manman and Zhang Miao, she shared the bed with Yu Yuan as if they were alone, adopting a familiar posture as she playfully confronted him.

The twin sisters were left speechless and bewildered.

"She truly embodies flirtation. And here we are still present! Does she have no regard for gossip?" Zhang Manman sneered inwardly, "Lee Qi is so mediocre in his cultivation, just a bit handsome, and a distant relative of the Lee family of the Shadowlight Empire. She's a City Lord within the Shadowlight Empire, escorted by Faang Yao himself to the Sea Wanderer. Why is she still trying to charm Lee Qi?"

"Humph! I bet she's just lonely from her travels. Seeing that Lee Qi is quite attractive, she probably just threw herself at him!"

Yuan Lianyao's behavior was beyond her comprehension.

She believed that someone like Yuan Lianyao, who held a high position, should seek out a more powerful man, not someone like Yu Yuan, who lacked any significant background.

Yet, Yuan Lianyao seemed quite taken with Yu Yuan and was clearly "flirting" with Lee Qi.

She was convinced that the rumors about Yuan Lianyao were accurate, thinking that the mayor of Asvetaesi was far too easygoing, not even sparing a man like Lee Qi, who had nothing but his looks.

"This Lee Qi might have some significance. Otherwise, the mayor of Asvetaesi wouldn't have bothered to come in person," her sister mused at Heart Lake.

"What significance could he possibly have?" Zhang Miao was filled with scorn. "He's just at the Veil Breaking Realm like us. Besides a Bracelet of Holding, he has nothing of value. His lodging costs a mere ten soulstones a day, and the Skyreach Consortium doesn't favor him. Sister, you're probably overthinking it."

"Let's just wait and see," Zhang Miao suggested.

"Haha, as if I could ever overlook the mayor," Yu Yuan mused, his heart stirred by the firmness of the fire lotus. His speech took on an intimate tone, "There were so many eyes on you earlier, each one hungry and predatory. With my lower status and my family's fallen grace, acknowledging you now would only invite envy and unnecessary complications."

"So, I thought I'd wait for a quiet night to seek you out and share my true feelings."

While saying that, Yu Yuan was secretly curious. He and Yuan Lianyao had always referred to each other as brother and sister. Their bond had grown stronger after surviving the life-and-death trials of Moonfall Sanctuary and the events at the Forgotten Ruins. Yet, they had always maintained a good distance in their relationship.

This time, however, it was different. Yuan Lianyao seemed comfortable sitting on the same bed with him, even engaging in intimate physical contact—a first for them. Yu Yuan felt ripples in his Heart Lake, a fire kindled by the mayor, who was like a sister to him.

"I think my brother has found a new flame and forgotten he has a sister," Yuan Lianyao said, her voice steady as she surreptitiously pinched Yu Yuan's thigh from behind. Yu Yuan winced in pain, and she looked on with satisfaction at the two sisters.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your sister? Sharing such a tiny room for ten soulstones a day, it breaks my heart. You know I've been assigned a large room on the fourth floor by the Skyreach Consortium. Why don't I switch with you, so the three of you can live more comfortably?" Yuan Lianyao teased with a sardonic edge to her voice, seemingly unaware that she sounded like a woman green with envy, taking jabs at her own man.

"You can introduce yourselves," Yu Yuan said, his face the picture of helplessness. Reborn into this life, he was thrown off by Yuan Lianyao's abnormal behavior, her words, and the underlying bitterness.

All signs pointed to the fact that the fire lotus, coveted by countless men throughout the empire, was exhibiting signs of jealousy. But Yu Yuan couldn't be sure whether her jealousy was genuine or just for show in front of the sisters.

"My name is Zhang Manman, and this is my sister, Zhang Miao. We were on the deck, but we couldn't bear those leering eyes constantly watching us. So, we approached Young Master Lee and struck a deal. We agreed to pay a portion of soulstones for the privilege of practicing in the room once we arrive at the Sundering Isles."

Struggling to decipher the nature of the relationship between Yuan Lianyao and Yu Yuan, she felt a twinge of guilt and found herself repeating the explanation she had given three days prior.

"Staying temporarily?" Yuan Lianyao's smile took on a peculiar twist.

Yu Yuan, with his hands spread wide and an expression of pure innocence, explained, "It was a chance encounter, and in my kindness, I offered to let them stay for a while."

"One man and two women sharing a room, together day and night," Yuan Lianyao snorted lightly. "Lee Qi, it seems you've learned to have quite a bit of fun since leaving Asvetaesi."

When she uttered the name "Lee Qi," Yu Yuan's anxiety eased, as he surmised she must be privy to quite a bit of information.

"It's a complete misunderstanding," Yu Yuan insisted earnestly.

"Shouldn't you sisters have the good sense to recognize the situation?" Yuan Lianyao arched an eyebrow and spoke with a hint of scorn, "You've surely noticed the nature of our relationship by now, haven't you?" With that, she inched even closer to Yu Yuan.

She leaned in so close that she was nearly pressing into Yu Yuan's embrace, catching him off guard. He couldn't help but wonder if he should just surrender to the temptation.

"We should leave," Zhang Manman communicated telepathically through Heart Lake.

Zhang Miao shook her head, responding in kind with a silent message.

Zhang Manman, who had been on her way out, suddenly sat back down, determined to stay put. "Ms. Yuan, the fourth-floor room is both spacious and well-equipped, complete with an arcane circle that gathers spiritual energy and a rune circle for soothing the soul. Since you and Lee Qi share such a bond, why not take him upstairs?"

"The soulstone payment for this room has been settled, and the Skyreach Consortium doesn't issue refunds. Why not just leave it to us?"

She couldn't shake the feeling of confusion, unable to grasp why her sister was so adamant about staying.

In crucial moments, she tended to trust her sister's judgment, relying on her sister's insights. Despite her bewilderment, she honored Zhang Miao's wishes and relayed her sister's suggestion.

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