This was a spacious, elegantly decorated room. Although it had been unoccupied for a long time, it was frequently cleaned and thus free of dust.
Night had completely fallen.
Inside, the room was brightly lit, the warm candlelight casting a soft glow over the faces of two people.
Chen Mo glanced at the woman standing beside him—Yafei. Naturally enchanting and irresistibly seductive, yet at this moment, she looked somewhat nervous and uneasy. Stretching out his arms, he pulled her slender, delicate body into his embrace, resting his chin on her fragrant shoulder.
"Yafei, my dear," he said softly. "Since I'm staying here... where will you sleep?"
Yafei's entire body trembled from surprise. This had been the very question that had made her uneasy earlier. Her voice quivered slightly as she replied, "I-I'm staying in the room next door."
"Then… can I sleep in the same room as you?"
"Ah! No, that's way too fast!"
Yafei, who had never faced such a bold situation before, was suddenly at a complete loss for what to do.
"Relax, I won't do anything. Just want to sleep while holding you," he said with a chuckle.
With that, Chen Mo picked her up by the waist and walked toward the bed.
Startled, Yafei frantically patted his chest. "N-No! Y-You still reek of alcohol… You haven't even bathed!"
Chen Mo gently set her down and grinned. "Perfect. Let's bathe together. I've never had a lovers' bath before."
Frightened, Yafei backed away again and again, unconsciously wrapping her arms in front of her chest. Her bashful behavior only made Chen Mo feel more tempted to pull her into his arms and caress her.
In the end, though, they didn't bathe together.
That night, Chen Mo simply held Yafei in his arms as they slept. Along the way, he also took the chance to let her try out several lip balms—ones he had originally bought for his "Queen darling."
There was one with the scent of fiery sun fruit...
One that smelled of roses...
And another that had the fragrance of wood lotus fruit...
Yafei tried them one by one, while Chen Mo thoroughly enjoyed the moment.
Despite Yafei's bewitching and seductive appearance in public, practically the embodiment of a temptress, she was actually shy and reserved in bed—possessing the modesty of a refined woman.
Holding her tender body in his arms, Chen Mo gradually drifted off to sleep.
As the morning sun rose from the east, it felt as if spring had arrived overnight in Wu Tan City.
Outside the Miteer Auction House, people were already beginning to gather. A few early visitors had already entered the auction venue.
Though it was still early, the staff of the Miteer Auction House began rising one after another. Dressed in the family's formal attire, they stepped into the auction hall, beginning another day of busy work.
At this time every day…
A personal maid would usually be sent to wake Yafei.
After all, Yafei was the chief auctioneer of the Miteer Auction House. Even when no valuable items were up for bidding, many came to the auction just to see her.
Thus, within Wu Tan City's Miteer Auction House, Yafei held an irreplaceable position.
However, this time, the maid was stopped by Gu Ni.
Stroking his white beard, Gu Ni said, "Miss Yafei is feeling unwell today. Let Lillian handle the auction."
"Yes, Master Gu Ni."
The maid didn't question it. After all, women had those days of the month when they didn't feel well.
Behind the soft curtains and lotus-patterned bedding, Yafei's beautiful face was slightly flushed, showing an alluring charm as she clung to Chen Mo's arm, still fast asleep.
Chen Mo lay on the pillow, already awake. Not wanting to disturb Yafei, he remained in bed, lazily observing the beauty in his arms.
Yafei, naturally seductive by nature, looked like a ripe, juicy peach as she clung to his arm.
Chen Mo thought to himself: A few more days. Once she's used to sleeping beside me, I'll finally pluck this peach.
He watched her for a while.
Chirp-chirp—
Birdsong echoed from outside the window. Yafei's eyelashes twitched slightly as she gradually woke up, opening her eyes.
Seeing the man's face so close to hers, her eyes were momentarily dazed. A flush crept over her cheeks, and she loosened her grip on his arm just a little.
A flood of fuzzy, unclear memories suddenly poured into her mind, causing Yafei to bite her red lips tightly.
The boldness she showed last night was largely due to the influence of alcohol. As the saying goes, "liquor emboldens the timid", and Yafei was no exception.
She kissed him, brought him back to the Miteer Auction House, shared a bed, and even slept in his arms.
Had she been sober, she could never have done such things. Still, she had no regrets.
She was only afraid that Chen Mo would misunderstand and think she was an open, promiscuous woman—especially given her role as an auctioneer, frequently appearing in public and using her beauty and charm to navigate social interactions.
It was easy to give the wrong impression.
Not wanting her beloved to get the wrong idea, the first thing Yafei did after waking was to explain herself.
"…Heh, silly girl."
Chen Mo flipped over and pinned her beneath him. Running a finger down the bridge of her nose, he hooked up the corner of his lips and said, "How could I not believe you? You were even clumsy when you kissed me."
With that, he leaned in and kissed her red lips.
This time, they were both sober, making the moment even more tender and intimate than the night before.
"Mmm…"
Unlike last night, Yafei's eyes shimmered with a gentle allure, like still water reflecting moonlight. Gone was the shy, hesitant look—what remained was the charm of a true temptress.
Facing Chen Mo's teasing, she didn't dodge or act coy. Her rosy lips parted, releasing a sweet fragrance.
Since Chen Mo believed in her, then as his woman, Yafei would show him her most enchanting self.
War eventually broke out.
Negotiations failed.
From the Jia Ma Empire's royal family's perspective, Queen Medusa's demands were far too excessive—she wanted the entire Northwestern Province, along with the Magic Beast Mountain Range that spanned nearly half the empire.
The royal family would never agree.
That mountain range brought countless adventurers and merchant caravans, continuously feeding vitality into the surrounding cities.
Moreover, the empire's military relied on hunting magical beasts there to train.
The Yun Lan Sect naturally opposed the demands as well.
If those territories were ceded, the Jia Ma Empire would lose more than half its strength.
So, war erupted.
Even so, the flames of war had not yet reached Wu Tan City.
Xiao Clan — Council Hall
"Damn it! That old bastard Galebi is getting way too cocky—he's openly stealing our business!" the First Elder slammed the table in fury, his face dark with rage. The tea in his cup spilled all over.
"Several of our markets have already seen a drastic drop in customer flow. The few remaining clients are now panicked by the chaos. Many have already gone to the markets controlled by the Galebi and Oba families. If this keeps up, we'll be bankrupt within half a month," said the Second Elder through clenched teeth, his face just as grim.
"This is my fault. If I hadn't diverted so much of the clan's funds to buy Dou Zhe Pills for Yan'er, we could have held out a little longer against the low-price dumping from the Galebi and Oba families," said Xiao Zhan, his hands tightening into fists. With a roar, he punched the armrest beside him, sending splinters flying.
****
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