After reaching the house, a sea of servants' eyes followed Xie Lan and the twins. It wasn't just curiosity—it was shocking. Everyone knew the story of how Xie Jing had snatched the two beauties away from the young master. Now, here he was, walking back with them as if nothing had happened.
It was something to find in the morning's gossip, to be sure. But for now, the servants just watched, whispering among themselves as the trio passed.
Inside his room, the silence felt heavy after the noise of the market. Qiuyu and Dongyu stood near the door, their eyes cast down at the floor. The brown robes Xie Lan had brought them seemed like they would fall apart any moment, but they were better than those scraps of silk they had worn in public.
For a long moment, no one spoke. The only sound was the faint rustle of fabric as the girls shifted uncomfortably.
Finally, Qiuyu couldn't take it anymore. With a choked sob, she launched herself at Xie Lan. "Master!" she cried, her face buried against his chest.
Dongyu was right behind her, her tears silent but just as fierce as she pressed against his other side. "Master..." she whispered, her voice breaking.
The brown robes couldn't handle all this emotion. They fell to the floor in a heap, leaving the twins hugging him in nothing but their skin. Xie Lan froze as he felt their soft breasts pressing against his chest, one on each side. It was a feeling he had dreamed of but never expected to experience like this.
His arms moved almost on their own, wrapping around their trembling backs. He held them close, feeling their tears soak through his shirt.
He let them cry it out, his hands rubbing gentle circles on their smooth skin. After what felt like an eternity, their sobs subsided into soft hiccups.
"I'm here," Xie Lan said, his voice coming out rougher than he intended. "Don't worry, I won't let you go from now on."
But as he said the words, the images from last night flashed in his mind—Qiuyu's eager mouth around Xie Jing's dick, Dongyu letting Xie Jing's tongue explore her pussy. Their slutty faces as they moaned for his cousin. The memory burned like acid in his throat.
He didn't say anything about it, though. There would be time for that later, as the earlier matter wasn't going to stay quiet for long.
Sure enough, a servant knocked on his door with a message.
"Young Master, the Clan Leader requests your presence in the main hall."
Xie Lan wasn't surprised. He was actually ready for this. After all, he couldn't beat up his cousin and expect it to go unnoticed.
He gave the twins a final pat on their backs. "Stay here. I'll be back soon."
Then he headed to the meeting hall without any fear in his heart. After all, his father was the strongest man in the clan, and he had shown his strength. He knew how this world worked. Power was everything.
When Xie Lan walked into the meeting hall, all eyes turned to him. There, seated at the head of the long table, was his father, Xie Tian. His face was a mask of calm, but his eyes were fixed on his son.
To his right sat Elder Li, looking as sour as ever. And beside him was Xie Jing, who had a fresh bandage on his nose and a cast on his wrist. He glared at Xie Lan with pure hatred in his eyes. A few other elderly-looking members of the clan were also present, their faces stern and serious.
The air in the room was thick with tension.
Xie Lan walked to the center of the hall and stood tall, waiting for his father to speak. He didn't bow his head or look away. He just met his father's gaze.
"I have heard you have broken through to the Qi Refining realm," Xie Tian began, his voice booming in the silent hall. "And I have also heard that you beat up Xie Jing."
He paused, letting his words hang in the air. "Is it true?"
Xie Lan could feel Xie Jing's glare burning into him, but he didn't flinch. He kept his eyes on his father.
"Yes, Father. It is true. I broke through this morning. And as for Xie Jing..." Xie Lan turned to look at his cousin, a cold smile on his lips. "I had no choice but to teach him a lesson for disrespecting me. For disrespecting the family name."
Xie Jing shot up from his seat. "You lie! He ambushed me! The coward attacked me without warning!"
But Xie Tian held up a hand, and Xie Jing immediately fell silent.
"Enough," Xie Tian said, his voice firm. He looked at Xie Lan, and for the first time in years, Xie Lan saw something other than disappointment in his father's eyes. It was pride.
The previous Xie Lan had always been a source of shame for his father. He was weak, talentless, and brought nothing but humiliation to the powerful Xie name. The real reason Xie Tian had agreed to let Xie Jing take the twins was in the hope that it would finally light a fire under his son's ass. He hoped that losing something he cared about would push Xie Lan to get stronger.
And now, it seemed his plan had worked.
"You handled the situation well," Xie Tian said, his tone leaving no room for argument. He then turned to Elder Li, a challenging look in his eyes. "My son was merely defending his honor. The actions of your son were... improper. And as the one who started this mess, he has paid the price."