"Come quickly! I've brought the Whale Jelly you wanted!"
The melodious voice came from beside him.
Without looking, Ye Tian knew who it was. But hearing about the Whale Jelly, he couldn't help but eagerly turn around.
He saw the bright smiling face under the tree.
Purple eyes, golden hair, and an elegant white dress—who else could it be but Qian Renxue?
Ye Tian no longer felt hungry and rushed over quickly.
"Xiao Xue, where's the Whale Jelly?"
"Hmph!"
Qian Renxue wrinkled her jade nose, her tone tinged with a hint of sourness.
"What's the rush?!"
She placed her hands on her hips, her almond eyes wide open.
"Ye Tian, I'm asking you, why are you trying to steal my mom?"
"What?"
Hearing Qian Renxue's words, Ye Tian snapped out of his excitement.
Was it time to lay the cards on the table?
A look of deep confusion spread across Ye Tian's face.
"I don't have a mom either!"
Qian Renxue was momentarily stunned but still pointed at Ye Tian as if demanding an explanation.
"It's the Saintess."
"The Saintess is your mom?!"
Ye Tian wore an exaggerated expression of disbelief, but Qian Renxue declared firmly:
"Yes! She's my mom!"
"Ye Tian, why exactly are you trying to steal my mom?"
After going in circles, the question returned to this.
As if still recovering from the shock, Ye Tian didn't ask further.
Instead, he quickly explained:
"I'm not trying to steal your mom. The Saintess is just my teacher. I'm her disciple, not her son."
Ye Tian gradually calmed down and shrugged helplessly.
"Besides, she doesn't even like me. Even though I'm her disciple, I still had to find someone to guide me to the Wisteria Residence."
"Wisteria Residence!"
Hearing this, Qian Renxue's eyes filled with envy—even she hadn't spent much time there. She hurriedly asked:
"So what did you do this morning?"
"Training."
"Where did you train? How did Mom teach you?"
Qian Renxue's persistent questioning made Ye Tian realize she was actually asking about Bi Bi Dong, not him.
So... Ye Tian decided to be honest.
"In her room. I was at the foot of the bed, and she was at the head."
"What?!"
Qian Renxue exclaimed in shock.
These were experiences she had never had! How she longed to be held and lie peacefully in her mother's embrace...
Qian Renxue's heart swelled with yearning.
Her gaze shifted as she looked at Ye Tian. Could it be that Mom preferred boys?
But Ye Tian had clearly said that Mom didn't like him either.
Curious, Qian Renxue asked:
"Ye Tian, if Mom doesn't like you, why did she take you as her disciple?"
"Probably because she finds me useful."
Ye Tian spoke weakly, plopping down to sit on the ground.
"Then, how about we swap?"
Qian Renxue had a sudden idea and immediately crouched down, proposing with unusual logic:
"I'm stronger than you, so I'd definitely be more useful!"
"..."
Ye Tian didn't respond, merely looking at her with an expression of pity for the foolish.
"Ye Tian, stop looking at me like that!"
Qian Renxue puffed her cheeks and scolded angrily—this was already the second time!
But she also knew
that swapping identities with Ye Tian was impossible.
"She doesn't like me, let alone love me, so you can rest assured—I won't steal her from you."
Ye Tian smiled reassuringly.
"Thank you, Ye Tian."
Qian Renxue shifted her crouching position and sat side by side with Ye Tian on the ground.
After a long while.
Gazing at Ye Tian's profile,
Qian Renxue's eyes welled with sympathy.
"Ye Tian~ You don't have a mother, so doesn't that mean no one loves you? Aren't you pitiful?"
"..."
Ye Tian tilted his head strangely to look at Qian Renxue.
Only when he saw the compassion in her eyes did he dare confirm that her words held no ulterior meaning.
Ye Tian shrugged helplessly.
"It's alright, as long as no one brings it up."
"Ah!"
Qian Renxue belatedly realized her mistake and hurriedly apologized.
"Then I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"It's fine."
Ye Tian shook his head and slowly lay back down.
Gurgle~
Hearing the rumble from Ye Tian's stomach, Qian Renxue couldn't help but chuckle.
"Pfft~ How about I treat you to some food?"
"That won't be necessary. Just give me the Whale Jelly, and I'll go buy some right away."
Ye Tian wore a slightly embarrassed expression as he politely declined.
He still needed to buy some tasty treats to visit Hu Liena and the others at the orphanage.
And all the mothers there.
"Alright."
Qian Renxue didn't insist, as she wasn't hungry to begin with.
Her small hand brushed over the necklace on her snow-white neck, and a black box appeared in her hand.
Spotting his target,
Ye Tian immediately sat upright again.
"Here~ This contains the Ten-Thousand Year Whale Glue, already melted and prepared."
Qian Renxue handed the box to Ye Tian.
"Ten-Thousand Year Whale Glue!"
Ye Tian was both shocked and delighted. The risks he had taken weren't in vain - this was worth far more than expected!
This girl truly represented the pinnacle of wealthy women in the Douluo Continent.
Remembering Qian Daoliu's warning, Qian Renxue added some embellishment to caution Ye Tian: "You have to remember - you absolutely must not eat this, or you'll die!"
"???"
Ye Tian was stunned.
Was this what Qian Daoliu and the others told her?
Though puzzled, Ye Tian didn't delay and deftly took the box.
"I'll be careful, thank you."
"No need to thank me, this is the reward you deserve. Your method worked very well."
"Haha..."
Ye Tian was in high spirits now that he had obtained the Ten-Thousand Year Whale Glue.
"Actually, it was a bad idea to begin with. The main thing was your courage to make the fake become real."
"But without you, I would have given up long ago."
Qian Renxue said playfully.
The despair and heartache she felt back then were something Ye Tian couldn't possibly understand.
Fortunately, she had already obtained the answer she wanted.
"By the way, Ye Tian, could you tell me what you need such dangerous Whale Jelly for?"
Qian Renxue asked curiously.
Hearing this, Ye Tian immediately composed his expression. After thinking for a moment, he decided to see this good deed through to the end.
He was alone in this world, with neither family nor wealth.
Revealing the truth early would maximize his benefits. Otherwise, when he obtained the Purple Ring later, if others pressed him for answers, it wouldn't be ideal.
And now was the perfect time to maximize his gains.
"Xiao Xue, I'll tell you secretly..." Ye Tian gestured for Qian Renxue to come closer.
"Okay."
Qian Renxue leaned slightly toward Ye Tian. Under the influence of the faint medicinal fragrance... she couldn't help but take a couple more sniffs, her face reddening as she said:
"Ye Tian~ I just realized, you smell really good~"
"Ah!"
As if he hadn't heard, Ye Tian reached out and turned Qian Renxue's tender face away. He leaned close to her fair ear and spoke in a soft whisper.
Each word entered her ear clearly.
The resentment on Qian Renxue's face instantly vanished, her purple eyes shining and trembling as she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"What? How is that possible!"
"It's true!"
Ye Tian declared confidently.
"If you don't believe me, Xiao Xue, just wait until I return from my Soul Hunt and see the results!"
"Ye Tian, maybe you should just forget about it..."
Qian Renxue's eyes filled with concern. She genuinely wanted to be friends with Ye Tian.
What Ye Tian said contradicted the education she had received since childhood, even shattering the common knowledge universally acknowledged throughout the Soul Master world.
This was undoubtedly life-threatening.
"Xiaoxue, you have to believe me—I wouldn't joke about my own life."
Ye Tian smiled, not wanting to waste more words explaining. The truth would provide Qian Renxue with the most reliable answer.
"Anyway, Xiaoxue, just wait for my good news."
As his words fell,
Ye Tian picked up the black box, stood up, and dashed out.
"Ye Tian!"
Qian Renxue watched that young figure disappear and couldn't help stamping her foot in frustration.
—
The blazing sun in the sky gradually grew oppressive; dusk was not far off.
Inside Wisteria Residence,
Bi Bi Dong sat cross-legged on the soft couch, staring intently at Ye Tian, who had just returned.
Her violet eyes were as deep as an abyss, striking awe into anyone who met her gaze.
"..."
Ye Tian stood at the doorway, feeling uneasy.
Only when he heard the rumbling from Bi Bi Dong's stomach did he suddenly remember—
He seemed to have forgotten something extremely important!