Ye Jun continued to think about the Martial Exchange while waiting for Meihui. A lot had happened in the past month, but one thing was certain.
He had worked really hard to get here, to be able to crush his enemies. Even though he couldn't do that to the Elders, there were still some people he could crush today.
'One step at a time.'
Closing his eyes, he enjoyed the warm sunlight caressing his face. Then, he shifted his focus to the side and picked up his robes, colored white with deep blue strips on the edges. They suited him perfectly and were a gift from Meihui.
As he checked his reflection in the water tub, he heard footsteps behind him and turned around, only to freeze immediately in surprise.
Before him stood a young man, one head shorter than him, with lush blonde hair tied behind in a ponytail. He wore simple, fitting, yet elegant robes which suited his slim physique just fine.
If it weren't for those captivating purple-blue eyes that always drew him in, he would have thought a stranger had entered his home. But he recognized those eyes very well.
"Meihui?" Ye Jun blurted out.
She giggled as she took out a folding hand fan and held it before her mouth. "Address me as Young Master Rong Hua! I'm from a faraway land and am currently experiencing the outside world."
"Woah! This disguise is so damn good!" Ye Jun quickly came to inspect her, but didn't touch. "Too real! How did you even hide your… figure?"
Meihui instantly lost her composure hearing his words, as she gritted her teeth. "Don't use such crude language! Have some shame!"
"They're still impressive though." Ye Jun shrugged.
"Shut up!"
Ye Jun smiled, but stopped teasing her. He simply looked at her up and down, feeling a strange urge to pull her closer and steal a kiss.
But it confused him.
'She currently has a male appearance. Am I attracted to men now?' he blinked in confusion. 'Wait, no. That doesn't make sense. She looks like a very… feminine boy. Does liking a feminine-looking boy make me gay or straight?'
He grew even more confused.
'But I know he's a she, so technically I'm straight since I know I'm attracted to a woman. This doesn't make any sense. What am I?'
"Jun?" Meihui clicked her fingers in front of him. "What are you thinking so deeply about?"
"I was just wondering how you're beautiful even in a disguise," Ye Jun replied honestly.
"Smooth talker!" Meihui looked away, but Ye Jun clearly saw a hint of a smile forming on her face.
He also smiled as he thought, 'I am stupid. It's simple. I am straight, so whoever I'm attracted to is a woman. As simple as that.'
Shaking those thoughts off, he said, "It's a good idea, though you'll now be pestered by women for sure."
"Are you jealous I'll steal all the girls from you?" Meihui raised an eyebrow, smiling.
Ye Jun took a step forward toward her, making her want to step backward, but then she remembered she was the elder one between them, so she stood her ground, even though the close proximity embarrassed her.
"I'm completely fine with that," Ye Jun whispered softly. "Because my attention is only on two women."
Meihui paused, looking up into his deep black eyes with sparkles shining in her own. For a moment, she seemed to consider something, but then she suddenly pushed him away with an annoyed face.
"Don't try to flirt with me, you womanizer."
Ye Jun chuckled softly and held out his hand. "Shall we go?"
"You want others to see you being so close to a man?" Meihui asked, a little confused.
"My reputation is already great, and I don't care about them." Ye Jun shrugged.
Meihui stared deeply at him before putting the fan before her lower face. "But I do. We'll behave like a pair of best friends in public. It's important, understand?"
"Yes, Elder Sister!" Ye Jun winked at her.
Meihui had to resist the urge to smack his face. "When are you going to forget that?"
She clearly understood he was teasing her about the day they met. Just thinking about how she had addressed him back then made her face burn in embarrassment, and he just had to bring it up again.
"I'm never going to forget it," Ye Jun laughed. "It's too valuable."
Meihui pouted in displeasure, though the display only made Ye Jun want to kiss her even more. Still, he suppressed the urge.
"In any case," Meihui changed the topic as she took out a bracelet. "Take this."
Ye Jun took it and wore it on his right wrist. The bracelet was simple in appearance, with many round beads made of light black material.
"It will hide your cultivation from them," Meihui explained. "Although you're going to show your true strength to the world today, it's better to use the advantage of being underestimated that we currently possess."
"They can sense my cultivation?" Ye Jun asked.
"The Sect Envoys might. The three clans definitely can't. But they can sense the Qi inside you, so it's a clear giveaway of your cultivation level."
"Makes sense," Ye Jun nodded and said, "Then shall we go, Young Master Rong? We have many things to do today."
Meihui put one hand behind her back while the other covered her lower face with the fan. "Of course. This young master came to experience the world, after all."
"You're good at acting like this," Ye Jun said. "Much better than as a temptress."
"It's because I met many lowlife young masters, not temptresses," she glared at him.
"I see, I see!" Ye Jun nodded in understanding.
Then, they left their humble abode and went down the hill. By then, the three clans must have already gathered in the clearing outside the city where the Martial Exchange was usually held.
They were the ones managing it, after all.
But Ye Jun and Meihui didn't go there directly.
Instead, Ye Jun brought Meihui around the city and enjoyed the Festival of Returning Light with her. There were many new products, like festival-exclusive food, which they enjoyed greatly.
Only after they had enjoyed themselves to their hearts' content did they finally head toward the Martial Exchange.