"Mother, when are we going back to the Ye family..." Ye Ling’Er’s voice suddenly rang out.
Gongsun Yanran smiled. "What? Are you that eager to go back?"
"Yeah, staying here just feels awkward. Besides, Mother, didn’t you agree with Father? Once the matter with the Liu family is settled, we would go back and stay for a good while."
"Don’t worry, we will definitely go back in a couple of days. But I still have a few things to take care of first."
"Mother? What things?"
"I need to prepare some gifts, don’t I? Furthermore, I plan to propose to the Elders that everyone in the Ye family should move into the Gongsun Mansion."
"Have the Ye family come to the Gongsun Mansion? Do you mean... moving?!" Ye Ling’Er was stunned.
"Yes, aren’t you happy?" Gongsun Yanran gave a sweet smile.
Everyone yearned to live in a grand city! She believed the Ye family would undoubtedly be willing to come.
Standing off to the side, Ye Xuan frowned. "Mother, if you want us to move, there’s no need to bring it up. I don’t agree to it."
"Xuan’Er... you don’t agree?" Ye Xuan’s words completely caught Gongsun Yanran by surprise.
In this world, any clan would jump at the chance to develop within a major city. Yet Ye Xuan actually refused!
"Xuan’Er, why?"
"Mother, by bringing the Ye family to the Gongsun family, are you expecting the Ye family to be married in and absorbed as subordinates?"
"No, why would you think that?"
"Mother, even if you don’t see it that way, what about the others? Besides, the gap in power between the Ye family and the Gongsun family is simply too vast. Would my Ye family even be accepted by the Gongsun family? Even if they came, they would only be mocked and looked down upon, wouldn’t they? If things went on like that, the Ye family would be destroyed in less than three generations. For generations to come, the Ye family members would be reduced to nothing more than marginalized figures within the Gongsun family, sinking into obscurity forever."
"This... I didn’t think that far ahead. I just felt that you would all develop much better in a city. How about this? When we go back this time, we can first ask the Ye family for their opinions."
Ye Xuan replied bluntly, "There’s no need to ask. I am the patriarch. My decision is their decision."
"Xuan’Er, aren’t you being a bit too dictatorial? What if they all want to come?" Gongsun Yanran hadn’t expected Ye Xuan to be so domineering.
"They probably all would want to come. But I am the patriarch, so I have the final say. Furthermore, I know exactly what I am doing. Mother, I know you have the Ye family’s best interests at heart. If you insist, you can ask for their opinions when the time comes. But my answer remains the same: I do not agree."
"Xuan’Er, sometimes you shouldn’t act so arbitrarily. You still need to listen to the voices of your clansmen. Coming to a city is also for the Ye family’s century-long master plan."
Hearing this, Ye Xuan didn’t say much more, abruptly changing the subject. "Which room is Liu Ruoxi in?"
"She’s in... that one." Gongsun Yanran pointed toward a guest room.
Ye Xuan immediately headed for the room. Without knocking, he pushed the door open and walked right in, immediately shutting it behind him.
His sudden entrance made Liu Ruoxi jump in fright. She was currently in the middle of searching the room for an escape route. She had discovered a small path right outside the rear window—a potential way out. Unfortunately, there were guards stationed on the path, seemingly there specifically to watch her. It gave her quite a headache.
"Ye Xuan, how can you be so ill-mannered? Don’t you know how to knock before entering? Get out! This is my room," Liu Ruoxi scoffed coldly.
Ye Xuan said indifferently, "Were you looking for an escape route? Do you really think I’d let you run away?"
As he spoke, he pulled out the Spirit-Suppressing Rope.
Liu Ruoxi’s expression drastically changed. "What are you doing!"
"Nothing much. I just figured that since we are fiancés, we should obviously be living together. My mother was considerate of your feelings and let you have a room to yourself, but she is she, and I am I. I want you to live with me starting right now and take care of my daily needs. Now, I’m a bit hungry. Go make me some food."
"Me? Cook for you? Ye Xuan, are you out of your mind? Setting aside the fact that we Cultivators can easily go a week or two without eating, even if you were truly hungry, does the Gongsun family not have servants?"
Ye Xuan flashed a wide grin and said, "We do, and it’s you!"
"You bastard, I’m a servant? I, Liu Ruoxi, will never cook for you."
"Not cooking is fine too. I have quite a few dirty clothes stored in my Qiankun Bag. Wash them for me."
Liu Ruoxi laughed in disbelief. "Ye Xuan, you might as well just kill me. You want me to wash your clothes? No way!"
"Oh? Are you sure?"
"Sure, positive! Absolutely certain!"
Ye Xuan kept smiling. Then, the Spirit-Suppressing Rope in his hand burst with golden light and shot toward Liu Ruoxi. In just a few breaths, she was tied up tight.
"Ye Xuan! What are you trying to do? Let me go," Liu Ruoxi said through gritted teeth.
"What am I trying to do? You’ll find out right now."
Ye Xuan’s eyes were cold and merciless. He walked up to Liu Ruoxi step by step and reached out, touching her pink dress.
"This dress looks quite nice on you. But there’s just too much fabric!"
RIP!
With a sharp sound, the hem of the dress was torn apart. Her long, pale thighs were instantly exposed to his sight. Liu Ruoxi’s legs were smooth, delicate, perfectly proportioned, and straight. They were absolutely a beautiful pair of legs.
"Ah!" Ye Xuan’s action instantly drew a piercing scream from Liu Ruoxi.
She wanted to cover herself, but her hands and feet were completely immobilized. In her heart, she cursed her grandfather fiercely, wondering why he had handed the Spirit-Suppressing Rope over to Ye Xuan too. How could he have borne to give away such a precious item? Wasn’t this just giving Ye Xuan the means to tie her up, leaving her utterly unable to struggle or resist?
Suddenly, Liu Ruoxi’s body began to tremble. Ye Xuan had placed his hand on her ankle and began sliding it all the way up!
"Your skin is so pale, so smooth."
"You bastard, you shameless scum! Stop it right now!" Liu Ruoxi bit her lip so hard it bled, her body trembling even more violently.
Ye Xuan didn’t stop, his hand continuing its upward glide.
Despair.
Humiliation!
Liu Ruoxi felt her mind go completely blank. Squirming frantically like a worm, she managed to wriggle backward a few paces. This twisting, writhing body possessed a unique sort of allure. Even Ye Xuan found himself somewhat mesmerized by the sight.
Tied up by the rope, her perfect figure was fully outlined, yet she could still twist like that... Tsk, tsk, tsk.
But then, Ye Xuan secretly shook his head. He thought, "How am I acting more and more like a pervert? Do I enjoy playing the abuser? I never had this kind of fetish before. No, I can’t do this next time. I’ll just let it slide this once."
Just as Ye Xuan was deep in self-reflection, Liu Ruoxi spoke up again. "Ye Xuan, it’s just washing clothes, right? I’ll wash them! I’ll go wash them right now!"
"Oh? You’re not refusing anymore?"
"I won’t refuse, just as long as you don’t touch me!"
"Good." Saying that, Ye Xuan actually withdrew his hand and, at the same time, retracted the Spirit-Suppressing Rope.
Freed from its bindings, Liu Ruoxi immediately scrambled back onto the bed and covered her long legs with the quilt. Her delicate brows were furrowed tight, her red lips lightly bitten. In this moment, Liu Ruoxi looked exactly like a wounded rabbit.
It was a sight that was genuinely quite enticing.