Chapter Twenty-Five: Xun'er, Why Are You With Him? [Fourth Update—Seeking Everything]

During the subsequent auction, Lin An found himself largely uninterested. He simply let Yao Chen handle things as he pleased. Nalan Yanran, too, was indifferent to the proceedings, idly nibbling on food in the room, bored. When the auction ended and all the proceeds and items were delivered to them, Yafei tried her best to persuade them to stay, but Lin An and his companions still returned to the inn. Elder Ge Ye, however, was summoned away by the head of the auction house.

Back at the inn, Lin An had intended to join Nalan Yanran in gathering news about Xiao Yan over the past couple of days. But before they could even leave the inn, someone was already waiting outside for Lin An.

“What are you doing here?” Nalan Yanran asked, her tone casual at first. But when she realized the visitor was here for Lin An, a sudden hostility flared within her.

“I’m here to fulfill our wager. From now on, I will stay by Lin An’s side as his maid for three years, taking care of his daily life,” the newcomer declared.

It was Xiao Xun’er. After a night of rest and aided by her clan’s miraculous elixirs, she showed no sign of injury.

“What? When did you make a bet with my junior?” Nalan Yanran exclaimed in surprise.

“Just yesterday. Why, didn’t Lin An tell you?” Xiao Xun’er replied with a challenging smile.

“It all happened rather suddenly. Senior Sister Nalan, let me explain,” Lin An said, rubbing his temples as he met Nalan Yanran’s gaze.

“Indeed, it’s quite sudden. But since you’re a maid now, you should act like one. Lin An is not someone you can simply address by name anymore. From now on, you must call him Young Master Lin, understood?” There was a hint of crisis in Nalan Yanran’s heart as she looked at Xiao Xun’er, whose beauty rivaled—and in some ways even surpassed—her own.

“I am Lin An’s maid, not yours. Don’t forget your place,” Xiao Xun’er retorted with a cold sneer.

Nalan Yanran, unaware of Xiao Xun’er’s true identity and assuming she was merely a young lady of the Xiao family, dismissed her words.

“All right, both of you, that’s enough!” Lin An said helplessly, worried that if the argument continued, the two might begin fighting in the street. With a cold snort, Nalan Yanran fell silent, unwilling to quarrel further.

Xiao Xun’er quietly took her place behind Lin An, her manner demure and obedient.

“Before we go back to the Yunlan Sect with you, I should lay down a few rules. Apart from caring for your daily needs, you cannot force me to do anything else. If you try, the three-year agreement is void,” she stated.

She listed several conditions, all of which Lin An found reasonable, so he agreed at once.

“Young Master, where shall we go next?” Xiao Xun’er quickly adapted to her new role.

“Let’s take a look around the city. We’re leaving Wu Tan City tomorrow, after all. Maybe there’s something we still need to buy,” Lin An said.

Xiao Xun’er accepted this without question, following behind Lin An and Nalan Yanran as they headed toward Wu Tan City’s busiest district.

Originally, Lin An had wondered how he might run into Xiao Yan before leaving. Now, with Xiao Xun’er’s arrival, he had his opportunity. He was certain Xiao Yan would never sit idly by while Xiao Xun’er became someone else’s maid.

As long as Xiao Yan wasn’t in seclusion, and given Xiao Xun’er’s popularity in the Xiao family—plus the well-known relationship between her and Xiao Yan—someone would inevitably inform him the moment they saw her with Lin An.

The three of them wandered the streets, chatting and laughing. A couple of hours passed in the blink of an eye. If not for the tension simmering between the two girls, Lin An would have happily continued exploring.

“Could it be that after all this time, Xiao Yan still hasn’t heard the news?” Lin An wondered, even as Nalan Yanran suggested heading back. Dusk had fallen, and Lin An was puzzled.

“Never mind. If we don’t meet, we don’t meet. He has three years, and so do I. When the time comes, I’ll only be stronger than Xiao Yan,” Lin An thought as he prepared to return to the inn.

Just then, a cold voice rang out, seething with anger. “Xun’er... Why are you with him?”

“Brother Xiao Yan? Why are you here?” Xiao Xun’er stammered, feeling as if she’d been caught in the act. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at his face.

She had meant to help him, not get herself entangled like this. Not having seen Xiao Yan for several days, she assumed she wouldn’t run into him and left the Xiao estate early, hoping to leave Wu Tan City the next morning before he could catch up.

But just as that thought flitted through her mind, Xiao Yan appeared before her.

“If I hadn’t come, he’d have taken you away to the Yunlan Sect by now!” Xiao Yan said. “Now tell me—what exactly is going on here?”

Though he had his suspicions, he wanted to hear it from her.

“Xun’er is my maid now. As her master, don’t you think it’s a bit rude to address her so directly?” Lin An stepped in front of Xiao Yan, drawing Xiao Xun’er behind him and meeting Xiao Yan’s gaze.

In just a few days, even without Yao Chen’s help, Xiao Yan had already reached the fifth stage of Dou Qi. Such a meteoric rise would cause a sensation if it became public knowledge. Aside from Lin An, no one else in the entire Doupo world could advance so rapidly.

“What? Xun’er is really your maid now?” Xiao Yan asked, his voice tinged with disappointment and frustration. “What kind of wager did you make?”

He felt an overwhelming sense of regret. He’d already warned Xun’er not to do anything foolish on his behalf, yet she’d secretly challenged Lin An anyway.

“It’s nothing special. She lost to me, so she’ll serve as my maid for three years,” Lin An replied calmly.

Xiao Yan almost exploded with anger, but managed to restrain himself.

“Brother Xiao Yan, a bet is a bet. What’s done is done; there’s nothing you can do now,” Xiao Xun’er said, trying to reassure him. She had indeed acted impulsively, but she’d been certain of victory. Who could have imagined that Lin An, so young, had already reached the rank of a one-star Dou Shi, and could even refine a legendary Heavenly Flame?

While her Bone-Chilling Flame was not as highly ranked as the Golden Emperor’s Flame, all she possessed was a mere seed, not a true Heavenly Flame.

She accepted her defeat without complaint.