Chapter 230: The Promise

For an unknown amount of time, the effects of the drug gradually faded from Qiao Xueying’s body, and a trace of clarity returned to her eyes.

Gazing at the man on top of her, she gently bit her lip, wondering how Miss Chu had endured him. Her own body had been completely stimulated by the drug, and even then, she had almost not recovered.

Thinking of how Chu Chuyan’s elemental meridians were completely severed and all her cultivation lost, forcing her to rely on her frail body to endure, Qiao Xueying couldn’t help but feel admiration.

“What am I thinking about?!”

Overwhelmed with shyness, Qiao Xueying could only tightly embrace the man, feeling too guilty to let him see her eyes.

…

Waking up the next day, Zuan felt refreshed. He instinctively reached out to embrace the person beside him, but there was no warm, soft body from last night—only emptiness.

His heart startled, he quickly sat up, finding that the beauty had vanished. Only the enchanting scent in the bedclothes indicated that last night had not been a dream.

“Xue’er!” He hastily got up to look for her.

“Don’t bother, she’s already left,” a cold voice said. Mi Li’s spirit form was casually reclining on a distant couch, her long, fair legs faintly visible beneath her skirt. Her stunning, captivating face now bore an icy expression filled with hostility.

Received 233 Rage points from Mi Li!

Zuan was stunned. Left?

She just left like that?

And why was *she* angry?

“Empress Sister, what’s wrong?” Zuan asked tentatively.

“How dare you ask!” Mi Li sat straight up from the couch. “You licentious and shameless fellow forced me to witness such an indecent scene, and I watched it all night!”

Received 513 Rage points from Mi Li!

Zuan was exasperated. “Who made you watch? You could have closed your eyes! And watched all night? I was taken advantage of by you countless times!” As he spoke, he hastily grabbed the silk quilt to shield his chest, as if defending himself from a female pervert.

Mi Li: “…”

“You say I took advantage of you?” She flashed to the bedside, one foot on the ground and one on the bed, looming over him with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

Zuan’s gaze involuntarily fell upon the large expanse of fair skin on her chest. He couldn’t help but secretly marvel, “Was attire in the Qin Dynasty really that bold?” Mi Li’s current clothes were not physical garments but formed from her spiritual energy, presumably according to her preferences and habits.

She was wearing a low-cut dress?

It seemed Empress Sister also had a passionate heart.

“Where are your eyes looking?” Mi Li grew angry, seeing that he not only didn’t answer but stared directly at her.

Received 256 Rage points from Mi Li!

“You’re thrusting your chest in front of me; I can’t help but look,” Zuan thought, *She’s a spirit body, why is she still so hot-headed?* “Besides, aren’t you dressed like that to be seen? Me looking more shows you dressed well, you should be happy.”

Mi Li: “…”

“You truly are a smooth-talker, no wonder you can trick a bunch of young girls.” Although Mi Li’s words were sharp, her expression noticeably softened. She straightened up and awkwardly tugged at her dress, feeling uncomfortable under his gaze.

This man was truly peculiar. In the past, no matter how she dressed, who would dare to stare at her so brazenly? Even now, though the Great Qin had fallen and she was no longer empress, if anyone dared to be so disrespectful, their eyeballs would have been dug out long ago. Yet, this fellow was intrinsically linked to her; she couldn’t kill him, nor could she even punish him severely. He was impervious, leaving her utterly at a loss.

Zuan quickly asked, “Oh, right, you just said Xue’er left. Where did she go?”

“How would I know?” Mi Li snorted, gesturing to the side. “You slept like a log. You didn’t even know she left you a letter.”

“A letter!” Zuan saw a letter on a nearby table and quickly rushed over to pick it up.

Seeing him jump naked from the bed, Mi Li’s face flushed slightly, and she awkwardly turned away. “Can’t you put on some clothes before coming out?”

“You watched all night; does it make a difference whether I’m dressed in front of you?” Zuan rolled his eyes.

Mi Li: “…”

This guy was truly infuriating!

Just as she was about to turn back and say something, her gaze suddenly fell upon a certain part of his body. Her heart skipped a beat, and the remaining words died in her throat.

Zuan ignored her and focused on reading the letter Qiao Xueying had left. The letter was very brief:

“I’m leaving. Now that I’ve fallen out with the Shi clan, I need to go back and handle matters with my own people before they react…”

“Last night… thank you. Also, please don’t tell Miss Chu about last night.”

“If you’re ever unhappy in the Chu family, you can come find me in the capital.”

…

Looking at the delicate handwriting on the letter, a few words seemed a bit messy, clearly indicating her hesitation as she wrote it.

“She just left like that,” Zuan thought, recalling her charming movements last night. A sense of emptiness filled his heart.

After putting the letter away, Zuan looked at Mi Li and couldn’t help but complain, “Since you were awake, why didn’t you stop her yesterday? At least wake me up to say goodbye.”

Mi Li replied, “Why should I stop her?”

Zuan: “…”

*Sister, your rhetorical question is so valid, I can’t refute it.*

Yet, the more Mi Li thought about it, the more annoyed she became. “Do you know how much I did for you last night!”

“You did something for me?” Zuan asked, surprised. *What could you possibly do for me in that situation? You couldn’t have possibly helped me push… *cough, cough*…*

“Hmph, you two made such a racket last night. That little girl looked delicate, but her voice was so loud. If I hadn’t set up a barrier around the room for you, everyone in the Chu manor would have known about your business long ago.” Mi Li thought of herself, a dignified empress, reduced to doing cleanup like eunuchs and palace maids, and felt utterly depressed.

Received 627 Rage points from Mi Li!

Zuan felt a flush of shame. He had been so engrossed yesterday that he hadn’t realized any of this.

“Thank you…” Zuan didn’t know what else to say.

“Don’t make me clean up after you again. Next time, I won’t be so patient.” Mi Li was still resentful of having watched the live performance all night.

Zuan gave a sheepish smile and quickly changed the subject. “Since you were awake, why didn’t you come out when I was in danger and called for you yesterday?”

“Didn’t you survive?” Mi Li rolled her eyes.

“I almost died,” Zuan retorted. “I used all my trump cards. If not for Old Man Mi, you and I might both be dead.”

“Do you know why I didn’t come out?” Mi Li asked coolly.

“Because you couldn’t defeat that Shi Lezhi?” Zuan asked tentatively.

Mi Li: “…”

Received 314 Rage points from Mi Li!

*That guy’s mouth is truly… indescribable.*

With a cold snort, she continued, “A mere eighth-rank beginner is naturally no match for me. The main reason I didn’t come out was because I didn’t want you to become reliant on my presence. Otherwise, you’d think, ‘I have her as a backup, so I can take risks recklessly.’”

“Firstly, it increases the risk of death. Secondly, once you develop a dependency, you can never truly become strong,” Mi Li said solemnly. “For me to live longer, some early risks are worth it. If you can’t survive these small challenges, it’s better to die early than for me to worry later.”

Zuan’s heart stirred. Her words resonated like a grand bell in his mind. He had indeed been reckless lately, much bolder and more aggressive than before, precisely because he thought Mi Li wouldn’t just sit back and let him die.

After a long moment, he bowed deeply to her. “I’ve learned my lesson. From now on, I won’t think of relying on Sister’s help, but will try my best to solve problems with my own abilities.”

“Not just ‘try your best,’ but ‘must.’ From now on, unless someone above the Grandmaster rank attacks you, I absolutely will not help. I hope you understand that,” Mi Li added emotionlessly. “Also, when you talk to me from now on, put on some clothes. Don’t be swinging around like that!”