BTTH: The More Children I Have The Stronger I Become

The quiet returned once Ye Chen left to rest.

A faint trace of his masculine scent still lingered in the air, blending with the calming fragrance of Ya Fei's tea.

She stood silently by the window, one hand resting gently on the edge of the table, the other lightly swirling the tea in her cup.

Her peach blossom eyes, always full of elegance and allure, shimmered with a rare softness.

"Ye Chen… you actually came back."

The words echoed in her mind, laced with a strange warmth.

Earlier, she had teased him as usual, her tone lighthearted and graceful.....

"So, did you come to Wutan City just to see your sister?"

She didn't expect him to answer seriously.

But he had.

"Of course I came to see you," he said, with a boyish pout. "Sister Ya Fei, you vanished for three years without a single letter. Heartless."

That childish grievance in his voice… made her heart tremble.

He still remembers me. Even after all this time.

She lowered her gaze, the corners of her lips lifting into a quiet smile.

But the smile didn't last long.

Her expression gradually turned still, solemn even. She looked at her reflection in the tea....beautiful, refined, admired by many. And yet, that beauty had become both shield and shackle.

Within the Mittel family, her position was always… conditional.

She had no powerful bloodline, no overwhelming talent in cultivation.

Her achievements were practical....running the auction house smoothly, managing guests, and keeping the family name clean.

But in the end, they still saw her as a bargaining chip. A woman to be married off for political convenience.

"A valuable pawn," they would say. "A beauty worthy of sealing an alliance."

The thought stirred bitterness in her heart.

But I won't let them dictate my fate. Not anymore.

She turned to the window and gazed out at the distant horizon.

This border city may be small, but it's mine. I built my place here with my own hands.

And now that Ye Chen is back… maybe, just maybe, I have a chance to change everything.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the teacup.

Ye Chen… once a proud and unruly youth of the same generation, and now....Yunlan Sect's personal disciple.

The future master of one of the continent's most prestigious sects.

>You soared so high, while I…

She paused.

No. I'm not chasing after you. I'm walking beside you now.

Later, as they sat together over tea, the tone was casual, but each word carried layers beneath the surface.

"Brother Ye Chen, I hear Master Yun Yun values you immensely.

Perhaps you'll soon be the next leader of the Yunlan Sect?"

He smiled faintly. "There's still a long road ahead. But yes, she treats me like her own."

Her eyes sparkled. "Then sister Ya Fei will have to rely on you in the future."

He didn't laugh or brush it off.

Instead, he said seriously, "As long as I'm here, no one will dare bully you."

Her heart skipped a beat.

Simple words. But so warm. So strong.

If only I could keep you beside me forever.

But she didn't speak it aloud.

Instead, she rose and excused herself, heading back to her private courtyard.

The silence in the hallway was calming, yet her thoughts churned louder than ever.

Outside, Master Gu Ni was waiting.

"Miss Ya Fei," he greeted, chuckling softly. "Master Ye Chen is quite the gentleman. It seems you two still have a close bond?"

Ya Fei didn't deny it. "He's family. Naturally, I care about him."

"Of course. Still, seeing how you prepared his tea personally and walked him to his room… well, it's quite rare," Gu Ni teased.

Ya Fei didn't respond directly. Instead, she smiled and said, "Prepare a banquet tonight. Wine, dishes, incense....everything of the finest quality. Deliver it to my courtyard."

Gu Ni blinked. "Understood. Should I prepare two sets?"

Ya Fei turned slightly. Her smile deepened, like a flower blooming in the moonlight.

"Yes. And also…"

She paused, voice softer, playful.

"Do you have any Ruyi Powder?"

Gu Ni nearly dropped his teapot.

"…Ruyi Powder?"

Ya Fei raised an eyebrow, her expression calm. "You're a man of the world, Master Gu Ni. Surely you carry such things."

After a moment's stunned silence, he reached into his ring and took out a small jade bottle, handing it to her like it was a bomb.

"This one… is very potent. A small pinch is plenty."

She accepted it with a nod. "Thank you."

Gu Ni stood there, dumbfounded as she walked off without looking back.

What… exactly is she planning?

That night, under the soft glow of lanterns, Ya Fei stood alone at her vanity table.

Her gaze fell on the small jade bottle resting beside a set of hairpins.

She picked it up, weighing it in her palm.

You came back for me, Ye Chen.

Don't blame me… if I make you stay.

A faint, enchanting smile curved on her lips as she whispered to her reflection—

"You promised to protect me, didn't you?"

"Then I'll make you mine… before someone else takes you away."

Senior Sister, You've Really Grown Up

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