CHAPTER 461: CHAPTER 461: MY TODAY IS YOUR TOMORROW_1

The Sect Xu Lai described was truly a paradise on earth, stirring within her the desire to become a part of it.

"Unfortunately, beauty without the strength to protect it is as ephemeral as the moon reflected in water or a flower in a mirror. A single pebble tossed by another can easily shatter it all."

Xu Lai said softly, "And once the water calms, those reflections of the moon and flowers can never be as perfect as they once were."

Ruan Tang listened quietly, her touch still gentle.

Watching Ruan Tang’s beautiful face, Xu Lai said calmly, "That’s why I climbed step by step, from being someone anyone could bully, to the very pinnacle, until no one could ever bully or insult me again."

"I couldn’t protect my Master and the others, but... you and Yiyi are my entire world. If anyone tries to harm you, I will repay them a hundredfold!"

"Just how old are you?" Ruan Tang gently tapped Xu Lai between his brows. "You’re still so dramatic when you talk, just like Ruan Lan."

"..."

Xu Lai said earnestly, "Please don’t lump me in with my juvenile sister-in-law, thank you."

"ACHOO!"

In an arcade in East Sea City, Ruan Lan, who was playing games with her two best friends, sneezed several times in a row.

"Did you catch a cold, or is someone talking about you?" Li Li asked with concern.

Ruan Lan rubbed her slightly stuffy nose and muttered, "Being too beautiful and too outstanding is a curse sometimes."

"In your dreams!" Yu Xiaoxiao glared at her. "Hurry up and get your character through the level! What are you spacing out for?"

Ruan Lan pouted. "You nasty woman, aren’t you supposed to be in a better mood now that you’re in a relationship? How are you getting even more irritable?"

"Nasty woman, you’ve been single this whole time and your chest hasn’t gotten any bigger either."

"???"

Ruan Lan’s face darkened. "When best friends are bantering, let’s not resort to personal attacks. Be careful, or I’ll sue you for slander!"

She insisted seriously, "They have so developed, alright?"

"Mhm," Yu Xiaoxiao replied solemnly. "From a hundred meters below sea level to just at sea level. Impressive, my dear Lan."

Ruan Lan was so angry she could have killed someone.

***

「At five in the evening.」

When Xu Lai and Ruan Tang returned to Haitang Court, they found that the three children weren’t home. A worried, nervous expression appeared on Ruan Tang’s face.

Xu Lai comforted her, "Don’t worry, they’re cultivating on the back mountain."

He was somewhat surprised. He had thought the three little ones would play games for at least half the afternoon, if not the whole time. But Dragon Spirit had told him that right after they left, Yiyi and the other two went to the back mountain to cultivate.

Xu Lai said with satisfaction, "The kids have grown up. They know it’s better to rely on themselves than on others. Only through diligent Cultivation can one walk the path to becoming stronger."

Should I tell The Supreme Emperor about that CD? the Dragon Spirit wondered.

As the Dragon Spirit hesitated, Xu Lai went to the kitchen, planning to prepare a lavish dinner to reward the children.

During dinner, Qian Xiao, so tired he could barely keep his eyes open, was thrown to the floor like a dead dog by Yun Jin.

Xu Lai said with concern, "Qian Xiao, go take a bath. The hot water is ready for you. Come and eat when you’re done."

Qian Xiao sprang up with a jolt, his scalp tingling.

Something’s not right. This is fishy! Uncle Xu has always been nice to me, but never this polite. I’ve only ever heard him use this gentle tone with Big Sis Yiyi. Could it be... he’s thinking about an arranged engagement?

Qian Xiao was instantly energized. "Uncle Xu, rest assured, I’ll take good care of Big Sis Yiyi in the future."

"Huh?" Xu Lai was completely baffled. What was this little rascal talking about?

"Uncle Xu, aren’t you trying to set up an arranged engagement?" Now it was Qian Xiao’s turn to be confused. "If you’re not being nice to your future son-in-law, then why the sudden change in attitude..."

This little rascal was still after his precious daughter!

Xu Lai was getting annoyed. "Yun Jin, it seems this afternoon’s training wasn’t effective enough. Take Qian Xiao with you and cultivate for another two hours later."

"But..." Yun Jin said cautiously, "The Supreme Emperor, the water at the waterfall is too cold at night. His body won’t be able to handle it."

"That’s true," Xu Lai nodded. "Then take Qian Xiao to the deep sea. It’s even colder there."

"...???"

Qian Xiao was dumbfounded. "Uncle Xu, are you the Devil?!"

"Eat up, Qian Xiao. After you eat, I’ll send you on your way," Yun Jin said softly, patting Qian Xiao’s shoulder.

Qian Xiao said weakly, "I think I should probably head home after dinner..."

"I don’t care what you think!" Yun Jin shot him a sidelong glance, her admiration for The Supreme Emperor growing even deeper.

An illustrious Emperor Realm expert, yet he still concerns himself with a weakling like Qian Xiao. What magnanimity!

After dinner, Qian Xiao managed to escape. Xu Lai was only trying to scare him, after all.

Little Glutton Yun Jin and Yiyi went to bed quite early. They were tired from cultivating all afternoon.

"Go to sleep early. Xu Yaoyao invited us to her house tomorrow," Ruan Tang said to Xu Lai before heading into the bathroom.

"Alright," Xu Lai nodded.

Returning to the bedroom, he noticed Ruan Tang’s laptop on the desk and was a bit puzzled. Ruan Tang rarely worked in the bedroom, preferring the study, but he didn’t think much of it.

Half an hour later, Ruan Tang came back to the room.

Only after Xu Lai had dried her hair did he ask, "Why is your laptop in here?"

"Hmm?" Ruan Tang was startled; she had definitely left it in the study.

Leaning back against the headboard with the laptop, Ruan Tang opened it and immediately saw a small pop-up notification in the taskbar.

Ruan Tang casually asked, "Xu Lai, did you use my computer to watch a movie from a disc?"

"No," Xu Lai shook his head. "I rarely watch movies."

"Then whose disc is in the computer?" Ruan Tang’s brow furrowed slightly.

"Let’s take a look and we’ll know," Xu Lai said.

People are overwhelmingly curious.

Following Xu Lai’s suggestion, Ruan Tang opened the disc’s content, and a familiar opening theme began to play...

SNAP. She slammed the laptop shut.

Her face flushed crimson as she glared at Xu Lai. "And you said you didn’t know!"

Xu Lai: ???

He said, frustrated, "It’s really not mine. When have I ever lied to you?"

"It’s really not yours?" Ruan Tang was skeptical. "But this movie..."

"What is it?" Xu Lai asked, curious.

"You... see for yourself." Blushing, Ruan Tang pushed the laptop toward Xu Lai. His expression gradually turned peculiar.

Honey, how did you know what it was from just the first two seconds of music...?

"Back in college, Yaoyao, Luo Chu, and I watched it once," Ruan Tang said, feigning calmness even as her face felt like it was on fire. "It was all due to youthful ignorance."

"Dragon Spirit, what happened?" Xu Lai inquired using his Divine Sense.

When he learned that Qian Xiao had brought the disc, mistaking it for a horror movie he wanted to watch with Yiyi, veins bulged on Xu Lai’s forehead.

"Qian Xiao brought it. You should probably tell Luo Chu," Xu Lai said with a serious expression.

Ruan Tang hesitated for a moment before making the call.

On the other end of the line, Luo Chu, despite already being a mother of two, became beet red and apologized profusely. Then, with an expressionless face, she turned to her son, who was peacefully eating fruit, and gave him a thorough beating.

"Daddy, save me!" Qian Xiao cried and begged for mercy. "If you don’t, what happens to me today will happen to you tomorrow! Waaah..."

"Alright, that’s enough." Whether he couldn’t bear to watch anymore or was moved by his son’s words, Qian Song actually began to plead for Qian Xiao.

"You have the gall to talk?" Luo Chu twisted her husband’s ear, furious. "All you do is watch those kinds of discs, and now our son has taken one to my best friend’s house! How embarrassing is that?"

"What?" Qian Song was also shocked, and he said angrily, "Honey, you rest. Don’t stress the baby. I’ll handle the beating!"

"..."

Qian Xiao’s piercing screams echoed endlessly.