Chapter 114 - 3.10

Since Xu Jiaqi was released, she took advantage of the lord's trance to move backwards. Although the hug also gave her comfort, it did suffocate her for a few moments. Not to mention, it made her unsure of her own stability. She deemed that it was dangerous for her to keep intertwining with this familiar soul.

It was as if the soul could suck her into a pool of ecstasy, spoiling her to no end. What gave it such a magnetic effect that she couldn't resist? Like Xie Yongrui, she too tried to pry into the truth behind the two men she encountered.

"My lord.. Are you satisfied?" Xu Jiaqi questioned, looking at him with endearing eyes.

"..No. Hng. How can I be satisfied? I can't seem to get enough of you... Say, did you place a curse on me? Did you feed me with a misleading potion? How come you are able to stir my feelings this hard? Who exactly are you, and where did you pop up from?" Xie Yongrui spoke in a coy tone, pinching the tip of Xu Jiaqi's nose as he scolded her playfully.

"I did no such thing! In fact, I could say the same about the lord. You.. haven't told me who you are." Although Xu Jiaqi had already roughly learned about his identity from the System, she still asked for extra clarity.

"..Why don't you start first? I'm not that interesting of a figure, I think that your story would be a lot more appealing to hear. Come, sit here. My attendant brewed some tea, let's drink it together and have a cozy chat."

Xu Jiaqi hesitated for a few seconds, but quickly got up and sat on the opposite of Xie Yongrui. She took the initiative to pour hot tea from the pot for the two of them. A fine chamomile scent wafted through the room. The fragrance instantly calmed down Xu Jiaqi's nerves for a split second.

Amazement shot through her eyes at the liquid's potency, and the surprise was caught by Xie Yongrui, who was actively observing her. "You are looking at it so passionately. I guess anybody would be surprised with the tea we serve here. It's a lot more special than the ones you can find outside the Xian Ruo county. Be sure to indulge in the experience, since it'll be your first."

Xie Yongrui's movement could only be described with one word. Graceful. Every move he made was condensed with eloquence and relaxation. Calm and controlled.

Right. In the data System sent her, the Xian Ruo County's lord is supposed to be this way. Although he sometimes showed eccentric tendencies, he acted sensibly and never let external factors get to his head when he made judgements.

This temperament and intelligence was what brought him to the seat he was in right now. It was what made Xian Ruo county be able to flourish.

Xu Jiaqi snuck some glances towards the man. She sipped the hot liquid carefully so her tongue wouldn't be burnt. As the tea slipped down her throat, she let out a long breath. It seemed to take all of her stress away.

"Chamomile.. right? I adore it, the calming effects are amazing." Xu Jiaqi smiled as she found herself sipping more liquid.

"..I'm surprised that you are knowledgeable about the tea..? Right, this is a special brew of chamomile tea that we managed to produce. It became a renowned product from the Xian Ruo county, but we only sell them to customers who offer high prices. It's a valuable item. Don't you think I'm being generous by letting you drink? You're lucky!" Boasting, Xie Yongrui flipped his hair back to show off.

"You were planning to have me drink it from the start, right? If not, there wouldn't be two cups. Unless you planned to invite somebody else.. If that was the case, you wouldn't have let me drink from this cup, though."

"So you do have quick wits! Since I took you in on my own accord and you accepted, you are one of my people now. As the lord.. I will welcome you to the Xian Ruo county. It must be your first time here, right? Now that we already have the tea prepared.. It's time for you to tell me about yourself. I want to know you more.. Know the person who dared to cause ripples in my mind. You should be honored, to be honest."

Xu Jiaqi's eyes narrowed. There wasn't much preparation to be done, and she didn't feel a need to fabricate her story. Her true identity was really just a pitiful child who was betrayed by the world.

"..My name is Xu Jiaqi, and my nickname is Qiqi. I.. was born to a mother who worked in the night district, and an unknown father. He was my mother's customer. I was unwanted by her, so I got thrown into some displeasing servants.. Since my mother didn't show me any care, I ended up being discarded to the streets. Then.. I got to meet you when I was trying to escape the slum I was in, and now I'm here, somehow? That's basically my whole life summed up into a short passage. I don't know what you were expecting to hear, but I don't have any special things to say, sorry not sorry." Xu Jiaqi huffed as she finished her story.

Xie Yongrui stilled for a few seconds. He had expected a depressing story, but this girl really spent all her life in suffering and got mistreated in all directions.

"They dared to do what? Who is your mother and these servants you speak of?!" Xie Yongrui actually got a bit heated as he hammered his fist onto the table, making it shake.

[Detecting character deviation. Detecting balance levels. Monitoring world condition.] The System spoke.

[..The balance has crumbled. The character's consciousness is being affected by the target's intrusion. Please heighten the security around the soul.] The System ended up having to make a second report of the highest danger category.

A catastrophe would befall them if they weren't careful enough!

System: Why do I have to deal with this troublesome couple.. Who put me in this position? Then again, I was built specifically for.. Hmp!

Xu Jiaqi: Huh? What was that? System-chan, what are you mumbling about? You keep dozing off, I will fire you if you keep this up!

System: Nothing! There was nothing that came out of my mouth! My dearest Host, please enjoy your sweet moments... while it still lasts.. Heheh.