439. Intense Atmosphere

As Zhu Zhuyun stepped into the room and hadn’t even settled in, two golden streams of light shot out from the Life Ring lying in the corner.

The two streams twisted in midair before landing on the ground, transforming into two upright figures.

Qian Renxue leaned into Qian Renjue’s embrace, with his hand supporting her slender waist.

The scene exuded elegance and harmony.

However, Qian Renjue’s wandering eyes, eagerly surveying the surroundings, disrupted the otherwise sacred atmosphere.

Zhu Zhuyun clenched her fists, her frustration evident.

The siblings continued to treat her like air, completely ignoring her presence.

“Jue! Stop looking around,” Qian Renxue said, frowning, her delicate brows drawing together.

Curious herself, she looked around but reached up to cover Qian Renjue’s eyes with her hand.

“Sis, I’m not a child anymore,” Qian Renjue retorted, annoyed, as he caught her jade-like hand and resumed his observations.

“Well, you’re still younger than me,” Qian Renxue rolled her eyes, relaxing into his arms. Her sharp gaze scanned the room, and she exhaled in relief.

This hotel was decent enough. Otherwise, she wouldn’t know how to explain it to Bibi Dong later.

“There’s really nothing special about it,” Qian Renjue muttered after a glance around, pouting slightly.

Aside from the overly pink bed and the faint scent of aphrodisiacs lingering in the air, the most notable features were the heart-shaped bathtub with suggestive carvings along its edges and a human-centered ergonomic sofa strategically placed for… certain activities.

“Jue, are you disappointed or something?” Qian Renxue’s eyes widened slightly, glaring at him as she pinched his cheek and shook it playfully.

“Of course not!” Qian Renjue quickly grabbed her hand and shook his head, reining in his curiosity.

Shifting his gaze to Zhu Zhuyun, whose face was still flushed, he asked softly, “Zhu Zhuyun, how long until Dai Weisi gets here?”

“He… he should arrive in about half an hour,” Zhu Zhuyun replied quietly, her voice tinged with embarrassment.

Her face burned with shame that refused to dissipate.

Leaning against the door, she could still faintly hear the indecent sounds echoing from the hallway, making her feel lightheaded.

“Alright then,” Qian Renjue nodded before casually waving her over.

“Don’t just stand by the door. Come over here and sit while we wait.”

“What?” Zhu Zhuyun looked up in alarm, her delicate face blank and flushed with confusion.

“I said, come sit with us while we wait for him,” Qian Renjue repeated.

“I… I won’t!” Zhu Zhuyun bit her lip, shaking her head firmly. Her eyes showed a mix of fear and determination.

If Qian Renjue tried to force her, she’d rather die than comply.

“What?” Qian Renjue tilted his head, his expression puzzled. He couldn’t understand why she refused to sit.

It wasn’t as if he intended to do anything to her.

Shrugging indifferently, he didn’t insist. “Suit yourself. Then you can just stand there.”

With that, Qian Renjue led Qian Renxue to sit on the edge of the bed.

“You?!” Zhu Zhuyun froze.

When she snapped out of her daze, her flushed face deepened, and her shame intensified.

She realized she had misunderstood the situation entirely.

Qian Renxue, however, stared at Zhu Zhuyun with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

It was clear that she had caught on.

Was this fat cat trying to seduce her little brother right in front of her?

Zhu Zhuyun avoided eye contact, her gaze darting away nervously.

Meanwhile, Qian Renjue frowned slightly as he noticed the strange aroma in the room.

He hesitated before saying, “Sis, could you purify the room with your sacred flame?”

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and opened the windows from several paces away.

“Alright~” Qian Renxue’s voice was soft, though her cheeks were unnaturally flushed.

She, too, had started to sense that something wasn’t right with the atmosphere.

No wonder Zhu Zhuyun had been so on edge.

Gathering herself, Qian Renxue extended her hand, and a golden Seraphim Orb appeared, floating upward to the ceiling and radiating light throughout the room.



In an instant, a pink mist rose within the room, only to be swept away entirely by Qian Renxue’s mental power, expelling it outside.

The room immediately felt cooler, and Zhu Zhuyun’s rapid breathing and foggy mind returned to normal.

“How odd… why would this place use such a strong aphrodisiac?” Qian Renjue questioned, glancing around with a puzzled expression.

Even for “atmosphere,” this was far too much, like throwing powder in everyone’s face.

Qian Renxue exhaled heavily, giving Zhu Zhuyun a sideways glance.

“Jue, are you suggesting someone tampered with this place?”

“I-It wasn’t me! This is my first time in a place like this!” Zhu Zhuyun blurted out, panicked, before Qian Renjue could respond.

“Of course it wasn’t you,” Qian Renjue replied indifferently, meeting her gaze.

Qian Renxue, however, paused thoughtfully.

If it wasn’t Zhu Zhuyun, the answer became glaringly obvious.

“...”

Hearing this, Zhu Zhuyun froze. A realization dawned on her, leaving her dazed.

Could Dai Weisi have been the one behind this?

Why would he?!

Qian Renxue’s amused gaze lingered on Zhu Zhuyun as she spoke teasingly:
“Looks like you aren’t entirely content with being a subordinate. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths.”

“...”

Zhu Zhuyun had no retort to Qian Renxue’s remark.

Instead, she clenched her fists, lowering her gaze, half her face shrouded in shadow.

Her heart churned with fear, relief, and a touch of mockery.

Relief because she hadn’t agreed to Dai Weisi’ meeting request—who knows what could have happened otherwise?

The mockery? It was aimed at herself.

Truthfully, she wasn’t as resistant as Qian Renxue seemed to think. The only reason she hadn’t agreed to Dai Weisi was that she hadn’t yet heard the answer she wanted.

What she wanted was a promise: Dai Weisi must guarantee that he wouldn’t harm Zhu Zhuqing.

After all, Dai Weisi would be the ruling emperor.

Even if Zhu Zhuyun won, she’d only be an empress confined to the imperial harem—a mere member of the Dai family.

Moreover, with her family’s patriarch still around, her words didn’t carry much weight.


---

“I’m hungry, Jue~ Where’s breakfast?”

The Ice Emperor appeared on Qian Renjue’s shoulder, her claws playfully tugging at his golden hair.

“There’s plenty; help yourself,” Qian Renjue replied, producing warm cream-filled breadsticks.

“Hmph~”

The Ice Emperor transformed into her human form, sitting beside Qian Renjue. She grabbed a breadstick and took a bite.

Pop!

The cream inside burst out, its sweet fragrance filling the room.

“Ugh~” The Ice Emperor frowned as the cream smeared her face, sticky and uncomfortable.

She extended her tongue but couldn’t quite reach the mess.

“Can’t you eat more carefully?” Qian Renjue frowned, wiping the cream off his own face before reaching over to clean hers.

Her skin felt smooth and cool, but there was an otherworldly lack of human warmth to it.

“How was I supposed to know it would burst? You didn’t warn me!” the Ice Emperor mumbled softly, biting the corner of her mouth, annoyed.

She turned her head away in embarrassment, only to meet Qian Renxue’s deep violet eyes as she leaned against Qian Renjue’s shoulder.

Caught off guard, the Ice Emperor quickly slid a little farther away from Qian Renjue.

Though she’d only been in this household for a few days, she understood the rules:

Never offend either of these two women, and especially not Qian Renjue.

Thankfully, the most intimidating one was the most tolerant.

Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuyun watched the green-haired twin-tailed girl with shock, her earlier sadness momentarily forgotten.

That scorpion had just turned into a living person?

What kind of abilities did the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall even possess?

Her curiosity boiled over as her gaze lingered on the Ice Emperor.

Additionally, from all the rumors and intelligence she’d gathered, no one had ever mentioned that the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall had a sister!

Driven by curiosity, Zhu Zhuyun hesitated before subtly edging closer to the green-haired girl.

But when her eyes met Qian Renjue’s curious gaze, she quickly placed her hand over her chest and stammered, “I-I want to sit down now.”

“Then sit,” Qian Renjue replied casually, stifling a yawn.

Zhu Zhuyun glanced nervously at Qian Renxue, who had closed her eyes to rest. Finally, she sat down on the ergonomic sofa.

She shifted slightly, frowning—it wasn’t the most comfortable seat.


---

Before long, the half-hour passed.

Outside the mushroom-shaped building, the prince’s carriage gradually came to a stop.