Chapter Ninety-Seven: Bitten

After waiting for more than ten minutes at the warehouse in the southern part of the city, Hate Sky High finally arrived, gasping for breath, with a group of short, stubby followers. Clearly, none of them were willing to spend money on the city’s teleportation array.

Ye Chen generously gave Hate Sky High an extra ten gold coins, rounding it up to a neat two hundred and fifty. The dwarves were overjoyed, not caring at all that two hundred and fifty was a fool’s number. Once the payment was handed over, Hate Sky High led his merry band away, bidding Ye Chen farewell and reminding him to call them again next time such a good deal came along.

It was approaching three in the morning, and Ye Chen felt the irresistible pull of sleep. He logged off immediately and went to bed.

The next morning, Ye Chen was still deeply asleep, even dreaming a spring dream. In his dream, he was holding the fair and tender Lingyue girl in his arms, doing all sorts of delightful things. Just as he was thoroughly enjoying himself, he suddenly felt a chill all over. Then, a thunderous shout rang in his ears: “Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!”

Startled, Ye Chen arched his waist, trying to sit up. Yet as soon as his head lifted halfway, his lips met something warm and soft. Hmm, very tender, and even a little sweet—just like Lingyue’s lips in his dream. He opened his eyes to find a pair of sparkling, bright eyes staring back at him, face to face, nose to nose, lips naturally pressed together.

It was Li Yuetong! This was bad—she was a fierce little woman, and Ye Chen desperately hoped she wouldn’t make good on her threat to bite off his little brother. He quickly tried to pull his head back, intending to break the kiss, but Li Yuetong’s lips chased after him. With a thud, Ye Chen’s head fell back onto the bed, their lips still locked. Worse yet, her shirt-clad chest pressed tightly against his, and he could feel the two hard points through the fabric. In an instant, he shamefully had a physical reaction.

Could it be that this wild girl secretly liked him? As this absurd thought flickered through Ye Chen’s blank mind, he saw a gleam of cunning in Li Yuetong’s eyes. Not good.

Sure enough, as Ye Chen was struggling to apologize and sit up, her soft lips gently moved against his, like a lover’s kiss. But instead of enjoying it, Ye Chen felt his hair stand on end—she was going to bite him.

“Mmm… mmm… mmm!” Before Ye Chen could escape, a sharp pain shot through his lower lip. Damn, this girl really was a dog. There was a salty, metallic taste—she had drawn blood. She truly didn’t hold back.

“Damn it, Li Yuetong, are you part dog? You really bit me!” Ye Chen finally managed to push her head away, blood welling up from his lower lip, causing him to grimace in pain. Li Yuetong, meanwhile, sat nearby with a sweet smile, acting as if nothing had happened, as if she wasn’t the one responsible for the wound.

Ye Chen was furious. This woman was truly insane, leaving a mark right on his lips. What was he supposed to do if another girl, especially Lingyue, noticed? He’d never be able to explain.

“Hmph, this is just a lesson for you. Let you know that it’s not so easy to take advantage of me. That was my first kiss, you know—you got lucky.” Li Yuetong lifted her chin and snorted, then glanced at Ye Chen’s now limp lower body. “Still daring to poke me with that useless stick? Next time you try, I’ll bite it clean off.”

Ye Chen’s face darkened. Ignoring her still being right there, he reached out to check his little brother. Damn, hopefully she hadn’t scared him into trouble. Thankfully, everything seemed fine. Truly, neither petty men nor women are easy to deal with. This girl was far too fierce, and Ye Chen resolved not to stoop to her level.

“Hey, Li, what did you want? Running into a man’s room like this—aren’t you afraid I’ll punish you?” Ye Chen grabbed the glass of cold water on his bedside table, took a swig, and rinsed his mouth, wincing from the pain in his lip.

“Hmph, try it if you dare. I’m not afraid of you.” Li Yuetong plopped herself onto the solid wood desk nearby, swinging her pale legs back and forth. “Big Sister wants to review the work and assign the next round of tasks. She told me to bring you to the meeting. Also, Second Sister wants to commend you.”

“Commend me? For the Spirit Fox matter?” Ye Chen’s curiosity was piqued. The grudge between Qingyu and Spirit Fox was something others might not know, but Li Yuetong, this fierce girl, certainly would. He immediately asked her about it, and she spilled the story without hesitation, as if pouring beans out of a bamboo tube.

It turned out that Qingyu had once been a top-tier studio in District Three. Back then, Qingyu was nothing like the small group it was now. According to Li Yuetong, at its peak, Qingyu had several hundred members—almost as large as a small family clan, with many true experts. No matter where they went, others showed them respect. Their income was excellent, never needing to sell materials for money.

Later, the studio recruited a batch of new members, including Spirit Fox Shenyue and other key figures from the Spirit Fox clan. These women were actual socialites, and quite famous ones at that. They claimed to be seeking a new life through gaming, and Sword Over City and Drunken Longing took pity on them and welcomed them in. What followed was predictable: once Spirit Fox Shenyue and her companions mastered their skills, they decided to strike out on their own. They convinced many of their former sisters to switch teams, and then began poaching, undermining, and using all sorts of low tricks—mostly seduction.

As the saying goes, even heroes fall for beauty’s trap, let alone when several hundred beauties take turns at it. Qingyu’s shy men were quickly lured away, even the top experts weren’t spared, personally ensnared by Spirit Fox Shenyue and her high-quality companions.

Li Yuetong told the story with anger, even revealing that the top expert of Lie Mountain City, Sword Heartless, the second expert, Wind Without Blood, and several other famous figures had all originally belonged to Qingyu, and were poached during that debacle. By the end, she threatened Ye Chen, saying he had barely reached the level where he could be poached. If he ever dared defect to Spirit Fox, she’d personally bite off his little brother.

Having finally understood the story’s origins, Ye Chen felt deeply satisfied, his curiosity sated. He patted his chest and promised he’d never be swayed by beauty, though he secretly thought Spirit Fox Shenyue would rather eat him alive than try to poach him.

Together with Li Yuetong, he went to the main hall. The girls were all present, and Second Sister, overly enthusiastic, pulled him to sit beside her. Big Sister began reviewing their work: how much equipment they’d gathered, how many materials collected, progress reports—such things he’d never been qualified to participate in before. Now his status had clearly risen, equal to the official members. At the end, Big Sister singled out Ye Chen for special praise, affirming his abilities and announcing that he was now a formal member of Qingyu. No more menial tasks; cooking and such would now be rotated among everyone.

So, Ye Chen finally shed his identity as a servant, taking a big step forward.

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Transitional chapters can be a bit dull—please bear with it. The next plot is far more exciting. Hmm, sounds a bit like an advertisement… Please recommend!