A fifteen-year-old girl, forced to scrap and claw in the chaotic, cutthroat environment of the marketplace just to support her familyâit was no wonder sheâd developed such a fierce, abrasive personality. Without that edge, she probably wouldâve been eaten alive.
Wang Yue also asked about the cultivation technique Su Nuanyue had been using. It turned out it wasnât a Su family technique at all, but a piece of junk filled with errors. It looked like something cobbled together by someone with a very superficial understanding of martial arts.
With a manual like that, it wasnât surprising sheâd had an accident during her breakthrough; it wouldâve been a miracle if she hadnât.
Su Nuanyueâs house was a long way from the market, so by the time Yang Cancan made it back, the sun was already dipping below the horizon. The mother and daughter got busy in the kitchen, whipping up a dinner that was quite a feastâat least by their standards.
By the time they finished dinner, it was nearly 9:00 PM. Since Su Nuanyue was in poor health, she turned in early to rest.
Yang Cancan went to the bathroom to wash up, and Wang Yue pulled a stool out into the courtyard. He sat there, watching the moon rise in the east, his mind slipping back into that state of ethereal calm.
The silence didnât last long, though. It was broken as soon as Yang Cancan finished her shower and stepped out into the yard.
Wang Yue turned to look at her and found himself staring.
Sheâd completely stripped away the daytime disguise. Her hair, which was usually pinned up and hidden under a cap, now fell freely to her shoulders. It wasnât exceptionally long, but it completely changed her auraâthe "tomboy" was gone, replaced by a striking feminine grace.
The soot and grime were washed away, revealing skin that was fair with a healthy, rosy glow. Her brows were like distant misty mountains, her eyes like the rippling waves of an autumn lake. With her cherry-red lips and a faint, dimpled smile, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
She was wearing a simple, sleeveless short nightgown that left her pale, slender arms and well-proportioned legs exposed. Her delicate white feet were tucked into a pair of plastic slippers.
The whole outfit couldnât have cost more than fifty bucks, but she looked incredible in it. It really goes to show: when someone is that beautiful, they can make anything look like high fashion.
Now, to be fair, as stunning as Yang Cancan was, she was still a notch below Wang Yueâs motherâthe "Greatest Beauty of All Time"âor his aunts and sisters. But beauty is all about contrast. Having spent the day looking at her as a scruffy brat, seeing her true self was a genuine "wow" moment, even for someone like Wang Yue.
However, the "wow" moment was slightly undercut by the fact that this gorgeous woman was currently lugging a full crate of beer.
"Drink with me." Yang Cancan didnât seem to notice Wang Yueâs stunned expression. She walked over, dragged a chair opposite him, and sat down with a thud, sprawling her legs out just like a guy would.
Her nightgown was already short, and sitting down pulled the hem up well above her knees. With her legs spread like that, the moonlight was bright enough for Wang Yue to catch a glimpse of a few stray, rebellious hairs peeking out from the edge of her white panties.
Yang Cancan still didnât care. It wasnât that she was "easy"; it was just that she was used to being this relaxed when no one was around. Plus, she had no idea Wang Yueâs vision was sharp enough to see those kinds of details in the pale moonlight. To her, it was just dark out, and people were mostly just silhouettes.
She pulled two bottles from the crate, flicked the caps off with her thumb, and handed one to Wang Yue.
He took it, smiling. "You like to drink?"
"Itâs not so much that I like it, Iâm just in a good mood today," she laughed. "Cheers!"
She clinked her bottle against his, tilted her head back, and started chugging... glug, glug, glug...
Wang Yue shook his head with a wry smile and downed his bottle in one go to keep up.
"Nice!" Yang Cancan gave him an appreciative grin and cracked open two more, handing him another one. This time she didnât chug; she settled in to chat.
"Youâre here to take us away, arenât you?" she asked after a sip.
Wang Yue nodded. "Thatâs the plan."
"Fine. Iâll find someone to buy the shop in the next few days and then weâre gone," she said decisively.
Wang Yue was taken aback. From what heâd seen, she didnât seem like the type to rely on others. He hadnât expected her to be so onboard. "Youâre really willing to leave Kaifeng just like that?"
"Why not? Looking at you, your family must be loaded. If we go with you, my mom wonât have to suffer anymore," she said. "Besides, I burned bridges with those thugs today. That shop of mine is toasted anyway. If I donât go with you, how am I supposed to take care of my mom?"
Sheâs got a heart of gold, and sheâs not pretentious about it, Wang Yue thought, giving his cousin a mental thumbs-up. He smiled. "Donât worry. Once we get back, Aunt Nuanyue will never have to suffer again. And if you still want to run a shop, I can help you open a new one."
"Ugh, no thanks. Iâve had more than enough of running a shop," she said with a look of pure disgust.
"Then whatâs your dream?" Wang Yue asked.
"My dream?" Her face suddenly turned serious. "No laughing, okay?"
"I promise."
"Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be an adventurer. Exploring ruins, and when Iâm in the city, taking down bad guys," she said, her eyes full of longing.
Wang Yue gave her a thumbs-up. "I didnât realize you had a heroâs heart. Alright, lady knight it is!"
Yang Cancan laughed and took another drink, but then she sighed. "Too bad. My mom is terrified Iâll end up like her. She let me train to the peak of a normal person, but she refuses to teach me the actual cultivation techniques."
Sheâs doing you a favor, Wang Yue thought. But he wasnât ready to tell this mother and daughter the truth about their "manual" yet. He just smiled. "Itâs okay if she wonât teach you. Iâll teach you a much better one later."
"You said it! No take-backs!" she cheered.
They kept drinking and talking, and as the night went on, the bond between the cousins grew rapidly. They were becoming fast friends. After four beers, Yang Cancan was feeling a bit buzzed.
By now, the moon was high and the courtyard was bright. Even with her normal human vision, she could see Wang Yueâs face clearly.
After staring at him for a long time, she suddenly said, "I feel like today is just a dream. Like Iâll wake up tomorrow and everything will be back to the way it was."
"Why would you think that?" Wang Yue asked.
"Because the more I look at you, the less you look like my cousin," she giggled.
"How so?"
"Because of your face," she laughed. "I never met my grandfather, but he produced a beauty like my mother, so he must have been incredibly handsome. How could his grandson look so... average? Unless..."
"Unless what?"
Yang Cancan was a straight shooter, and with the booze in her system, she had zero filter. "Unless your grandmother was ugly and your mom was plain. Thatâs the only way youâd turn out this ordinary."
Wang Yue couldnât let that slide. Call my grandma and my mom ugly?!
"Nonsense! My mom is the most beautiful woman to ever live. Itâs a proven fact!"
Yang Cancan giggled. "Yeah, keep dreaming. If sheâs the greatest beauty in history, how did she have such an ugly son?"
"Humph. Who told you this was my real face? Youâre not the only one who knows how to play dress-up," Wang Yue grunted.
"Really? Then show me the real you," she challenged.
Wang Yue turned his back to her, made a show of rubbing his face while he deactivated his disguise, and reverted to his true appearance.