Chen Fan returned to his room, his steps steady as he took in his familiar surroundings. He was finally back home.
Earlier, he had already informed Bai Mulan about the Blood King's reappearance and arranged for people to guard Wang Yue's residence, as well as the Feng household. Those were the only connections he had made upon descending from the mountain, and to prevent any unforeseen incidents, he had asked for constant updates on the situation. Fortunately, Bai Mulan had been more than willing to cooperate.
However, knowing that a potential traitor lurked among them, Chen Fan couldn't afford to lower his guard.
"An array… or perhaps I should form my own organization?" he mused, his mind working through various solutions. He needed a way to protect them without hindering his cultivation progress. After all, his own strength remained the greatest security he could rely on.
Click.
The door to Wang Yue's room creaked open, and Chen Fan was met with the sight of Wang Mei clinging tightly to Wang Yue's leg. Wang Yue, looking somewhat awkward, shifted her gaze toward him, and in that moment, Chen Fan was reminded of the incident from before. The memory brought a hint of awkwardness to him as well.
"Brother!" Wang Mei's eyes brightened at the sight of Chen Fan. Without hesitation, she ran toward him on her small legs and threw her arms around him.
Chen Fan picked her up effortlessly, settling her on his lap.
"Did you defeat the bad guy?" Wang Mei asked, her expression tinged with nervousness. A faint sheen of sweat covered her forehead—most likely from a nightmare.
"Brother already sent him to prison," Chen Fan assured her gently. "He'll have to sleep on the cold floor and only eat dry bread." His words were meant to comfort her, to offer a sense of security.
"But… Sister was hurt earlier." Wang Mei's voice wavered as she recalled the bloody scene. It was the first time she had witnessed something so horrifying, and even now, her small body trembled at the memory.
"Ah, you see…" Chen Fan quickly thought of a way to ease her fear. "It was just tomato juice. The bad guy had a house full of tomatoes and liked to play with them."
"Tomatoes?" Wang Mei tilted her head in confusion.
"Yes. That's why Brother already washed Sister earlier—there's no more tomato juice on her. The bad guy must have known Sister doesn't like tomatoes, so he used them on purpose." Without hesitation, Chen Fan summoned a miniature golem in his hand, its tiny rock form taking shape in the air.
Wang Mei's eyes widened in fascination as she watched the golem move on its own.
"Mr. Rock told Brother about it earlier," Chen Fan continued, watching her reaction carefully. "So, you don't have to worry. Mr. Rock can appear anywhere and protect Mei from bad guys."
Wang Mei eagerly slid off his lap and knelt down to inspect the tiny golem with curiosity. Seeing how quickly she became engrossed in it, Chen Fan let out a quiet sigh of relief. For now, the best he could do was ensure she felt safe, so she wouldn't suffer from fear in the future.
His gaze shifted toward Wang Yue, who was also watching the golem with quiet curiosity. Despite the lingering awkwardness between them, she seemed to be returning to her usual self.
"Are you hungry?" Chen Fan asked, turning his attention to her.
After a brief pause, Wang Yue gave a small nod.
"I want to eat too!" Wang Mei chimed in, still holding the tiny golem in her hands. Chen Fan had made sure it wasn't too heavy, though it remained sturdy enough to be lifelike. Seeing how much Wang Mei seemed to like it, he allowed a small, fleeting smile to cross his lips.
Chen Fan immediately pulled out his phone and summoned an abundance of food. While Wang Mei and Wang Yue had been asleep earlier, he had taken the opportunity to buy as much food as possible. Since everything remained fresh in storage, it was perfectly safe to eat.
Wang Yue looked surprised, while Wang Mei's eyes sparkled with excitement at the seemingly magical scene. Without hesitation, they both gathered around the table, and Wang Mei eagerly tried various dishes to her heart's content, her face lighting up with pure joy.
Wang Yue also began eating, though from time to time, she would glance at Chen Fan, only to quickly avert her gaze.
What should I do…?
Her thoughts kept circling back to the memory of her sudden outburst. Why did I say that to him? Over and over, she replayed her angry words, feeling a deep sense of shame. Now that she thought about it, Chen Fan hadn't actually done anything wrong or out of the ordinary. He was strong, wealthy, powerful—practically magical—and undeniably handsome. Yet, to think that he would reveal such a vulnerable side to her… She couldn't help but feel both happy and guilty at the same time.
But then, the thought of him spending the past two weeks with other women soured her mood. She picked up her chopsticks a little more forcefully, stuffing food into her mouth. Hmph. He probably said the same things to that woman too.
"Do you not like the food?" Chen Fan asked cautiously, noticing the change in her expression.
"Ah—no, it's good. I was just thinking… No, it's nothing," Wang Yue quickly lowered her head and slowed her eating.
Before long, they finished their meal. Feeling restless, Wang Mei turned to Chen Fan, her expression filled with boredom.
"Brother, can I watch TV?" she asked.
Without hesitation, Chen Fan picked up the remote and turned it on.
—Is it the legendary Peak Master?!—
The television flickered to life, broadcasting a scene that looked all too familiar to Chen Fan. His brows furrowed as he recognized the place—it was where they had eaten breakfast that morning. The footage showed him dashing forward, catching a taxi, stopping it, and then—
Boom.
The taxi exploded.
The next scene showed him flying through the air at high speed, forming a pair of ethereal wings.
—We have with us today Mr. Ma, a grandmaster martial artist. Sir, what do you think of this footage?—
—It's definitely the work of a Peak Martial Artist. Even I wouldn't be capable of moving at such a speed.—
—But isn't the Peak Realm just a myth?—
—Are you blind? Just look at the video!—
—The whole world already knows about this, yet we still have no information on this mysterious man.—
The screen displayed a blurred image of Chen Fan's face, though the overall shape of his profile was still distinguishable.
His expression darkened. This is going to be a problem.
Thoughts raced through his mind. The speed at which this news had spread was far too unusual. If those in power wanted to suppress the information, they could have easily minimized its exposure. Yet, the entire world already knew about it. Was this the Blood King's doing? Or someone else? Could it simply be the sensational nature of a Peak Master's reappearance?
Chen Fan resolved to investigate the matter later.
"Wow! Brother, you're on TV!" Wang Mei exclaimed, turning her shining eyes toward him. "Brother can fly! Wang Mei wants to fly too!"
Wang Yue stared blankly at the screen, her heart wavering.
When they had been kidnapped, he had exposed his secret without hesitation, all to save them. This morning, he had hesitated to tell her about his true identity. Yet, when her life was on the line, he had thrown away that hesitation without a second thought. The realization warmed her heart, but at the same time, it only magnified her guilt for lashing out at him earlier.
She turned to look at Chen Fan, who was still deep in thought. But the moment he heard Wang Mei's words, his face softened into a gentle smile.
She wanted to say something—words rose to her lips—but in the end, she closed her mouth. I'll talk to him later.
"All right, I'll make you fly," Chen Fan said, lifting a hand.
Using telekinesis, he gently raised Wang Mei into the air. Of course, cultivators could achieve flight through methods like standing on their swords, but the energy consumption was massive, making it an impractical choice. Only upon reaching the Golden Core Realm could a cultivator fly freely with little to no expenditure.
As her body lifted off the ground, Wang Mei burst into delighted laughter.
Chen Fan watched her with a warm expression, his heart feeling lighter at the sight of her joy. He spent the next few moments playing with her, showcasing various tricks until, eventually, she grew tired and fell asleep.
After putting Wang Mei to bed, Chen Fan turned his gaze toward the terrace, where Wang Yue sat quietly, lost in thought. Without a word, he walked over and took a seat in the chair beside her.
Silence stretched between them.
"Um…"
"Hey…"
They glanced at each other before breaking into soft laughter.
"You go first," Wang Yue said.
"I'll go first," Chen Fan said at the same time.
They both paused, then laughed again.
"I want to say sorry… and thank you for giving me another chance," Chen Fan murmured, his voice tinged with both hesitation and sincerity.
Wang Yue shook her head. "No, I should be the one apologizing. After everything you had to go through… and then putting up with my stubbornness on top of it."
A soft chuckle escaped him. "I guess we're back to square one, huh?" He had lost count of how many times they had shared a conversation like this. "But really, thank you." He understood her anger. Without knowing the truth, she had been thrown into a situation far too dangerous for an ordinary human to handle.
"Hey…" Wang Yue hesitated, shifting uncomfortably as if battling with herself. Finally, she took a deep breath. "Um… th-that cultivation technique… c-can I learn it?" But before he could respond, she immediately shook her head. "Ah—no, never mind."
What am I saying? After everything she had told him, now she wanted to learn? He must be laughing at her. But the more she thought about their situation, the more she realized—if she wanted to protect her family, if she wanted to stand beside him instead of just being a burden—she had to cultivate.
"Of course, you can," Chen Fan replied without hesitation. His gaze drifted toward the city skyline, the night bathed in golden lights. Yet beneath that beauty, he knew chaos could erupt at any moment. If Wang Yue could increase her chances of survival, even slightly, it would be worth it. "In fact, I really hope you will."
Wang Yue's eyes widened slightly before softening. "Thank you," she whispered, her gratitude genuine.
After a moment of silence, Chen Fan smirked. "Say… You were mad at me this morning because I ignored your call, right? Was it because you missed me?" His tone was teasing, but inside, he felt a twinge of nervousness. He disliked this awkward, formal atmosphere between them. He wanted to see how she truly felt.
"Wh-who would ever miss a lecher like you?!" Wang Yue stammered, flustered. "It was Mei who kept pestering me to call you, you narcissist!"
She quickly averted her gaze, her thoughts a jumbled mess. There's no way I was angry out of jealousy… or longing. It was just—just because he was annoying! Yes, that's it!
"Hoh… But I quite missed you, you know," Chen Fan said casually.
"H-huh?!" Wang Yue froze, completely caught off guard.
"I missed Mei too. And Aunt Ye Lan's cooking." He smirked. "If I had to rank it, though, you'd be last."
"I'm going to bed," Wang Yue declared, abruptly standing up. She turned on her heels and marched toward her room. But just before stepping inside, she paused.
"…G-good night," she whispered, almost too softly to hear.
Chen Fan's smirk melted into a gentle smile. "Good night."
As he watched her retreating figure, a strange sense of lightness settled in his chest, as if a small part of his burdens had been lifted—if only for a moment.
He turned his gaze toward the night sky stretching over the city, the crisp evening breeze carrying a quiet tranquility. Yet, despite the peaceful façade, he knew danger still lurked beneath the surface.
Well… Now's not the time. He exhaled, pushing those thoughts aside. I'll think about it tomorrow.
Leaning back, he let himself admire the beauty of the star-lit sky, if only for a little while longer.