Upon leaving the pharmacy, Jiang Xiaoxiao saw a man, Qin Fengmian.
Qin Fengmian was leisurely strolling on the pedestrian street across the stone arch bridge, fanning himself.
He caught a glimpse of Jiang Xiaoxiao by chance, paused for a moment, then smiled and waved at her, "Little lass!"
Upon hearing this, Xie Xun's face instantly darkened.
It seemed that only now did Qin Fengmian notice Xie Xun at Jiang Xiaoxiao's side.
When the two got closer, he hesitated and asked, "And this gentleman is…?"
Xie Xun answered in a deep voice, "Jiang Xiaoxiao's fiancé."
"Ah... so Miss Jiang already has a fiancé?”
Qin Fengmian's words that day were true, in their circle, strength was indeed revered.
It was precisely because of this that the Elder Celestial Master of Cangwu Mountain was so respected.
Although Qin Fengmian didn't know that Jiang Xiaoxiao was from the Heavenly Master's Mansion, he was well aware that a powerful person like Jiang Xiaoxiao was a "hot commodity" in their circle, a sweet bun that wouldn't lack admirers.
But he didn't expect, this young girl was already engaged.
And this fiancé…
Qin Fengmian's gaze swept over Xie Xun.
He hadn't been with National Master Bai Cheng for long, and he didn't know or remember the Third Prince of the royal family, who had a notorious reputation.
Even if Jiang Xiaoxiao had told him that day that if she lost, she would have to be a little follower for Xie Xun, he still couldn't associate Xie Xun with Murong Xun.
He just thought that this man, other than being somewhat handsome, seemed nothing special.
What kind of taste did this girl have?
Opening his folding fan, Qin Fengmian fanned himself and looked at Xie Xun, "That day the little lass made a bet with me, saying that if I lost, I would have to be a little follower for someone. That person... wouldn't happen to be you, would it?"
Xie Xun calmly looked at Qin Fengmian, "It seems you lost quite miserably."
Qin Fengmian coughed to conceal his embarrassment.
After Jiang Xiaoxiao left that day, he had tried to drink three jars of wine in one breath.
It wasn't that his alcohol tolerance was bad, but such a way of drinking was something most people simply could not bear. He vomited after just one sip from the third jar.
So strictly speaking, he lost, and lost quite miserably.
Xie Xun's voice echoed solemnly, "Also, my Xiaoxiao's surname is not 'Xiao', it's 'Jiang'. 'Little lass' is not what you should call her. Since you lost, from now on you'll work like an ox and a horse and call me 'master'. All the chores in our house, such as chopping wood, carrying water, and washing clothes, are now your responsibility."
Qin Fengmian was thoroughly choked.
How could he, the distinguished disciple of the National Master, be a servant chopping wood, carrying water, and washing clothes?
He couldn't tell at all, but this guy was really ruthless!
"Err, can we negotiate something?"
Qin Fengmian didn't want to waste his talents.
"I heard you're going to Yanjing City. The waters in Yanjing City run deep. I'll be responsible for the two of you. That should be alright, right?"
Xie Xun nodded in agreement saying it's settled, then changed the subject, "But once we get to Yanjing, we'll still need to chop wood, carry water, sweep the courtyard, and wash clothes."
"…" Qin Fengmian felt like vomiting blood.
Qin Fengmian followed Xie Xun and Jiang Xiaoxiao back to their house.
Xie Xun didn't even offer him a drink when he came in. As soon as he stepped through the door, he started giving orders, asking him to chop the firewood they'd just bought a couple of days ago and wash all his clean clothes again.
The final task was cleaning the house, meticulously wiping every table, chair, and stool with a cloth.
Bizarrely, he could only use his left hand.
Qin Fengmian didn't quite catch on. It was the left hand he had used when he touched Jiang Xiaoxiao that day.
He just felt that he had never been bossed around like this in his life.
After doing a series of rough tasks, he was tired and frustrated.
Turning around, he saw Xie Xun sitting under the eaves, leisurely peeling an orange for Jiang Xiaoxiao.
The corner of Qin Fengmian's mouth twitched harshly, "Xie Xun, I suspect you're deliberately messing with me."
Xie Xun looked at him with a bland expression, "No need to suspect, it's deliberate."
Qin Fengmian was frantic, "Why? I have martial arts skills and spiritual power, can't I do something else?"
Xie Xun thought seriously for a while, then told him, "No reason, just for some pleasant feelings."
"..."
Qin Fengmian was filled with regret, why on earth did he propose a competition with Jiang Xiaoxiao that day?
Why not just take her away!
He threw down the broom, sat on the stone bench opposite Xie Xun, poured himself a cup of water, "Where's my room?"
Xie Xun replied, "We don't manage these things. You have to solve your own eating and living problems."
Qin Fengmian choked on a mouthful of water, coughed for a while, his face turned red, "So, after all my hard work, I get nothing?"
Xie Xun looked at him scrutinizingly, "Your eldest brother also prepared fully to be carried out after the competition with Xiaoxiao. I thought you were like him, conscious to be someone's cattle or horse before the competition."
The more he mentioned it, the more regretful Qin Fengmian became.
What made him think that a seemingly weak little girl couldn't drink?
A person who could break Zhu Yan's bizarre Bagua formation with speed, one can imagine that the level of cultivation has reached a level that ordinary people cannot reach.
Could that be an ordinary person?
In the end, Qin Fengmian, who had hit a wall, could only return to his dwelling hungry.
---
In the blink of an eye, it was the night of the full moon.
Xie Xun had washed all the bedding in Jiang Xiaoxiao's nest in advance.
After dinner, Jiang Xiaoxiao was too sleepy.
However, until midnight, she still couldn't transform.
Seeing her drooping eyelids, Xie Xun said, "Why don't you go to sleep, I'll wake you up at midnight."
Jiang Xiaoxiao shook her head, trying to make herself a little more alert.
"I'm not sleepy, just wait a little longer."
She said she wasn't sleepy, but soon after her words fell, she closed her eyes, and her little head leaned and leaned onto Xie Xun's shoulder.
Jiang Xiaoxiao wouldn't normally be this sleepy.
It was because as it got closer to the night of the full moon, she became weaker.
Seeing her fall asleep, Xie Xun reached out, gently picked her up, and moved towards his room.
After Jiang Xiaoxiao shrinks, she will be chased by mice.
For her safety, Xie Xun had specially moved her nest into his room.
But at this moment Jiang Xiaoxiao had not transformed, so he could only let her lie on his bed for a while.
Until he laid her flat, Jiang Xiaoxiao had no sense of it. She slept very deeply, showing no signs of waking up.
Xie Xun looked at the hourglass on the bedside table.
Midnight was approaching.
However, Jiang Xiaoxiao did not transform as promptly as expected.
Xie Xun thought that perhaps he had calculated the time too precisely and decided to wait a bit longer.
But he wasn't good at staying up late, he started to feel sleepy after midnight.
In the end, he couldn't hold on any longer and laid down next to Jiang Xiaoxiao, unknowingly falling asleep.
---
The next day, Xie Xun was woken up by Jiang Xiaoxiao.
As he opened his eyes, he saw a tiny creature that had transformed at some point, hopping repeatedly on his chest.
"Xie Xun, Xie Xun, I'm hungry!"
The little creature had to jump for quite a while to wake him up, eventually sitting down tiredly.
Xie Xun lifted her up with two fingers, scrutinizing her closely, and asked with some confusion, "When did you transform last night?"
"I don't know." Jiang Xiaoxiao shook her head.
She always felt tired after transforming, and since she had been asleep when she transformed last night, how would she know?
Xie Xun pondered for a moment, "You didn't transform promptly at midnight, could it be related to my unsealing?"
