"You're such a wimp, aren't you?" Aya couldn't help but mock after hearing the story. "After all, you are Lord Xingjian! Back in Milt, you exuded such elegance, so why the cowardice now?"

"You know I'm Xingjian, not just some wanderer. This is the capital of the Western Chu Dynasty, the heart of the country's fortune, a densely populated city. And that Yuan guy is a complete nutcase, unpredictable with his 'immortal' in hand. Since you know about The Realm, you should understand how dangerous true immortals and deities can be. I wish I could just wave my hands like Ciella and have everything go smoothly..." Xingjian propped his chin and said, showing no reaction to Aya's frustration.

Aya fell silent. Although Tiran always teased him as a fool, he could still figure things out in the end. He was simply letting out the frustration pent up inside him.

"What exactly do they want to do..." Aya sighed and relaxed, lying back in The Realm, gazing up at the starry sky created by laws.

"I don't know," Xingjian said. "That guy is a puzzle. I can't decipher his 'fate,' but if I were to think logically... it probably has something to do with that 'immortal.' It's annoying. He had disappeared for so many years, why resurface now?"

"Minglin...?" Aya pictured the face of the girl in his mind. Looking back, everything in the Illusion, Morninglight, was orchestrated by Yuan in a convoluted manner, all perhaps to revive the only immortal left in the world. It definitely had something to do with Minglin.

"Do you know that guy?" Xingjian seemed surprised.

"Of course... or let's say we are acquaintances?" Aya propped himself up and nodded, recalling the times spent locked up by Yuan with Minglin.

When Xingjian looked back at Aya, his gaze had changed drastically, his eyes now like obsidian gems with starlight flowing within.

After a moment or two, the peculiarity in Xingjian's eyes vanished, and he gently sighed, a hint of amazement on his face. "I can't believe such a thing exists."

"Don't pry into others' privacy!"

Aya was shocked. This was even more invasive than reading minds; past events couldn't be kept hidden.

"Don't worry, I only looked at essential information, didn't delve into everything. If I had such abilities, I'd need some morals," Xingjian waved it off. "However, this makes it quite clear what that guy intends to do."

"I'm sorry, Aya, I may not be able to refuse his terms after all."

...

Fooled again!

Yuan sat in a corner seat, feeling complex emotions, hiding behind the menu sealed in leather, as he sneakily surveyed the café.

The interior design of the restaurant was far from the typical establishments found on the mainland but had a more Western style, with meticulously crafted leather seats and menus presented in beautiful Western calligraphy.

It was a maid café, something Yuan had anticipated before entering despite the oddity of seeking one out in Fengyue Street. Even though he had a sister and an immortal by his side, Yuan still considered himself a decent young man, unwilling to participate in certain activities but curious nonetheless.

So I chose this café. After all, this is Fengyue Street, right? A maid café that can operate here should even be able to push the boundaries a bit, right? Being able to hold the maid's hand and experience a knee pillow isn't too bad either!

But from what I can see, I've definitely been fooled.

"Master! Here are your matcha parfait, caramel chocolate waffle, and snow top coffee!"

With two crisp sounds of little leather shoes landing on the ground, a maid dressed in classic black and white lace maid outfit brought a tray of food to Yuan's table. To the average person, the maid's appearance could at least score a seven, but... how do I put it?

Expressionless, standing upright, speaking with no hesitation, strong and forceful, Yuan even felt that her gaze towards him was no different from her gaze towards the nearby table and chairs.

"Tha... thank you?"

The maid briskly bowed, turned around, and swiftly entered the kitchen holding the empty tray.

Yuan covered his face with a snap, stirring the long-handled ice cream spoon in the glass of parfait. Why is it like this? Have things changed so much during the years I've been away from East Land that their understanding of maids has evolved to a level I can't comprehend?

A maid is supposed to be gentle and easy to push over... oh wait, that's a lolita, but it's not a big deal. What's with this cold attitude? Where is the promised comfort and warmth for the guests?!

So Yuan found himself in a deep dilemma while scooping a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

Huh? Wait, there's something strange about the taste of this ice cream too? It's not that it's not delicious, but it gives off a strange feeling, one that's hard to describe.

"No, no, no, my understanding of maids is definitely correct. Clearly, their menu includes services like cuddles and knee pillows!" For now, setting aside the taste of the food, Yuan was more concerned about his understanding.

To confirm that he wasn't mistaken, Yuan flipped through the menu again.

"Phew... well, let's give it a try."

Yuan took a deep breath, mentally prepared himself, and then pressed the service bell beside him. The clear sound of the copper bell ringing was soon followed by the maid arriving at his table.

Hmm? Is it the same maid as before?

Come to think of it, from when I arrived until now, I haven't seen any other maids in this shop. Is it because it's not very crowded?

"Master, do you have any requests?"

"Um... can I get a knee pillow here?"

For some reason, in front of her, Yuan subconsciously felt a bit weakened and shrank his neck.

The maid hesitated for a moment, but didn't stay silent for too long.

"Yes."

This time, the maid took a deep breath, then without warning, sat beside Yuan. While her expressionless face blushed slightly, she said, "Shall I provide the service then?"

Yuan himself was taken aback by the sudden closeness of the maid. The two of them sat side by side at a table for two, only a fist's distance apart. Yuan could clearly hear her heartbeat.

"Well, excuse me."

The maid turned her face towards him.

"What does 'excuse me' mean... waaah!" Before Yuan could react, a hand was already on his head, and then with a forceful push, his head along with his upper body was brought down, landing directly on the maid's thigh.

The problem is, our Mr. Yuan felt a strong recoil before he could even feel the happiness of being intimate with a girl.

Is this really an ordinary maid?! Even though his own combat skills are not much stronger than an average person's, except for the Holy Rank rules and years of swordsmanship training, and even in an unguarded situation, he shouldn't be easily pinned down.

The maid continued to exert force, pressing Yuan's head firmly against her thigh, not saying a word.

As the recoil sensation dissipated, Yuan felt more of the touch coming from the maid's legs, even through a layer of dress and white stockings, Yuan could still feel the firmness and edges belonging to muscle...

Struggling, he glanced at the maid's arm holding him down, and was once again shocked. Although he hadn't noticed earlier when she brought food, now he saw that this arm also belonged to a well-exercised type; although not overly bulky, the muscular and defined lines indicated that the maid was quite extraordinary.

"Uh... please, please let me go! My head, my head is about to explode!"

After a scream and a struggle, the maid finally released Yuan's head, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief. Having made a name for himself in legendary places like Milt, if he were to be killed by a maid in a maid cafe, let alone dying from a knee pillow, he would be too embarrassed to face himself.

"Is the master satisfied?"

"I really doubt how you came up with that question..."

Disappointingly, Yuan retorted, pointing to his own head, "I was almost squashed to death by you, you know?!"

"Sorry, this is my first time doing this..." the maid earnestly stated the facts.

"Even if it's your first time, please learn the basic etiquette and skills of being a maid before you come to work officially! This is a maid café! Customers are masters! Don't underestimate the maids, kora!"

Slamming his hand on the table, Yuan exclaimed, "Now I understand why such a prime location is so deserted, there's only one customer here when you look closely!"

Coincidentally, at that moment, the café door swung open, and in came someone who didn't look like a local, with an extremely excited expression on his face.

Ha, he was just like Yuan a moment ago.

Yuan felt a bit of schadenfreude, looking forward to the reaction of this guy later.

"Sorry, master!"

the maid beside him said, "If you are not satisfied with me, I can ask my... colleague to take over."

"Huh, you can switch? Then..."

Just as Yuan was about to agree, the kitchen curtain was pulled back again, indicating that the maid's colleague had come out to serve the new guest.

"WTF is going on here!"

Seeing clearly who walked out from behind the door, Yuan's whole demeanor changed.

This is a man ?! Standing over 1.9 meters tall, he had to bend over to step through the door, his arm muscles as thick as Yuan's thighs, and the most frightening part was that he was wearing a maid outfit, with a decorative ribbon tied around his bulging biceps.

Looking at the customer who had just entered, who was now pale and collapsing backwards, frantically trying to escape this dreadful place.

"This..."

Yuan looked at the maid next to him, then at the muscular man over there.

"I'm sorry, my mistake, please stay by my side."