“Can you get into Qifen Pavilion just by talking?” Qin Cheng asked flatly.

He was, in fact, a little interested in this Qifen Pavilion Si Qiuyi mentioned.

An organization founded by the heirs of great clans and wealthy families. Its members were outstanding youths from all over the country. Ambitious people. Hungry people.

Si Qiuyi’s description reminded Qin Cheng of a similar organization.

In a world where order covered the whole land, the existence of such a group was rather interesting.

In his previous life, the Demon Sovereign had also heard of a secret organization founded by the most talented of the younger generation. They supported each other and advanced together.

In that chaotic era, the Heavenly Palace ruled over the world and dominated an entire age.

Only at the very end did the world learn who the Heavenly Palace truly consisted of.

From dynasties, holy lands, sects, rogue immortals, and strange realms, they were geniuses among geniuses. Nearly every one of them was a monster who would have stood at the peak in any other era.

Gathering almost all the greatest talents of that age, the Heavenly Palace alone dared call itself invincible.

And its founder was the most dazzling genius of that era.

That era was also respectfully known by the world as Heavenly Palace Reigns Supreme.

His Excellency the Demon Sovereign felt some regret. He hadn’t been born in that era, but the one after it. Otherwise, he would’ve definitely gone to meet those geniuses hailed as monsters.

“Of course not. There’ll be a brief review beforehand,” Si Qiuyi said, shaking her head. She brushed back her hair and shot Qin Cheng another flirtatious wink. “But I don’t think that review will be any problem for Young Master Qin at all~”

She refused to believe she really couldn’t charm this guy even a little!

“Then I’ll have to ask all you young talents to review me properly.”

Yet Qin Cheng still wasn’t affected by Si Qiuyi in the slightest. He remained as calm as ever.

That calm expression made Si Qiuyi start questioning life just a tiny bit.

She rolled her eyes speechlessly and waved a hand. “Message delivered. Then this little lady won’t disturb Young Master Qin’s refined mood any longer~ Have fun? Hhhh~”

As the call ended, Si Qiuyi cast a comically meaningful glance at Yu An, who was standing silently behind Qin Cheng, and playfully waved her delicate hand.

That only made Yu An, behind him, even more flustered and at a loss.

The call disconnected.

Qin Cheng set his phone on the table and turned to look at Yu An. A faint glimmer flickered in his dark eyes.

Now it was time to think about how to deal with the issue of Yu An.

Tap, tap...

Yu An subconsciously shifted half a step back and lowered her head even more.

Qin Cheng frowned slightly, a little puzzled.

Did he really look that scary?

He didn’t think he’d ever deliberately tried to intimidate Yu An.

After his conversation with Si Qiuyi ended, the room fell silent once more.

In the dim room.

Qin Cheng sat in his chair, half leaning against the backrest, gazing at Yu An. He said calmly, “Come here.”

His voice was neither loud nor soft. Neither stern nor gentle.

It was only as flat as always.

But those flat words struck deeper at Yu An’s heart.

Qin Cheng’s voice wasn’t loud, but in the silent room, it already sounded clear enough.

Yu An felt her legs go a little weak. She bit down on her lip.

Tap, tap...

Her black-stockinged ankles brushed lightly against the floor, making soft little sounds. With her head lowered, Yu An held up her skirt with her delicate hands and walked forward step by step. At that moment, her long slender legs looked especially alluring.

She couldn’t help recalling what the little maid had said before sending her in...

“No need for shoes~ Isn’t black hosiery way better? Maybe Young Master Qin will even stare at your legs~”

And just like that, the little maid hadn’t given Yu An any shoes.

She had even secretly hidden the canvas shoes Yu An originally came in.

By the time Yu An noticed, it was already too late.

Absolutely insane. In a weirdly impressive way.

Qin Cheng sat quietly in his chair, one hand supporting his chin, calmly watching Yu An walk up to him.

His gaze...

Lingered on those long legs wrapped in semi-sheer black stockings for quite a while...

Hey, don’t get the wrong idea!

Qin Cheng just felt that something was off. He wasn’t really staring at Yu An’s black-stockinged legs. He was trying to figure out what felt wrong.

These semi-sheer black stockings only reached a little below Yu An’s thighs. They looked a bit short, didn’t they?

Could it be that girl gave Yu An her own stockings to wear...?

Qin Cheng immediately thought of a certain little maid. His eyelid twitched.

How stingy could she get?

“Why are you here?” Qin Cheng asked in that same calm tone.

“They... told me to stay here for a few days...” Yu An kept her head lowered, her gaze shifting uneasily.

Perhaps for the sake of that tiny shred of dignity in her heart, she didn’t use harsher words.

“In other words, Cheng Du sold you to me. Right?”

But Qin Cheng brutally shattered that pitiful thought in her heart. It was like tearing away her clothes and ripping her naive illusion to pieces.

Yu An bit her lower lip, wanting to argue, yet not knowing what to say. Her beautiful eyes closed slightly in bitterness.

Seeing her like this, Qin Cheng shook his head in disappointment.

His original plan really had been to take Cheng Yu An away. And not quietly, either. He’d planned to bring her out of the Cheng family himself, high-profile and arrogant.

But who would’ve thought...

That useless Cheng Du had actually “sold” his daughter over so decisively. That left Qin Cheng with no reason to go make a scene at the Cheng family anymore.

He didn’t know what Cheng Du had said to Cheng Yu An, but the man had really handed his daughter over that easily.

In front of his career, his daughter truly meant nothing.

...

...

Qin Cheng kept his gaze on Cheng Yu An for a long while.

Cheng Yu An kept her head lowered, both hands clutching her skirt, the strands of hair before her forehead hiding her eyes.

She really was beautiful. Delicate as an autumn stream, the kind that made people linger and feel pity.

But at this moment, only one thought appeared in Qin Cheng’s mind.

“Boring.”

He lost interest in Cheng Yu An.

A vase with nothing but a pretty face and no real use could never catch his eye.

He had seen many beautiful women. But women who were beautiful, confident, and capable were rare.

Her value, aside from being used to provoke the “protagonist” Yu Zhe, was already gone.

Or rather, her only value was in dealing with Yu Zhe.