“Do you... know my father?” Nan Mengling asked hesitantly.

“Of course I do. Didn’t I say so? Your father and I were very close friends.” Shao Xiuqi sat on the steps, smiling gently.

Nan Mengling pressed her lips together. For a moment, she couldn’t decide what to think. She had no idea whether this City Lord Shao was telling the truth.

“But your father died early. Even if he ever mentioned me, it would’ve been when you were still little. The you now wouldn’t remember something that far back.” Shao Xiuqi shook his head.

For a moment, Nan Mengling really tried to recall the past. But just as City Lord Shao had said, those memories were too distant. She had still been too young to understand anything, so there was no way she would remember...

“All childhood stuff, right? Of course she wouldn’t remember. Which means, even if you made it all up and were just feeding my maid lies, you could still use that excuse to explain it away.” Zhou Jiuyu looked at him calmly, then continued,

“And besides... if you were Mengling’s father’s friend, then where were you when her father died? Don’t tell me that as the lord of a city, you didn’t know who killed him.”

A helpless look appeared on Shao Xiuqi’s face. “By the time I learned about it, it was already too late. Mengling had already been taken to Sword God Mountain. That guy, the Sword God, is already one of the strongest people alive. Even if I wanted to help, I was powerless...”

“This matter has weighed on my mind all this time. But my limit as an esper is right there in front of me. Over the past ten-odd years, my strength hasn’t improved much, so naturally I still couldn’t stand against the Sword God... I thought I could only swallow this anger forever. I never expected Young Master Zhou to bring little Mengling out of Sword God Mountain.”

“Truly, thank you.” Shao Xiuqi smiled at Zhou Jiuyu.

But Zhou Jiuyu didn’t give him a pleasant look. He took out his phone and pulled up a picture. “Thank me? No, no, I couldn’t possibly accept that. I should be thanking you instead. This wanted notice says it very clearly... dead or alive.”

A bitter expression crossed Shao Xiuqi’s face. “I already explained that. Years ago, I owed the Sword God a favor. I had to put on a show for him... But a show is just a show. I’ve never liked that sanctimonious bastard on the surface. And on top of that, he killed Mengling’s father. I’ve always wanted to get rid of him. I just never had the chance.”

“But...” He paused, then shifted his gaze to Nan Mengling.

“Now, the chance has come. You brought little Mengling down from the mountain. Her talent for powers was already detected when she was a child. There’s enormous Spirit Energy potential inside her. It’s very possible that the moment she awakens, she’ll be Ninth Tier. When that time comes, little Mengling and I will storm Sword God Mountain together. I’ll help you personally cut off your enemy’s head!”

He looked at Nan Mengling and Zhou Jiuyu with goodwill in his eyes. “We’re not enemies. On the contrary, we’re companions.”

But neither Zhou Jiuyu nor Nan Mengling could possibly be fooled by a few empty words with no proof behind them. They simply watched his performance in silence.

Shao Xiuqi wasn’t surprised by that either. He just smiled and stood up. “Fair enough. My words alone are lacking evidence. Then let me show you these...”

He took out a photograph. It was an old graduation group photo. He pointed at two people in it. “Look. This is me, and this is your father... This was our graduation photo back then. Oh, and there’s this too...”

Right after that, he took out an old-fashioned camera and played a video. “Take a look at who the little girl in here is.”

Nan Mengling looked at the little girl in the video. Of course she recognized her. It was herself. It was her birthday when she was three or four. Her parents were both standing beside her, and the whole scene looked warm and happy.

But back then, when she had smiled so brightly, how could she ever have imagined that two years later, her home would fall apart?

“Your father came to me back then and asked me to film your birthday... Your father was a man with real backbone. Even when I offered him a position in the Patrol Division, he refused to accept it. I wanted to give him a camera, and he still wouldn’t take it. He insisted on having me record it instead... sigh...”

As Shao Xiuqi spoke, he let out a sigh.

Nan Mengling fell silent for a moment. She looked at herself in the video. She really did remember a scene like that from her childhood. It did seem like there had been an uncle filming for their family back then.

“You really... were Father’s friend?” Nan Mengling was starting to believe him a little. Those things really were convincing.

“Of course I was.” Shao Xiuqi smiled.

“No need to play so many emotional cards. After all that talk, you’re not planning to stop my maid from awakening her powers, are you?” Zhou Jiuyu wasn’t about to let himself get led around.

“How could I? Letting little Mengling awaken her powers is exactly what I want...”

Shao Xiuqi slowly rose to his feet and patted the awakening stone behind him. “This is a 95% purity power awakening stone. The best among high-tier awakening stones. Little Mengling, if you want to awaken, please, go ahead.”

“However...”

His voice paused. At that moment, Shao Xiuqi’s gaze turned a little colder. “As for you, Young Master Zhou, I’m very grateful that you brought Mengling here. Whatever reward you want, just name it. I’ll satisfy all of it. But from here on, there’s no need for you to accompany little Mengling any further.”

“Oh? So in the end, you’re just like the Sword God. You’ve got designs on my maid too?” Zhou Jiuyu let out a cold laugh.

“I think you’ve misunderstood something. I only see little Mengling as a niece. I already have a wife, and she keeps a very close eye on me...” Shao Xiuqi shook his head without changing expression. But right after that, his gaze sharpened and locked onto Zhou Jiuyu.

“But I think Young Master Zhou is the one who has improper designs on Mengling.”

“Maybe you did save Mengling. But what exactly was your purpose? It’s true that you saved little Mengling, but on the very first night, you took her to a hotel and booked a single room. We’re all adults here. You’re a grown man, and you took an innocent young girl who knows nothing of the world to get a room. What exactly were your intentions?”

“If you really only wanted to help little Mengling, this poor girl... then you should let go now.”

Shao Xiuqi looked at the silent Zhou Jiuyu, then suddenly laughed. “You don’t want to let go, is that it? You make yourself sound so righteous, but how are you any different from the Sword God? Harming little Mengling under the banner of salvation? Aren’t you just trying to satisfy that pathetic possessiveness in your heart? Don’t blame me for being blunt, Young Master Zhou... in the end, you’re nothing more than a hypocrite.”

“Finished?” Zhou Jiuyu raised a brow at him, finding it a little funny now. “What you said is mostly right. But there’s one thing you got wrong.”

He lightly brushed his finger across Nan Mengling’s rosy cherry lips, then the corner of his mouth curled slightly. “I’m not pretending to be righteous while trying to ruin her... When I do things, I’ve always been open and aboveboard. I’m just lusting after her body.”

“And another thing! When did I ever say I was some gentleman? Sorry, I’m not educated. Just a rough man. I don’t understand all that.”

At that moment, Zhou Jiuyu’s finger quietly slipped between Nan Mengling’s lips. It made her legs start to tremble a little. But she didn’t spit his finger out. Aside from the risk that she might lose control and embarrass herself, this was, from start to finish, a reward for her.

That scene left Shao Xiuqi silent for quite a while.

But then he looked toward Nan Mengling. “Little Mengling, you heard him yourself. He only saved you because he wants your body. What he’s doing is trampling on your dignity... Your future is limitless. You shouldn’t be bound to a man like him, especially a man like this. I’ll plan out your future path for you. After your revenge, you’ll have a brand-new life.”

Zhou Jiuyu slowly withdrew his finger. “That’s enough reward for today. Don’t get greedy... Oh, right. He’s asking you. Are you going with him, or with me?”

Nan Mengling answered without hesitation. Her voice was soft, but perfectly clear.

“I want to stay with Young Master.”

Shao Xiuqi was surprised for a moment. He had thought that after saying so much, Nan Mengling would at least hesitate a little. He hadn’t expected her to answer without the slightest pause. After a moment of silence, he still couldn’t help asking, “Little Mengling, why did you choose him? You know perfectly well that he has improper intentions toward you too.”

This time, Nan Mengling thought for a moment before answering softly,

“Because I like Young Master.”