Chapter 174: A Robber Appears

Ye Xi'an returned home, and the gaze behind her was finally gone; she collapsed exhausted on the sofa, humming and whining as she rolled over twice.

Ji Jiangci skillfully stepped forward, removed Ye Xi'an's coat, shoes, and socks, then knelt on the floor, lifted her foot, and kissed the top of it.

The kiss startled Ye Xi'an, who immediately pulled her foot back, sat up, and said sharply, "What are you doing!"

"Wear slippers."

Ye Xi'an looked and saw Ji Jiangci indeed holding her slippers in his hand: "I meant, why did you kiss my foot?"

"It was too beautiful, I couldn't control myself," Ji Jiangci said, his eyes clear as he looked at Ye Xi'an: "Can't I kiss?"

Ye Xi'an felt embarrassed under Ji Jiangci's gaze, and at that moment, Bao Jing, who couldn't stand it any longer, snatched the slippers from Ji Jiangci's hand.

"If you can wear them, wear them; if you can't, step aside," he muttered, pushed past Ji Jiangci, and quickly slipped the slippers onto Ye Xi'an's feet. Since Ji Jiangci's life force was drained, his brain has been like a peacock's—flaring daily with lust toward Ye Xi'an; that's enough.

"By the way, do you know that beastman named Gu Feng we just saw?" Ye Xi'an thought of Gu Feng and felt something odd about him.

Lin Zhi Jing and the others all said they didn't know him, but Yi Yang knew a bit.

He got up from the sofa, his tone a bit excited: "You all didn't know? Gu Feng! One of the top five strongest single males of Zhu Shen Xing, a super‑rare myth‑level beastman!"

Ye Xi'an touched the somewhat excited Yi Yang, trying to calm him: "What does 'myth‑level beastman' mean?"

When Ye Xi'an patted his head, Yi Yang comfortably squinted and, as expected, didn't shout: "It means his beast form is of a divine‑beast rank; he's a qilin, and those horns on his head are qilin horns."

Ye Xi'an silently thought, "How impressive," she had never seen a qilin before; indeed, it's a divine‑beast rank.

"And our Marshal, her beast form is an ice phoenix—super impressive."

"As long as a beastman's beast form is a divine beast, their innate talent is usually terrifyingly high; Gu Feng is only young, otherwise breaking into the top three wouldn't be a problem."

Bao Jing hooked his hand around Yi Yang's neck: "Even if I'm impressive, I'm not you; why are you so worked up?"

Yi Yang chuckled: "Isn't it that the more I lack something, the more I yearn for it? They're all my idols!"

Bao Jing let out a light snort: "Males who make it onto the strongest single list all have some issues; otherwise, how could such strong ones fail to find females?"

"Take Gu Feng, he can't even retract the horns on his head; I bet any female would despise him to death when she sees them."

As he spoke, he covertly glanced at Ye Xi'an's expression; she was leaning against the sofa, seemingly pondering something.

Bao Jing's heart lurched; Ye Xi'an couldn't possibly be interested in Gu Feng, could she? "An'an, what are you thinking?"

Ye Xi'an blurted out, "I'm wondering what a qilin looks like."

Bao Jing's face darkened; Ye Xi'an really was interested in Gu Feng.

Since their brief encounter in the elevator, Gu Feng's heart has been like a rope tied to Ye Xi'an; when he closes his eyes, her face floods his mind, and when he opens them, he wants to rush to Ye Xi'an's house.

Ye Xi'an.

The name seemed to carry a magic, repeatedly etched in his mind.

He stood behind his own door, and through the peephole could see the tightly shut door opposite.

But that door has only been opened until now by delivery people or males going out to buy groceries; otherwise it remains shut.

Ye Xi'an has never come out, but she's inside the house—perhaps sleeping soundly, or watering plants on the balcony.

Thinking of this, Gu Feng's fingertips tingled, and the base of the un‑retractable horns on his head warmed slightly, the flame patterns seeming to spill onto magma, turning bright crimson.

He knew how embarrassing, even bizarre, his appearance was; his inferiority clung to him like vines, already entangling every aspect of his life.

Gu Feng took a deep breath; the cold air didn't calm him much.

He had to do something; he couldn't just watch from afar.

Even if it's just… saying a few more words, that would be fine.

He needed an excuse, a reason that could knock open that door.

His gaze swept across his modest home, finally landing on the salt on the kitchen spice rack.

In front of Ye Xi'an's front door, Gu Feng clenched his fists, fine sweat beading on his palms.

He walked to the door, raised his hand, but his finger joints stopped just before touching the door panel.

His heart hammered in his chest, nearly breaking his ribs; what if she also thought she was unlucky?

What if the people around her…

He recalled that day in the elevator, the variously scented males beside her.

Each of them seemed more normal than him, more qualified to stand by her.

But if he doesn't muster courage once for himself, he'll regret every second thereafter.

He gently knocked on the door.

"Dong dong."

The sound rang especially clear in the quiet hallway.

Gu Feng held his breath, waiting nervously.

A faint rustle came from inside, followed by approaching footsteps.

The lock turned, "Kada," and the door opened a crack.

Bao Jing's slightly puzzled face appeared behind the door; the male was dressed in comfortable home clothes, his black shaggy hair lazily draped beside his face, giving a relaxed, homely vibe that screamed family happiness.

"You?"

Bao Jing's initially puzzled pupils instantly hardened, his brown irises sharply scanning Gu Feng at the doorway, bearing unmasked scrutiny and hostility.

He moved to close the door, but Gu Feng grabbed the doorframe; the two silently strained against each other, and the overloaded door creaked creak.

Inside, Ye Xi'an, who was playing a game, noticed the oddity at the door; just then her game character fell, so she walked toward the door.

"Who is it, Bao Jing?"

"No one!"

Bao Jing's back stiffened, and he quickly pushed the door with force, but his strength was no match for Gu Feng's, and he couldn't close it.

He forced his way to the door crack and harshly told Gu Feng, "I advise you to let go at once."

Gu Feng, expressionless, could effortlessly block.

「You're full of shit! You just said a few words to my wife and now you're looking for trouble with my wife! Give up your seductive tricks! 」

「Who is it, Bao Jing? 」

Ye Xi'an walked to the entrance and saw Bao Jing leaning against the door as if unable to close it; when she saw the big hand in the door crack, she immediately panicked—there's a robber trying to break in!

「Lin Zhi Jing! 」

Ye Xi'an shouted, and Lin Zhi Jing instantly dropped the game in his hand and sprinted to Ye Xi'an's side: "What's wrong?"

Ye Xi'an pointed at the door: "There's a robber trying to force his way into our house!"

Gu Feng outside the door heard Ye Xi'an's words, his fragile little heart secretly shattered for two seconds; he knew his current behavior wasn't good, so he immediately explained.

「I'm not a robber; I came to borrow something. 」