Chapter 153: Is She Jealous? (Fourth Update)

That little phoenix seemed to find him quite disagreeable, chirping away at him all day long. He did not understand the language of birds, but he could tell it was nothing pleasant. Given how tiny the creature was, he chose to ignore its insults despite knowing he was being scolded.

Conversely, the little phoenix would chirp itself hoarse, panting incessantly, looking as if it were on the verge of combusting with rage. Finding this amusing, he took out some spiritual water to feed it. Upon seeing the water, its dewy eyes lit up at once, and it flapped its wings, clutching the cup and gulping the liquid down. Once it finished, it smacked its beak in satisfaction, and then its entire body—no, its entire bird form—suddenly stiffened into stillness.

It looked at him in disbelief, then lowered its head to look at the cup it was holding, before closing its eyes in despair. With a sharp, shrill cry, it flapped its wings and flew away in a flurry. Even though it was in bird form, the sheer shock and the look of existential crisis on its face made him burst into a low chuckle.

After he finished laughing, he suddenly froze. He… had laughed? He realized then that he likely knew who his fated romantic trial was. His only thought now was to confirm whether that little phoenix was male or female. Though it was his fated partner and his romantic trial, and he was not opposed to a romance between men, he still hoped—very, very much—that it would be a woman. Even if she were young, it did not matter; he could wait.

Perhaps a fated romantic trial carries a unique connection. Just as he was agonizing over how to confirm its gender, the answer presented itself in an unthinkable, unexpected way. He saw her naked. Not in phoenix form, but in human form!

The phoenix was so lazy that he had lost all guard against her. He had returned to his room as usual, shed his clothes, and slowly entered the bathing pool. Yet, halfway through, amidst the swirling mist, he suddenly beheld a face of breathtaking beauty, and her... proud, stunning figure that even the mist could not conceal.

Having lived for hundreds of thousands of years, he had never been so bewildered. His mind went completely blank; he forgot his surroundings, forgot the proper conduct of a gentleman, and forgot the need to look away. He stood there dazed, staring at that face—a face that even he found stunning—and at those parts he was not meant to see.

He remained frozen, his body seemingly no longer his own, as if his soul had left his body. He could do nothing but stare. She, too, was stunned. It took a long while for her to react, at which point she let out a shriek, transformed instantly into human form, and flapped her wet wings, splashing water everywhere as she scrambled and flew away in a stumbling panic. The figure was unmistakably that of the little phoenix.

He stood in the pool, stunned for a long time. It was not until the water that had splashed out onto the floor had turned cold that he finally came to his senses, his face burning with a belated, intense flush.

"Xiao Jihan, Xiao Jihan, wake up! If we don't get up now, we won't make it to the black market!"

A soft, gentle voice rang in his ears. Xiao Jihan jolted awake from his dream. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Yan Shu sitting by the bed, watching him.

Yan Shu looked at him with curiosity. "What were you dreaming about? You were actually smiling. I called you for a long time, but you wouldn't wake up."

Xiao Jihan steadied himself, trying to recall the scene from his dream. What had been crystal clear just a moment ago—even the individual feathers—was now shrouded in a white veil, hazy and indistinct. An Emperor? That was impossible. And that woman, that naked encounter in the pool... Xiao Jihan frowned. Fortunately, it was just a dream; otherwise, he would have killed that woman. He would never let such a misunderstanding upset Shu'er.

Xiao Jihan collected his thoughts, sat up, and rubbed his temples. "I wasn't dreaming of much, just a bird that could talk."

"A bird that could talk?" Yan Shu arched a brow and stepped aside to let him get out of bed and dress. He dreamed of a talking bird—could it be that he dreamed of a scene from the original book? One of the pitiable supporting female characters in the original story was a magpie spirit, who possessed a "lucky charm" attribute and was quite favored by readers. If that were the case, would he also dream of the scene where he was hunted down by the Xuantian Sect?

Thinking of this, Yan Shu was suddenly terrified. She hurried to ask, "What did the bird in your dream look like? It could talk—does that mean it was a spirit? Was it male or female?!"

She asked a flurry of questions. Xiao Jihan heard the anxiety in her voice and curled his lips into a smile. She was jealous? Even without knowing what he had truly dreamed of, just the mere appearance of a talking bird in his dream had made her jealous?

Xiao Jihan’s eyes crinkled with amusement. He gave a light cough to hide his smile, fastened his belt, and turned to look at Yan Shu, speaking with a solemn expression. "It was indeed a spirit, and a female at that."

Hearing this, Yan Shu’s heart skipped a beat, and she felt a chill run through her. She swallowed hard, watched his expression cautiously, and asked with a stutter, "What... what did you dream about?"

Xiao Jihan looked at her, realizing she was truly piqued. He could not help but raise the corners of his mouth. He reached out to ruffle her hair and said with a laugh, "I'm teasing you. Let's go."

Yan Shu did not believe him, but since Xiao Jihan had said so, she found it difficult to press further. She pouted and followed him, protesting, "Don't keep messing up my hair. It's not easy to tie this hairband."

Xiao Jihan glanced at her hair and said calmly, "No matter. I will help you tie it from now on."

Hearing this, Yan Shu was slightly taken aback. She looked at his favorability rating of 65 (Love) and felt inexplicably guilty. She shook her head and said, "No need. I shouldn't let you do everything for me. If I really can't manage it, I'll ask for your help then."

Xiao Jihan actually knew nothing about styling a woman's hair; he was simply expressing his willingness to learn for her sake. Hearing her refusal, he did not mind and simply nodded. "Very well."

The two were dressed in black and white, embroidered with green bamboo on their chests. Their matching appearances were so perfect that they seemed naturally destined to be together. As soon as they stepped out, they attracted countless admiring gazes.

After adjusting her mood, Yan Shu let go of those lingering thoughts and felt at ease. Sensing the stares of the crowd, she smiled and transmitted her voice to Xiao Jihan, "Look, even though we're wearing illusion pills, we're still the most stunning duo on the street!"

Hearing this, Xiao Jihan’s phoenix eyes curved in a smile, and he replied via telepathy, "Indeed."

Because Xiao Jihan had woken up late, their meal was postponed. The two bought some snacks on the street and ate while heading toward Yunzhou Street, where the entrance to the black market was located. Just like in Fantian City, the entrance to the black market was a magical array, meant to prevent mortals from stumbling in by mistake.

They passed through the array and instantly arrived at the black market street.