"... Don't you feel reluctant at all?" Third Miss asked, and this question seemed very strange.
"Your question is very strange. What would I be reluctant about!" Xiaoyao looked at Third Miss somewhat puzzled, not understanding what she meant.
"Hehe, I was just asking casually." Third Miss smiled and moved past the topic.
At this moment, Xiaoyao seemed to notice something and looked at Third Miss asking, "Third Miss, that pursuer of the Young Miss you mentioned earlier, does he already have this power?"
"Ah, what?! No, he doesn't have this power yet. Mo Yu hasn't paid him any attention and even dislikes him! Mo Yu is very interesting, she deliberately messes with that person, taking him everywhere to eat and buy things. Then when he gets excited, she suddenly says she doesn't like men, and tells him to come find her again when he becomes a woman!"
"Haha, Xiaoyao, you didn't see that person's expression - it was so funny!" At this moment, Third Miss also seemed to lose some of her refined lady's demeanor, talking and laughing with Xiaoyao.
Xiaoyao also laughed. He could imagine how hateful the Young Miss must have been at that time, and how pitiful the other person was!
Even if he couldn't imagine these things, he would laugh along with Third Miss. Third Miss rarely laughed like this, she always paid attention to her words and behavior, most of the time being very calm and silent.
Although she had changed quite a bit over this past year, she had never been this carefree before.
...
...
It seemed Third Miss also noticed her loss of composure. She blushed, lowered her head, and stopped laughing.
"It's fine, just laugh as much as you want. Do whatever you want to do. You don't need to be so restrained in front of me, because I'm a servant who will keep your secrets, this is something servants often do." Xiaoyao said to Third Miss. Indeed, as a servant, one must learn to keep secrets. Some things you hear or see, you must pretend you didn't hear or see, and keep them secret for life.
"Then it's agreed, from now on, everything between us, all our conversations and matters, you must keep secret. Don't tell anyone!" Third Miss lifted her head and said softly, as if making a request.
"Alright!" Xiaoyao nodded. Such a request was easy for him, because he rarely talked about these things anyway - he wasn't a talkative person.
After this, the two fell into silence, neither speaking, just watching the battle ahead. Both sides had entered a heated stage, and the battle was becoming increasingly spectacular.
After a long while, Third Miss asked again, "Xiaoyao, how much longer do you plan to stay at the Le family?"
Now Third Miss felt that whether Xiaoyao stayed at the Le family or not wasn't decided by others, but by Xiaoyao himself.
"That depends on the boss. As soon as she defeats Le Youran, I'll leave. I believe this won't take long, at most half a year, or as quickly as three months." Xiaoyao replied casually. This was according to the agreement between both parties, though it also somewhat reflected his own wishes.
Because—
"Le Youran can persist this long only because of you, making gauntlets for her and guiding her martial techniques from the side." Third Miss gave Xiaoyao a sideways glance. This action seemed to be something only Xiaoyao could enjoy, because others would never allow her to be so uninhibited.
"Well, I just want the boss to have a good opponent. It's not that I want to stay here long." Xiaoyao said with a dry laugh. Actually, both things were true, but he couldn't say he wanted to stay here because he was afraid others would discover his purpose.
"Is that really all? I feel like you've taken a fancy to Le Youran. You two spend day and night together, how intimate you are now." Third Miss glanced at Xiaoyao and said calmly.
"Ah, what are you saying? We're enemies, okay? Where's the intimacy?" Xiaoyao felt Third Miss's statement didn't match the facts, well, the facts as he saw them.
"A year ago, perhaps you were somewhat like enemies. Back then, she called you 'kid,' but now, she calls you..." Third Miss hadn't finished speaking when Le Youran nearby provided the answer herself.
"Le Xiaoyao! Your boss lost again. You'll have to stay here another month..." Le Youran maintained her tsundere attitude. Her current condition was almost at its limit, and after speaking, she immediately sat down to meditate and recover her internal energy.
Like Le Youran, Guxing was also meditating to recover, while Le family members helped protect both of them, not just Le Youran, but Guxing too.
This had become a habit. The Le family members now didn't see Guxing as an enemy, but as a worthy opponent deserving respect. Although "enemy" and "opponent" sometimes meant the same thing, they were often completely different concepts.
"See, now she calls you Le Xiaoyao!" Third Miss said.
"That's normal, I am called Le Xiaoyao!!" Xiaoyao didn't seem to mind this. This was just a gradual change, not a sudden shift.
During this year, Le Youran seemed to have started acknowledging Xiaoyao. Since she acknowledged him, then Xiaoyao having the surname Le was acceptable. People she acknowledged were people she felt deserved respect, not all Le family members received this treatment. So what was wrong with Xiaoyao having the surname Le?
She herself had started calling Xiaoyao "Le Xiaoyao," directly using his surname, wasn't this telling everyone that her original reason for capturing Xiaoyao had become meaningless? In other words, if Xiaoyao wanted to leave, he could.
However, this matter seemed to be forgotten by everyone. When Le Youran started calling Xiaoyao "Le Xiaoyao," everyone had gotten used to Xiaoyao's presence. No one felt Xiaoyao should leave, unless one day Le Youran was defeated by Guxing.
This result was interesting. Everyone seemed to think Xiaoyao's departure should only come when Guxing defeated Le Youran, forgetting that Xiaoyao was originally captured because Le Youran didn't acknowledge his right to the surname Le, a reason that no longer seemed to apply.
Perhaps everyone was deliberately forgetting, because Xiaoyao's presence was good for the Le family. Xiaoyao not only worked conscientiously and responsibly, but could also accomplish things others couldn't, like training the Le family guards. Was this something an ordinary servant could do?
Even among expert instructors, not many could reach Xiaoyao's level. Therefore, the Le family was naturally happy to have Xiaoyao around. However, they wouldn't use underhanded means to make him stay. Regarding Xiaoyao's departure, they respected the agreement between Guxing and Le Youran.
If one day Guxing won, the Le family would also let Xiaoyao leave. However, they would discuss with Xiaoyao whether he could continue working for the Le family, of course, without interfering with the relationship between Guxing and Xiaoyao.
The Le family was an interesting clan. They were domineering about some things, but very respectful of others' wishes.
"Yes, have you forgotten why you were captured?" Third Miss saw that Xiaoyao was confused and reminded him.
"Why? Because Le Youran didn't want me to have the surname Le... eh, wait, she's calling me Le Xiaoyao now - doesn't that mean this reason has become meaningless?" Xiaoyao only realized this now.
"Le Youran, Le Xiaoyao..." Third Miss knew Xiaoyao also liked to call Le Youran by name directly without any honorifics, because he felt this was the best way to address her, any honorific would make the name lose its original character.
Le Youran also liked to call Xiaoyao by his full name directly. Her reasoning was actually similar to Xiaoyao's, she increasingly felt the three characters "Le Xiaoyao" suited him well. She could see the essence of "Le Xiaoyao" in him.
Third Miss always felt these two people's names had some connection, but it seemed impossible, she could only explain it as fate. The word "fate" made her heart feel strange, and looking at Xiaoyao and Le Youran, her face showed a very complex expression.
"Forget it, I'm doing quite well at the Le family, good food and lodging, plus wages, and I can chat with maids and servants when there's nothing to do. Life is beautiful..." Xiaoyao stopped here because he saw Third Miss's unfriendly look. "Actually, I'm at the Le family for the sake of the boss and the others. How quickly they've broken through this year, like flying speed. My sacrifice is worth it!!"
"..." Third Miss was speechless. Seeing Xiaoyao suddenly become serious and hearing his somewhat shameless but irrefutable words, she didn't know what to say.
In fact, Xiaoyao was indeed doing this for Guxing, at least that was his primary purpose!
"If this continues, I believe not only will the boss break through to Emperor level, but the Young Miss and Nangong Suxin will too. Your Nangong clan has really profited, having a promising Emperor-level young miss." Xiaoyao's tone became somewhat teasing toward the end.
"Of course we've profited. We have to thank you, Xiaoyao. If not for you, Sister wouldn't just be unable to break through to Emperor level, she wouldn't even be alive." Third Miss nodded seriously, making Xiaoyao feel suddenly embarrassed.
"Hehe, it was just a small favor. It's been so long already, no need to keep talking about it. You should look forward!" As Xiaoyao spoke and looked ahead, he saw the Young Miss actually charging into the enemy's killing formation. "Damn, Young Miss, don't you want to live? That's not how you break formations! Don't act impulsively! Unless you have absolute strength..."
Formation techniques were just a type of combination technique that increased strength - simply put, a kind of strength amplification. If after this amplification, you still couldn't surpass the opponent's strength, then even if the opponent didn't know how to break formations, they could forcibly break through.
Obviously, the Young Miss's current strength wouldn't be superior!
At this moment, Xiaoyao saw a strange phenomenon - Nangong Suxin, who was with the Young Miss...
(End of Chapter)