Chapter 84: A Nice Time With Xinyue.
The sun was setting in the west, casting a golden hue over the Mystic City. Seated under the willow tree, Jun Wu and Xinyue were having a nice time.
"Young Master, those that wanted to meet will not stop bothering me." Xinyue complained.
"Hahaha. This is what being a manager is." Jun Wu laughed.
Xinyue rolled her eyes but the faint smile on her cherry lips spoke of how happy she was.
A month ago, she was nothing, living in the slum, but now she managed one of the rising pavilions in the city.
Many who once ignored her now bowed their heads and spoke with reverence.
The sneers and dismissive glances of yesterday had vanished, replaced by forced smiles and careful respect.
And all of it was because of him—this boy, no older than her, who stood calmly at her side as though the world itself bent around his presence.
She found her gaze drifting to Jun Wu’s profile, and her heart stuttered, sending waves of butterflies through her chest. Her cheeks burned crimson, her breath uneven.
If this is a dream, she thought, may I never awaken.
Jun Wu glanced at her, just for a moment, and their eyes met. She looked away too quickly, yet her chest ached with a sweet, unspoken longing.
She knew something was happening to her. A feeling she could not describe and worse, she did not hate this feeling.
Staring at her with a knowing smile, Jun Wu asked.
"What is it?" His voice soft, brushing against her like wind.
"Nothing..." Xinyue replied in a low voice like a whisper.
She held the hem of her robe tightly as she listened to her fast-beating heartbeat.
Slowly, Jun Wu rose to his feet and stretched out his hand.
"Walk with me."
Looking at his firm soft palm, Xinyue sucked in a cold breath. She could not control her joy and nervousness.
’Are we going to walk hand in hand?’
’He’s going to hold my hand.’
Just thinking of it made her want to faint from joy. She tried not to express her emotion but her crimson cheeks gave her away.
Slowly, she reached out her hand and held Jun Wu’s hand.
The softness and firmness made her feel nothing in this world could take her away from him. For the first time, she felt a sense of security she had never felt before.
Hand in hand, the two walked calmly inside the courtyard under the setting sun.
In the distance, watching the couple, Zhang Wei and Elder Peng wore a knowing smile.
"I never expected the Young Master would be this charming." Zhang Wei said with a light chuckle.
"What do you expect? With everything the Young Master has achieved, is there any girl that could reject him?" Elder Peng responded.
"Master, I’m done." Hao Ran announced, coming out of the forge.
However, Elder Peng did not respond as his gaze was locked on the beautiful couple in the distance.
"Ah! My poor soul. Watching them makes me want to get a woman." He whispered.
Zhang Wei looked at him and rolled his eyes. ’Who doesn’t know your wives and children are those hammers and iron ore.’
Watching his sister acting shyly beside Jun Wu, Hao Ran was grinning from ear to ear.
"Hahaha. Finally, my sister is taken."
"Shut up! What do you know." Elder Peng berated. "Go back to the forge and swing the hammer 100—no, 1000 times."
"Ah!" Hao Ran widened his eyes.
Why? What did I say wrong? He wanted to question his master but staring at the cold deadly eyes that said more words and your punishment would increase.
Reluctantly, he dragged his feet back to the forge while muttering some incomprehensible words.
"Elder Peng, why are you punishing the innocent kid? If you’re jealous of the Young Master, I can help you find a beautiful woman."
"Get lost! What do you know."
While the two bantered, a soft knock came from the entrance gate. The two exchanged subtle glances before Zhang Wei headed toward the gate.
Outside the mansion gate, a man and a woman stood calmly, waiting for the door to be opened.
Creak!
The door was pushed open and Zhang Wei came out. Looking at the visitors, he creased his brow.
"What brings you here, President and Elder Shen?" He asked curiously.
It was almost night. Why were the two array masters at their mansion?
"Hahaha. Sorry for coming unannounced. We’d like to have a word with the Young Master." The Array Association President responded with a light smile.
"Alright, come in."
Seated alone inside the main hall, the President and Elder Shen waited quietly.
After a few seconds, Jun Wu entered the main hall.
"What do I owe the visit?" He said softly and took the main seat.
"Hahaha. Young Master, you’re now the talk of the city. Everyone wants to meet you, how could this old man not use his advantage?" The Association President said with thick skin.
"You’re right but I wonder what brings you here at this time of the day." Jun Wu was still curious.
They could have waited till tomorrow. Instead, they sneaked in like thieves.
Listening to him, Elder Shen and the Association President exchanged subtle glances.
"Young Master, do you know how important the array plates are to the world?" The President asked.
Jun Wu nodded, waiting for him to continue.
"You might know, there are many hidden clans in the Soaring Cloud that are slightly weaker than your Jun clan. With the importance of the array plates, I don’t think they care about your Jun clan." The President said seriously.
Jun Wu listened but did not respond. He was yet to understand what all this had to do with him or the Array Formation Association.
Watching the quiet Jun Wu, the President sighed and forced himself to continue.
"Young Master, instead of bearing the hatred and greed of all the clans, why don’t you share the secret with us and we could split the profit?"
Jun Wu’s expression did not change; he stared intently at them.
’So, this is all they amount to. Greed.’