Gazing at the handsome young man beaming with delight, Xun'er slightly furrowed her delicate brows, ignoring his calls and turning to walk away. "Xun'er!" As Xun'er turned, the young man's pale face grew anxious, quickening his pace until he finally stepped in front of her, blocking her path. Stopped by the young man, Xun'er halted, her long, liquid eyes slightly narrowed with a touch of languid indifference, gazing at him silently without speaking. "Xun'er Miss..." Under the steady gaze of those serene, water-like eyes, the young man, accustomed to moving among beautiful women, found his breathing growing rapid—his usual eloquence seemed to falter entirely. "Mr. Galiero, if there's no urgency, kindly step aside—I have matters to attend to," Xun'er finally spoke, her soft, delicate voice causing a gentle, almost unwell flush to rise on the young man's pale cheeks. "Hehe, Miss Kuro, what exactly are you looking for at the market? I'm just idle at the moment—why don't we take a stroll together?" Taking a deep breath, Aleo's smile shone bright and warm. This very smile, matched with his bearing and appearance, had once helped him secure several beloved companions. "Mr. Aleo, I've already told you—I have matters to attend to! Could you please step aside?" Kuro gently pursed her lips, her voice calm and steady, without a single tremor. At Kuro's firm refusal, Aleo's嘴角 twitched slightly, yet his smile remained unchanged. Reaching into his coat, he finally drew out a bracelet—its hue a delicate blend of blue and gold. The chain was crafted from a blend of gold and blue iron. At the joints of the chain hung a green magical crystal, polished into a smooth, round bead, emitting a soft glow that shimmered beautifully along the chain, making it both elegant and striking. Clearly, this modest bracelet was no ordinary item—it must have come at a considerable price. "Heh, Miss Fumiko has something to attend to—so it would indeed be rather difficult for Galileo to keep obstructing her." Galileo gently held the bracelet, smiling warmly. "This is a wooden spirit bracelet I specially purchased at the marketplace. While not particularly valuable, it features a first-tier wooden magic crystal embedded within, which significantly enhances recovery of combat energy. Since Miss Fumiko hasn't yet become a combatant, this bracelet is truly perfect for her—quite a modest gift, I'm sure she won't mind refusing it. Otherwise, Galileo would indeed feel rather embarrassed before his subordinates." As he concluded, Galileo added a touch of light humor, and his subordinates responded with hearty, well-coordinated laughter. Observing Galileo's persistent efforts, Fumiko furrowed her brows once again, growing increasingly exasperated with his persistent persistence. Just as she was about to decline, her gaze suddenly settled on the green magic crystal at the junction of the bracelet. Remembering how diligently Xiao Yan had searched for the wood-type magic crystals earlier, the delicate lashes of Xun'er fluttered gently, and the usually cool expression on her face softened slightly. Seeing that Xun'er seemed to be considering something, Galiero felt a surge of joy and quickly advanced the wooden spirit chain, smiling, "Miss Xun'er, please don't be formal. The Galiero family and the Xiao family are both among the top three families of Wutan City—mutually exchanging small gifts is entirely normal and no one would notice." A playful thought flashed through her mind: "Once I have the bracelet, I'll give the crystal to Xiao Yan. Then, when he's not looking, I'll quietly lose the chain." With that, she no longer hesitated, reaching out her hand just as another hand swiftly caught hers, firmly grasping it. At the moment her hand was seized, Xun'er was momentarily startled. Her internal combat energy surged and flowed rapidly. As she tried to free her wrist, the young man's soft hum only served to calm her, and she finally stopped struggling. His gaze shifted slightly, and Xun noticed Xiao Yan suddenly stepping up behind her. As her eyes lifted, she caught sight of a young face looking somewhat displeased. "Isn't it obvious what kind of person this is? You mustn't be unaware of it," she scolded Xiao Yan with a sharp glance, then raised her head with a smile. "Master Jialieo, I truly appreciate your thoughtfulness. However, I'm sorry—please take back the items." Watching the atmosphere now spoiled, Jialieo's eyes flashed with irritation. Yet, mindful of his grace before such a lady, he managed a polite, though strained, smile. "Master Xiao Yan, I simply noticed that Miss Xun wasn't wearing any jewelry at all, so I wanted to do something small to enhance her appearance. Isn't it reasonable to believe that a few simple ornaments could make her even more beautiful?" Sighing in resignation, Xiao Yan glanced at the wooden spirit chain still held by Jialieo and then reached into his sleeve, pulling out a delicate green bracelet. With a sigh of impatience, he said, "Do you really like bracelets?" Here you go. Don't go around picking up other people's things just because you're being polite—I've told you time and again: when someone shows extra interest, it's either a scheme or a theft. Your sheer naivety? You might end up being sold on the spot and still not know why. Hearing Xiao Yan's subtle criticism, Galio's face grew cold, yet when his eyes settled on the bracelet in Xiao Yan's hand, he couldn't help but be momentarily stunned, offering a quiet, surprised smile. The bracelet in Xiao Yan's hands appeared to be a mere stall item, no more than five gold coins in value—clearly a modest piece. In contrast, his wooden spirit bracelet was a genuine magical crystal accessory, purchased for over a thousand gold coins at the time. The two bracelets differed vastly in design, price, and practicality, making any comparison between them utterly impossible. Thus, when Galleo saw Xiao Yan bestowing such a humble gift upon the beautiful young lady Xun'er, he could not help but express his scorn: "Master Xiao Yan, though I've always known your standing within your family is not particularly high, still—still, you don't have to treat Miss Xun'er so sparingly, do you?" Ignoring Galleo's mockery, Xiao Yan raised his hand toward the girl, who was now staring at the bracelet with a look of dazed wonder, and said with growing impatience, "So, shall we keep it or not? If not, then simply discard it—after all, it only cost us a few gold coins." “Hah…,” listening to Xiao Yan’s words, not only did Jaleo chuckle, but even his group of subordinates beside him joined in with mocking laughter. However, that laughter didn’t last long—it suddenly cut off as if someone had severed their necks, leaving everyone gaping in astonishment, a most comical sight. The girl, who had been slightly stunned, was now awakened by Xiao Yan’s actions. With almost unconscious urgency, she swiftly reached for the bracelet. Only once it was in her hands did she realize that her own movements had been a bit too eager. A faint blush crept across her delicate, fair face. Yet, unlike an ordinary person, after a moment of slight bashfulness, she composed herself gracefully, fastened the bracelet around her slender, pale wrist, and looked up at Xiao Yan with a refined, gentle smile, saying, “Thank you, Brother Xiao Yan.” Staring at Xun with a somewhat unnatural expression, now displaying a natural, youthful demeanor before Xiao Yan, Galio's face bore a hint of jealousy. He cleared his throat with a dry smile, saying, "Heh, I didn't expect Miss Xun to have such unique tastes—perhaps I've underestimated her." Xiao Yan glanced at Galio, his eyes briefly passing over the golden star on the latter's chest, and felt a subtle sense of surprise: "Last year, I thought he was at the ninth level of combat energy, didn't I?" I didn't expect to successfully gather the storm energy vortex this year, but to become a one-star Stormspire at just twenty-one—this talent is barely average, I'd say...” Seeing that the young man still hadn't made to leave, Xiao Yan gave a dismissive sigh, speaking lazily without showing any courtesy due to his opponent's strength. The Xue family and the Jiale family have always had a strained relationship, so there was no need for him to display any humility. With a casual stroke of his nose, Xiao Yan said calmly, “Master Jiale, your charm is well known throughout Wutan City. However, Xun is still young and too busy to engage in your early romance games. So, from now on, I hope you’ll focus on causing trouble for other young ladies.” “Just keep away from her from now on.” Without bothering to watch the increasingly displeased Master Jiale, Xiao Yan, taking advantage of his seniority, turned back to Xun and delivered a rather formal reprimand. “Ah, yes.” Xun lightly blinked her lively eyes, nodded indifferently. To her, Jialiao was merely a stranger she had met a few times, while Xiao Yan was someone truly irreplaceable. Since he said she should distance herself, she would. For Xun, this choice was not difficult at all.