Hearing the furious growl from the young man, Xiao Yu was startled, her cheeks flushing with shame and anger. Though she desperately struggled, she was suddenly pinned firmly by Xiao Yan, whose strength had surged unexpectedly. A tingling sensation seeped through her, making her body feel weak and unable to move. After a few more futile efforts, Xiao Yu finally gave up, fixing her furious gaze on Xiao Yan. Her full chest rose and fell with each breath, and she blushed, scolding him, "You little brat, get off me!" Xiao Yan cracked his lips, the bruising on his face sending waves of pain through him. He took several deep breaths of cool air and looked down at her coldly. "Let me go? Then the young lord has just been beaten in vain? The lord specifically said he wanted to have you raped!" Being pressed beneath a boy who was several years younger than herself, and hearing him insistently claim he wanted to rape her, Xiao Yu found herself both embarrassed and utterly at a loss for words. She simply couldn't believe he was serious about doing such a thing. Twisted his wrist, but no movement came. With a sigh of resignation, Xiao Yu glanced at him coldly, murmuring, "Little brat, you're not learning. When you're fully grown, you'll be the one to say something like this." At the challenge to his abilities, Xiao Yan's brow arched slightly, and he lowered his gaze, unkindly adding, "Try then?" Feeling a bit uneasy under the weight of Xiao Yan's steady gaze, Xiao Yu swallowed hard, yet with her proud spirit, she lifted her snowy chin and scoffed, "As long as you dare to try, I'll cut off whatever it is you've got!" A small wince passed over Xiao Yan's lips—this woman who wouldn't budge was indeed frustrating. Though he was genuinely annoyed with her, he hadn't quite reached the point of wanting to forcibly take her against her will. After all, she was, officially, his cousin. Still, he couldn't very well let this beating go unanswered, could he? The eyes slightly narrowed, Xiao Yan gently pursed his lips before suddenly bending low, pressing firmly onto Xiao Yu's body. The close alignment of their bodies caused Xiao Yan's chest to press directly against two soft, delicate clusters of warmth. Stunned by Xiao Yan's sudden movement, Xiao Yu's mouth remained slightly open, as though still struggling to recover from the profound sense of violation. Xiao Yan paid no attention to the now quiet Xiao Yu. With his left hand, he swiftly grasped her two hands, while with his right, he swiftly dipped down and vigorously stroked her long, sensuous legs. A few years ago, he had already noticed that this woman possessed an almost pathological self-admiration for her legs—though, indeed, they were no less captivating to any man. As Xiao Yan's hands moved roughly over her legs, Xiao Yu's body instantly stiffened. Moments later, a sharp cry burst forth from her slightly parted lips. The eardrum felt a bit numb. After touching it, Xiao Yan leaped like a monkey, then dashed off toward the foot of the mountain, knowing that this woman would likely go berserk again. The piercing cries lasted for a long while before gradually subsiding. Xiao Yu's face was now flushed with anger, her eyes blazing with fury, fixed firmly on the faint silhouette at the foot of the mountain. With clenched teeth, she shouted sharply, "Xiao Yan, little rascal! I'll crush you to pieces!" The figure at a distance paid no attention to the cries rising from the mountain. After a slight turn, it vanished from sight. "Rascal! Rascal! Rascal!" As Xiao Yan disappeared, Xiao Yu's face turned ashen. With both hands, she pounded the soil beside her fiercely. After venting for a while, Xiao Yu finally gradually calmed down, her cheeks flushed as she gazed at the several blurry handprints on her legs, slightly muddy with dust. At the spots where the handprints lay, a lingering sensation of tingling and numbness remained, making her feel unusually weak and reluctant to move. Clenching her teeth tightly, Xiao Yu struggled to lift herself, her body feeling soft and weak, and stared at her disheveled garments, feeling utterly heartbroken. Not only had she failed to discipline the man, but she had actually ended up losing the advantage to him—this outcome left her deeply dissatisfied. Though she felt both shy and angry at his earlier bold actions, she did not, as she had in the past few years, drag her sword through the entire family to pursue him. Now, she's an adult, so naturally she won't be as embarrassed as she used to be—when the whole family knew she'd been touched on the thigh by that guy, standing there with a flushed, fluctuating face, hesitating for a long time before finally giving up. Xiao Yu sighed, stomped her foot angrily, and murmured under her breath, "Little rascal! I'll catch you someday—I'll make sure you'll regret it!" Drawing a deep breath, she smoothed her delicate nose, combed back her loose dark hair, and straightened her slightly disheveled clothes, then walked slowly toward the foot of the mountain with a somewhat dejected air. Twisting his neck, Xiao Yan smiled sadly, took a deep breath, suppressed some thoughts in his mind, and once again returned to his usual calm demeanor, slowly stepping forward. As he reached the hidden spot, his steps suddenly halted. He awkwardly turned his head, gazing at the young girl in green robes leaning against a tree trunk, and offered an embarrassed smile. "Xun'er, what are you doing here?" The girl at a distance, lounging lazily against the trunk, had a purple sash fluttering gently in the breeze across her slender waist. With her clear, liquid eyes scanning Xiao Yan, she smiled faintly, half-serious, half-teasing. "Xiao Yan, I just saw Xiao Yu, my elder sister, storm off in a huff. Does it mean you've done something to upset her again?" Blushing slightly and rubbing the bridge of his nose, Xiao Yan approached, offering a dry smile. "Who knows—she's always in a frenzy." Watching Xiao Yan's awkward smile, Xun'er shook her head with a touch of resignation. "Whenever Xiao Yan gets involved with her, he always ends up doing something utterly astonishing, completely out of his depth." Hearing Xun'er's seemingly suggestive words, Xiao Yan felt a bit uneasy, innocently shrugged, and said, "You know, I've also been forced into this." With a light, unconcerned smile, Xun'er gently pursed her lips, her small hands resting behind her back, her graceful figure particularly charming. "Tomorrow is the day we go to the Qi Pavilion to seek out the techniques. Xiao Yan, you'd better get ready." As the girl walked away, the echo of her voice lingered.