At that moment, Ye Guyi wanted nothing more than to dig a hole in the ground and hide in it.
Meeting a friend was one thing—but having your guardian come along?
That was just… mortifying.
If Wang Chen were already her man, she wouldn't have been embarrassed at all.
But the problem was—they were still "just friends."
That made it ten times more awkward.
For a moment, Ye Guyi had no idea what to say or do.
Wang Chen turned his gaze toward the middle-aged beauty beside her—and instantly recognized Zhao Yurou.
He had looked into Ye Guyi's background before and knew that the one who sheltered her was Elder Zhao Yurou, a high-ranking Soul Saint and elder of the Plain Alliance.
In fact, when Wang Chen had infiltrated the Alliance under his alias "Song Yu," he had even met Zhao Yurou a few times.
So, she wasn't a stranger to him.
However, he quickly noticed that Zhao Yurou's current aura was far weaker than before—so faint it didn't even match that of a low-level Soul Master.
Still, since Zhao Yurou had never met him under his real identity, Wang Chen couldn't exactly act as though he already knew her.
So, he smiled lightly and asked Ye Guyi,
"Guyi, who might this be?"
Finally, Ye Guyi found her voice.
"Wang Chen, this is my Aunt Zhao—Zhao Yurou."
Then she turned to introduce him in return.
"Aunt Zhao, this is my good friend, Wang Chen."
Wang Chen smiled politely and greeted,
"It's an honor to meet you, Aunt Zhao."
Zhao Yurou's eyes swept over Wang Chen from head to toe, and an approving light flashed in them.
After three years of growth, Wang Chen now stood at over 1.8 meters tall, with short black hair, sword-shaped brows, deep black eyes, and a perfectly balanced face.
His fair skin gleamed with a healthy sheen, and his physique—broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs—was impeccable.
Zhao Yurou couldn't help but praise him inwardly.
Handsome indeed. No wonder Guyi fell for him.
She had already heard Ye Guyi describe his looks before—but seeing him in person still exceeded expectations.
More importantly, there was something about his bearing—an effortless authority, a quiet confidence, and the noble air of someone born to command.
There was not a hint of the immaturity typical of his age.
Zhao Yurou smiled brightly, thinking to herself,
If Guyi and Wang Chen end up together, their children will definitely be beautiful little angels.
"I've heard about you for a while now," Zhao Yurou said warmly.
Guyi mentioned her good friend more than once.
I've always wanted to meet you, but I've been too busy.
Today, I finally got the chance."
She began chatting easily with Wang Chen, and he responded with polite calm, not thinking too much of it. After all, his relationship with Ye Guyi was still very innocent—for now.
Meanwhile, Ye Guyi stood off to the side, watching the two talk.
Inside her head, her two little angels had started arguing again.
The black angel waved its dark holy sword.
"Master! Go talk to him! If you don't make a move, you'll never get to kiss him!"
The white angel flapped her pure wings and scolded,
"Girls should be reserved! You can't just throw yourself at him.
Show him your feelings through your actions instead."
The black angel rolled her eyes.
"What kind of simp logic is that? 'Only actions, no words'? How's he supposed to know what you're doing?"
The white angel snapped back,
"Oh yeah? Then what exactly should I say to him?"
The black angel froze, scratching her tiny head.
"Uh… well… the master's never been in love before, so… I don't know either."
Ye Guyi stood stiffly in place, brain spinning into chaos.
She wanted to go over and say something—but what?
Maybe… 'Wang Chen, have you eaten breakfast?'
Or perhaps… 'What have you been up to lately?'
She quickly shook her head.
No! Those questions were way too dumb!
She racked her brain for something clever to say—but came up empty.
After all, people usually chased her. She'd never been the one to take the initiative.
Frustrated, she puffed out her cheeks.
"Ugh! Ye Guyi, why is your mouth so dumb?!"
While she was stuck in mental turmoil, Wang Chen and Zhao Yurou continued chatting pleasantly.
Eventually, Wang Chen stood and smiled.
"Aunt Zhao, Miss Guyi—why don't we move this conversation to my residence?
It's not very comfortable talking here in the guest hall."
Naturally, both women agreed.
Under Wang Chen's lead, they began walking toward the Wang Family's inner compound.
After a while, Ye Guyi frowned slightly.
"Wang Chen, aren't we going the wrong way?
I thought your house was over on the eastern side?"
It had been a while since she last visited, so she didn't know that Wang Chen had recently defeated the former Patriarch, Wang Yan, and become the new head of the Wang Family.
His residence had since been moved from an ordinary two-story courtyard to the grand hall at the very heart of the Wang estate.
Wang Chen smiled faintly.
"I moved recently. The new place is bigger—and the surroundings are better."
"Oh, I see!" Ye Guyi said brightly.
"Congratulations on the new home!"
She assumed that Wang Chen had simply been promoted in status within the family, earning himself a better house.
Zhao Yurou thought the same and felt genuinely happy for him.
But as they continued walking deeper into the estate, Zhao Yurou began to sense something strange.
The buildings grew larger and more luxurious, and the aura of the people around them grew stronger as well.
As a Soul Saint, even with her meridians crippled, Zhao Yurou's spiritual power remained sharp.
She extended her perception outward—and was startled to discover that every Wang clansman they passed possessed Soul Emperor–level cultivation or higher.
Her heart trembled slightly.
This boy must be deeply valued by the Wang Family, to live in an area like this…
But to her surprise, Wang Chen didn't stop there.
He continued walking deeper—straight toward the core sector of the Wang Family, the area reserved for the clan's Soul Saint elders.
Every building there resembled a miniature palace, guarded by attendants and soul tool maids.
It was clearly the residence of those with high authority.
Just then, the Great Elder, Wang Lu, happened to step out of his mansion.
When he saw Wang Chen walking by—with a graceful, mature beauty and a stunning young girl at his side—his old, wrinkled face lit up in what he probably thought was a kindly smile.
Inside, however, he was thinking:
Ah, so the Patriarch likes this kind of thing, huh? The young sure know how to play.
To that, the Great Elder was all for it—wholeheartedly.
In his mind, a genius like Wang Chen should absolutely take multiple wives and concubines.
Only then could such exceptional talent and bloodline be passed down, ensuring the Wang Family's prosperity for generations to come.As long as it didn't hinder his cultivation, the Great Elder couldn't be happier.