Staring at the handsome youth with a delighted expression, Xuner’s slender willow-like eyebrows slightly furrowed. Ignoring his calls, she turned and walked away. “Miss Xuner!” Seeing Xuner turn around, the handsome youth’s pale face immediately became anxious. He quickened his pace and finally blocked Xuner’s path.
Blocked by the youth, Xuner had no choice but to stop. Her long, narrow eyes, like autumn pools, were half-closed with a hint of laziness, gazing at him indifferently without a word.
“Miss Xuner…”
Under the gaze of the girl’s bright, clear eyes, the young man, who was often surrounded by beauties, found his breathing growing slightly labored. His usual smooth tongue seemed to have lost its effect.
“Young Master Galley, if there is nothing important, please step aside. I still have some matters to attend to.”
Seeing the youth’s face turn a bit red, Xuner finally spoke. The sweet, soft voice of the maiden made the pale face of the young man across from her flush with a somewhat sickly rosy hue.
“Hehe, Miss Xuner, are you here in the market to buy something? I happen to be free, so why don’t we walk around together?”
Taking a deep breath, Galley’s smile was bright and gentle. This kind of smile, combined with his status and appearance, had once successfully won him the affection of several beauties.
“Young Master Galley, I have already said that I have matters to attend to! Could you please step aside?” Xuner’s small mouth pursed slightly, her tone as calm as still water.
Facing Xuner’s direct refusal, Galley’s mouth twitched, but he maintained his smile on his face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bracelet. The bracelet was a light blue-gold, made of gold-blue iron. At the clasp, a green magic crystal, shaped into a round bead, dangled from it, emitting a faint green glow that made the chain look exquisitely beautiful. Clearly, this dainty bracelet must have cost a pretty penny.
“Hehe, Miss Xuner has matters to attend to, and it would be rather difficult for Galley to insist further.”
Carefully holding the bracelet, Galley smiled solicitously: “This is a Wooden Spirit Bracelet I specially bought in the market. Although it is not a very valuable item, it is adorned with a first-grade Wood Element magic crystal, which greatly enhances the recovery of one’s fighting energy. Since Miss Xuner is not yet a fighter, this piece of jewelry is most suitable for you. A small token of my sincerity, I hope you do not refuse. Otherwise, Galley would be quite embarrassed in front of his subordinates…”
At the end of his words, Galley intentionally added a touch of humor, and his subordinates around him obediently laughed along.
Seeing Galley’s actions, Xuner’s beautiful eyebrows furrowed again, feeling somewhat helpless against this persistent admirer.
Just as she was about to refuse, her gaze suddenly paused on the green magic crystal at the clasp. Recalling how Xiao Yan had been searching for a Wood Element magic crystal, Xuner’s long eyelashes fluttered, and her cool, composed face softened a bit…
Noticing Xuner’s seeming interest, Galley’s heart leaped with joy. He quickly moved the Wooden Spirit Bracelet closer, smiling: “Miss Xuner, please don’t be formal. The Galley family and the Xiao family are both among the three major families in Wu Tan City. It’s nothing to exchange small gifts.”
“Might as well take the bracelet, give the magic crystal to Brother Xiao Yan, and then toss the bracelet when he’s not looking.” With a playful thought, Xuner no longer hesitated. Just as she was about to reach out, a hand grabbed her little hand before she could.
Caught off guard, Xuner’s body tensed up. Her fighting energy surged within her, ready to break free, but a light hum from the youth made her stop struggling.
Turning her gaze, Xuner saw Xiao Yan standing behind her. Looking up a bit, she caught a glimpse of a childishly sullen face.
“Do you not know what kind of person he is?” Giving Xuner a sharp glance, Xiao Yan inwardly scolded. Then, with a smile, he looked up and said, “Young Master Galley, your kindness is appreciated, but I’m sorry. Please take back your gift.”
Seeing the ruined atmosphere, a flash of anger appeared in Galley’s eyes, but in front of the beauty, to maintain his composure, he forced a smile: “Young Master Xiao Yan, I only noticed that Miss Xuner was not wearing any accessories, so I wanted to show my sincerity. Don’t you want to add a little beauty to Miss Xuner with some small ornaments?”
Sighing helplessly, Xiao Yan glanced sideways at the Wooden Spirit Bracelet in Galley’s hand. Reaching into his own pocket, he pulled out a light green bracelet and said, with a touch of annoyance, “Do you really like bracelets? Here, take this. Don’t go around accepting things from others. I’ve told you, unnecessary kindness is usually a sign of ill intent. You, with your simple-minded nature, might end up being sold and not even know why.”
Hearing Xiao Yan’s veiled insult, Galley’s face turned cold, but when he saw the bracelet in Xiao Yan’s hand, he was somewhat surprised and couldn’t help but laugh.
Xiao Yan’s bracelet, from the material, was clearly a cheap knockoff, worth no more than five gold coins. In contrast, his Wooden Spirit Bracelet was a genuine magic crystal accessory, costing over a thousand gold coins. The two bracelets, in terms of design, price, and practicality, were incomparable. Therefore, Galley, unable to resist, sarcastically remarked, “Young Master Xiao Yan, I knew your status in your family was low, but… you don’t have to be so stingy with Miss Xuner, do you?”
Ignoring Galley’s mockery, Xiao Yan waved his hand at the girl, who was staring at the bracelet, a bit dazed. “Do you want it or not? If not, throw it away. It’s just worth a couple of gold coins anyway.”
“Haha…”
Not only did Galley burst into laughter, but his subordinates also mocked and jeered.
However, the mocking laughter didn’t last long. It abruptly stopped, as if their necks had been cut, and everyone stood with their mouths open, looking extremely comical.
Startled by Xiao Yan’s action, the girl snapped out of her daze. Her hands, almost instinctively, quickly snatched the bracelet. Once she held it, Xuner realized that she had acted a bit too eagerly. A faint blush appeared on her delicate, fair face. However, Xuner was not an ordinary person. After a moment of slight embarrassment, she gracefully slipped the bracelet onto her fair, slender wrist and, looking up, gave Xiao Yan a sweet smile. “Thank you, Brother Xiao Yan.”
Seeing Xuner display a normal, girlish demeanor in front of Xiao Yan, Galley’s face showed a hint of jealousy. He dryly laughed, “Hehe, I didn’t expect Miss Xuner to have such unique tastes. I seem to have miscalculated.”
Xiao Yan glanced at Galley, his eyes sweeping over the golden star on his chest, and felt a bit surprised. “When I saw this guy last year, he should have been at the ninth stage of fighting energy. I didn’t expect him to successfully form a fighting energy vortex this year. But to become a one-star fighter at the age of twenty-one, his talent can only be considered above average…”
Seeing that this guy had no intention of leaving, Xiao Yan rolled his eyes. His lazy tone did not soften because of the other’s strength. The relationship between the Xiao family and the Galley family was already poor, so he had no need to show any courtesy. Touching his nose, Xiao Yan said calmly, “Young Master Galley, your reputation for philandering is well-known in Wu Tan City. But Xuner is still young and has no time for such games. So, please go and bother someone else’s daughter in the future.”
“Stay away from him in the future.”
After saying this, Xiao Yan, ignoring Galley’s ugly expression, turned to Xuner, leveraging his seniority, and sternly instructed, “Alright.”
“Okay.” Xuner’s bright, lively eyes blinked, and she nodded indifferently. Galley was merely a stranger to her, while Xiao Yan was irreplaceable. If he said to stay away, she would stay away. This choice was not difficult for Xuner.
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