17: Chapter 17 I Want to Give You a Home

When the young girl's sobbing gradually subsided, Ye Changge gently held her shoulders and helped her slowly rise from his embrace.

The young girl's cheeks flushed crimson; realizing her previous actions were too impulsive, she was too shy to look up.

She wanted to kneel and offer her thanks, but Ye Changge firmly supported her arms and helped her up.

"Young Master's great kindness... this young woman has no way to repay you..."

The young girl's tears fell once more.

"There is no need for that, Miss."

Ye Changge handed her a clean handkerchief.

"Could you tell me what exactly happened? Who was that old man?"

The young girl took the handkerchief, wiped away her tears, and began to recount her story in broken sentences.

It turned out her name was Liu Yiyi.

She lived in a remote village outside the mountains with her sister, Liu Qingqing, relying on each other for survival.

But several months ago, this strange old man suddenly arrived at the village and slaughtered everyone.

She was the only one left alive.

She had been controlled by the old man, dazed and confused, and brought all the way here.

"Sister... Sister went out to gather herbs, promising to return in three days, but she never came back... and the village..."

When Liu Yiyi reached the painful part, she couldn't help but shed tears again.

'That old man must have done this because he saw this girl's spirit body. What a miserable fate,' Ye Changge sighed inwardly.

This experience was even more tragic than what Xiao Cui had gone through.

He cleared his throat and said softly.

"Miss Yiyi, you are all alone now with nowhere to go. If you can trust me..."

"I would like to give you a home. If you are willing, you may come back with me."

Ye Changfeng, standing to the side, was dumbfounded.

He had intended to learn from his younger clansman on how to woo women, but he hadn't expected him to just blurt out "give you a home" like that.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yiyi was stunned.

Her little face instantly turned red, and even her earlobes turned a soft pink.

"I... I... I..." she stammered.

The Young Master before her, who had saved her from fire and water and possessed such extraordinary good looks.

He said... he wanted to give her a home?

Seeing her panic, Ye Changge did not pressure her but instead smiled gently.

"Miss, there is no need to answer immediately. Rest well tonight; we will set off tomorrow. Regardless, I will find a good place for you to settle down, and I will certainly not abandon you."

These considerate words struck her like a heavy hammer.

"Wuu wuu..." she started crying again.

"I... I am willing."

Ye Changfeng was completely convinced, filled with nothing but astonishment.

"She... just agreed like that?"

Suddenly, he looked at Ye Changge's handsome face.

He really wanted to know what he was lacking!

Thus, the next morning, a slender figure appeared on the Yao Beast Ye Changge was riding.

Liu Yiyi seemed to be afraid of heights; sitting on the broad back of the Yao Beast, her small hands gripped the fabric at Ye Changge's waist tightly, and she almost curled into his embrace, not daring to move.

"Don't be afraid, Yiyi. This Green Feather Crane is the most stable; it's smoother than walking."

Ye Changge held the reins with one hand and patted her slightly trembling hand with the other, his voice extremely gentle.

"Look, we have already left the ground. Isn't it less scary than you imagined?"

Only then did Liu Yiyi dare to lift her head slightly and give a small, quiet "En."

The journey was safe and uneventful, and they arrived smoothly at White Bird Market.

Returning to the Ye family's courtyard in the market, Ye Changge originally intended to settle Liu Yiyi there first so he could go check on the operation of his Talisman shop over the past few months.

Who would have thought that as soon as he had the intention to stand up, his sleeve was tightly gripped by a small hand.

Liu Yiyi looked up with her little face, her eyes slightly red.

She didn't speak, just gazed at him with those big, watery eyes.

Occasionally, when Ye family disciples or servants passed by outside the courtyard gate, she would nervously shrink behind Ye Changge.

Seeing this, Ye Changge's heart immediately softened.

It was true; having just experienced such a calamity, it was only natural for her to feel fear toward this strange environment and the crowd.

"Alright," he turned around and naturally took Liu Yiyi's cool little hand.

"Then come with me to the shop. I can take you around the market on the way to help you relax."

Liu Yiyi's eyes brightened, she nodded vigorously, and her small hand gripped his even tighter.

The market streets remained bustling; the crowd was like a tapestry, and the sound of peddling was endless.

How had Liu Yiyi ever seen such a sight?

Having grown up in a secluded mountain village, she had only ever seen thatched cottages and field ridges; at this moment, it felt as if she had stepped into a bizarre and fantastical new world.

She stayed close to Ye Changge, looking around with a mix of curiosity and timidity.

Sometimes, she would ask a question or two in a low voice.

Ye Changge explained with great patience, walking slowly with her.

Whenever they encountered a shop she seemed to linger on, he would stop and ask gently: "Yiyi, do you like this?"

After all, this was the future mother of his children. Naturally, he had to spoil her and be patient.

The sky grew dark, and the lanterns were lit.

The two returned to the Ye family's private courtyard in the market.

After bathing, Liu Yiyi wore only a pink bodice embroidered with twin lotus flowers, covered by a thin gauze nightgown, and sat on the edge of the bed with her legs curled up.

She was too shy to look at Ye Changge, who was extinguishing the lights.

Ye Changge walked to the bedside and sat down. Seeing her nervous appearance, he couldn't help but chuckle and said softly: "Don't be afraid, tonight is just for resting. You just experienced those things, and your mind is not yet settled. I will accompany you so you won't be scared."

As he spoke, he lifted a corner of the brocade quilt, lay down first, and then gestured for Liu Yiyi to lie down as well.

Liu Yiyi hesitated for a moment, but finally lay down obediently.

Ye Changge gently pulled her into his embrace. "Sleep, I am here."

Liu Yiyi's body stiffened at first, then slowly softened. With the warm, fragrant beauty in his arms, Ye Changge felt extremely satisfied!

This Cultivation World was a place where the weak were prey to the strong; it was too cruel for women without anyone to rely on.

He must strive to become stronger and protect all the young girls in the world!

This "grand" ambition made his heart surge with excitement.

But the unconscious, subtle movements of the beauty in his arms and the wafts of fragrance hitting him made him somewhat distracted, making it hard to fall asleep.

'Maybe I should go to the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion tomorrow to see if I can buy a few maids to vent my heat.'

Meanwhile. "Whoosh whoosh whoosh..." at a cliffside.

Here, the yin winds raged like ghosts wailing and wolves howling.

Looking down from above, it was bottomless, as if it were the mouth of a giant beast.

Below it was a pool of water. But eerily, the water in the lake was a scarlet color!

Thick as blood, it lay quietly at the bottom of the abyss.

In the very center of this strange blood lake, a young girl was lying quietly.

Her face was pale, and her eyes were tightly closed. It was as if she had fallen into an eternal slumber.

Looking closely, her features were six or seven parts similar to Liu Yiyi's!

But compared to Liu Yiyi's fragility and innocence, this girl's outline appeared somewhat colder.

And at this moment, on her smooth brow, an eerie red pattern had suddenly appeared. It was shaped like a blooming Other Shore Flower.

Above the lake water, two figures were standing in mid-air. They were whispering something to the sleeping girl in the center of the lake.