"Hello... Brother-in-law."
"Lu Han! What on earth are you talking about?!"
Lu Qingyue rushed over and gave Lu Han a sharp flick on the head.
This was different from the incident at the village entrance.
If she didn't reprimand her brother now, she feared Shen Xiao would be genuinely offended.
Lu Han didn't flinch. Instead, he gave his sister a look that said, 'I know everything.'
"Why are you so panicked? You're not a kid anymore, why hide your relationship?"
"I already felt it when we spoke on the phone the other day, and here you are still trying to deny it."
"No! I told you we're just friends! Go to your room and do your homework!"
"Finished it already."
"Then write it again from the beginning!"
Qingyue grabbed Lu Han's ear and dragged him inside.
Shen Xiao stood there, paralyzed, witnessing a "fierce" side of Qingyue he had never seen before.
It turned out the Empress held significant authority at home.
Even if Lu Han seemed to be the type of brother who lived to push his sister's buttons.
"Shen Xiao, please have a seat. I'm going to the kitchen to prep the ribs," Qingyue said as she smoothed her messy hair, her face still flushed.
"Don't take Lu Han's words to heart. Kids just love to talk nonsense."
Ding!
[Gained Lu Qingyue's favorability, Fate Ticket +100!]
...
As soon as Qingyue headed to the kitchen, Lu Han emerged from his room again.
Shen Xiao didn't decline when invited into the boy's bedroom.
Shen Xiao's first impression of Lu Han's room.
Cold.
There was no heater, and no sunlight reached inside.
The room felt damp and far colder than the yard outside.
Even Lao Jiang couldn't stand it and immediately bolted back to the living room to curl up by the fireplace.
"My sister called this afternoon and said all our debts are paid. Was it you who lent the money?"
Lu Han asked directly.
"Yes."
"Thank you."
Ding!
[Gained Lu Han's favorability, Fate Ticket +50!]
Shen Xiao smiled thinly.
Sincere gratitude from this boy yielded tickets instantly.
His talent was indeed great, and his personality was honest.
Shen Xiao's mind was made up.
This kid has to be my brother-in-law!
"It's no big deal, just a small favor," Shen Xiao replied.
Lu Han gave a bitter smile.
"A 'small favor' to you is the solution to a problem that has tortured our family for years. Ever since I was little, debt collectors were always at this door. My sister was the one who acted as our shield."
"She's worked odd jobs in the city since she was a teenager just to buy me stationery and make sure I had pocket money, while she never had any friends of her own."
Lu Han stared intensely at Shen Xiao.
"For the last seven or eight years, not a single school friend of hers has ever come here. You are the first."
"When she walked in just now, I saw a different smile on her face. It's a smile I could never give her, no matter how hard I tried."
Lu Han clenched his fists.
"If you only intend to play with her, I will make you regret it! But if you're serious, prove to me that you can protect her better than I can."
Shen Xiao dropped the act.
His gaze turned icy and dead serious.
"Even though I haven't known your sister for long, my feelings are sincere."
"Even If I Have to Fight the World for My Empress-!, I will not let her suffer again."
"Against the whole world?" Lu Han was stunned.
The resolve felt too extreme.
Yeahh, but Shen Xiao don't care about the boy mind.
'Even If I Have to Fight the World for My Empress-!'
It's not problem for me!
He felt Shen Xiao might just be boasting.
"Let's talk in the living room, your room is too cold," Shen Xiao suggested.
"Wait!" Lu Han blocked Shen Xiao's path.
"I don't have high expectations for my brother-in-law, as long as he's strong."
"Let's prove your strength in a one-on-one duel!"
"A one-on-one duel?" Shen Xiao looked at him with interest.
"Lu Han, you haven't even awakened yet. Are you sure you want to fight me? My body has already been tempered by spiritual power."
"Stop talking! Just say it if you're scared!"
"What is there to be afraid of? I accept your challenge."
"Good. We'll do a man's duel. We take turns hitting each other. I hit you once, you hit me once, until one of us gives up. Whoever makes a sound or complains is a loser!"
Shen Xiao nodded in agreement.
He knew Lu Han was trying to use physical endurance because he knew he couldn't win in a technical fight.
"Say something! Are you losing your nerve?"
Lu Han challenged again.
Shen Xiao simply nodded without speaking.
Lu Han started, suddenly realizing he was the one who made the rule 'whoever makes a sound is a loser.'
"Uh... I haven't said 'start' yet, so that didn't count! It doesn't count!" Lu Han exclaimed in a panic.
"Fine, I'll pretend I have amnesia and act like I didn't hear a thing," Shen Xiao replied calmly.
Ding!
[Gained Lu Han's favorability, Fate Ticket +50!]
Shen Xiao let out a long sigh.
He really was such an innocent kid.
Tricking him felt like stealing candy from a baby, just too easy.