Shout out to Marwan for joining my patron~!

***

*Swish*

A youthful charm emanated from Xiao Xue as she got ready once again. The medicinal bath had concluded, her body grew a little more comfortable by 4 times increase in the initial pressure her master introduced nine months ago, and she now had to get ready for the institute. The usual stuff. Thinking of her master, Xiao Xue felt conflicted. Enjoying the illicit teases while even bathing without a single shred of clothing on her body had already crossed far too many lines, and yet, her father had become completely supportive of Xiao Xue from the day he cried in front of the master. Meanwhile, the fact that Lu Piao continued to give her the cold shoulder for months didn't help when her master's gaze casually swept past her, making Xiao Xue feel is she should follow the trend and try out what makes her master so... chill? A single word to describe her master was hard. 

He had shown too many sides that seem to conflict with each other. Kind but scary when teaching. Lethargic but extremely supportive... Debauched but too much of a loving person. Although, after Nie Yu entered her master's apprenticeship, something seemed to have changed within him... but it was extremely subtle. Just like she defined previously. Master became... chill. She'll just go with that word. But, today, even though her master kinda teased her and made her heart flutter umpteenth time, Xiao Xue felt that all of it will stop from today. After all, once she is with her fiance, settling each other's differences, she would not even care how others look at her.

All she cared for is how Lu Piao should he looking at her now and for that, she took out a slightly tighter qipao with a rather short but tasteful cutout right above her cleavage and to match the silver pattern on the dark-pink qipao, Xiao Xue wore a pair of greyish shorts and pulled out her thigh-long beast-hide boots. Clutching a bracelet on her right wrist, pulling put a few locks of her hair and adjusting them in front of the mirror to give herself a cute charm. Tightening her ponytail once again, Xiao Xue took a deep breath.

"Ah, here she comes~! You gotta move quicker, you know! Sister Korra and Lanruo already left!" In her usual clothing and open hair, Ziyun complained with a hint of surprise as she instantly observed the changes in Xiao Xue's current outfit. The greatest one being that enticing cleavage cutout. Ryu'er and Ning'er looked at each other. Xiao Xue always had greater curves than the trio, gaining the nickname— Cow— that the trio used playfully, but to put these curves to use... something is definitely up, and its definitely not Xiao Xue's lust meter.

"H-hey! Don't look at me like that! Hmph, that Lu Piao finally decided to contact me, so I thought..." Xiao Xue looked away with the slightest hint of blush, "what he had been missing for so long... of course! My punch!"

The dark-pink haired lady hissed and smacked her right fist against the left palm.

"Yeah, he sure is the luckiest..." Ryu'er stated impassively with a shrug. "Sassy much?" Xiao Xue grinned and tackled Ryu'er into a hug before giggling as Ryu'er never threw Xiao Xue off. "Well, are you two meeting before or after the classes?"

Ning'er inquired while helping Ryu'er up as Ziyun pulled Xiao Xue up. 

"Before~!" Xiao Xue hummed happily.

At her words, Ning'er gave Ryu'er and Ziyun a look. With understands flashing on their faces, a grin formed on the trio's face as they Ryu'er and Ziyun held Xiao Xue from her sides. "Then... we'll be witnessing the extent of love you showed Lu Piao with!" Ziyun grinned as Ning'er walked in front of them, "Let's hurry. There is not a single moment to lose."

"Ahhh! You don't have to come!"

Xiao Xue's complaints were buried as the three soldiers with the holy mission marched towards the rendezvous. 

---

"Sorry... we shouldn't see each other anymore... I have feelings for someone else."

Xiao Xue's punch stopped midair, only for a moment though, instantly, from playfulness, Xiao Xue's body language changed to anger and her punch landed straight—

It was caught squarely.

"What did you say?!" Xiao Xue shouted, her voice reaching the tree behind which hid the three soldiers. 

"I said," Lu Piao began with the complete disregard in his eyes that Xiao Xue couldn't swallow. How could he disregard everything? Their years of friendship, her hard work in making their engagement a reality, his unique presents that always brought a smile to her face... she felt like her heart would break if she continued staring at his face.

"— we should not see each other anymore. My father agrees that our engagement should be canceled."

Gritting her teeth, a gauntlet appeared over her caught fist, "Don't you..." with the spiritual energy of rank 4 spiraling around her fist, her intentions clear to simply shred the bastard's hand that dared touch her. Once again, much to Xiao Xue's frustration, she found Ryu'er appearing out of thin air between the two and kicking out both of them by spreading her legs in a split, as the spiritual spiral of energy instantly exploded into a mind-numbing shock of blue smoke that roiled for an instant and crumbled into a calm mist. 

With a collected look, Ryu'er's crimson pupils turned vertical and with her left arm turning into a bluish-black claw, the mist instantly got sucked into the scales of Ryu'er's left arm.

"Killing is forbidden. Troubling Master over personal matters is the worst way you can treat him with." With a tone completely different than Xiao Xue was used to, Ryu'er narrowed her eyes and looked back at Lu Piao, "Leave... scum."

Why was Lu Piao the scum when her own master was far more debauched? Because her master is better. His level of persona needs mates of utmost beauty and elegance to match his status... Ryu'er's thoughts, not Nik's.

Unperturbed by the changing events, Lu Piao stood before turning on his heels. Not even giving any last statement. His steps leading him away from the institute instead while Xiao Xue continued to look at the youth's back with a bit of hatred and loads of sadness as their memories turned into cold tears that shriveled the lady's heart and marred her pretty face.

"Hey! What's the big idea of kicking them! Xiao Xue wouldn't have harmed her own fiance!"

While Ryu'er heard everything, expecting a spicy gossip, the remaining duo couldn't, making Ryu'er's action look a little overboard in front of their eyes.

Ryu'er blinked, slightly unwilling to explain things herself since speaking to others for prolonged period aside from Nik wasn't her style, but as she gazed Xiao Xue, who had long broken into despairing sobs, the little Empress suppressed an annoyed groan and whispered out the explanation while helping Xiao Xue, who instantly hugged Ryu'er tightly while crying loudly.

"Ryu'er! He left me! Aaaghhh!" Xiao Xue clutched Ryu'er's tunic, her damp face rubbing into Ryu'er's breasts as her outburst attracted the attention of others, much to Ryu'er's indignation.

"Please go on ahead... I'll help Xiao Xue back..." explaining with a sigh, Ryu'er picked Xiao Xue in a princess carry. Although Xiao Xue is far more curvaceous than Ryu'er, their height is pretty much the same, allowing the little Empress' to embrace the sobbing lady firmly as she jogged back to the manor, pulling a strange expression from the left out disciples as they turned to face each other.

"Ryu'er couldn't possibly be thinking... nah, surely not," Ziyun spoke with a nervous chuckle as the look in Ning'er's gaze grew even more somber. "Wait... you don't think that... ehm, even master wouldn't..." then, Ziyun recalled the image of twin mothers who had left their families, bringing a daughter alongside, to enter Nik's fold...

"B-but..." Still unable to wrap her head around the fact that Xiao Xue might even forget Lu Piao by the end of the day, Ziyun finally felt the last of her paper defense crumble. Out of all the girls in Nik's circle, Xiao Xue, Ning'er, and Ziyun were the only ones to retain their integrity... if not the physical one due to accumulated frustrations, then at least, emotional one. Even Nik seemed to respect that decision and only ever teased without pushing his hand too much... but if Xiao Xue turned herself into the rumored pleasure their master brings, then surely... the remaining two are only maiden with a ticking clock over their head, signifying how easy would it become to submit to Nik's teases when coupled with their already warm relationship and his face. That adorable face filled with a mature charm that tugged on both of the girls' hearts since the only mature men in their life ended up crying in front of Nik.

What about Ye Han? Well, Ye Ziyun had accepted the fact that he left the family and decided to venture into the forest to gain experience once again. This time, even his life and death unknown.

"I say... we should... ehm... start preparing..."

Ning'er's statement made Ziyun shocked as the purple-headed woman turned to look at her brunette comrade who sported a healthy flush on her cheeks. "N-Ning'er! What are you saying?!" Ziyun instantly shouted, her own heart beating furiously as the orange-haired girl displayed a smile full of conflicting expectations.

"The truth."