"Marcus..."

Though embarrassed by the eager look on his face, Anya still let him pull back the covers. His promise to help her get dressed quickly became an excuse to dote on her however he pleased, and before long she found herself blushing under his attention. Still, there wasn’t a trace of resistance in her eyes. After everything they had gone through, simply being able to stay close to him made her happy.

Marcus remained at Anya’s side for the rest of the day. He kept her company, talked with her, and made sure she was comfortable. By the time dinner was over and evening approached, he finally stood to leave.

"Anya, I should head back. I’ll see you in the game."

"Okay." Anya nodded softly, her eyes following him with obvious reluctance.

Marcus smiled and gave her hand a gentle squeeze before leaving. The only small disappointment he carried with him was that Chloe had spent the entire day avoiding him. The moment she saw him, she would find an excuse to disappear.

Still, he had finally gotten the chance to try Chloe’s cooking. Although Lily remained the better cook overall, Chloe’s specialty dishes were something entirely different. According to Anya, those recipes had been passed down through her family for generations and were never shared outside the household. To Marcus, every dish had been a new experience.

After Marcus left, Chloe finally returned to the room.

"Miss, are you really giving up your martial arts?" She had held the question back all day, but now she couldn’t any longer. Anya’s movements still carried traces of discomfort, making the answer seem obvious, yet Chloe needed to hear it directly.

"Yes." Anya nodded, her face coloring slightly.

"Miss..." Chloe’s heart sank.

She understood Anya’s feelings better than anyone. She wanted Anya to be happy. She wanted her to be with Marcus. But the Phoenix Cry was not just any martial art. The family had invested years of hope and resources into Anya’s future. If they learned what had happened, they might choose to compromise—or they might direct all their anger toward Marcus instead.

At this point, however, there was no changing the past. The only thing they could do was face whatever came next.

Thinking about Marcus, Chloe couldn’t help muttering under her breath. "That shameless playboy really gets away with everything..."

But the moment the words left her mouth, another thought followed. Anya was now Marcus’s woman. Which meant that, by tradition, Chloe herself was effectively serving him as well. The realization made her freeze. A moment ago she had been annoyed. Now, for some reason, her face started growing warm. Her beautiful features quickly flushed red.

"Chloe." Anya noticed the change immediately. Seeing the concern and uncertainty in her friend’s eyes, she smiled gently. "Even though you’re my handmaiden, we grew up together. You’re family to me."

Chloe looked up.

"I’ll explain everything to Father myself. No matter what happens, I won’t let anyone blame you."

"Miss..." Warmth filled Chloe’s heart.

Anya studied the young woman beside her. The family truly had chosen well. Chloe was intelligent, loyal, talented in martial arts, and stunningly beautiful. Whether it was appearance, temperament, or ability, she could stand alongside any of Crestwood University’s famous campus beauties without being overshadowed. Then a mischievous smile appeared on Anya’s face.

"And besides..."

"What is it, Miss?"

"I haven’t lost the Phoenix Cry."

"What?" Chloe stared at her in disbelief. "You haven’t?"

"That’s right." Anya raised her hand. "Look."

A crimson glow appeared in her palm. The fiery energy gradually gathered together, taking the shape of a small phoenix.

"Ah!" Chloe gasped. The familiar energy instantly told her what she was seeing.

"Phoenix Rebirth..."

Anya nodded. "The awakening stage has begun."

"Miss!" Chloe’s eyes widened.

She knew exactly what that meant. Anya had clearly become Marcus’s woman. There was no mistaking that. And yet not only had she retained the Phoenix Cry, but the cultivation technique that should have required another five or six years of effort had suddenly reached its first awakening stage. Once Phoenix Rebirth was achieved, Anya’s future cultivation speed would increase dramatically.

"How is that possible?" Chloe could hardly believe it.

The phoenix-shaped energy in Anya’s hand was unmistakable. The power was genuine. There was no chance of a mistake.

Anya smiled. "Chloe, do you know what kind of martial art Marcus cultivates?"

The pride in her voice was impossible to miss. Nothing pleased her more than talking about the man she loved.

Chloe immediately caught on. "Is it related to his cultivation technique?"

"Yes." Anya nodded. "Marcus practices a dual cultivation art."

"Dual cultivation?" Chloe’s surprise deepened.

A faint blush appeared on Anya’s face as memories from the previous night resurfaced. "Because of that, not only did I keep the Phoenix Cry, but I advanced directly to Phoenix Rebirth."

"What an incredible technique..." Chloe couldn’t help marveling.

She understood better than most how difficult the Phoenix Cry was to cultivate. There were no shortcuts. No miracle medicines. No special treasures. No assistance from powerful martial artists. The practitioner had to advance through years of effort alone. Yet Marcus had accomplished in a single night what should have taken Anya years. If the family heard about this, they would probably refuse to believe it.

Then another thought occurred to Chloe. "No wonder Marcus attracts women everywhere he goes."

She spoke quietly, almost to herself. Honestly, she found it a little easier to forgive some of his playboy behavior now.

At the same time, her curiosity only grew stronger. There was another strange detail. Normally, reaching Phoenix Rebirth should have released a massive surge of energy into the surroundings. Yet during Marcus and Anya’s dual cultivation, nothing had leaked out at all. Not only had Anya’s breakthrough gone unnoticed, but even Marcus’s cultivation technique had left no detectable traces. Chloe had been sleeping in the next room, and she hadn’t sensed a thing. That alone was astonishing.

"Miss, what dual cultivation art does Marcus practice?" Finally, her curiosity won.

Unfortunately, Anya could only shake her head. "I don’t know."

"You don’t know?"

"I never asked." Anya smiled. Then her eyes sparkled with mischief. "But if you’re really curious, you can always find out yourself."

Chloe immediately sensed danger. "Miss..." Her face turned bright red.

Anya’s smile widened. "Chloe, you’ve been stuck at the sixth level of Thunderbird’s Cry for years now. Maybe Marcus can help you break through."

"Miss!" Chloe finally couldn’t take it anymore. "I-I’m logging in!"

Before Anya could tease her again, she hurried toward the VR pod.

Watching her flee, Anya laughed. "So eager to see Marcus?"

"Miss!" Chloe nearly stumbled.

By the time she climbed into the pod, her face was completely red. Still smiling, Anya followed shortly afterward and logged in as well.

Meanwhile, Marcus had already returned home. Most of the others were currently inside the game. As soon as he entered the bedroom, however, Lily noticed his arrival and immediately logged out.

"Marcus, you’re back." She walked over with a warm smile.

"Lily..." Marcus rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Earlier that morning, he had already called her and explained that he and Anya had finally resolved their misunderstanding. Even so, standing in front of Lily now still made him feel guilty. Out of everyone around him, she was the person he least wanted to hurt—the person whose feelings mattered most to him.

Lily seemed to understand immediately. Without saying anything, she stepped closer.

"Marcus." She rested her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around him.

The familiar warmth of her embrace immediately put him at ease. Instinctively, Marcus wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close.

"Lily..." She was always so understanding.

Looking up at him, Lily smiled softly. "If that misunderstanding with Anya had never happened, we might never have ended up together." She gently squeezed his hand. "I’m already happy just being with you."

"Lily..." Marcus felt his chest tighten. Looking into her eyes, he lowered his head and kissed her.

She responded immediately. For a moment, the rest of the world seemed to disappear.

Then—

"Marcus, you’re back!"

The sudden voice startled both of them. They quickly separated and turned around. Standing in the doorway were Amber and Jade. Of course. The two biggest troublemakers in the house.

Marcus sighed. "How did you even know I was back?"

Amber looked completely innocent. "Lily suddenly logged out. Then Anya and Chloe logged in and mentioned you’d gone home. It wasn’t hard to figure out."

Marcus could only stare at her. Without realizing it, she had perfectly ruined the mood.

Meanwhile, Jade had already rushed over. "Marcus!" She grabbed his arm excitedly. "Hurry up! I want to ride the Nightmare Dragon Steed with you!"

Marcus looked at the eager ’little’ girl, then at Amber’s cheerful expression. Finally, he gave up.

"Fine, fine."

A few minutes later, all three of them logged back into the game together.