She didn’t act like a demure lady, but a suave, incredibly confident, and polite young gentleman.

Without the dirt, blood, and soot of the dungeon, her androgynous beauty was devastating.

Her skin was pale and flawless, her jawline sharp, and her dark, silver-flecked eyes possessed a magnetic, lazy arrogance that was utterly hypnotic.

"Sister Wan," Ji’an said smoothly, noticing that the fifteen-year-old girl sitting across from her was struggling to reach the roasted duck.

Ji’an casually picked up a pair of pristine serving chopsticks.

With a fluid, elegant motion, she selected the finest, crispiest cut of the duck breast and placed it gently onto Lin Wan’s porcelain plate.

Ji’an offered the girl a soft and devastatingly charming smile. "You should eat more of the meat. The spiritual energy will help stabilize your core. Don’t be shy."

Lin Wan, a sheltered noble daughter whose primary interactions with men consisted of stuffy poetry recitals and arrogant, dismissive young lords, stared at the piece of duck.

She slowly looked up at her ’Third Brother’.

She took in the flawless smile, the gentle tone, and the sheer, overwhelming, princely aura radiating from Ji’an.

Lin Wan’s face instantly turned the color of a boiled lobster.

"T-Thank you, Third Brother!" Lin Wan squeaked, her voice an octave higher than normal.

Her hands were shaking so badly she promptly dropped her chopsticks onto the table with a clatter. She quickly slapped her hands over her flushed cheeks, her eyes darting away in a bashful panic.

Sitting next to her, the slightly older half-sister, Lin Mei, let out a dreamy, fluttering sigh. She aggressively batted her eyelashes at Ji’an.

"Third Brother is so thoughtful," Lin Mei cooed, leaning forward, resting her chin on her hands, and completely ignoring her own food. "We missed you so much while you were away at the sect. You have grown into such a... such a striking young man. Tell me, do the female disciples on your peak appreciate how attentive you are?"

Ji’an blinked, entirely oblivious to the romantic tension she was inadvertently radiating. She just thought her sisters were being overly dramatic, as sheltered nobles tended to be.

"I don’t really interact with the female disciples," Ji’an replied honestly, taking a sip of tea. "The Drunken Peak is just me, my alcoholic Master, and an oversized wok. I spend most of my time cooking or trying to avoid getting stabbed by the other peak’s disciples."

Lin Mei gasped softly, her eyes practically turning into shimmering hearts. "A lone wolf. Dedicated to his craft, surrounded by danger, yet maintaining such a gentle heart for his family. How incredibly romantic, third brother. Why didn’t any girl over there court you yet? Don’t tell me you have some special preference?"

"Wait, no, it’s not romantic, it’s a nightmare—" Ji’an started to correct her, but the youngest sister, a fourteen-year-old named Lin Xiao, suddenly whimpered.

"Third Brother, I dropped my napkin," Lin Xiao pouted, looking down at the pristine white silk cloth that had fluttered to the floor near Ji’an’s boots.

She looked up through her lashes, the universal, timeless signal of a maiden attempting to flirt.

Without missing a beat, Ji’an gracefully leaned down, retrieved the silk napkin, and handed it back with that same, lazy, devastatingly handsome smirk.

"Careful, Xiao-er," Ji’an teased lightly. "Keep your guard up, even at the dinner table."

Lin Xiao let out a breathless little squeal, snatching the napkin and pressing it to her chest as if Ji’an had just handed her a love letter written in gold.

At the head of the table, General Lin Tianzong set his soup bowl down with a heavy thud.

The War God rubbed his temples, a headache forming behind his silver-flecked eyes.

He looked at his three blushing, giggling, entirely flustered daughters. Then he looked at his ’son’, who was currently obliviously chewing on a piece of lotus root.

General Lin knew the truth.

He knew Ji’an was a girl.

But looking at her right now, effortlessly commanding the room with the suave, devastating charm of a seasoned playboy, the General felt a sudden wave of paternal exhaustion.

’She has been home for exactly twenty-six hours,’ General Lin thought, his eye twitching. ’And she has already accidentally constructed a harem out of her own half-sisters. Her mother’s genes were a mistake. They are too potent!’

"Ji’an," General Lin rumbled, his deep voice slicing through the giggling like a broadsword.

Ji’an looked up, swallowing her food. "Yes, Father?"

"Restrain yourself," the General ordered, shooting her a dark, meaningful glare.

Ji’an frowned, entirely confused. "Restrain what? I haven’t even channeled my Qi. I’m just eating."

"Restrain your... charm," General Lin sighed, waving a heavy hand toward the three girls, who were currently practically vibrating in their seats. "You are flustering your sisters. Stop smiling like a rogue who just won a tavern brawl, and eat your vegetables for God’s sake. They are still young and impressionable, and you are being too effective at whatever it is you are currently doing."

Ji’an stared at her father, then she looked at the three girls.

Lin Wan squeaked and hid her face behind her sleeve, Lin Mei giggled behind her hand, while Lin Xiao gave her a shy, admiring wave.

The realization hit Ji’an like a frying pan to the face.

’Oh my god,’ Ji’an’s internal monologue flatlined, absolute horror washing over her. ’They think... they don’t know I’m a girl! They think I’m their incredibly handsome, mysterious, older brother! I am inadvertently rizzing up my own family members! This is a disaster! This is the most disgusting anime trope of all time!’

Ji’an’s suave, arrogant demeanor was instantly shattered as she dropped her chopsticks, her face turning a sickly shade of pale.

She aggressively hunched her shoulders, suddenly trying to make herself look as unappealing, grotesque, and uncharming as possible. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

She picked up a whole, unshelled Snow-Crab leg and violently, loudly cracked it open with her teeth, chewing with her mouth open like a feral barbarian.