"For the past few days, I’ve felt someone watching me and Big Sis spar. So it was you, you peeping snake."

Noah strode into the room, a faint, teasing smile on his face.

Mingye sat by the window in silence. He lowered his head slightly, focused on polishing the dagger in his hand.

His slender fingers moved nimbly, the soft cloth wiping the dagger again and again until it glinted with a cold light.

Completely unbothered by Mingye’s silence, Noah turned to look out the window. In the courtyard, Su Yaoyao was training by herself. The sunlight showered her, outlining her energetic figure.

"I’m really growing to like her more and more. She’s so full of vigor every day, radiating an energy you just can’t ignore."

The smile on Noah’s face deepened unconsciously, his eyes filled with admiration and affection.

Ever since learning her Beast Husbands were still alive, Su Yaoyao had abandoned all thoughts of suicide. Instead, her fighting spirit soared, and she sought Noah out for a fight every day. Although he toyed with her mercilessly each time, she never gave up.

"The thought of spending ten years with her like this just makes me so happy." Noah’s voice grew softer, laced with a hint of yearning, and an imperceptible flicker of desire crossed his eyes.

’He wondered secretly, could he perhaps replace Bai Lian and the others and become Su Yaoyao’s true Beast Husband? Then it wouldn’t just be for ten years.’

Once this idea took root in his heart, it grew like a weed, spreading wildly.

"You think she’ll just obediently stay here for ten years?" Mingye finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse, as if echoing from the depths of an ancient well.

His words were like a stone tossed into a calm lake, sending ripples through Noah’s heart.

The carefree, roguish smile on Noah’s face instantly vanished.

He frowned slightly, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. He looked at Mingye and asked, "What do you mean?"

Mingye said coldly, "She’s convinced her Beast Husbands will come to save her. All this desperate training she’s doing now is just her way of preparing for that day."

Hearing this, Noah’s brow furrowed even deeper. He lowered his head slightly, lost in thought.

’What Mingye said did make sense. Su Yaoyao’s recent behavior really did seem to be driven by a clear goal.’

After a moment, Noah looked up, his eyes full of worry. He said urgently, "Then what do we do? Maybe we should lock down the city for a while. Don’t open the black market. We can wait a bit, see how things go, and then..."

"No need." Mingye cut Noah off, his voice low and frigid. "If they dare to come, we’ll make sure they never leave."

As he spoke, he raised his dagger, a deadly glint flashing in his eyes.

"But she’ll be unhappy." Noah’s face was a mask of conflict; he was worried about the conflict her Beast Husbands’ arrival would cause, yet he was also afraid of hurting Su Yaoyao’s feelings.

"What are you two talking about?" Just then, Su Yaoyao suddenly pushed the door open and walked in.

Her face was still flushed from her recent training, and stray strands of hair stuck to her cheeks, but she was brimming with a vigorous energy.

Noah reacted instantly, his face immediately breaking into that easy smile again. He teased, "What are you doing here, Big Sis? Slacking off, are we?"

Su Yaoyao rolled her eyes at him and said, "Of course not. I want to practice with a weapon. Mingye, that’s a nice dagger you have. Why don’t you teach me how to use it?" As she spoke, her eyes sparkled with anticipation as she looked at Mingye.

Hearing this, Mingye didn’t respond right away. He just glanced up at her for a moment before lowering his head to continue polishing his dagger.

Seeing that he wasn’t speaking, Su Yaoyao couldn’t help but pout and feign annoyance. "Stingy. Didn’t you say you’d satisfy any request I have?"

Mingye was silent for a moment before finally speaking. "Daggers are often used as throwing weapons. They’re suited for close-quarters combat and rely on speed, precision, and ruthlessness."

As he spoke, he stood up. The dagger flipped and danced in his hand, his movements as fluid as running water. The glinting blade was a blur, too fast for the eye to follow.

He looked at Su Yaoyao, his tone flat but sharp. "And you... you’re too slow. At your current speed, you’d probably be dead before you even got close to an enemy."

When Su Yaoyao heard this, the hopeful light in her eyes instantly dimmed. She let out a long sigh, deflating like a popped balloon.

Mingye watched her quietly, a flicker of sympathy, almost imperceptible, crossing his usually stern face.

He opened his mouth slightly, paused for a moment, and then finally said, "However, you could try a handgun."

Su Yaoyao’s eyes lit up in an instant, a glimmer of hope rekindled within her.

...

And so, filled with anticipation, Su Yaoyao followed Mingye into the castle’s slightly antiquated elevator.

The elevator descended slowly with a faint creak. This was Su Yaoyao’s first time on the second basement level.

When the elevator doors slowly slid open, a damp, metallic smell washed over her.

Men in black robes bustled about. In the dim light, Su Yaoyao saw mountains of firearms and ammunition. The cold weapons gleamed menacingly, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine.

Mingye led Su Yaoyao to a shooting range, where the dim yellow light elongated their shadows.

All sorts of guns on the wall glinted coldly in the faint light, and the air was filled with the faint smell of gunpowder.

He selected a small handgun from the many firearms and handed it to Su Yaoyao.

The body of the gun had a cold, metallic sheen. Su Yaoyao took it carefully, her hands trembling slightly.

’Good heavens, this was her first time ever touching a gun.’

Seeing this, Mingye reached for a pair of nearby earplugs and gently put them on for her. His fingers brushed against her hair by accident, causing Su Yaoyao’s heart to stir.

Then, Mingye stood behind Su Yaoyao. He slowly raised his hands, wrapped them around hers, and gradually adjusted her grip on the gun.

His voice, deep and steady, sounded by her ear. "Straighten your arm. Hold it steady, don’t tremble. Relax your shoulder. Make the gun an extension of your body."

His breath brushed lightly against her neck, making her heartbeat even more erratic.

"Aim for the center of the target. Concentrate. Don’t let anything around you distract you."

As he spoke, Mingye gently took hold of Su Yaoyao’s index finger and guided it to pull the trigger.

BANG! With a loud report, the bullet left the barrel. The puff of hot gas from the muzzle dissipated instantly into the cold air, and Su Yaoyao’s body trembled slightly from the recoil.

"Not bad. For a first time, that’s pretty good."

It was rare praise from Mingye. A surge of joy welled up in Su Yaoyao, and she subconsciously turned her head to gloat a little, forgetting just how close they were standing. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

In that instant, her lips pressed against Mingye’s slightly cool, thin ones without any warning.