--- Chapter 13 ---
Hayate, Hong Guan, Xia Qingyue, and Chu Yueli sat around a beautiful furnished wooden table in an awkward mood.
They are having lunch in Silver Lake City's renowned restaurant, Silver Lake's Gourmet.
Silver Lake's Gourmet. A towering pagoda-shaped building with seven floors of different treatments, starting from the first floor, where every person can enter without much problem, and most luxurious on the highest floor, where only the highest member could enter.
Even though people could smoothly enter the first to the fifth floor with their wealth, they couldn't set their foot on the last two floors. However, even sitting on the fourth floor was enough to brag about because the service there was simply a mind-blowing experience.
The last two floors actually were meant for close business partners, royal families, and powerful sect' members.
Since Hong Guan and Hayate founded Silver Lake's Gourmet, they have had the privilege to eat on the seventh floor. Well, they are the owners.
A few waitresses peeked through a small gap and couldn't help their surprise at Xia Qingyue and Chu Yueli's fairy-like appearances.
"Oh my god, how can someone have such smooth skin!"
"I'm so jealous..."
"I'm not even used to Mistress and Master's appearances yet, and two more beauties appeared here."
"Ah... What's this place, full of handsome and beautiful angels, Heaven?!"
Hong Guan moved her gaze at them and scattered the waitress in a panic because she might cut their salaries if they kept blabbering nonsense.
Hayate sipped his tea and glanced at the scenery with a calm gaze. He could feel Chu Yueli's piercing gaze on him and tried to ignore it naturally.
Xia Qingyue sighed and enjoyed her lunch, which was surprisingly good and better than any food she had ever eaten.
She covered her mouth and wondered what kind of person created these foods.
"Hayate." Chu Yueli opened her mouth. "I'm in a complicated spot right now."
"We should be equal because you have attacked once, but something is not right."
"Especially after obtaining this face..." Chu Yueli grazed upon her smooth skin. "I felt like I'm in debt with you, a huge one I must repay for quite a long time."
Hayate looked at Chu Yueli's face and frowned inside because [Titleless Medical Book] is insanely good.
How could beauty become even more beautiful with such a crude method?
'I didn't do any flashy treatment nor use any extreme medicine on her face.' Hayate literally just adjusted some bones and muscles on Chu Yueli's face.
He placed the tea on the table and questioned, "So what do you want to do, Senior Yueli?"
"If you want to pay me back, you need a lot of money."
"Well, there is another way to pay me back."
Chu Yueli raised her eyebrows and replied, "And what's it?"
"Teach me Frozen Cloud Arts." Hayate playfully smiled at her.
"No." Chu Yueli immediately rejected because she can't let a male learn Frozen Cloud Arts. She would break Frozen Cloud Asgard's rule, and this is her debt.
"Whatever, I tried." Hayate shrugged his shoulders.
He smirked inside and looked at Hong Guan, who had been waiting for her chance to speak.
"Ah, young master." Hong Guan wiped her mouth with a napkin. "We actually haven't found a model for the newly made boutique."
She stared at Chu Yueli cheerfully and continued, "Since Fairy Chu is such a free person, why don't let her become the model."
"I guarantee the sale will soar with her new beauty alone, not to mention she has a great body."
Chu Yueli felt like she was falling into a trap, but Hong Guan clearly talked about business. 'What's this bad feeling?' She thought solemnly.
"How about this, Senior Yueli?" Hayate proposed with a calm expression.
"You'll work for us freely for three months. That sounded good for paying your debt, no?"
"Of course, we'll still give you daily necessities and free time on the weekend." He added because he wasn't a heartless devil.
"That's okay," Chu Yueli nodded her head in agreement, to which they quickly sealed a contract.
Hayate stared at the signed two-piece of papers in his hand and stored one inside his spatial ring. He gave the other one to Chu Yueli, who also placed it on her spatial ring.
Chu Yueli hasn't realized just how taxing a model's job is, especially when Hong Guan is the one who managed it. Since the red-headed lady despised her quite a bit, it won't be easy for her.
They were about to eat their lunch and saw Xia Qinyue finish her portion already, which caused her to gasp a little.
"I-It was too good... I can't help myself." Xia Qinyue said while blushing slightly.
Hayate patted her and commented, "Don't worry, you can ask for more if you want to."
"Really?" Xia Qingyue's eyes shone because she enjoyed the desert a lot.
"Yes." Hayate nodded his head lightly.
They enjoyed their meals as Xia Qinyue ordered a few matcha-flavored rice cakes with condensed milk dip and macarons.
Hayate patted Xia Qingyue's head because she seemed to enjoy her dessert. There is a sense of protectiveness for Hong Guan and Xia Qinyue within his heart, which happens after he realizes his feelings.
"Ah, Senior Yueli, may I ask something?" Hayate suddenly asked, causing Chu Yueli to stop eating her soup.
"Sure." Chu Yueli placed the spoon gently on the plate.
He frowned and said, "Why did you let Qingyue keep her engagement with Xiao Che."
"It's prohibited within Frozen Cloud Asgard to marry someone, right?"
Xia Qingyue stopped her enjoyment and stared at Hayate with a slight surprise.
Chu Yueli massaged her forehead and replied, "Qingyue is the one who prevailed. It's her father's wish to let her marry Xiao Che."
"Even though this will ruin her future image."
"I can't do anything but agree."
"That's why I told her to divorce Xiao Che as soon as possible after they married..."
"I even warned her not to let Xiao Che touch her body." Chu Yueli said naturally.
"I see..." Hayate glanced at Xia Qingyue, who lowered her head to dodge his gaze.
Xia Qinyue hasn't told Hayate about Xiao Che because she doesn't want him to know. However, it was such a childish move because there was no way she could hide it from Hayate when Xia Clan was his business partner.
"I-I..." Xia Qingyue stared at the macaron silently.
"It's okay, I understand." Hayate chuckled while pinching Xia Qingyue's cheeks.
"Uugh..." Xia Qinyue felt a little miserable and relieved inside.
He looked back at Chu Yueli and added, "Don't worry because I'll settle it myself."
Chu Yueli shivered because Hayate's golden eyes flashed with a cold light for a second, and it was such a raw yet familiar sensation as if he was about to punch her again.
"AH!!!" She instinctively raised her arms, which confused everyone around her.
"..." Chu Yueli realized what she was doing and lowered her arms gradually in shame.
Hayate, unknowingly, has created a deep trauma within Chu Yueli's mind every time she sees his cold demeanor.
The day continued without any further problems, and Xia Qingyue decided to stay for a night in the villa.
Xia Qingyue could return to Floating Cloud City, but she has to settle something with Hayate.
As the night arrived in Silver Lake City, Hayate could be seen on the villa's third floor, reading some books.
"Big brother?" Xia Qingyue's voice echoed.
Hayate placed his book and glanced at Xia Qingyue, who approached him in a pure white robe.
"Do you need something, Qinyue?" He asked with a gentle tone.
Xia Qinyue nodded and answered, "Um, I want to talk about the engagement between Xiao Che and me."
"Okay, let's talk about that with some snacks." Hayate brought out some dessert that she quite liked before.
He prepared a chair for Xia Qingyue and watched her sit silently with a complicated expression. She fidgeted for a moment, and he suddenly stuffed a macaron into her mouth.
"Mmph-!" Xia Qingyue stared in disbelief.
"Talk." Hayate flicked her forehead playfully.
Xia Qingyue ate the macaron and muttered, "You always tease me even though we are the same age."
Hayate laughed at her response because she was the one who wanted to call him big brother first. She doesn't have someone to talk to besides her family and fly when cultivating alone, so she needed a strong back.
Since Xia Qingyue is not a very good talker, her communication skill is nearly zero.
"I teased you because you're adorable." Hayate picked a macaron and bit it.
Xia Qingyue blushed because Hayate rarely praised her like this, but she felt happy inside when he did it.
There was not a single dull moment within Xia Qingyue's day when Hayate was on her side, and he somehow always had an intriguing story to tell her.
Since Hayate entered her life, he has become a window or maybe a path to an entirely new world.
"Hmph, I'll tell you a story." Xia Qingyue puffed her mouth.
Hayate rested his head on the seat and listened to Xia Qinyue's story about her eventful childhood.
She was sick once in the past, and Xiao Che's father saved her, the same story he heard when digging into her past.
As Xia Qinyue's story continued, she told Hayate that her dear mother was leaving them and going to a place called the Realm of Gods.
Hayate frowned because he hadn't heard anything about this from Hong Guan's information gathering group.
"You've been searching for her, huh?" Hayate noticed a desperate tone in Xia Qinyue's words, but she could only tear up and hug him slowly.
"The Realm of the Gods." He briefly pondered because there was only one possibility. "Your mother is probably on a higher realm."
Xia Qinyue snuggled and raised her gaze in a confused manner. "Higher realm?" She tilted her head.
"Since you probably have tried to find her and ended with zero clue because there is no place like that on this continent," Hayate explained solemnly.
"A suitable place for a name like "The Realm of the Gods." is Heaven."
He slowly pointed his finger at the night sky and continued, "There."
"Is that even possible?" Xia Qingyue put on a worried expression.
"You're a smart and talented girl," Hayate replied while hugging her. "I bet you'll find a way eventually."
Xia Qinyue opened her mouth because she wanted to say something but stopped and gently buried her face in Hayate's clothes. A sense of comfort washed over her body.
Hayate's scents and warmth made her relaxed, drifting her consciousness into a comfort zone slowly.
"Are you happy, Qinyue?" Hayate brushed her hair gently.
"Mhhn... Yes." Xia Qingyue answered absentmindedly.
He patted her back and asked, "Do you want to marry Xiao Che?"
"No... I only want to make my father happy, and I don't want to make my only parent feel sad." She shivered because he might leave her too.
"Silly girl, you're his daughter." Hayate couldn't help but smile. "Your happiness is your father's happiness too."
"What kind of parents want their children to be sad?"
"Mmhm." Xia Qinyue agreed with an adorable nod.
They stayed in the position until Xia Qingyue fell asleep, and Hayate brought her to the guest room.
Chu Yueli stood outside the guest room and watched Hayate placing Xia Qinyyue on the bed.
She stared at him and asked solemnly, "Are you going to kill Xiao Che?"
"What?" Hayate responded with a confused expression. "How did you come to such a conclusion, Senior Yueli?"
"I'm a calm-minded person... I won't do such a thing." He raised his arms in defeat.
Chu Yueli frowned because she was sure the cold sensation she felt at noon was genuine. There is no way her eyes got deceived.
They stared at each other for a few minutes, making the atmosphere in the hallway somewhat awkward.
Hayate walked past her and whispered indifferently, "Qingyue is precious to me... I'll turn this empire upside down if I want to for her happiness."
"As Xia Qinyue's teacher, you might realize that she has never shown an act of joy, which was painful to see."
"That's why... I'll be her joy, remember that." Hayate patted Chu Yueli's shoulders and walked away to his room.
As Hayate disappeared into the corner, Chu Yueli lost her lower body's strength and dropped down into a puddle of sweat.
She breathed heavily and blushed rather weirdly because Hayate's cold statement made her entire body blaze in heat and fear. It's a new experience for Chu Yueli because her lower body is entirely wet.
"What's this.... just what is this feeling." She shivered in fear of losing herself.
"Why did I hate it and love it simultaneously?"
"It's disgusting, but I can't help myself."
"I want him to stare at me like I was trash..." Chu Yueli whispered to herself.
"Why??!!"
Hong Guan, who observed Chu Yueli from afar, shook her head and commented, "What a pervert."