As Xia Tian stepped into Xia Shuiyao's room, he was greeted by a gentle fragrance that seemed to envelop him. He took a deep breath and looked around, taking in the simple yet elegant decor. The room had a few antique vases, but nothing too extravagant.
As he walked further into the room, his attention was drawn to the sound of a voice coming from the left corner.
He followed it and found himself standing behind a girl wearing a long blue dress. Her dark, lustrous hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her slender figure was accentuated by her dress. Despite her age, she looked no older than a woman in her twenties.
Xia Tian couldn't help but sigh in admiration. This son of destinies really had a penchant for world-class beauties.
He watched as the girl stood barefoot in front of a large white sheet of paper, her eyes focused and determined as she worked on her art.
Xia Shuiyao was so engrossed in her painting that she barely registered Xia Tian's arrival. Her paintbrush moved with a graceful fluidity across the plain white sheet of paper, as if it were a natural extension of her hand.
Suddenly, without warning, she tore the paper apart, scrapping it and throwing it away in a fit of frustration. Her delicate hands moved downwards, slowly reaching for another sheet of paper, but not before shooting a cold glare in Xia Tian's direction.
"Get out!" she snapped, her voice sharp and biting.
Evelynn had vanished from the room, using her invisibility to avoid detection. She only appeared in front of Xia Tian when he was alone or when he specifically requested her presence.
Xia Tian looked at his sister with a mixture of amusement and concern. "Is that how you greet your little brother who comes to visit? It truly saddens me. I was hoping to forget about our previous argument."
His words seemed to strike a chord with Xia Shuiyao, and she slowly turned around to face him. In that moment, her features were illuminated by a soft, ethereal light that seemed to come from within.
She was breathtakingly beautiful, with delicate features, slender eyebrows, and skin as smooth as porcelain.
Her sapphire eyes seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly radiance as she gazed at Xia Tian, as if seeing him for the first time.
It was as if he were a mere mortal, and she was a fairy from another realm, looking down upon him with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.
Xia Tian's mind froze for a moment, as if a stone had been thrown into still water, sending ripples through his brain. But he kept his cool exterior as he flung himself onto her bed.
With a mischievous grin, he grabbed a spare bed sheet and breathed in deeply. "Aaahh... This fragrance. Sister, has anyone ever told you that you smell like white roses?"
"!!"
Xia Shuiyao's face contorted with rage. Her hand crackled with an immense amount of qi, forming a massive ball of energy. With a swift motion, she hurled it towards Xia Tian with deadly accuracy.
The attack was powerful enough to obliterate anything in its path. With Xia Tian's cultivation base at the peak of the spirit formation realm, it should have been impossible for him to survive an attack like this.
But this was no ordinary person. With a smirk on his face, Xia Tian chuckled softly, causing her attack to dissipate in a flash. Xia Shuiyao was left stunned, her jaw dropping in disbelief.
Xia Tian's behavior was uncharacteristic. He had barged into her room with a brazen confidence that he had never shown before. And now, he had effortlessly evaded an attack that should have destroyed him.
...
But before Xia Shuiyao could process what was happening, Xia Tian appeared in front of her and tapped her head lightly, causing all of her cultivation to disappear.
Her body froze, her eyes bulging with shock. Everything was happening too quickly for her to comprehend.
Xia Tian hugged her from behind, holding her tall figure close to his body. One hand caressed her waist while the other gently stroked her face. He leaned in, his face moving towards her hair.
Disgust and anger filled Xia Shuiyao's face, but Xia Tian ignored her and took a few strands of her hair in his hand. Inhaling deeply, he showed a mesmerizing smile.
"..."
"Give me a good reason not to kill you," Xia Shuiyao said, her ice-cold voice resonating through the room. Even without her cultivation, her character remained unchanged.
Xia Tian released her just as suddenly as he had grabbed her, shaking his head with a helpless voice. "She was never this cold."
Xia Shuiyao was surprised to be released so suddenly. She stood up, distancing herself from him, her face still fuming with anger. But without her cultivation, she could only stare at him with an ice-cold gaze.
"She was the embodiment of gentleness and obedience, while you're like an ice sculpture," Xia Tian mused, his eyes meeting hers.
He stood up and approached her, gently moving his hands across her face.
Xia Shuiyao stood frozen in place, her face void of any emotion.
She was known as the Ice Goddess in the Xia family, and her frigid demeanor made it clear why.
She was cold to everyone, even her own family members, and not even Xia Leng and Long Wanhui could approach her.
Xia Tian's touch caused her body to occasionally tremble, but she made no attempt to fight him. She had already noticed the abnormality in his behavior; this was not the same Xia Tian she knew from before.
"You know," Xia Tian's voice whispered into her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "You're like a shard of ice, sharp enough to cut through anything, but too brittle to withstand even the slightest pressure."
"What do you want, and who are you?" Xia Shuiyao asked coldly, clearly intimidated by Xia Tian's presence.
He no longer drooled at the sight of her, and his aura was no longer cowardly, despite being the youngest genius in the family.
She thought he was possessed, but he didn't seem like a beast trying to force his way onto her. It was clear he had no plans of letting her go anytime soon.
"Who am I?" Xia Tian feigned a dejected expression before shrugging and flashing a gentle smile. His expressions and words were out of sync; he threatened her one moment and acted as if handling a treasure the next.
"Last time you nearly killed me just for peeking at you, and this time your spell was powerful enough to hospitalize me," Xia Tian said. "Now tell me, how will you compensate me?"
"You are the one at fault! Don't blame me!" Xia Shuiyao roared furiously, refusing to take responsibility for Xia Tian's injuries.
She spoke about the incident where she first met Xia Tian, reminiscing about the moment his eyes met hers. In that instant, his old self was immediately spellbound by her ethereal beauty.
However, it wasn't just cowardice that plagued him, but also idiocy. How could he even begin to fathom the idea of peeping at her naked body in the bath without being discovered? She was lightyears beyond his realm.
Just as she was about to unleash a wrathful attack, Evelynn appeared, saving his hide at the last moment.
The Immortal would not have made a move unless his life was on the line.
The entire Xia family knew of her divine status and were advised to respect her, forcing Xia Shuiyao to retreat in defeat.
Rumors of Evelynn's extraordinary identity had spread like wildfire among the servants and guards.
Being Xia Tian's servant was a pointless guise for her.
But did she even care about concealing her identity?
As for why Evelynn had imposed the condition of teaching him only after he turned eighteen, it was plain and simple - she had never intended to teach him. How could she possibly teach someone who had taught her?
Xia Tian couldn't help but smirk as he watched Xia Shuiyao's expression shift from annoyance to concern. He had finally regained his memories and wasn't about to let this opportunity pass him by.
"Whose fault it was doesn't matter," he repeated, his voice dripping with contempt. "The thing is, you tried to kill me, the first son of the Xia family mistress - not once, but twice. What do you think will happen once I tell Grandfather about this? You're 44 years old and still stuck in the Earth Profound Realm, while I'm already at the peak of the Spirit Formation Realm at just 18 years old."
Xia Shuiyao's frown deepened as she realized the gravity of the situation. As the daughter of two geniuses, she should have long since reached the Sage Realm, but her cultivation had stagnated for the past 14 years.
But Xia Tian wasn't done yet. "You tried to kill the best talent of the Xia family? Now, if you're clear about your position, why don't we settle this matter here and now?"
Xia Shuiyao knew that he had her cornered. Despite her lineage, the patriarch of the Xia family only cared about family name and bloodline.
If he found out about this, he would either disown her or cut her ties with the Xia family. She had no choice but to comply with Xia Tian's demands.
To be frank, fear and overthinking had taken over her mind. Despite not being as talented as a genius, she was still their daughter. Her parents might scold her or put her under house arrest at worst.
However, under Xia Tian's influence, she was unable to think clearly. Her emotions were taking over her rational mind, and that was precisely what Xia Tian wanted.
The reason there were no guards around Xia Tian was simple.
The old man knew that an immortal was protecting him, so why bother with guards?
Although Xia Shuiyao was cold and ruthless, she wasn't naïve. She knew what mistake she had made, but seeing Xia Tian's cowardly nature, she didn't think he would dare to use it against her.
However, she was wrong.
She knew how beautiful she was, and without the protection of the Xia family, she would end up in a miserable place.
But she wasn't willing to bow down before someone twenty-six years her junior.
Her cultivation had been restored, but the thought of fighting wasn't on her mind after her recent defeat.
She was emotionally drained and physically exhausted, and the last thing she wanted was to face Xia Tian's wrath.
Xia Shuiyao's eyes suddenly lit up, a glimmer of hope shining in them. 'Yes!' she thought to herself. 'Threatening him with Father's wrath might just work!'
As some color returned to her face, she turned to face Xia Tian, who was thoroughly enjoying her changing expressions. This was the first time she had shown so many emotions on her face.
Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Xia Shuiyao's expression turned confident as she spoke with an icy tone, "I will tell Father!"
However, to her surprise, Xia Tian didn't seem scared at all. Instead, he grinned mischievously and replied, "Sure, why don't we go to him right now?"