The familiar yet aloof voice of Xie Tianxiao snapped Ya Fei out of her joyful reverie. She noticed him sitting casually in a chair, watching her.
A blush crept up her cheeks as she quickly composed herself, adopting her usual elegant demeanour. She then bowed slightly and expressed her gratitude, "Thank you, my lord, for your generous gift."
"It is because of your Gathering Qi Powder that I've finally broken through to the Dou pratitioner stage. Otherwise, I would likely have been stuck at the ninth stage of Dou Qi for several more years."
After speaking, Ya Fei bowed again in appreciation.
"Hmm, so you're no longer trying to leverage your Mittel family background against me?" Xie Tianxiao took a sip of tea, his tone leisurely as he raised an eyebrow at Ya Fei.
"It was my mistake to misunderstand you, my lord. Please forgive me," Ya Fei replied respectfully, her head lowered.
However, as she recalled what had just happened, her face turned a bit red, mingling with a sense of embarrassment. If Xie Tianxiao hadn't fed her the Gathering Qi pill at the last moment, she would have thought that he intended to overpower her with his strength.
Although she had used her family's name to threaten him, she knew that, given her low status within the family, even if she were taken by a powerful figure like a Dou emperor, her family might not say much. In fact, they might even be eager to offer her to such a powerful ally.
After all, to gain the favour of a Dou emperor, what was the sacrifice of a woman with little cultivation talent?
"With your beauty, I am indeed interested in you," Xie Tianxiao said nonchalantly. "However, I still have some patience left, so I won't force you to do anything you're unwilling to do."
Xie Tianxiao's tone was calm, but the implications were clear. He genuinely liked Ya Fei, who would one day become the Golden Queen of commerce. If he could win her heart, that would be ideal. If not, he wouldn't mind taking her by force. After all, Ya Fei was more than just a beautiful woman; she had extraordinary commercial talent. Xie Tianxiao had no intention of letting someone like her slip through his fingers.
Ya Fei was startled by his words and quickly replied humbly, "I am merely an auctioneer with little standing in my family. I'm not worthy of someone like you, my lord."
"It's not a matter of worthiness. You only need to understand that I'm interested in you," Xie Tianxiao replied, his tone calm but undeniably authoritative.
"Yes, I understand," Ya Fei responded with a sigh, realizing that she had no choice in the matter.
She found it curious, though. Someone like Xie Tianxiao, who could casually give away a fourth-tier pill and may possessed the strength of a Dou emperor, should be able to take her easily if he wanted to. If he had intended to violate her earlier, she wouldn't have been able to resist, and even the Mu family, to whom she was betrothed, might not have dared to protest.
Yet, despite his obvious desire, Xie Tianxiao hadn't forced himself on her. Instead, he had respected her wishes and only used his strength to make her take the pill when she refused it. This behaviour puzzled Ya Fei, making her wonder about his true intentions.
Could it be that he actually wanted to pursue her?
The thought made Ya Fei's cheeks warm up, and she scolded herself for having such fantasies about a man she barely knew. Still, she couldn't deny that she was now a bit curious about Xie Tianxiao.
"It's good that you understand," Xie Tianxiao said, nodding. "My name is Xie Tianxiao. You don't need to keep addressing me as 'my lord.' I don't like it."
"Then may I call you Mister Tianxiao?" Ya Fei asked after a moment of thought, testing the waters.
"That's fine. I don't mind," Xie Tianxiao agreed with a slight nod.
Ya Fei was relieved to hear this and smiled softly. "Then I shall call you Mister Tianxiao."
Xie Tianxiao nodded and said, "Now that I've accomplished what I came here for, I'll take my leave."
He stood up, ready to go.
"Please wait, Mister Tianxiao," Ya Fei called out, stopping him.
"Hmm? Is there something else?" Xie Tianxiao asked, turning to look at her.
"Mister Tianxiao, you've given me the Gathering Qi pill and helped me break through to the Dou practitioner stage. I haven't properly thanked you yet," Ya Fei said respectfully. She then took out a crystal card bearing the Mittel family crest from her storage ring and handed it to him. "I know that someone of your stature doesn't need wealth, but…"
"This is the Mittel Auction House's VIP card. With it, you'll be treated as an honoured guest at any of our family's auction houses, and…"
Before she could finish, Xie Tianxiao interrupted her. "I understand. Not only will I receive special treatment, but the tax rate on anything I buy will be reduced from five percent to two percent."
"Your kindness is appreciated, but I have no need for your family's card," Xie Tianxiao said bluntly. "If you really want to thank me, then focus on honing your commercial skills."
He gave her no chance to protest and refused her offer outright. With his current strength, a VIP card from the Mittel family was of no interest to him. If he wanted to, he could make the entire Jia Ma Empire change its surname to 'Xie.'
"But, Mister Tianxiao…" Ya Fei was momentarily speechless. She understood his high status, but how could he so easily refuse the VIP card, which even high-ranking nobles would covet?
Moreover, how did he know about her commercial talents and even encourage her to refine them? It was as if he knew her completely, inside and out.
"Enough. You don't need to say anything more. Focus on your business acumen. You can thank me properly in the future," Xie Tianxiao said, and with that, his figure blurred and disappeared.
Ya Fei stood there, stunned for a long time, unable to process what had just happened.
Finally, she sighed softly and murmured, "Xie Tianxiao… what a mysterious man."
She couldn't fathom his thoughts or understand why he acted the way he did toward her.
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