Chapter 131: A Dashing and Eloquent Young Master

Miss Xiao stepped out once she was fully dressed. Attendant Liu followed her naturally, without a hint of hesitation, making it clear that he had been surveilling her for quite some time.

Chen Xiang curled his lip and followed them quietly.

Miss Xiao arrived at a private residence. A maid, who had been waiting for some time, immediately ushered her inside upon her arrival.

The room featured a small parlor, its table laden with appetizing dishes. Seated at the head of the table was a graceful, elegant woman, whose brows bore a striking three or four-part resemblance to Miss Xiao’s. She watched Miss Xiao with a faint smile.

Upon seeing this woman, Attendant Liu involuntarily muttered, "Huh? Why has she returned?"

He hesitated for a moment, then stopped his pursuit, turned around, and left.

Chen Xiang observed all of this, feeling a sense of curiosity. Why did this fellow leave just because he saw her? He turned his gaze toward the elegant woman, and a series of four-character idioms immediately sprang to mind: mature and dignified, still possessing great charm, bewitchingly alluring, and—insatiable as a wolf or tiger!

Furthermore, this woman was a cultivator whose level had reached the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage; she was likely on the verge of undergoing her tribulation to break through!

Yet, why did Attendant Liu leave upon seeing her? Was she also involved in the surveillance of Miss Xiao?

As for the details, let us see in the next—no, Chen Xiang did not continue following Attendant Liu, but instead chose to secretly observe Miss Xiao and the woman.

However, the very first thing Miss Xiao said left him stunned.

"Mother!" Miss Xiao exclaimed joyfully the moment she entered and saw the woman.

The woman nodded with a smile and patted the high stool beside her. "Lin’er, come, sit."

Miss Xiao sat beside her mother, her heart full of joy, and asked, "Mother, where have you been all these days? I’ve missed you so much."

A flash of tenderness crossed the woman’s eyes. She reached out to smooth Miss Xiao’s damp hair and said softly, "Mother had business to attend to. Besides, I have only been gone for seven or eight days. You are grown now; you shouldn't be so dependent on me."

Miss Xiao pouted, looking adorable, and whispered with a hint of grievance, "It’s just that when Mother leaves, Lin’er worries."

The woman’s eyes flickered, but she eventually smiled and said, "Lin’er, let’s not talk about this. Let’s eat."

"Mhm." Miss Xiao gave a soft nod, picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat, occasionally placing food into her mother’s bowl. The woman said nothing more and ate with refined, small bites.

After a while, however, she looked at Miss Xiao with a curious expression. "Lin’er, why are your eyes a bit red?"

"Ah, oh, Mother, it’s nothing. The wind blew into my eyes, and I just rubbed them," Miss Xiao said, feeling a bit guilty. She dared not tell her mother that she had been crying; otherwise, the Xiao residence would surely be turned upside down today!

But Miss Xiao was clearly not a good liar. Her eyes darted around, avoiding her mother’s gaze, her face betraying her unease. Even if the woman were not a cultivator, she would have known her daughter was lying. This wasn't the wind; she had clearly just been crying!

The woman’s expression darkened instantly. She set down her bowl and chopsticks and said calmly, "Lin’er, tell Mother: who bullied you? I will go and settle the score for you."

Miss Xiao was startled. She knew she couldn't hide it—she had tried before and been caught every time—but this time, it truly wasn't anyone bullying her. She couldn't bring trouble to Young Master Chu.

"Mother, no one bullied me," she insisted quickly. "I cried on my own. Please, don’t be impulsive!" She knew her mother’s combat prowess was off the charts. Once, when she had been bullied by some outsiders who didn't know her identity, her mother had arrived with a blade and effortlessly hacked the six or seven men into human limbs, leaving them just enough breath to hear that they could bully anyone else for the rest of their lives, but never her daughter.

The woman studied Xiao Lin’s face. Xiao Lin felt extremely tense under the gaze but managed to maintain her composure.

After a moment, the woman was convinced she wasn't lying and asked, "Very well. Then tell me, why were you crying? Did your father do something?"

"No, none of that." Miss Xiao sighed in relief, shaking her head repeatedly. Her face flushed as she said, "It’s just that today I met a very handsome and scholarly young master who told me a story. I was so moved that I couldn't help but cry."

Chen Xiang, eavesdropping from outside, nodded in satisfaction. *This Miss Xiao truly understands me.*

"Oh?" The woman was surprised, but found the reason reasonable. She knew her daughter well enough to know she was capable of such things.

"Mother, the story is truly touching. I loved it so much. Let me tell it to you." Recalling *The Peacock Flies to the Southeast*, Miss Xiao felt a pang of sorrow, followed by excitement as she prepared to share it.

"Very well!" the woman agreed. She wanted to see what kind of story could move her daughter to tears; if it were a farce, the blade in her storage bag was already hungry!

Miss Xiao was delighted and recounted the story of *The Peacock Flies to the Southeast*. The woman was indifferent at first, listening only because her daughter was speaking, but as the story progressed, she became deeply invested. By the middle and end, her anger began to simmer, eventually dissolving into sorrow.

"Sigh, the Jiao-Liu couple were truly people of deep passion. This is a fine story, Lin’er. Mother blames you no longer; do not be sad." After listening, the woman sighed in admiration. She did not weep like Miss Xiao had, but she turned to her daughter with a gentler expression. The story was indeed moving, and given Lin’er's nature, her reaction was understandable. She felt reassured.

"Mhm, Mother, I’m fine," Miss Xiao said, sniffing as her eyes remained slightly red. Even hearing it a second time was moving, but with her mother present, she managed to hold back her tears.

"Lin’er, let’s eat. Your food is getting cold," the woman said, her gaze filled with indulgent affection.

"Mhm." Miss Xiao nodded.

Neither of them had a large appetite, and they soon finished their meal. After the servants cleared the table, the woman said to Xiao Lin, "Lin’er, sleep with Mother tonight. We can have a good talk."

When the woman spoke, her expression was complex—a mixture of reluctance, hesitation, and inner turmoil.

"Mhm." Miss Xiao noticed, but she didn't ask. Her eyes dimmed slightly, and she gave a small nod.

The woman saw the look on Miss Xiao’s face, a flash of pity crossing her own. Finally, she sighed and asked, "Lin’er, you are turning eighteen soon, aren't you?"

At this, Chen Xiang pricked up his ears. Age was a woman’s greatest secret; was he about to hear Miss Xiao’s secret now?

Miss Xiao nodded softly. "In about half a month."

"Half a month..." The woman murmured, then forced a bitter smile. "Lin’er, I will not be leaving again for the next half month. I will stay here at home and keep you company."

Hearing this, Miss Xiao’s face lit up with joy. "Thank you, Mother!"

*To be continued...*