Free Web NovelChapter 189: Chapter 189: Favoritism
Lin Mo and the others were shocked by Yun Han’s brazen declaration.
"I am the Master’s slave. I must also serve the Master at all times," Di Youlin declared, snapping back to his senses.
"I was her first Contractor. I’m the one who should be by her side," Chen Nan said. At his words, Lin Mo couldn’t sit still and also demanded to live with Ning Xuan.
"Yun Han will live with me. Di Youlin, you’ll take the cave next to mine. Chen Nan and Lin Mo, you two find somewhere else to live." Ning Xuan settled the matter in a few short sentences. Although Di Youlin was still a bit indignant, he couldn’t change Ning Xuan’s decision.
The gourd-shaped cave with the stone table and chairs was converted into their dining hall.
The large, central cave became their meeting room.
"Xuanyuan, coming out here with you has been amazing! We have delicious food and such a great, safe place to live. I was totally prepared to be eating on the road and sleeping under the stars, but who knew following you would mean not having to endure any hardship at all?" Tang Xue said, excitedly finding Ning Xuan after she finished arranging her chosen cave.
"What are you doing out here by yourself? Didn’t you bring your Little Five?" Ning Xuan was currently arranging the corridor outside her cave, planning to place Fluorite along the walls for light.
"My Little Five is warming my bed," Tang Xue said, giving Ning Xuan a gossipy look. "Xuanyuan, every single one of your men is a handful. Who are you going to pick to warm your bed tonight? Or should I say, *who all* are you picking?"
"Speaking of which, I’m so jealous of you. Tell me, where do you find so many exceptional men? How come I can’t even run into one? I’m just stuck here pitifully with my Little Five. Sigh!" Tang Xue sighed theatrically.
"Seriously, Ning Xuan, do you have some secret to collecting so many exceptional men? Look at Di Youlin—even though he’s a Half-beastman, he’s gorgeous! Those wings that can carry you into the sky, and those long legs... you can just tell how powerful they are. Then there’s Yun Han. Don’t be fooled by how docile and obedient he acts around you. The moment he’s out of your sight, he radiates an aura so intense that people don’t dare to meet his gaze. And what about the Little Fox, who’s always secretly staring at you? Or Qinghe? He’s so cold, but don’t you feel like he has a sort of... brokenness to him?"
Ning Xuan was in the middle of embedding a piece of Fluorite into the wall. Hearing Tang Xue’s words, she lowered her gaze and chuckled. "Qinghe and I don’t have that kind of relationship. I brought him along because someone asked me to, and I couldn’t say no. He came to the New Star Body to earn merits and atone for his sins, and also to see if he can find the spiral nebula to fix his issues with bloodline integration and collapsing spiritual power. What’s this? Have you taken a liking to him?"
"No, no, no! I wouldn’t dare! It’s obvious he’s interested in *you*," Tang Xue quickly denied, shaking her head. She wasn’t blind. Qinghe, just like Yun Han and Di Youlin, acted completely different in front of Ning Xuan than he did with anyone else.
"Didn’t you join the Controller Protection Association? Haven’t they sent you any Half-beastman slaves?" Ning Xuan asked. "I thought the Protection Association said that accepting their trained Half-beastman slaves was a mandatory duty for all Controllers. That’s the excuse they used to palm Lan Xin and Nine-tailed off on me."
"Nope, not yet," Tang Xue said.
"Then they must have overlooked you. You’ll have to take in some Half-beastman slaves sooner or later," Ning Xuan said, patting Tang Xue on the shoulder before turning to head into her cave.
Tang Xue moved to follow, but Ning Xuan stopped her.
"If you’re bored, you can go take a look around outside," Ning Xuan said, gesturing toward the entrance.
"Okay, let’s talk tomorrow, then." Tang Xue thought she could faintly hear strange noises coming from deep within the cave. Though the sounds were muffled, they inexplicably made her blush.
Blushing, Tang Xue beat a hasty retreat. Ning Xuan placed the Ghost-faced Red Vine outside the cave entrance to stand guard, then stepped into the refreshed, egg-shaped inner chamber.
Yun Han’s eyes were covered by a red blindfold. He wore a golden Contract Slave Necklace around his neck and was dressed in a thin, gauzy robe, kneeling silently beside the bed in the center of the room.
When he heard Ning Xuan’s footsteps, he immediately adjusted his kneeling position to face her. Tilting his head back slightly, his light, gauzy robe shifted with the movement, revealing a wide expanse of pale skin and the faint, firm lines of his muscles.
"Greetings, Lord Contract Master." Yun Han’s voice seemed to have hooks in it, making Ning Xuan’s heart tingle with anticipation.
Ning Xuan reached out, hooking a finger around the golden Contract Slave Necklace. The device’s controller was linked to her Light Computer, but since the Light Computer was inoperable on the New Star Body, the necklace was currently nothing more than an accessory.
"Come here." Ning Xuan tugged the necklace, pulling Yun Han onto the bed. It was covered with a mattress made of a resilient material that could be compressed down to the size of a finger, making it easy to carry without taking up space or adding weight. Once opened, it automatically expanded to roughly two-by-two meters and was perfectly firm.
"Yun Han, your heat cycle seems rather unstable. Don’t you have a regular one?" Ning Xuan’s question instantly made Yun Han blush from head to toe.
He thought he had it under control. He had intentionally slowed his blood flow and heart rate, suppressing the circulation of energy in his body. He truly believed no one would notice.
"Don’t be scared. You’ve been doing a very good job," Ning Xuan said, wrapping her arms around him and stroking his head.
Yun Han felt her mischievous hand roaming and quickly pinned it down. "Don’t touch there, Contractor," he panted. "Without the necklace’s suppression, I could hurt you."
"Then I’ll just have to tie you up," Ning Xuan threatened.
"You won’t even let me touch you? Are you trying to use me as your personal human Inhibitor? You’ve got some nerve," Ning Xuan said, feigning anger as she gave his thigh a pinch.
Yun Han’s body, already simmering with desire, felt like it had just exploded. His already clouded mind grew even foggier.
Ning Xuan’s decision to let Yun Han live with her was an open and blatant display of favoritism, one that left both Lin Mo and Chen Nan feeling rather dejected.
’Then again, if they were being fair, Yun Han had spent the least amount of time with Ning Xuan. She had only just gotten together with him before they came to the New Star Body, so she was still feeling the novelty of it all. Once this phase passed, things would surely go back to normal.’
「Early the next morning」
Nine-tailed was up at the crack of dawn, cleaning and cooking. By the time Ning Xuan arrived at the dining hall, a fragrant, hot meal was already waiting.
Ning Xuan casually took her and Yun Han’s portions of the meal and announced that everyone was free to explore the immediate vicinity for the day to get familiar with their new surroundings.
It wasn’t until the afternoon that Ning Xuan finally led Yun Han out of Spiritual Spring Valley to hunt Exotic Beasts in the area. After walking for about half an hour, they spotted an Exotic Beast covered in cyan Scale Armor. Ning Xuan and Yun Han leaped nimbly down from a high rocky perch, attacking the beast in unison.
