Chapter 21: Skin and Bones

He brought Yuan Qian'er to Qingmo Pavilion and summoned the members of the Kuangmo organization working there to introduce her status. "This is Yuan Qian'er, the second master of this place. Anything she says carries the same weight as my own. You must serve her with the utmost dedication, and the secret guards must keep her in their sight at all times to ensure her safety. Do you all understand?"

"Understood, Master!"

"Good. Come now, introduce yourselves one by one so Qian'er can get to know you."

"Miss Yuan, we are Mo Feng, Mo Yu, Mo Xue, and Mo Yue, the four captains in charge of daily affairs."

"Miss Yuan, we are Mo Dong, Mo Xi, Mo Nan, and Mo Bei, the four captains responsible for the master's security."

"Miss Yuan, I am Mo Xiaopang, the head of the kitchen. Just tell me whatever you want to eat; my cooking is excellent."

"Miss Yuan, we are Mo Ming and Mo Xian, the two captains in charge of the secret guards."

The captains of the Kuangmo personnel introduced themselves and their duties one by one in an orderly fashion, and Yuan Qian'er quickly grasped who was who.

"Alright, I think I've got it. Xiaopang, I've only had breakfast today, and after all this trouble, I’m so hungry I could eat a horse. Do you have anything delicious?" Yuan Qian'er rubbed her flat stomach and looked at Xiaopang pitifully.

Mo Yiran, sitting beside her, glanced at her chest and remarked in a low, teasing voice, "They look just the right size to me; they aren't sticking to anything."

"Pfft!" The Kuangmo members couldn't help but snicker. Their master’s train of thought was so rapid that if they hadn't been trained for mental agility, they would have struggled to keep up.

Yuan Qian'er froze. After a moment, the meaning sank in. Blushing with embarrassment and anger, she lashed out at Mo Yiran, "Mo Yiran, you pervert! I’ll strangle you!"

She jumped up and straddled his lap, reaching out to choke him. Mo Yiran laughed, his expression radiant. He was already devilishly handsome, but his laughter made him even more bewitching, leaving Yuan Qian'er so mesmerized that she couldn't bring herself to follow through.

"What do you think you're doing!"

Bing Qingwan could not sit still in Qingyun Pavilion; she had wanted to go to the front courtyard to see Yuan Qian'er make a fool of herself. Upon hearing from a maid that Mo Yiran had taken her to Qingmo Pavilion, she had rushed over. The moment she entered, she saw Yuan Qian'er sitting boldly on Mo Yiran’s lap. From her vantage point, it looked as though Yuan Qian'er was wrapping her arms around his neck.

Yuan Qian'er snapped back to reality, realized her impropriety, and scrambled back to her own seat. She glared at Mo Yiran, muttering to herself, "Damn devil, why do you have to be so good-looking?"

No one else heard her, but Mo Yiran, sitting right next to her, caught every word. He chuckled, "Good-looking enough to bewitch you, it seems."

"Don't flatter yourself, you narcissist," Yuan Qian'er retorted with a dramatic roll of her eyes.

The Kuangmo members thought to themselves: *Miss Yuan, our master rarely jokes with anyone. You should feel honored! This is something countless other girls would envy!*

Ignored since she walked in, Bing Qingwan refused to let it go. "Hey! How can you be so thick-skinned? Not only are you shamelessly clinging to Brother Yi, but you're now sitting on his lap to seduce him. You are truly shameless!"

"Hey, Princess, can you speak like a civilized person? What 'seduction'? We were just having a bit of fun. How does our innocent interaction become so filthy in your eyes? You’re so young, yet you know all about 'seduction'—you must have read plenty of erotic scrolls, haven't you?" Yuan Qian'er despised people who threw baseless accusations around. If she didn't take this spoiled princess down a peg, would people think she was just a pushover?

The Kuangmo members silently gave Yuan Qian'er a thumbs-up. That was a truly sharp comeback!