Ruan Lan was absolutely furious. She glared at Yun Xi, then at Xu Lai, clearly demanding an explanation.

Xu Lai held his forehead. What a small world.

He was just about to say, "It's not what you think," but Yun Xi's face went pale and she lowered her head, looking wronged and frightened.

Xu Lai: "..."

Girl, aren't you just confirming something that doesn't even exist between us?

Ruan Lan gritted her teeth. "Brother-in-law, what else do you have to say for yourself? I'm calling my sister right now!"

THWACK!

The furious Ruan Lan received a flick on the forehead.

His sister-in-law exploded instantly. So you're my no-good brother-in-law! I catch you cheating, and you still dare to hit me? Do you really think this taekwondo black belt is just for show?!

Xu Lai chided, "What kind of crazy nonsense is going through your head? Am I that kind of scumbag?!"

Ruan Lan was stunned and fell into deep thought. That's true. He doesn't even have any of the thoughts a man should have when faced with his beautiful, charming, unrivaled, youthful, and gorgeous sister-in-law. He probably wouldn't be interested in other women... although Yun Xi does inspire a man's desire to protect her...

She suddenly asked with great concern, "Brother-in-law, do you have... some kind of hidden affliction in that department?"

Xu Lai was speechless. He took a deep breath to suppress his exasperation and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Just a moment ago, she had been standing on her moral high ground, haughtily judging Xu Lai. Now, his sister-in-law suddenly blushed and lowered her head, twisting the hem of her skirt with her hands. "I... I came here to study English," she said softly.

"You came by yourself?" Xu Lai raised an eyebrow.

"Two other people came with me," Ruan Lan said guiltily. "Ah, you nosy brother-in-law, don't ask so many questions! Just go away. Let's just pretend we never saw each other today."

Xu Lai patted Ruan Lan's shoulder with great satisfaction and said earnestly, "Kiddo, you've grown up. But you also need to learn to take care of yourself."

Ruan Lan: "???"

"I'm here with Yu Xiaoxiao and Li Li!" she said irritably.

"Then why are you blushing?" Xu Lai asked, speechless.

"We were supposed to be studying for our English review... but we've just been playing cards since we got here. Don't tell my sister, okay?" Ruan Lan covered her face. "It's all those two girls' fault for corrupting me!"

"You don't tell your sister about me, either."

"Deal!"

At that moment, Xu Lai and Ruan Lan met each other's eyes, having reached a mutual understanding.

"By the way, brother-in-law, want to come up and play cards?" Ruan Lan asked eagerly. "I, the Goddess of Gamblers!"

Xu Lai pursed his lips. His sister-in-law must have forgotten the terror of being utterly dominated by Ruan Tang last time.

Even though he had nothing to do at the university today, Xu Lai still shook his head. "I'm not playing."

"Four gorgeous women are inviting you, and you still won't play with us!?" Ruan Lan protested, her voice growing louder.

They were, after all, right at the hotel entrance. Her shout immediately attracted the attention of passersby and hotel staff, all of whom shot Xu Lai looks filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred.

Although Ruan Lan's chest was small, she was tall and slender, with skin as smooth as polished jade. Her long legs, clad in jeans, were incredibly eye-catching. She was a bona fide goddess.

As for Yun Xi, she was a little over 1.6 meters tall. And though she was raised on Changbai Mountain, she had the typical gentle and tender demeanor of a southern girl. Her adorable face, in particular, always made people want to cherish and protect her.

And yet... there was a man who didn't want to play with them? The envious gazes from some of the single men were like sharp swords, seeming to want to pierce right through Xu Lai.

"Hurry up, brother-in-law."

Before Xu Lai could respond, Ruan Lan latched onto one of his arms. Yun Xi hesitated for a moment before taking his other arm.

And just like that, Xu Lai was escorted like a hostage to room 303. Ruan Lan didn't even bother going to buy drinks anymore.

When they saw two new partners had arrived, Yu Xiaoxiao and Li Li were both startled. They quickly claimed that they had come to study English and that Ruan Lan was the one who roped them into playing cards.

Ruan Lan was not having it. "It was clearly you two who corrupted me!"

The three girls then started bickering over who had been the first to abandon their studies.

Watching them argue is way more interesting than playing cards. Xu Lai watched with great relish.

Li Li's personality was even more introverted than Yun Xi's, but when it came to bickering, her logic was clear and she was surprisingly articulate, gradually gaining the upper hand.

"Brother-in-law."

Meanwhile, Yun Xi, the outsider to the argument, quietly tugged on Xu Lai's sleeve and whispered, "Next time, let's pick a hotel that's farther away."

Xu Lai felt a headache coming on.

He reached out and placed his hand on Yun Xi's head. The little rabbit was startled by the unexpected gesture, her petite body trembling slightly, unsure of what he was about to do.

But she never expected... that Xu Lai would actually start ruffling her hair!

Yun Xi was bewildered. What... what kind of strange etiquette is this? Is this how humans subdue monsters? Hmm... It certainly feels strange.

For some reason, she felt her heart begin to pound like a frightened fawn.

Just then, she heard Xu Lai say softly, "Remember, I'm helping you with no ulterior motives. Don't say such foolish things again."

Yun Xi lifted her little face, confused. "But the Demon Race believes in repaying every favor. One must either contribute with effort, or..."

"This is human society!" Xu Lai stated calmly. "Talk back again, and I'll send you right back to Changbai Mountain."

Yun Xi quickly clamped her mouth shut. She didn't dare go back there. That place was full of Great Demons—some ate humans, some ate other demons, and some ate both. She and her parents, three weak rabbit demons, had only managed to survive in the Changbai Mountain Dragon Vein until now by the grace of the heavens.

"From now on, hang out with Ruan Lan and her friends more. If anyone bullies you, go to them," Xu Lai advised, stroking her head a couple more times. He had to admit, a rabbit demon's hair felt surprisingly nice.

Xu Lai subconsciously touched the little rabbit's ears, not expecting her to blush beet-red and let out a soft whimper. "Ngh..."

SWISH SWISH SWISH

The strange sound made the three bickering girls look over in unison, their gazes filled with suspicion.

Xu Lai: "..."

Yun Xi: "..."

Ruan Lan shot them a strange look, then swatted Xu Lai's hand away. "Brother-in-law," she huffed, "touching a girl's ears counts as sexual harassment, you know!"

"My apologies," Xu Lai said.

"N-no, it's fine!" Yun Xi hastily shook her head.

"Stop dawdling and let's play cards!" Yu Xiaoxiao's eyes flashed with excitement. Ruan Lan went to get drinks and came back with two more players instead. Excellent!

"Are we still playing strip poker?" Li Li asked timidly.

"I don't mind, but I don't know if Xiaoxiao's boyfriend would," Ruan Lan chuckled slyly.

"You little minx, teasing me again!" Yu Xiaoxiao declared with bravado. "Let's play for money! The loser treats everyone to dinner tonight at the most expensive restaurant in East Sea!"

Ruan Lan slammed her hand on the table. "Deal! My brother-in-law is rich, so I'm not afraid of losing!"

Xu Lai: "..."

Having such a troublesome sister-in-law is really exhausting.

The five of them began playing cards to pass the boring afternoon. Without Ruan Tang around, Xu Lai didn't deliberately throw the game. Even with his Divine Sense and five senses sealed, his luck was still terrifyingly good. He won thirty-two games in a row.

After Ruan Lan accused Xu Lai of cheating multiple times and made them switch the deck twice, she finally broke down.

"I'm not playing anymore! This is no fun," Ruan Lan mumbled, covering her face. She had lost the most.

"Book the restaurant for tonight and let me know when it is. I'll bring Yiyi and your sister along to get a free meal out of you," Xu Lai said seriously, patting his sister-in-law's shoulder.

Ruan Lan's face darkened. A moment later, she looked at Xu Lai with a pitiful expression. "Brother-in-law, could you lend me some money...?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.