"Don't talk nonsense, just go back to your room. There's no need to fuss over Xiaoxi. It's normal for young people to be a bit restless at night."
In that moment, the old father's voice boomed as he sharply reprimanded the old mother.
Instantly chastened, the old mother zipped her lips and retreated to her room, her pursuit of Murong Jinxiang abruptly halted.
Murong Jinxiang's eyes remained locked on the door until she heard it click shut.
Only then did she exhale deeply, her relief evident.
In the same breath, she delivered a swift punch to Zhang Wei's arm.
"You started all this, and you nearly ruined my reputation."
"That's all the old woman's fault; did you hear what she was saying about me?"
Zhang Wei shrugged off any responsibility with a dismissive wave, pinning the blame squarely on the old woman.
"Hmph, then what's your plan to make amends? A simple sorry won't work."
'Apology?' Zhang Wei's brow furrowed deeply—he hadn't even apologized to his own wife in his lifetime.
What made this woman think he'd start now?
Driven by curiosity about her next move, he softened his expression, infusing it with a hint of sincerity. "Jinxi, just tell me what you need. As long as it's within my power, I'll satisfy your request."
"Well then, let me think..." Murong Jinxiang said, touching her chin thoughtfully.
After a few seconds, she brightened up with an idea.
"I want beautiful clothes, and you need to invite me to dinner—no roadside stalls—and I'll need a small gift..."
The more she listed, the more animated she became, rattling off desires that many girls might have.
Zhang Wei didn't know whether to laugh or cry at her demands; any problem that could be solved with money was not a real problem for him.
Indeed, he had anticipated that she might ask for something extravagant, only to retract her wish, deeming it too costly.
Murong Jinxiang likely wanted him to feel a pinch, a reminder not to overstep next time.
Little did she know, her strategy was having the opposite effect on Zhang Wei.
If it had been another man, he might have apologized and hastily agreed to her demands, not realizing that this form of compensation would invalidate everything that happened today.
Since she didn't really stop him, she was somewhat complicit, but to mask this fact, Murong Jinxiang sought compensation, convincing herself that it was the gifts that swayed her actions.
Zhang Wei's face contorted with irritation; he felt an urge to scream.
Why couldn't this System ever just speak plainly?
Was there really a need for such mystery and cryptic messages?
"Wait? Hack me to death, but why?" Zhang Wei murmured, genuinely confused about what he could have possibly done this time.
He had never been fond of the monks, especially after the last time they nearly killed him.
In fact, given the chance, he would castrate them, turn them into eunuchs, and make them dance on a public stage in women's clothing!
"Young man, what is your relationship with our Reverend Sister?" Just as Zhang Wei was pondering ways to torment the monks, a monk clad in a black robe with a red border appeared seemingly out of nowhere in front of him.
"!"
Zhang Wei nearly had a heart attack, as this towering figure was almost seven feet tall.
"... Umm... you are?" He pretended not to recognize the figure before him.
Of course, he knew exactly who it was!
This man was Deng Si, and this formidable individual was at the Heaven's Mandate realm—a level where cultivators could fly, according to the System.
Zhang Wei felt like cursing his luck.
Why did he always have to encounter such high-ranking individuals?
Why was his matching always so unfair?
"This one is called Guardian Deng of the Shaolin. I have heard from my disciples that a man was seen near our Reverend Sister today, so I have come to investigate personally," the monk explained.
His tone then shifted slightly, "After observing for myself, I believe this young man's relationship with our sister is quite unusual."
"!"
'Fuck,' Zhang Wei cursed silently.
Could this be a love rival?
Fortunately, he had quite a lot of points accumulated!
Zhang Wei's expression suddenly turned judgmental as he eyed the imposing monk. "Were you spying on us?"
From when, did these monks turned to Voyeurism!?