Cynthia Qi saw his insistence and had no choice but to lower her head and whisper, "I heard the selection for the royal consorts is coming soon."
"Oh?" Ethan Gray raised his eyebrows, a glint flashing in his eyes. His expression was inscrutable, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking. "Miss Qi, are you planning to participate in the selection?"
Cynthia Qi bit her lip and looked at him, saying, "Please, Lord Dark, help me!"
Ethan Gray tucked Violet Yuan into the blanket, watching her squirm and struggle to get out. He smiled and said, "Miss Qi, as the heiress of Paradise Pavilion, you are qualified to participate in the selection. And with your beauty, I believe His Majesty will surely take a liking to you."
"I..."
Before Cynthia Qi could say anything, Ethan Gray interrupted her and continued, "If Miss Qi is aiming for the position of Empress, I can speak to His Majesty for you. I'm sure he would grant me this favor. However, what benefit can Miss Qi offer me in return?"
Cynthia Qi was stunned for a moment before asking, "What does Lord Dark want?"
"How about half of Paradise Pavilion's fortune?"
Cynthia Qi's expression changed slightly. She bit her lip and said, "I can't make that decision. I need to discuss it with my father."
When Ethan Gray arrived at Paradise Pavilion, it was rather odd that the Pavilion Master did not show up. After all, few people dared to slight Ethan Gray. Though Paradise Pavilion was wealthy, it was nothing compared to Ethan Gray's power.
"Alright, then for now, Miss Qi should go back and take care of that sick cat! I await your good news."
Cynthia Qi frowned, unable to argue, and could only leave.
Yuna finally managed to wriggle out of the blanket after a tremendous effort. With her fur all ruffled, she grumbled, "I don't believe she likes that emperor at all! She's clearly interested in you!"
Ethan Gray smoothed her fur with his hand, raising his eyebrows with a smile. "Oh? And what makes you say that?"
Yuna lifted her chin proudly. "A Divine Beast never makes mistakes!"
Ethan Gray chuckled, pulled out a small fruit, and squinted. "Kitty, this is delicious."
Yuna's eyes lit up. She reached out her paw, grabbed it, and stuffed it into her mouth, munching happily. But as soon as she swallowed, she transformed back into a human—naturally, not a stitch on her.
Ethan Gray laughed with satisfaction, triumphantly pulling her into his arms. He lowered his head and kissed her soft lips, whispering, "Now it's my turn to eat."
"Ah... You lecher! Go away!" She didn't want to be devoured so quickly again.
Ethan Gray caught her flailing hand and gently bit her neck, teasing, "Kitty, are you sure you don't want to?" He placed her small hand on himself, his large hand beginning to wander, teasing her.
Yuna frowned, her big watery eyes looking at him. She puffed out her rosy cheeks, resolved, and nodded, "I want to!"
Ethan Gray smiled in satisfaction, but then heard her say, "This time, I'm going to devour you completely, not even leaving the bones!" Clenching her fists, Yuna pushed him down, straddled him, and huffed, "Let's see if you dare flirt with anyone else!"
Ethan Gray was both amused and helpless, but let her nibble, pinch, and play with him as she pleased—and he rather enjoyed it.
While things were heating up between these two, on the other side, Cynthia Qi was troubled, her brows tightly furrowed.
Her maid looked at her, puzzled. "Miss, don't you like Lord Dark? Why ask him to help you join the selection?"
Cynthia Qi frowned, "It's called playing hard to get, understand?" But clearly, her attempt at playing hard to get had failed, because Ethan Gray didn't care about her at all.
"Yue'er..." a deep voice called out.
Cynthia Qi hurriedly stood up and looked at the newcomer, anxiously saying, "Brother, what should I do? Ethan Gray really wants me to join the selection." Her original target was Ethan Gray, and it still was, but after meeting him, she truly fell for him. Who could have guessed Ethan Gray would be so oblivious!
She'd made her feelings so obvious, yet he remained unmoved, showing no tenderness at all. But he was so gentle with that cat—it was infuriating!
The newcomer wore blue robes, his features refined and handsome—the same young man from the restaurant's private room. Seeing Cynthia Qi so agitated, he frowned. "Calm down. Maybe he's suspicious and is testing you. Lately, your intentions toward him have been far too obvious." On one hand, she was overly attentive, and on the other, she said she wanted to join the selection. Ethan Gray was no fool; he must be wary.
Actually, Cynthia Qi wasn't all that obvious—at least she hadn't outright confessed her feelings for Ethan Gray. But to anyone smart, her actions were clear as day.
Cynthia Qi nodded, but couldn't help worrying. What if Ethan Gray really made her join the selection? If she wanted to avoid suspicion, her brother would insist she go. Then she remembered Ethan Gray's condition and felt a bit relieved—she could just say her father refused, and Ethan Gray wouldn't bother with a fruitless effort.
Xing Mu saw her expression and frowned. It seemed his little sister truly had feelings for Ethan Gray, which he didn't welcome. If this ruined his plans, it would be a real loss. Maybe letting her join the selection and changing the plan was better than having her sabotage it.
The siblings each had their own thoughts and plans.
One by one, important guests arrived, and Paradise Pavilion grew livelier. By Cynthia Qi's birthday, the excitement had reached its peak.
Paradise Pavilion was true to its reputation—no matter a guest's status, everyone was warmly received. But even this equality had its limits: the main hall was filled only with the famous, while those without status couldn't even enter. So much for treating everyone the same.
Still, even those without rank could enter Paradise Pavilion and enjoy good food and wine—what complaints could they have? Of course, they wouldn't get to see the First Beauty, which was a pity, but they wouldn't risk their lives for it. The big shots weren't people they could afford to offend, so there was no trouble.
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