A man's sweet words can always capture a woman's heart. No matter how strong or outstanding she is, if the man she loves says something gentle to her, she'll be touched deep inside—so much so that, in that moment, her reactions slow down. Right now, that's exactly the state Selena Yale is in.
Evan Chu's hand was already boldly and openly holding one of hers, kneading it gently. Selena only whispered softly, "Evan, could you not torment me? For the sake of our child, please let me go, all right?"
Her words were gentle, without the slightest trace of anger. Evan just grinned and replied, "If it's for our child, then all the more reason I should make his mother happy. Don't you want to be happy too?"
There was a teasing ambiguity in his words that almost left Selena unable to cope. She quickly straightened her expression and said seriously, "You're the sect master, you know! Even in broad daylight you have to watch your image. We're floating in midair—if any disciple looks up, they'll see exactly what you're doing. Maybe you don't care, but I need my dignity! Why are you so childish sometimes?"
"You're a man, so you have to act like one. It's only right for you to provide for the family and protect your woman. But when you do things like this, you're only hurting me. I know you love me, but sometimes invisible wounds can be the most frightening of all."
Evan froze at Selena's words, his kneading hand going stiff. He wasn't angry at her—he was reflecting on what she'd said. She was right: if a woman lets a man treat her this way, it only makes her seem frivolous or even wanton.
Then Evan withdrew his hand from Selena and gently took her other hand instead. "You're right. I was being too reckless and didn't consider your feelings. I won't do it again."
Hearing that, Selena suddenly panicked a little, afraid Evan was truly upset. She hurriedly said, "Evan, if you really need it, I can satisfy you somewhere private. Please don't be mad, okay?"
"I'm not upset. Tomorrow, I'll send you back to Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion. I also need to make a trip to the Monster Beast Forest—I've got a few friends there. If I don't invite them to our wedding, I'll be in big trouble later," Evan said with a smile.
"You have friends in the Monster Beast Forest? What, are they monster beasts or something?" Selena asked, thinking of Goldwing and once again marveling at just how unusual Evan was.
"They're all human. One's my sworn big brother, one's my cousin, and the other two are women—just like you, they're my women. One of them is already my wife in every sense, and the other is just waiting for the right time," Evan explained.
Selena, well aware of how unusual Evan's physique was, did a quick count. With those two women added in, he now had five women. For most men, that would be considered a stroke of luck.
Among nobles and royals, it's nothing unusual to have several, even a dozen women. But when it comes to your own life, things aren't so simple.
Jealousy and rivalry can break out at any time, and once relationships sour, it's incredibly hard to patch things up.
"Have you ever thought about the consequences of having so many women? Can they really accept sharing you?" Selena asked, her tone sharp.
"My women don't get jealous. If they did, they wouldn't be my women—do you get what I'm saying? To be honest, I've got three more in the Heavenly Dragon Empire and one in the Vermilion Bird Temple. Counting you all, that makes nine. Maybe you think I'm a womanizer, but I feel the same about each of you. There's no difference in my heart," Evan said bluntly.
Selena was stunned. To be Evan's woman, you had to be either breathtakingly beautiful or possess some rare, special constitution—just like her own Nine Yin Constitution. If she hadn't had that, she wouldn't have become his woman at all. The thought made her ask:
"Do all your women have bodies like mine? Do they all help your cultivation?"
"More or less. But three of them don't. I haven't been intimate with those three, because they simply can't handle my physique. The only reason I agreed to be with them is because they were willing to give up their lives for me. Once things settle down, I need to go back and see them too," Evan replied, his voice honest and grateful.
"Their cultivation is only at the Heaven Martial Realm at most. Compared to you—a Saint Martial Realm powerhouse—there's really no comparison," Evan added.
"I'm going with you. Don't even think about leaving me behind," Selena declared, her tone firm.
"Then who's going to take care of the baby? By the way, have you thought about what to name our child yet?" Evan asked, a playful glint in his eye.
"Isn't it a bit early for that? Why are you already thinking about names—have you decided on something?" Selena asked in surprise.
"That's right. If it's a boy, we'll call him Ethan Chu. If it's a girl, Lynn Chu. Actually, I'm hoping for twins," Evan said with a smile. The boy's name was chosen casually, but the girl's carried a deeper meaning.
Back in the Heavenly Dragon Imperial City, Evan had rejected Rowena Luo, and it still weighed on his conscience. Naming his daughter Lynn Chu was, in a way, his subconscious way of making up for it.
"All right, we'll go with your choices! I want to head back now—suddenly I feel a little nauseous," Selena said softly.
After Evan escorted Selena back to her room, he quietly left. Her nausea was just an early sign of pregnancy, but it had come so soon that, if people found out she was pregnant before marriage, her reputation would suffer.
Evan returned alone to his own quarters and, as night fell, entered the Stellar Cultivation Chamber to restore his Chaos Dragon Force.
The night passed quietly. Early the next morning, Evan arrived at Selena's door but didn't go in—he lingered outside, savoring the sight of her at her vanity, getting ready for the day.
"What are you standing out there for, like a wooden post? Hurry up and get in here and help me with my eyebrows!" Selena suddenly called out.
Evan stepped into the room, chuckling, "I have no idea how to draw eyebrows. If I end up making you look like a monster, don't blame me!"
Selena laughed, "I'm your woman—if I look ugly, that reflects on you! I like willow-leaf eyebrows, so help me draw those. And from now on, whenever you have time, you can do my brows every day!"
Evan's head instantly spun. Doing it once or twice was fine, but every day? That would be exhausting! If all his women wanted him to do their makeup, he couldn't even imagine the consequences.
Evan wasn't skilled at drawing eyebrows, but he had plenty of beautiful women around him. Dream Maiden's brows were the prettiest, so after picturing her style, he picked up the brush and began to carefully sketch willow-leaf brows on Selena.
After a while, Evan finally stopped, sweat beading in his palm. Drawing eyebrows was honestly more exhausting than fighting battles. "Take a look—are you satisfied?" he asked.