Masculine Yet Enchanting

"You're Grace's father, so she should be willing to listen to you," said Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu. "You go and persuade her!"

Minister Zhuo nodded, "Alright."

Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu felt relieved and instructed, "There's not much time left, so hurry. Let Queenie and the Antler Serpent work on their teamwork."

"Yes," Zhuo Minghan replied.

...

Grace ran off to the General's Manor again.

The guards at the gate saw her and immediately saluted respectfully, letting her in without hesitation.

After she walked in, she hadn't gone far before she spotted Louis Lin.

"Louis Lin!" Grace's eyes lit up. She rushed over and grabbed him.

"Huh? M-Miss Lawrence?" Louis Lin looked a little flustered.

Why is she here again?

"You finally came back!" Grace said happily.

"Yeah! I finally came back..." He had never actually left...

"Where's Cutie Pie?" Grace looked at him expectantly.

"Cutie Pie... Cutie Pie is..."

He's in the study right now...

"What's wrong?" Grace looked at him suspiciously. "Where is it? Spill!"

"Let me take you to see the General first. The General's in the study." Louis Lin quickly started walking.

Grace reached out and pulled him back, shouting, "Cutie Pie isn't in trouble, is it?"

"No! Cutie Pie... it's with the General right now!" Louis Lin hurriedly explained.

He says it's with you, you say it's with him—so where is it, really? Grace's eyes were fierce, almost as if she would eat him alive.

At that moment, a scary thought popped into her mind: Had Louis Lin eaten her Cutie Pie?

"Please don't worry! Here's what happened: The General said you've come by twice already, wanting to see Cutie Pie. But I've been running errands all the time, so he was afraid you'd show up again and not find me. That's why he took Cutie Pie with him."

"Oh, I see!" Grace finally relaxed a bit, let go of him, and headed straight for Cold Moon Pavilion. "Then I'll go find the General myself."

Sure enough, Evan Xiao was in the study, sitting on the couch, reading official documents again.

He was dressed in a deep wine-red robe.

Very few men could pull off that color.

But he wore it perfectly—he looked both masculine and seductive... utterly irresistible.

Grace only took one look, and her heart skipped several beats.

"Hm? Grace? Why are you here again?" The door was open, and Evan Xiao turned to see her.

"I need a favor from you," Grace said as she walked in.

"What is it?"

"It's not urgent," Grace said, standing beside him. "I want to see Cutie Pie first. Louis Lin said it's with you, right?"

Evan Xiao glanced at the doorway.

Louis Lin had been peeking in, but as soon as Evan Xiao looked over, he quickly ducked out of sight.

"Yeah. It's in the Forbidden Garden," Evan Xiao said.

"What? Forbidden Garden?" Grace's eyes widened, and she whispered, "Isn't there a dragon in there?"

"Yep!" Evan Xiao replied.

"How could you leave it in the Forbidden Garden? Won't the dragon eat it?"

"I asked the Divine Dragon to protect it. It won't happen."

"But... it's just an Antler Serpent. Why put it together with the Divine Dragon?" Grace looked totally bewildered.

"The Empress Dowager has already given permission. During the competition, you're allowed to bring your spirit pet," Evan Xiao said.

"So what?"

"If the Antler Serpent stays with the Divine Dragon, it'll absorb some dragon aura. Then, when the other spirit beasts see it, they'll surrender without even fighting!"

"You can do that?" Grace's jaw dropped.

Evan Xiao nodded.