Yuna followed his gaze toward the artificial hill, twitching her little ears, not the least bit surprised. She had always known someone was hiding behind it, but since it didn't concern her, she couldn't be bothered to care.
Ethan Gray should have noticed it earlier, but his attention was entirely on Yuna. Roxy Shangguan and Quentin Hua were both skilled and deliberately hiding from him, so naturally, he didn't notice when his focus slipped.
Roxy Shangguan's face fell instantly—her brother was just too sharp. How could he notice even this? She felt the distance between them growing, and realized she needed to train harder instead of playing around!
Seeing no movement behind the artificial hill, Ethan Gray curled his lips into a sinister smile and said coldly, "Quentin Hua, do you need me to invite you out myself?"
Roxy Shangguan glanced at Quentin Hua, silently expressing her displeasure: "It's all your fault for getting caught!"
Quentin Hua shrugged. Ethan Gray was becoming more and more unfathomable. Had he discovered someone else, or had he found them all? Who could say?
Roxy Shangguan pointed at him, lifting her chin towards the outside, signaling for him to go out alone.
Quentin Hua couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. Even if Ethan Gray only found him, did Roxy really think she could escape notice? If he was here, then she was definitely here too. Ethan would never be foolish enough to believe he came alone!
Understanding Quentin Hua's meaning, Roxy Shangguan rolled her eyes, then suddenly leapt out, diving straight into Ethan Gray's arms and rubbing against him, her gaze constantly flicking to a bundle on Ethan's chest. She hoped to see Yuna get jealous, but failed to notice how dark Quentin's expression had become behind her.
Yuna blinked her eyes, curiously watching Roxy Shangguan. She quietly nestled in Ethan Gray's arms, showing no sign of jealousy. Though her appearance was cute, it left Roxy feeling rather disappointed.
Ethan Gray snorted coldly. "Finally willing to show yourself?" His gaze swept over Quentin Hua, eyes brimming with danger. He blamed everything on Quentin—after all, Roxy Shangguan was his own sister. But putting the blame on Quentin was the same as blaming Roxy; if Quentin suffered even a headache, wouldn't Roxy be the one to feel sorry for him?
Seeing Ethan Gray's expression, Roxy Shangguan couldn't help but shrink her neck, her mind spinning quickly, preparing to rescue her 'husband.'
"Hehe... Sister-in-law..." Roxy Shangguan grinned brightly at the innocent and adorable little Divine Beast. Her brother used to be impenetrable, impossible to approach, but now...
"Sister-in-law?" Yuna looked puzzled, extending her paw to point at her own nose. Was Roxy calling her?
Roxy Shangguan nodded. "Yes, I'm calling you!"
Hearing this, Yuna tilted her head and asked, "Who are you?"
Roxy Shangguan was speechless. She'd just thought Yuna wasn't that dumb, but now she was back to her old self. She'd called her sister-in-law—who else could she be? "You don't know who I am? Seeing me hugging your Big Bad, aren't you jealous? Weren't you super jealous just a moment ago?"
"Why should I be jealous? You're not going to steal him from me!" Yuna replied matter-of-factly, giving Roxy a once-over before adding, "Besides, you have a similar aura to my Big Bad. You're not a bad person!" In her mind, Ethan Gray was a good person, so anyone connected to him must be good too—though this belief would soon be thoroughly challenged.
Uh... Roxy Shangguan stared suspiciously at the snowy white little beast in front of her. Was her sister-in-law actually dumb, or was she clever?
Ethan Gray was pondering the same question, and finally came to a conclusion: wisdom disguised as foolishness.
Just as she was thinking, Yuna spoke up again, "But I'll only let you hug him this one time!"
Roxy Shangguan raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Yuna lifted her chin, declaring boldly, "Big Bad is mine. I said you can only borrow him once, so that's it—no need for a reason!"
Roxy Shangguan couldn't help but smile—Yuna was definitely her kind of person!
Quentin Hua watched as Ethan Gray's mood instantly brightened at Yuna's possessive words. A hint of mischief flashed in Quentin's eyes, and his calculating smile was oddly alluring.
It was only then that Yuna noticed Quentin Hua. Her eyes lit up, and she sprang toward him, but Ethan Gray reacted quickly, pinning her down with a stern face. "If you dare cause trouble, you'll be eating plain porridge forever!" Now he understood why Yuna got so excited—he couldn't help but feel helpless. Would she jump on every handsome man she saw? He realized he was even jealous of his future father-in-law.
Yuna hadn't yet met a cute, baby-faced beauty she liked—otherwise, Ethan might have to be jealous of his future mother-in-law too!
Yuna looked utterly wronged. She wouldn't go hungry, but she loved delicious food—she didn't want to drink plain porridge every meal! She gazed longingly at Quentin Hua, her furry little face full of conflict, torn between desire and restraint.
Roxy Shangguan said, a bit speechless, "Sister-in-law, Quincy is mine!" She hadn't expected her sister-in-law to be so flirtatious—didn't she already have her big brother? She should be flirting with him!
Yuna pouted, "So what if he's yours? You hugged Big Bad too!"
Roxy Shangguan was even more speechless. How could that be the same? She and her big brother were siblings!
Yuna seemed to make up her mind—not willing to compromise for food. Most importantly, she believed Big Bad would never really give her only plain porridge. Struggling to break free from Ethan's grip, she tried to negotiate with Roxy, "I'm not even human right now, so hugging me doesn't count! Let me hug you, and I'll let you hug Big Bad. Deal?"
Roxy Shangguan glanced at Ethan Gray's darkened face, feeling a bit sympathetic. Was her sister-in-law just too oblivious, or too bold? She actually dared to sell out her big brother!
Quentin Hua, on the other hand, was in a great mood. It seemed luring this little kitten away wouldn't be too difficult after all. He'd just wait for Ethan Gray to come begging him!
Ethan Gray's face was gloomy as he grabbed the little kitten and turned to leave. Yuna was still crying out, "Beautiful one..."
Hearing those cries, three dark lines appeared on Roxy Shangguan's forehead. Sister-in-law, you're on your own now!
Suddenly remembering that Ethan Gray had forgotten about them, Roxy couldn't help but chuckle and dove into Quincy's arms. "Quincy, let's go!" If not now, when? She was off to find her parents and tell them her big brother had finally wised up—though they'd be shocked by his choice, she was sure!