Although Cai Wei was not able to see behind her, she could clearly feel the tangible, oppressive gaze fixed upon her. Nonetheless, this did not affect her mood. She continued to nestle into Huo Yuan’s embrace, seeking spiritual solace.
Holding the soft jade and warm fragrance of Cai Wei in his arms, Huo Yuan gently soothed her. Abruptly, a strong arm reached out, seizing Wei’er from his embrace without a word.
Nangong Yi, while carrying out this action, kept his gaze fixed on Huo Yuan. Huo Yuan, even under Nangong Yi’s intense scrutiny, maintained his composure, returning the cold stare. The silent battle brewing between the two men, if gazes were weapons, could have obliterated armies.
The sudden action of Nangong Yi startled Cai Wei. Just as she was about to retaliate by jabbing his wound, Nangong Yi, his voice chilling, said, "Disciple, stop this nonsense. The wound you inflicted on me last night still hurts."
With these words, Nangong Yi relayed two pieces of information to Huo Yuan. Firstly, that Cai Wei and the evildoer had a mentor-student relationship, and secondly, that they had been together last night. His ambiguity left much to the imagination.
Huo Yuan initially wanted to step forward and claim Cai Wei back, but upon hearing Nangong Yi’s words, he hesitated momentarily, turning to look at Cai Wei with disbelief.
"Wei’er, is he your master?" Huo Yuan only asked this one question. Though he yearned to know more, he couldn’t voice out his queries.
Cai Wei blushed - frozen in place, uncertain of how to explain this situation to Huo Yuan. Nangong Yi interjected, "Precisely."
Hearing this, Huo Yuan scornfully responded, "If you are indeed Wei’er’s master, why not admit it openly, rather than resorting to such treacherous actions?"
Nangong Yi let out a cold laugh, replying icily, "How me and my disciple interact is none of your business."
Nangong Yi placed Cai Wei on his side, reducing Huo Yuan to an outsider. Any other man would have stepped back in defeat, but Huo Yuan was unconvinced. Looking towards Cai Wei, he gently asked, "Wei’er, is he truly your master? Don’t be afraid, big brother Huo will stand up for you."
Nangong Yi glanced casually at Cai Wei, lazily smiling as he said, "Indeed he is. Wei’er’s parents can even vouch for this."
This statement, although seemingly a reply to Huo Yuan’s question, was nothing short of a threat to Cai Wei.
If Cai Wei denies their relationship, he would call upon her parents for affirmation, a situation that she wanted to avoid at all costs. She didn’t want to cause a scene in front of her parents, nor did she want to find another excuse to explain her martial abilities. Thus, she had to reluctantly accept the evildoer’s ’master’ identity in front of her parents.
Biting her lip, she shot Nangong Yi an annoyed look then turned to Huo Yuan, stating, "Big Brother Huo, I’ll explain this to you another time. It’s already been half a day since I left home, I should return now before my parents start to worry."
Huo Yuan noted that Cai Wei neither confirmed nor denied the claim, so he figured there must be some unspeakable difficulties. He looked coldly at Nangong Yi, reached out an arm towards Cai Wei, and said gently, "Alright, then let me take you home."
Cai Wei quietly responded with a nod. Just as she was about to take a step forward, Nangong Yi beat her to it, throwing her behind him. His alluring eyes, filled with a dangerous smile, stared at Huo Yuan. His voice, lazy yet undeniably provocative.
"As the master of my student, it’s my responsibility to handle her matters. You need not trouble yourself. Remember, interaction between men and women ought to be appropriate. In the future, I’d appreciate if this young man would refrain from visiting my student unsolicited, so as not to affect her maiden’s reputation."