Li Andy came to the bed.
Youxi's condition was somewhat like a fever; her face and body were hot and red, making her look pitiful.
"Brother..."
Youxi opened her eyes weakly and managed a apologetic smile at him, "I'm fine. It's just a normal spiritual disorder caused by adapting to new abilities... I'll be fine after some rest..."
Li Andy furrowed his brows.
But when he wanted to scold her, he didn't know how to start.
He knew Youxi had a sense of propriety, but this 'act first, report later' approach still inevitably made him angry.
He admitted that he did have a desire to control.
But hadn't Youxi promised him before that she would discuss things with him first?
Seeing Li Andy's prolonged silence, Youxi pursed her thin lips, then forced herself to raise her arm and wrap it around his neck:
"Brother... I'm just enhancing something I already borrowed...
"I haven't broken the contract...
"And, this is really just a small matter... there's no risk...
"Don't be angry, okay?"
As she spoke, a raven, seemingly made of black mist, quietly appeared on Li Andy's shoulder. The spiritual intensity hidden within it was almost comparable to a relic activated by Li Andy's spirituality.
"Brother... I don't want to always follow in your shadow... I want to stand shoulder to shoulder with you, Brother...."
The girl's soft, watery eyes were filled with sincerity, yet also held a stubbornness that refused to yield.
Li Andy remained silent, but he couldn't stay angry anymore.
The Night Crow on his shoulder watched the two of them with its crimson, cold, and rational raven eyes.
Youxi looked delicate on the outside, but in reality, she was a very self-reliant and proud girl.
In this regard, she was very much like him.
Therefore, he could completely understand her actions.
Wasn't his almost continuous collection of relics and establishment of the office also driven by this mindset?
Perhaps... he really didn't need to constrain each other too deeply over such small matters.
Seeing Li Andy's brows relax, Youxi smiled affectionately, bent her legs, and her skirt gently fell, like white jade tender bamboo shoots breaking through black earth, enclosing his waist:
"Brother, help me stabilize it."
Li Andy sighed inwardly, closed the door, and prevented the other two from intervening in the siblings' dispute.
Perhaps it was because she had borrowed the non-object, but Youxi's senses at this moment became similar to Sophia's, or even more heightened.
"Brother... slower... okay?"
Li Andy paused, but did not comply.
Instead, with a hint of punishment, he intensified the ritual.
The shadow beneath him spread like a tide, engulfing and shrouding the entire room.
All the frantic clamor was bound back into silence.
Outside the room, Sophia scratched her head, her expression conflicted:
"Andy is really angry..."
She imagined it and realized that she, unlike Youxi, couldn't control the degree of danger, so she decided to give up and consult Andy's opinions and arrangements in the future.
If she was a bit clumsy, then so be it; anyway, she wasn't just behind others in that one aspect.
At this moment, the usually silent Youxi gently tugged at her sleeve:
"Sister Sophia, let's go make medicine for Brother!"
"Huh?"
Sophia blinked, looking at the other's extremely serious eyes, her train of thought momentarily unable to keep up.
......
In the following few days, Youxi's condition, apart from her senses being a little sharper, was otherwise fine.
Life also returned to normal.
Work for those who worked, school for those who went to school.
During this period, Li Andy also began to accept Youxi's medicinal conditioning.
Though called medicine, what was produced was more like medicinal cuisine for invigorating blood and qi.
In addition to drinking medicine and taking medicinal baths, he also had to cooperate with body-strengthening exercises to guide the medicinal properties.
The overall process felt to him a bit like the body tempering in a cultivation or martial arts world.
After a few days, the results were actually quite good.
When he used Mad Blood, he could clearly feel that the burden was significantly reduced.
But more importantly, there were no side effects!
His body felt like it was being nourished in water, progressing gradually.
If he accidentally over-nourished, he would simply release more at night.
The overall cycle was exceptionally good.
Every time Li Andy looked at the three intertwined and collapsed figures, he couldn't help but stand with his hands on his hips, his confidence swelling.
Of course, there were other contributing factors. For example, Youxi became weaker; for example, after multiple attempts, he had found Youxi's weakness. As long as he was a little rough, he could easily defeat her using that weakness.
He was now sitting much more firmly in the position of family head!
"Hey, Andy. Stop grinning foolishly, get up!"
Just as Li Andy was immersed in his fantasy of conquering the world, he was shaken awake by an excited Sophia.
"Hurry and change clothes, let's go out! If we go early, we might see many important figures!"
Oh, right. Today was the day the Unicorn Troupe arrived in Nine District.
The siblings had agreed to go to the Red Rose Holiday VIP Hotel for a vacation and to watch the play.
Li Andy took the tonic brought by Youxi and drank it all, then, with Youxi's help, quickly changed his clothes.
Looking at his well-dressed reflection in the mirror, he chuckled softly:
"Though the land of gentleness is beautiful, one must not indulge too much."
Behind him, Youxi, wearing a spaghetti strap camisole paired with a floral skirt, couldn't help but cover her mouth and smile at his words.
Sophia, hearing it, rolled her eyes at him speechlessly.
If it weren't for everyone worrying about his body and avoiding over-exertion, could he still be so smug?
Hmph, men.
And so, the few of them, each with their own thoughts, neatly boarded the carriage bound for Central East City.
As soon as she got off the carriage, Sophia's eyes were drawn to the bustling scene.
To welcome the Unicorn Troupe, so much planning had been done here. Various shops had their doors open, and there was an endless stream of people and vehicles.
She even heard a whistling sound and saw several fully mechanical trains!
She heard that these things were common all over the Empire, but in New Continent, they were a mark exclusively for important figures.
Sure enough, several armed soldiers emerged from those shiny steel boxes, guarding a man in a similar military uniform who also exited from the passenger seat.
This chilling atmosphere instantly quieted the surrounding air.
"Andy, who are they?" Sophia's voice also involuntarily became softer as she cautiously inquired.
"Probably officers from the Imperial Garrison."
Li Andy adjusted his gentleman's hat, observing the reactions of those people and the surrounding crowd with interest, and said meaningfully,
"After the Black Alley disturbance, the garrison in Nine District seems to have been mostly replaced by the Security Bureau's self-defense force."
Beside him, Youxi's eyes darted playfully, and she smiled as she hooked his arm, saying:
"These few look like they have significant backgrounds; I'm afraid they're... not just here to watch the play, are they?"
"Who knows," Li Andy shrugged, "Anyway, we're definitely in for a show."
As they chatted, the chilling atmosphere was replaced by a fervent one.
An open-top car, surrounded by bodyguards, broke through the excited crowd and slowly drove towards the VIP hotel.
"It's 'Angel's Throat' Miss Rose!"
Sophia excitedly jumped up, constantly tugging at Li Andy's sleeve, pulling ugly wrinkles into the fine fabric.
Li Andy looked in the direction Sophia pointed, only to see a beautiful woman with a graceful figure and imposing presence standing on top of the convertible, smiling and blowing kisses to the crowd below.
The entire scene reminded him of feeding fish in a scenic spot in his previous life, and the carp frantically scrambling for food.