After the Fairy Maidens Fell to Darkness, They Captured Me to Ruthlessly 'Repay' Their Gratitude-Chapter 12 - In Your Heart, Who Is the Most Important?

“Tonight, I came to see you.”

As she spoke, the black-dressed fairy pinned He Ange against the wall.

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Her phoenix-like eyes gleamed with amusement, her lips curled into a faint smile as she studied He Ange’s expression up close. She observed every detail of his reaction, from initial surprise to the cold composure he quickly regained.

Normally, Qin Shiyan disapproved of her disciple frequenting a chaotic place like the black market.

But seeing He Ange drive off the thugs earlier reminded her that she herself often visited the black market. She realized she had no grounds to reprimand him for doing the same.

So, she decided to change her approach.

If she couldn’t scold him as a master, she might as well set aside her usual dignity and have some fun with him.

“Madam Yan... What are you doing?” He Ange asked, his tone calm but his smile strained.

He was genuinely startled. While some customers had acted inappropriately before, this sudden move from Madam Yan was a first.

“He Ange, do you know that the term ‘Madam’ is reserved for married women?” Qin Shiyan asked, her gaze sharp as she stared into his eyes.

In truth, this was something she had wanted to correct for a while.

Previously, due to her ambiguous identity, she had let it slide. If she clarified that she wasn’t a noble’s concubine, it might make her seem out of place.

But things were different now.

As his master, she couldn’t tolerate being mistaken for a married aunt any longer. It was a matter of pride.

“Miss Yan... Uh, how do you know my name?” He Ange quickly corrected himself, his previously calm demeanor giving way to a more serious expression.

No matter how experienced he was at handling customers, being suddenly exposed made him uneasy.

Seeing this, Qin Shiyan’s amusement deepened.

Watching the usually composed boy grow nervous was unexpectedly entertaining. The same boy who could charm countless noblewomen was now flustered in front of her. Clearly, he wasn’t as smooth with every woman.

“Calling me ‘Miss’ isn’t quite right either,” she said, lifting his chin and continuing her cryptic game.

At this point, He Ange was genuinely at a loss. He was completely on the defensive, unable to figure out what Madam Yan was getting at.

“Then, how should I address you?” he asked cautiously.

“Who is the most important person in your life?” she countered.

“My parents.”

“...”

Qin Shiyan paused, momentarily speechless.

His answer was reasonable, yet it caught her off guard.

Most sect disciples would answer “my master” or “the sect leader” when asked such a question. Rarely would anyone prioritize their parents.

“And the second most important?” she pressed.

“My senior sister.”

“?”

This time, Qin Shiyan was genuinely stunned.

In his heart, even his senior sister ranked higher than his master?

Well, she reasoned, she had only recently become his master. It made sense that her position was lower.

“And the third?”

“A fairy from the Northern Region.”

“?”

Her lips twitched, and her composure visibly cracked.

Being overlooked once or twice was tolerable, but to not even rank third? Qin Shiyan, who was used to being revered as a “second parent” by other disciples, found this hard to swallow.

And what did he mean by “a fairy from the Northern Region”? Was it someone who had saved his life?

Initially, Qin Shiyan had intended to coax He Ange into addressing her as “Master.” But now, it seemed she had overestimated her standing in his heart.

“Ah, the fourth would be my new master at the sect. She accepted me as her disciple and promised me plenty of cultivation resources. She’s a kind and beautiful fairy.”

Seeing that Qin Shiyan had stopped asking, He Ange decided to volunteer the next answer.

He wasn’t entirely clueless. Her attire and repeated questions had already given him some clues.

He just wasn’t entirely sure yet…

“I see. That’s not bad,” Qin Shiyan said, her mood improving slightly at last.

On the other hand, He Ange noticed her reaction to the word “Master” and became increasingly certain of his suspicion.

This “Madam Yan” was likely the same Qin Shiyan he had sworn allegiance to yesterday!

This was bad.

His secret was definitely exposed!

Worse still, as a supposed righteous disciple, he had been frequenting the black market and associating with demonic sects…

If even one of these details reached the Enforcement Court, he’d be executed as a demonic spy without question!

“So, Master, what brings you here tonight?” He Ange asked, forcing a smile to hide his unease.

Qin Shiyan raised an eyebrow, surprised by his sudden shift in tone. Then, with a faint huff, she turned and walked toward his shop.

“Why do you think I’m here? My new disciple is wandering the black market in the middle of the night. What else could I be doing?”

“Shopping?” he ventured, following her with a nervous laugh.

She stopped and turned to face him, her gaze sharp. He immediately straightened up, no longer daring to joke.

“He Ange, you’ve got some nerve. A righteous sect disciple, sneaking out every night to do this kind of thing…”

“I was wrong, Master.”

His apology was immediate, as if he had rehearsed it.

But it wasn’t enough to satisfy Qin Shiyan.

She picked up a high heel from one of the shelves, examining it thoughtfully before speaking again.

“He Ange, do you realize that your designs have completely captivated Yong’an City’s high society? Noblewomen adore your creations. Even female cultivators are willing to trade precious spirit stones for them.”

“It’s... not that exaggerated, is it?” he said with a sheepish smile.

But Qin Shiyan was serious. She sat down on a wooden chair, slipped on the new pair of heels, and admired her reflection in a nearby mirror.

She genuinely liked the design.

“If it weren’t so popular, do you think I’d wear it to the sect?”

“...”

He Ange didn’t know how to respond.

In truth, he had once suggested similar designs to his senior sister, An Luo Yi. But she had dismissed them as frivolous and inappropriate, deeming some of the outfits too revealing.

She only wore them as a reward for He Ange’s exceptional performance, showcasing her figure in a short skirt and black stockings on rare occasions.

As a result, He Ange had never thought his designs could be as impactful as Qin Shiyan claimed.

“He Ange, do you know that the outfits you made for me... even the emperor himself—”

Halfway through her sentence, Qin Shiyan sighed and stopped herself. “Never mind.”

“If you truly appreciate them, Master, why not take some back with you? Or I could custom-make a few pieces just for you,” he offered.

“Are you serious?”

Her phoenix-like eyes widened slightly in surprise.

The items He Ange sold were meticulously crafted and extremely limited in supply. They had long since transcended the realm of mere “necessities” and become luxury items flaunted by noblewomen.

A single pair of shoes or a handbag could sell for thousands of silver taels.

For him to offer them so casually was no small gesture.

Qin Shiyan was genuinely delighted. Though she had the wealth to buy them, the growing demand among noblewomen had made these items increasingly difficult to obtain.

“Of course. You’re my master, after all. Naturally, you get priority,” he said with an awkward smile.

In truth, the production cost of these items was low. They relied more on the designer’s aesthetic sense. Given the underdeveloped craftsmanship of this world, it was difficult for others to replicate his designs.

He hadn’t expected that gifting a few items could so easily win his master’s favor.

It was a good thing, though. If she was pleased, she might overlook his black market activities tonight.

“By the way, He Ange, earlier I saw you pitching a new product to those noblewomen. It was long and thick, shaped like a rod…”

As she spoke, Qin Shiyan opened a box and pulled out a pink, ridged silicone rod.

She held it up, examining it curiously, but ultimately looked puzzled.

“What exactly is this?”

“Why are those noblewomen so obsessed with a rod like this?”