Chapter 1144: Chapter 1144: Difficult Problem
Ye You carried Qin Sisi in his arms, walked slowly to the bed, gently laid her down, removed his outer robe, and lay beside her, stretching out his arm to pull her into his embrace.
Qin Sisi’s body was somewhat stiff; saying she wasn’t nervous would undoubtedly be a lie.
Ye You’s fingers brushed across her cheek as he whispered softly, "Sisi, do you know? If I liked you even a little less, I might have already... already made you mine."
Qin Sisi’s face turned red like the evening glow at the horizon, quietly leaning against Ye You’s shoulder.
Ye You let out a sigh, suppressing the uncontrollable desire surging within him, and said in a low voice, "Just wait a little longer."
Qin Sisi raised her head to look at Ye You, her gaze tinged with puzzlement. She could feel Ye You’s yearning for her but couldn’t understand why he would refuse after she had expressed her feelings.
Ye You gently pinched Qin Sisi’s nose and said tenderly, "I want it to happen in a place that belongs to us, where no one can interrupt."
Currently, in Midair City, although the situation had been stabilized with Ah Xia taking control, things were still uncertain; anything could happen. Moreover, it was daytime—if they were interrupted halfway, their first time would be far from perfect.
"Alright." Qin Sisi responded softly, her tense body relaxing slightly, though her heart held a hint of disappointment—she had, after all, prepared herself fully.
Qin Sisi’s subtle emotions didn’t escape Ye You’s notice. He chuckled softly and teased her in an ambiguous tone, "You seem quite disappointed."
"No, I’m not!" Qin Sisi immediately denied vehemently.
Ye You laughed while lowering his head to kiss her, simultaneously unfastening her front buttons and sliding his hand inside.
"Sleep, I’ll stay with you." Ye You whispered, holding Qin Sisi tightly in his arms.
Sleep well, my future wife. Through the winds and storms, blades and flames, mountains and stones, snow and frost—I will always stay by your side, never giving up.
Several days later, the situation in Midair City had relatively stabilized, but Jiu Ge unexpectedly stepped forward to demand the position of Clan Leader.
Everyone thought Midair City would soon be engulfed in another fierce storm of bloodshed, yet the eventual outcome defied all expectations.
Jiu Ge and Ah Xia had a private discussion in a room for a long time. When Ah Xia emerged, he agreed to let the Changkong family’s clan leader position be taken over by Jiu Ge.
However, Ah Xia also issued three conditions to Jiu Ge.
First, he must not harm innocent civilians.
Second, he must not hoard unbalanced amounts of melted ice and snow water.
Third, he must not ally with Tian Xiaozi, who killed his brother to seize power.
Jiu Ge agreed to Ah Xia’s three demands but simultaneously presented his own condition to Ye You.
If Midair City were to pledge loyalty to the Jiuxi Royal Family officially, Ye You first needed to accomplish a task for them. In recent years, the drought in Midair City had worsened drastically, leaving the populace in dire straits. If Ye You could resolve this predicament, Jiu Ge would publicly announce his allegiance to Ye You and assist him in resisting Tian Xiaozi.
If Ye You failed, Midair City would acknowledge only the Changkong family and not the Jiuxi Royal Family.
When Jiu Ge conveyed this demand to Ah Xia, his snow-white hair fell gently, his face devoid of any expression.
Emotionally, he admitted his defeat, but asking him to revere Ye You and pledge loyalty to the Jiuxi Royal Family left his heart unwilling to reconcile.
Thus, he decided to present Ye You with a small challenge!
If Ye You couldn’t accomplish it, what basis was there for him to earn loyalty?
When Ah Xia relayed Jiu Ge’s words to Ye You, his heart was somewhat uneasy. Ye You and Qin Sisi were his great benefactors, having helped him overthrow Mei Ji’s rule and avenged the blood feud of his parents. Yet now, he was joining Jiu Ge in making things difficult for them.
Before Ye You could say anything, Yun Wang couldn’t bear it and angrily exclaimed, "Ah Xia, what do you mean? Rainfall is Heaven’s business—what can His Royal Highness possibly do about it? Isn’t this sheer ingratitude?"
Ah Xia stammered awkwardly, "Cousin said His Royal Highness is powerful, a master of divine abilities, and surely can come up with a solution."
Qin Sisi asked, "Didn’t you already use the water from the artificial lake? Isn’t it still insufficient?"
Ah Xia nodded helplessly and replied, "Yes, Midair City has suffered from drought for too long. The artificial lake’s water can only meet the needs of the inner city. The neighborhoods closer to the inner city can also get some water, but the outer city encompasses a vast area, making the lake water merely a drop in the bucket."
Qin Sisi pondered quietly. The harsh natural conditions were indeed a difficult challenge.
Ye You thought for a moment and asked Ah Xia, "Did Jiu Ge say anything else?"
Ah Xia shook his head and replied, "No, he just said that if His Royal Highness could solve the drought problem, he would publicly swear allegiance to him."
Ye You nodded and solemnly said, "Alright then, go tell him I accept the challenge."
"Your Highness..." Yun Wang called out anxiously, the mission seemed tremendously difficult—even the strongest magic couldn’t control the heavens!
Ye You shot Yun Wang a glance to stop him, then continued addressing Ah Xia, "Given the urgency, we’ll set out tomorrow to search for a solution to the drought. Please inform Clan Leader Jiu Ge that we won’t have time to bid him farewell in person."
Ye You’s swift and firm acceptance surprised and impressed Ah Xia, who quickly agreed, "Alright, I’ll make sure to deliver your message."
As Ah Xia left, Qin Sisi followed him out to inquire about his reasons for agreeing to Jiu Ge becoming clan leader.
Ah Xia’s emotions stirred upon seeing Qin Sisi, but he quickly suppressed them forcefully. He replied respectfully, "Master Fairy, it’s like this: my cousin said my magic power is too weak. If I were to become clan leader, the others might outwardly accept but secretly resist. If he stood up for me as an elder, short-term problems might be resolved, but over time, my prestige would only be undermined. People would only recognize Jiu Ge as the elder but forget Xia Long as the clan leader."
Qin Sisi listened silently and had to admit that Jiu Ge’s argument made sense. A lack of matching ability indeed leads to misaligned qualifications.
Ah Xia continued, "Cousin said he would assume the role of clan leader for now, giving me more time to practice. Once I reach the Magic God level, he’ll hand over the clan leader position to me."
Qin Sisi looked at Ah Xia and asked, "Do you trust him?"
Ah Xia paused for a moment before responding, "Half-trust, half-doubt. That’s why I issued those three conditions. If he can fulfill them, it wouldn’t matter if he remains clan leader."
A smile appeared on Qin Sisi’s face. It was clear that Ah Xia wasn’t entirely naïve or blindly passive. Like his mother Liang Han, his temperament was calm and indifferent, with little desire for power.
Ah Xia resembled his mother Liang Han far more than he resembled his mother Mei Ji.
Even if Jiu Ge’s abilities and strength matched the requirements for clan leadership, Qin Sisi still hoped he would honor his promises and relinquish the position when Ah Xia grew strong enough.
