Oh no! My online romance partner is actually a Miao holy maiden!

Zhang Wei replied with an emoji that read, "Drooling (¯﹃¯), so envious I'm about to have my plasmolysis break."

Zhang Wei: Dude, stop reading fantasy novels. A saintess? If she's a saintess, then I'm the leader of the martial arts world. Take care of your kidneys tonight, and remember to lean against the wall to get back to school tomorrow. Bye!

Xu Yiren was stunned by the information in front of him.

Good luck with your kidneys!

If we don't come up with a solution soon, he and his kidneys will become food for these poisonous insects!

Xu Yi sent another message to Zhang Wei, asking for help!

Xu Yi: I'd like to invite you to dinner. Please also invite Liu Zheyun and Chen Yang.

Less than three seconds later, the screen lit up again.

Zhang Wei: Sure!

Xu Yi put down his phone and let out a breath.

At this moment, Bai Ling'er's soft voice sounded behind Xu Yi.

"Brother Yi, who are you chatting with? Is it a man or a woman?"

Xu Yi stiffly turned his head and saw that the small green snake was less than five centimeters away from his face.

At that moment, she tilted her head at him in a friendly manner, and it felt like she could lick his nose with her tongue.

"No, no one, just a brother."

Xu Yi didn't dare to move, forcing out a smile that looked worse than crying.

"Ling'er, you should put your little darlings away first. My floor... I just mopped it, and they might slip on it."

"Hehehe~ Brother Yi, you're so funny. Xiao Qing and the others won't slip. Look, they seem to like Brother Yi here too."

Bai Ling'er was amused by Xu Yi to the point of bursting into laughter.

However, she was obedient, gently gesturing with her fair little hand and uttering a series of rhythmic, obscure syllables.

Then, a miracle happened.

The centipede, the spider, and the snake named Xiaoqing were originally exploring the living room.

Like soldiers who had heard the bugle call to retreat, they instantly lined up obediently and filed back into their wicker baskets.

Bai Ling'er deftly covered the black cloth back up and clapped her hands.

Xu Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief, slid off the sofa, and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

This girl is truly a fairy.

But he's also a living Yama who can send him to his death at any time!

"Ling'er, did your family agree when you came out?" Xu Yi asked tentatively.

This little girl is so young and looks like this. She doesn't seem to understand the rules of the city. Are her parents really at ease letting her go on a long trip alone like this?

Bai Ling'er picked up her water cup and took a sip. "Hmm~ They didn't agree, so I ran away secretly... It's just that my mother and the elders have been forcing me to go into seclusion every day, saying that the Holy Maiden Ceremony is coming soon and that I should inherit the legacy of the Nine Li Ancestral God."

But it's so boring in the village! I heard there's lots of delicious food outside. Then I thought, "Brother Yi, you're out there too," so I secretly slipped out.

Upon hearing the words "Saintess Ceremony" and "Nine Li Ancestral God," Xu Yi's heart skipped a beat.

Is she really a holy woman from Miao territory?

I was just chatting idly with Zhang Wei, and it turned into something real!

"Then... now that you've run away, won't your mother and the others come looking for you?" Xu Yi swallowed.

"Yes, the brothers have probably already gone down the mountain."

Bai Ling'er sat on the sofa and swung her toes nonchalantly, the silver bells on her ankles making a crisp sound.

"But don't worry, Brother Yi, I left a mark along the way. The princes can find this place by following the scent."

Bai Ling'er chuckled. Now that she had escaped, she didn't want to be caught and taken back, so of course she was lying to Xu Yi.

However, looking at Xu Yi's appearance, she found it even more amusing.

Xu Yi: ? ? ?

Did they follow the smell here?

Is that a mark you left, or incense lit for the King of Hell to guide you?

The thought that in a few days a group of Miao men, each two meters tall, covered in mysterious tattoos, carrying Miao knives and laced with poisonous insect jars, might surround his apartment sent shivers down Xu Yi's spine.

"No, we absolutely cannot sit idly by and wait to die!"

Xu Yi gritted his teeth, looking at the simple-minded girl in front of him who knew nothing about modern cities.

She decided to resort to the tactics of a scumbag... no, a man's delaying tactic.

"Ling'er, look, modern society values ​​free love. Although we get along well online, we've only just met in person. How about this: I'll show you around big city life first, and once our relationship is more stable, we can discuss marriage. What do you think?"

Bai Ling'er blinked her big eyes, seemingly pondering Xu Yi's words seriously.

After a long while, she smiled sweetly and said, "Okay, I'll listen to my husband. My mother said there are many rules down in the mountains. As long as Brother Yi doesn't lie to me, Ling'er will agree to anything you ask."

"I'm not lying, I absolutely am not lying!" Xu Yi patted his chest loudly, but tears were streaming down his face inside.

How could he dare to lie? The price of deceiving the saintess would probably be dancing in her urn.

In order to keep this auntie who might lose her temper at any moment, Xu Yi decided to take her out for a nice meal.

"Come on, Ling'er, your brother Yi will take you to eat the most authentic Jiangcheng hot pot here! After we eat, I'll take you to buy some simple clothes."

"Hurrah!"

Bai Ling'er lifted Xiao Qing up, and Xiao Qing obediently coiled herself around her fair wrist, like a jade bracelet. If one ignored Xiao Qing's head...

"Let's go, Brother Yi."

The two went downstairs and arrived at a popular Sichuan-Chongqing hot pot restaurant near the university town.

Upon entering, Bai Ling'er's beauty instantly attracted the attention of most of the people present.

Many boys who were eating meat with gusto were so engrossed in watching that they didn't even notice the tripe had been overcooked.

Xu Yi, enduring countless envious and murderous gazes, found a seat by the window.

"Ling'er, see what you'd like to eat, order whatever you like." Xu Yi handed over the menu.

Bai Ling'er looked at the dishes on the menu with great curiosity, pointing to one of them and asking, "Brother Yi, what is this pig brain?"

"Uh, it's pig brain. You throw it into a spicy broth and cook it until it's done. It tastes like tofu, and it's pretty good."

"Wow, what about the tripe?"

Xu Yi patiently answered all the questions, and the tension in his heart finally eased a little.

It seems the saintess is also a girl, and she has no resistance to delicious food either.

The bottom of the pot was quickly filled, and the red oil was bubbling and steaming.

Xu Yi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, stood up and said, "Ling'er, I'm going to the restroom first. You wait for me here and don't wander off."

Bai Ling'er smiled sweetly, "Okay, Brother Yi."

Xu Yi quickly walked into the bathroom, washed her face with cold water in front of the mirror, and tried to calm her heart, which was about to explode with fear.

Finding a Miao holy maiden in real life after an online romance – who wouldn't be thrilled?

"Ding-dong."

Xu Yi's phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and saw that it was a WeChat message from his best friend Zhang Wei.

Zhang Wei: Where are we? We're at the food street in the university town. If we don't eat you out of house and home tonight, we'll be letting you down for all that bragging you did.

Xu Yi shook the water off his hands and returned the hand with one hand.

Xu Yi: Sichuan and Chongqing-style hot pot.

Zhang Wei: Alright, I'll be right there!

Xu Yi put away his phone and took a deep breath.

Although Bai Ling'er had acted quite docilely just now, the little darlings she brought still terrified him.

I called up a few close friends, partly for their courage and partly to ask them for help in finding a solution.

However, Xu Yi underestimated Zhang Wei's social skills and Bai Ling'er's coldness towards outsiders.

Inside the hot pot restaurant, the red oil was bubbling, and the rich aroma of spicy numbing flavor filled the air.

Zhang Wei, Liu Zheyun, and Chen Yang had just lifted the curtain and walked in.

Before he could even look for Xu Yi, Zhang Wei's titanium alloy eyes instantly locked onto Bai Ling'er.

There was nothing she could do but sit there, dressed in a magnificent blue gown and adorned with dazzling silver ornaments.

It was as if they had their own spotlight, a stark contrast to the other diners around them who were sweating profusely as they ate.

"Holy crap, a stunning Hanfu-clad girl? No, she's a Miao ethnic minority lady!"

Zhang Wei's eyes widened instantly, and he nudged Liu Zheyun behind him with his elbow. "Hey guys, did you see that? She's gorgeous! Absolutely a stunning beauty!"

"This aura is amazing! She's ten times prettier than our college's most beautiful girl!" Liu Zheyun and Chen Yang were also stunned.

Zhang Wei, who was usually a shameless coward in the dormitory, suddenly became energetic at this moment.

He patted his belly with a self-satisfied air and leaned closer with a grin.

"Hey, Fatty Wei, don't be reckless. She's sitting there all by herself, don't try to chat her up." Chen Yang tried to pull her back, but couldn't stop her.

"Hey beautiful, are you alone?"