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

"Brother Yi, when are we going to officially announce it?"

Xu Yi froze for a full three seconds.

He took a deep breath and decided to switch into smooth-talking mode to quickly dodge the question.

He said in a serious tone, "Making an official announcement requires the right timing, location, and people. It's not time yet, so we can't rush it."

Bai Ling'er frowned. "What does 'favorable timing, advantageous location, and harmonious relationships' mean?"

Xu Yi got more and more into it: "Look, I haven't officially met your family yet, and you haven't officially met mine either. We definitely need to be fully prepared before we can make an official announcement."

Bai Ling'er thought about it seriously for two seconds.

"When will Brother Yi take Ling'er to meet your family? Is it possible during the holidays? I heard from Lin Xiao that the Mid-Autumn Festival is in two weeks. You Han people reunite with your families on this day, right?"

Xu Yi paused, realizing that his parents and even his older sister were unaware of the matter.

This matter cannot be rushed.

"I also need some time to prepare, Ling'er. Don't worry, it won't be long. I will give you an explanation."

Bai Ling'er stared intently, her gaze carrying a serious scrutiny, as if judging the truthfulness of the statement.

A few seconds passed, and she nodded.

"Alright, Ling'er will wait for Brother Yi."

"If Brother Yi dares to lie to me... even though Xiao Zi and the others have gone back, I can't bear to let Xiao Qing really bite Brother Yi."

"However, Ling'er has plenty of tricks up her sleeve."

After saying that, she smiled at Xu Yi.

Then she returned to normal and continued, "If Brother Yi is ready, you can just tell Ling'er. Ling'er is always here for you."

Xu Yi looked at Bai Ling'er. Had her yandere nature been triggered again?

Why does it feel like she's manipulating him, disciplining him, teaching him... using both kindness and severity?

Wait a minute, how could a grown man over 1.8 meters tall, a true 21st-century man, be so easily manipulated?

What a joke! If this continues, will Xu still have any standing in front of Bai Ling'er?

Wouldn't that make him henpecked? A man needs to stand up for himself!

He coughed lightly, sat up straight, and said, "I understand."

After a moment of silence, Bai Ling'er didn't press the matter. She seemed to be a little carsick and just leaned against the car window quietly.

She didn't know how much time had passed when Bai Ling'er lowered her head, took out her phone, and glanced at it.

The screen lit up, and she frowned as she looked at it.

Xu Yi, with his sharp eyes, noticed that her expression was a little ambiguous, and turned his head to ask, "What's wrong?"

Bai Ling'er put her phone away. "My third brother is coming."

"Third Brother?"

Xu Yi was taken aback. "Bai Que, that one..."

Bai Ling'er shook her head. "No, Bai Que is my eldest brother, Bai Lan is my second brother, whom you've met before. This time it's my third brother, Bai Ye."

Xu Yi thought of Bai Lan, that smiling fox.

Every time I open my mouth, people can tell I'm not quite there, but I exude an aura of complete control over everything, which sends chills down my spine.

"What's your third brother's temper like?" he asked tentatively.

Bai Ling'er thought for a moment.

"My eldest brother loves me, but he's also the strictest. My second brother is too cunning. My third brother has a similar temper to my eldest brother; neither of them are very good."

"But my third brother is the closest to me in age and we're also the best friends, but..."

Xu Yi was a little nervous. "But?"

Another one with a bad temper... Does he think that Bai Ling'er has been completely fooled by him?

"But he has a sharp tongue."

Xu Yi was taken aback. "Sharp-tongued?"

Bai Ling'er nodded, "It just means they speak very bluntly, even harshly, without holding back."

Xu Yi was unimpressed, silently commenting to himself, "I've seen this sharp-tongued trait before."

In games and online, which troll isn't venomous?

Having seen it all, what sharp tongue can be more venomous than those people's?

"Okay, I understand," he said calmly.

Seeing his indifferent expression, Bai Ling'er hesitated, then swallowed the rest of her words and simply hummed in agreement.

Meanwhile, at Shenyue Village.

As the eldest brother, Bai Que was in charge of handling most of the village affairs, especially with Bai Ling'er leaving without permission this time.

The original grand ceremony for the Holy Maiden had to be postponed, and the sacrifice to the ancestral god of Jiuli also had to be delayed.

I'm too busy to find the time right now.

Bai Lan is mainly responsible for connecting businesses in the area.

Bai Ye is young, so he doesn't get to do many things, which makes him quite free.

at this time.

In Baiye's room, a half-open backpack lay on the floor. He squatted beside it, stuffing things into it, with a blade of grass dangling from his mouth.

Footsteps sounded at the door, and Bai Lan came in, leaning against the door frame and looking down at him.

"Be careful when you go down the mountain this time."

Shirayuki didn't even look up. "What are you paying attention to?"

"Be careful not to hurt that person, or I won't let you off the hook."

Bai Ye paused in the act of stuffing something into his hand, looked up, and had a look of disbelief on his face.

"I don't believe it. My sister and I are the best of friends, why would she make a fuss over a man she's only known for a short time?"

Bai Lan didn't reply, she just looked at him.

Bai Ye threw his backpack on the ground, stood up, and turned the grass in his mouth around.

"I think Xu Yi is a fraud."

"They specifically prey on naive, inexperienced young girls."

He became more and more certain as he spoke, "With my little sister's personality, she's never been down the mountain, she doesn't understand anything, she believes whatever people say, isn't it obvious that she's easily deceived?"

Bai Lan picked up the teacup on the table and slowly took a sip.

"How can you be sure it wasn't the younger sister pestering him if you haven't seen it?"

Bai Ye said confidently, "How could that be? My little sister is so beautiful, sensible, and considerate. She even includes me when she plays games."

"It must have been Xu Yi who used sweet talk and flattery to lure the girl down the mountain. Just wait until I get down there, I'll teach him a lesson!"

He suddenly turned to look at Bai Lan.

"Second brother, you've seen him, what did you think?"

Bai Lan put down her teacup, thought for a moment, and said, "It's alright, mainly because my little sister likes it."

Bai Ye exploded, "What kind of older brother are you?! What kind of name is 'okay'?! 'Okay' means you dare mess with your little sister?!"

"You say she likes me? She's definitely been fooled by that scumbag!"

Bai Lan put the teacup down again, neither refuting nor agreeing, but simply watching him quietly.

"I'm just trying to be helpful. Your sister cares about him a lot. You can decide how to handle it yourself, but I suggest you observe first and then act rashly."

Bai Ye opened his mouth as if to say something, but footsteps came from the doorway, and Bai's mother walked in.

"Mom." Both sons looked over at the same time.

Bai's mother is not young, but her back is still straight.

When I came in, I casually kicked the things scattered on the floor aside and sat down in the chair.

"Your father and eldest brother went to take care of village affairs, so I came to check on you. Are you ready?"

"Soon," Shirono said, scratching his head.

"Mom, what did you come to tell me?"

Bai's mother glanced at him, didn't speak immediately, paused for a few seconds, and then said, "Your little sister has been stubborn since she was little..."

Shiro nodded, agreeing with this statement.

"It's stubbornness. I've been a stickler for principles since I was a child. Once I've made up my mind about something, nothing can change my mind."

Mother Bai waved her hand, "That's not what I meant."

"This time, your little sister's actions weren't accidental, nor was it just a casual outing. She never does anything lightly; every time she's stubborn, there's a reason behind it."

Baiye lowered his head and remained silent.

"She was chosen when she was three years old, as you all know," Mother Bai said calmly.

"Over the years, has she not been serious and dedicated to everything she's done? Learning Gu poison, Miao medicine, etiquette, and sacrificial rites—has she ever told me once that she didn't want to learn them?"

Shirano sighed, "...No."

"So this time, I didn't stop her from making this decision. Your older brother did stop her because he was concerned about the village, which is not wrong. But you, you have the best relationship with her. You went not to bring her back, but to go and see her."

Shirayuki paused for a moment, "What does Mother mean?"

"Go see that boy, see if he's worth your little sister's concern."

Bai Lan stood beside her, a slight smile playing on her lips, but remained silent.

Bai Ye remained silent for a while, then squatted down again to continue packing his luggage.

He still had the blade of grass in his mouth, but his movements were no longer as hurried as before.

"Okay, I'll go take a look."

"But Mom, I'm telling you, if this man really has any problems, I won't give him any face."

"I know, once you get there, talk less and look more. You have such a sharp tongue, so think before you speak."

Shirono: "...You really are my mother."