I'm in Mota, and they all want me to confess my feelings!

"Hurry up? That's practically a provocation. Second Miss, it seems I really need to keep a closer eye on you!"

Volume 1: Chapter 172 Phoebe Also Has Erotic Dreams

When Phoebe woke up, she felt weak and limp, as if she were still floating in the dream from last night.

—That dream about Mr. Duanmu.

In my dream, I was with Mr. Duanmu...

"Well--!"

She grabbed a pillow and buried her face in it, as if that would squeeze those erotic images out of her mind.

Dreams should be like morning mist, dissipating as soon as the sun shines on them.

But this time is different.

Those images were too clear; every detail stubbornly remained in my memory, impossible to erase.

"What's wrong with me……"

How could I have such a shameless dream?

Lord God, please forgive me.

Today is Phoebe's day off.

—Of course, priests also have days off.

Although it's a day off, the religious order's uniform still needs to be worn properly; it's just that there's no need to work.

She would often go to the waterside to secretly keep her companions company.

Today, the girl has the same plan.

She buried her face in the pillow, but the dreams she tried to forget lingered in her mind, no matter how hard she tried to get rid of them.

This isn't the first time I've had this strange dream.

Ever since that day, when she mustered the greatest courage of her life to stand on tiptoe and kiss Duanmu Yan's lips, she has been as if her soul had been taken away, and she always seems absent-minded.

Even her fellow members of the religious order noticed her unusual behavior and asked her several times if she was feeling unwell.

Phoebe could only shake her head hastily and brush it off with a smile.

—Of course she wasn't uncomfortable.

After all, how can those unspoken girlish thoughts be exposed to others?

Even though she was a priest, she still harbored a small world that belonged only to herself.

I really want to see him.

The sound lingered in the girl's ears.

But she can't do that.

Or……

It's because they don't dare to do it.

Phoebe didn't know how she should face Duanmu Yan.

She didn't know where she got the courage that day—she was just momentarily blinded by greed, and without considering the consequences, she simply did it without thinking.

In the end, she even had some regrets.

Because once that step was taken, it meant that he could no longer interact with Duanmu Yan as a friend as usual.

What identity should I use...?

Phoebe didn't know.

"In short, let's cheer up today."

Phoebe took a deep breath, patted her cheeks to shake off the morning drowsiness, and prepared to welcome a brand new day.

After washing up, she changed into her monastic robes and prepared to head to the shores of Fufeng to meet her fellow members of the Void Order.

On the way, she passed by her usual bakery, paused for a moment, and chose her favorite cream bread for breakfast.

"Could I have some cream bread, please?"

She gently placed a few shell coins on the counter and was about to turn and leave when a familiar voice came from behind her, making her body tremble slightly.

"Phoebe?"

The voice was like a gentle breeze, stirring her heartstrings.

She turned around abruptly like a startled deer, her gaze meeting that of Duanmu Yan, who had somehow appeared behind her.

"Mr. Duanmu?!"

Duanmu Yan walked slowly closer, a familiar smile playing on his lips: "Are you buying breakfast?"

"Ah? Um, yes, yes..." The girl lowered her head in a fluster, unsure where to look. "Um, if there's nothing else, I... I'll take my leave now."

An indescribable emotion throbbed in her chest, like a fawn trapped in the forest, restlessly pounding against her heart.

She then realized how contradictory she was—she looked forward to this unexpected encounter every day, but when it actually happened, her first thought was to run away.

"Wait a minute, Phoebe."

Just as she turned to run away, Duanmu Yan gently grasped her wrist.

The touch was so light, yet it made her unable to move an inch.

"Why have you been avoiding me these past few days? And you haven't been replying to my messages."

"No, no, that's not true." Her voice trailed off. "It's just that I've been too busy with work lately..."

That's what she said, but the panic in her words clearly betrayed her true feelings.

Duanmu Yan said to her leisurely, "Phoebe, priests can't lie. The Lord is watching you."

"This, I..." The girl's body trembled slightly, then she lowered her head and murmured softly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Duanmu."

Looking at the girl's pitiful appearance, Duanmu Yan could only smile helplessly.

He knew that Phoebe's expression was probably because of that kiss earlier.

It's strange that a girl with a generally gentle and sweet personality would do something so bold.

But that's understandable. Humans are, after all, creatures driven by emotions, aren't they?

There are always moments when the stirrings of the heart can breach the dam of reason, leading one to do things that even surprise oneself.

But when the tide recedes, all that's left is a bewildered version of yourself.

At that moment, Phoebe was standing in the middle of the tide.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I……"

Phoebe stood there, stammering like a child who had done something wrong, unable to utter a complete sentence.

Duanmu Yan looked at her like this, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes.

He knew her personality all too well—the more he pressed her for answers, the easier it was for her to retreat into her shell.

Some hearts require patience and gentleness to open.

What he needs right now is to proceed step by step.

So he stopped asking about that night and simply softened his tone.

"Alright, don't overthink it." He naturally changed the subject, his voice as usual, "Where are you planning to go today?"

Phoebe finally raised her eyes timidly: "Today is my day off. I plan to go to the Windswept Riverside to see Banbu and the others."

“Oh, it’s those little guys.” Duanmu Yan stared at the street to the side, then asked, “Shall we go together? Perfect timing, Abu has been complaining that no one plays with him. If we go over there, he’ll have some playmates.”

"Hey, is Mr. Duanmu coming along too?" Phoebe's cheeks flushed again, her voice filled with barely concealed excitement.

Duanmu Yan tilted his head and looked at her: "What, aren't you welcoming me?"

"No...nothing like that!" She hurriedly waved her hands, "It's just...it was a bit of an accident..."

"What's so surprising about that?" Duanmu Yan smiled. "Actually, I'm very happy when I'm with Phoebe."

"Well--"

The girl's pupils trembled slightly, as if those words had struck the softest spot in her heart.

Her little face also flushed instantly, turning from a rosy pink to a deep, intoxicated red, like a steam girl with a puff of steam rising from her head.

"Well... alright then. Mr. Duanmu, come with me..."

Volume 1: Chapter 173 I Like You

The morning light was just right, bathing the gentle breeze and the waterside path in a warm golden hue.

The tips of the grass blades by the roadside were still covered with dewdrops, which glistened in the sunlight.

Phoebe and Duanmu Yan walked side by side on the narrow dirt road.

The girl could clearly feel his warm breath coming from beside her, which made her walk more carefully, afraid that she might accidentally cross the invisible boundary that she had been measuring repeatedly in her heart.

Several times, her delicate syllables almost broke free from the confines of her throat.

She wanted to say how nice the weather was, how beautiful the scenery was by the water, and anything that could break the silence.

But whenever the words were about to come out, and she caught a glimpse of his profile, softened by the sunlight, the little bit of courage she had managed to muster would vanish into thin air like a soap bubble being punctured by a needle.

The sunlight stretched their shadows, which were cast side by side, onto the path.

Phoebe secretly watched the two shadows on the ground that sometimes separated and sometimes briefly overlapped due to their intersecting footsteps, and a subtle, secret joy welled up in her heart.

She had walked this road leading to the Fufeng Riverside countless times, but never before had she wished it could be longer, much longer, as she did today.

"If only we could hold hands, hehe."

But the next second, Phoebe seemed to be burned by her own thoughts, gently shaking her head and throwing away that wishful thinking.

No, no, she told herself quietly. Mr. Duanmu's willingness to stay by my side like this is already something to be secretly happy about all day; how could I... how could I be so greedy as to want more?

She had already experienced the consequences of pushing her luck.

Last time, wasn't it because I couldn't control the little deer in my heart that I recklessly stood on tiptoe, and then... and then I fell into regret?

The feeling that lingered afterward was less about regret and more about...

A sweet yet awkward sense of bewilderment.

She simply hasn't found the right way to express her overly tumultuous feelings.

"Phoebe."

Duanmu Yan's sudden call startled the girl, who was lost in her own world. She hurriedly looked up, and the panic in her eyes, which she hadn't been able to hide, was exposed in the sunlight.

"W-What's wrong, Mr. Duanmu?"

Duanmu Yan looked at the still flustered girl, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, but he didn't press for details. Instead, he asked gently, "Where do Banbu and the others usually wait?"

“Oh, this…” Phoebe’s thoughts seemed to be gently pulled back to reality. She raised her hand and pointed ahead, looking along the winding path. After thinking for a moment, she said, “Just keep going past that little hill and you’ll get there. They usually like to rest under that biggest tree.”

"It shouldn't be far then, let's go."

"Ah."

Phoebe nodded obediently, trying to appear calm and composed.

However, the moment she took a step, her mind seemed to still be entangled in those chaotic thoughts.

Without warning, my toes were tripped by a stone hidden in the path, and I instantly lost my balance.

"ah--!"

A short, startled cry escaped.

In the midst of the dizzying spin, instead of falling forward, she was propelled by inertia and uncontrollably stumbled straight towards Duanmu Yan beside her.

The next second, the world's clamor seemed to suddenly come to a standstill.

Her cheek slammed into a warm and firm chest, and a light, pleasant scent instantly enveloped her.

She could even clearly feel the warmth emanating from beneath the fabric, and the steady heartbeat, which was pounding in her ears through the thin clothing, intertwining with her own heart pounding wildly like a drum, creating a chaotic rhythm.