Xiao Xun'er's eyes sparkled; she felt that this version of Brother Xiao Bai was even more domineering than before.
"This kid has a bit of a demonic aura..."
Ling Ying watched with a twitching eye. He had seen plenty of killings—if Xiao Bai had simply killed the man outright, he wouldn't have batted an eye. But this gentle and methodical approach was something he had never witnessed.
Seeing the young man lift his foot and place it on his other leg, Jia Lie Nuo immediately swallowed his screams and, choking on his own sobs, pleaded urgently:
"Xiao Bai—no, Master Xiao! Spare me! As long as you let me go, I can give you anything! Anything the Jia Lie Clan has, I can get for you!"
"Alright!" Xiao Bai nodded with a bright smile.
Jia Lie Nuo suppressed his pain, a glimmer of hope rising in his heart. But just as the corners of his lips were about to lift—
"Crack!"
"Aaaah!"
Another bloodcurdling scream rang out.
"You... You said... You promised..."
Jia Lie Nuo gritted his teeth, his voice breaking with anger and disbelief.
"That's right, I did promise. I, Xiao Bai, am a man of my word—I always keep my promises."
Xiao Bai nodded, and as if sensing Jia Lie Nuo's confusion, he gently explained with a considerate tone:
"But what I wanted... was your legs. How touching, right? You didn't even have to move—I took them myself!"
"Touching my ass! You sick bastard!"
Jia Lie Nuo's eyes were full of hatred, yet deep down, he was drowning in regret—regret that he had ever provoked this lunatic in the first place.
Seeing Xiao Bai's gaze shift toward his arms, Jia Lie Nuo was thrown into a panic.
"Master Xiao, please—no! Just don't break my arms! From now on, I'll listen to you! If you tell me to go east, I won't dare go west! If you tell me to catch a dog, I won't chase a chicken! If you don't want to see me, I'll disappear! Just please, let me go! Please!"
Tears streamed down his face as he begged, his voice trembling.
Xiao Bai shook his head.
"I like your words, but your eyes... I don't like them at all. So, what do we do about that?"
"N-No, Master Xiao, you've misunderstood! From now on, whatever kind of gaze you want, that's exactly what I'll have! No hesitation!"
Xiao Bai's lips curled into a satisfied smile as he gazed kindly at Jia Lie Nuo.
"Good! What a good boy! Remember your words today—they might just save your life!"
With that, he turned toward Xiao Xun'er and extended his hand.
"Come on, let's go home."
Xiao Xun'er beamed with joy, skipping lightly toward him, placing her jade-like hand in his without hesitation, letting him lead her away like an obedient child.
As they passed Wang Enforcer, Xiao Bai cast him a glance, making Wang's expression change drastically. After witnessing the earlier scene, he now held nothing but deep fear and reverence for the boy.
"Y-Young Master Xiao, what do you want?"
"Relax, I don't kill people. I just wanted to tell you—when you carry your young master home, be sure to send my regards to the Jia Lie Clan's patriarch!"
Wang Enforcer looked at the fifteen-year-old youth before him, completely speechless. You're trying to drive their patriarch mad, aren't you? But in the end, he could only nod.
"Master Xiao Bai's words—I will deliver them."
Xiao Bai nodded, and as he walked through the crowd, the gathered spectators instinctively moved aside, making way for him. None dared to meet his gaze, afraid that he might gently speak to them as well.
"Xun'er, look at their eyes—don't they seem to be looking at a great villain?"
Xiao Bai chuckled as he glanced at the crowd, then turned to ask Xiao Xun'er.
"If Brother Xiao Bai is a great villain, then Xun'er will be a little villain. How about that?"
Xun'er's eyes curved into crescents as she playfully swayed their interlocked hands.
"Ha... You little troublemaker, always learning the bad things!"
Xiao Bai couldn't help but reach out and flick her delicate nose.
"Hmph! Whatever Brother Xiao Bai does is the best!"
The girl pouted slightly, but a hint of shy delight flickered in her gaze at his affectionate gesture.
As they walked along, chatting and laughing, passersby couldn't help but notice the striking contrast between the two. One looked like a wealthy young lady, while the other was dressed in ragged clothes. Their intimate gestures and warm conversation left some wondering—were rich young ladies really playing around like this these days?
But upon closer inspection, the raggedly dressed boy had a handsome face, with a hint of dignity between his brows. Two cloth strips from the forehead band in his black hair fluttered in the wind, giving him a natural charm. Seeing this, the onlookers nodded knowingly—yes, this was still a world where looks mattered.
Xiao Bai's gaze fell on a clean stall by the roadside displaying various colorful bracelets.
He walked over, scanning the selection, when a light green bracelet caught his attention.
Picking it up for a closer look, he noted that the material was ordinary, with some ice silver added, giving it a cool touch—perfect for summer wear. Though the materials were simple, the craftsmanship was fine, making it look elegant and delicate.
"How much for this bracelet?" Xiao Bai asked.
"You have a good eye, young master! This bracelet may not be made of precious materials, but with the addition of ice silver, it's very comfortable to wear in summer. It's just 200 gold coins," the female shopkeeper said enthusiastically.
Xiao Bai felt like he was being overcharged, but since it was a gift for Xun'er, he couldn't be bothered to haggle. He took out 200 gold coins and handed them over.
Xiao Xun'er watched quietly from the side, her eyes shining with anticipation.
Seeing her expression, Xiao Bai spoke softly, "Give me your hand."
Xiao Xun'er obediently extended her right hand. Xiao Bai fastened the bracelet around her snow-white wrist and examined it for a moment.
Hmm, not bad.
"The bracelet is a bit cheap. Your Xiao Bai-gege doesn't have much money right now. I can't compare to you, little rich lady—hope you don't mind." He patted her head gently.
Xiao Xun'er stared at him in a daze, then reached out to gently caress his chiseled face, shaking her head.
"Xiao Bai-gege, it's not cheap at all. To me, nothing in this world is more precious than this bracelet—because it's the first gift you've ever given me."
Her gaze was soft, her crescent-shaped eyes filled with joy as she admired the bracelet on her wrist as if it were a priceless treasure.
Watching her delight, Xiao Bai suddenly felt as if he had overlooked something important.
Ever since this girl started calling him 'Xiao Bai-gege,' he had taken her quiet devotion for granted. She had never asked him for anything, never complained about anything.
He had always thought he treated her well, but compared to everything Xun'er had done for him, what did his kindness even amount to?
A simple, inexpensive bracelet—was that really enough to make her so happy? It was because he was the one who gave it to her.
"Even if it were just an ordinary stone, as long as it was from me, this girl would treasure it with all her heart."
A pang of guilt and heartache filled him.
After all, with Xun'er's identity as the daughter of the Ancient Gu Clan, she had seen all the rare treasures in the world. A mere bracelet like this—something she might not even glance at under normal circumstances—had made her grin like a fool.
Had he ever truly considered Xun'er's real feelings?
All this time, he had treated her like an NPC, focusing only on increasing her affection points.
No… since coming to this world, he had treated everyone like NPCs.
But this… was not a game.