Xie Shuangxue’s disheveled appearance instantly drew everyone’s attention. Yun Pannan’s heart tightened, and he felt a bit panicked. He couldn’t care about anything else at that moment.

When Xie Shuangxue was previously attacked, Yun Pannan knew about it, and the entire Feather Clan’s base went on lockdown because of him. Now, if anything were to happen to him here, there’d be a hard time explaining it to the others.

“Shuangxue!” Yun Jia hurried over to support him. “What happened? Didn’t you have people following you?”

The group assigned to protect him had been intentionally shaken off by Xie Shuangxue as soon as they entered the forest. He shook his head, slowly walked forward to reassure them, and said, “Don’t worry, I’m not hurt.”

When that young Demon Clan child attacked, Xie Shuangxue dodged quickly and wasn’t injured at all. Only his sleeve had been cut by the sharp stone in the child’s hand, which he now conveniently used as evidence.

“Bai Ying was mischievous and flew off to play as soon as we came in, and no one was around me. When I wandered into the thicket, I accidentally ran into an ambush set by that Demon Clan kid. I suppose you were chasing him too? Who would’ve thought he’d hold such a grudge?” Xie Shuangxue explained, “I let out a startled yell, and Yun Mu must have happened to hear it. This threw her aim off, and Yun Qiang intended to shoot that venomous snake but accidentally hit Yun Mu instead because of the sudden commotion.”

“So, in a way, this was all my fault.”

Yun Mu hadn’t heard any scream and was about to object, but Xie Shuangxue had already picked up the snake Yun Qiang had shot, quickly continuing with his story, his expression filled with sincerity. “I’m sorry, Yun Mu. I didn’t mean to scare you. I never thought it would turn out like this.”

“But I also owe you a big thanks. If you hadn’t called out, the Demon kid would’ve run away in fear immediately. I’m not good at direct confrontation, and I was already startled, so fighting that Demon kid would have been unpredictable. If I’d really gotten hurt, my senior brother would’ve been furious again. Thank you so much for saving me.”

Xie Shuangxue stepped forward and grasped his hand, saying, “You saved me. If my senior brother knew, he’d thank you as well.”

After saying this, he seemed a bit uneasy. “Yun Mu, you’re not mad at me, are you? I really didn’t do it on purpose.”

With things said this way, what could Yun Mu even say? He opened his mouth but couldn’t deny it.

Would he claim it wasn’t like that and that he hadn’t helped Xie Shuangxue at all, so the Feather Clan didn’t need to thank him?

Yun Jia reacted quickly, no longer fixating on this incident. After ensuring Xie Shuangxue was truly unharmed, he finally sighed in relief and said, “As long as you’re alright. Don’t overthink; Yun Mu wouldn’t be mad at you. Where did that Demon kid go? I’ll go chop off his head for you.”

They’d indeed been tracking their prey, but this distraction had thrown the hounds off track. Even though this forest was vast, the Demon kids were weak and defenseless. They’d been hunting for a while, yet only caught a deer and a few rabbits. Finally finding traces of a Demon only to lose him was frustrating.

“He ran that way,” Xie Shuangxue pointed in the opposite direction and then suggested, “I haven’t caught anything either; seems like luck’s not on my side today. Why don’t we go back and tend to Yun Mu’s wound? I also want to change clothes. Demon blood is sticky and has a nasty smell.”

He sniffed himself with a look of disdain. “Let’s consider it a break. We can resume hunting once we’ve refreshed ourselves.”

Clearing up the scene a bit was only reasonable, and Yun Pannan naturally didn’t object. With the leaders momentarily away, Ling Xuan’s side had more time to rescue people. They were distracted and hadn’t noticed anything unusual in the hunting ground.

Xie Shuangxue returned to his original spot and slowly changed into a fresh outfit. Upon stepping out of his tent, he saw Yun Qiang waiting there.

Yun Qiang scrutinized him for a long time, but since Xie Shuangxue had helped her twice, she spoke up and thanked him first. “Thank you for helping me.”

But then her tone shifted, and she said bluntly, “But the person you’re looking for in the Yun family—I really can’t help you with that.”

“I know! It’s not like I’m desperate to find him.” Xie Shuangxue responded, “Sister, do you think I helped you for that reason?”

Yun Qiang fell silent.

“If I wanted anything, I’d go directly to Steward Yun. Why would I bother you? Sister, you really don’t need to feel burdened.”

His words were half-truths. Xie Shuangxue certainly had his reasons for approaching Yun Qiang, but even without them, he wouldn’t ignore someone in need. Even a schemer has their own principles; he didn’t engage in outright bullying. Besides, he could see Yun Qiang’s honesty—she’d endured much within the Yun family over the years. This was just lending a hand to someone in need.

Upon hearing this, Yun Qiang seemed visibly relieved.

She went to check on him and confirmed he wasn’t hurt, though Yun Mu’s wound was more severe. The arrow had grazed his arm, and the pain was intense during treatment.

However, he couldn’t show anger toward Xie Shuangxue, and there was no reason to take it out on Yun Qiang either. Frustrated, he could only bear it silently.

When the Yun family re-entered the hunting ground and found that the Demon kids had truly vanished, it was already too late.

Yun Pannan was outside, furious, shouting for people to “find them immediately.” The roar echoed from where they stood.

No one noticed the little sparrow-sized Bai Ying, which flew back to Xie Shuangxue’s shoulder, chirping near his ear. Xie Shuangxue understood this signal, likely meaning Ling Xuan had succeeded.

Feeling reassured, Xie Shuangxue simply enjoyed himself.

Yun Qiang seemed to have genuinely lowered her guard around him. She was roasting a rabbit for him, paying no mind to the commotion outside, merely rubbing her temples in annoyance.

She focused entirely on roasting the rabbit. Once it was ready, she carved a slice for Xie Shuangxue and gestured for him to try.

Xie Shuangxue took a bite and immediately praised her, “Delicious! I never thought you’d be kind enough to roast meat for me.”

“Consider it a thank-you,” Yun Qiang replied, glancing at him. “Why? I don’t seem like a particularly precious person?”

Xie Shuangxue chuckled, “Not at all. I just remember Yun Mu mentioning that you were busy with business.”

“Just some Yun family enterprises, like auction houses. It’s because of these that Yun Jia and the others won’t leave me alone; it’s a mess.” Yun Qiang explained, feeling it wasn’t a secret worth hiding from Xie Shuangxue. “I don’t like owing favors. If you need anything, just let me know.”

Xie Shuangxue shook his head, “I don’t need anything. Actually, with that previous incident involving the assassin, my senior brother’s been watching me closely. I came to this banquet partly to get some fresh air. If you really want to repay me, just visit me sometime. I can be useful—if I’m around, Yun Jia and the others wouldn’t dare to bully you like this.”

His voice was gentle, and sitting beside the fire with a cloak draped over him, he seemed even softer and more persuasive.

In this short time, he had already helped Yun Qiang out twice.

“Alright,” Yun Qiang agreed with a smile. “If your senior brother allows, I’ll take you to the auction house. It’s much safer there, and you won’t get into trouble. If you like anything, as long as it’s not the headlining items, feel free to take it.”

Xie Shuangxue smiled, “Thank you, sister.”

Though only the two of them were in the room, and their conversation seemed private, this was still a game.

A camera was set up on the room’s window—a trick learned from Qiao Zhihui. The one operating it was a dancer who’d sneaked in with great effort. She crouched there, watching the live chat.

“Whoa, my boy’s amazing! He got it done just like that?”

“I thought we’d have to wait a while for the auction storyline, but at this rate, it’s coming up soon! Can’t chat, I’m starting a stream too.”

Xie Shuangxue knew there were many players around, but he had his own matters to deal with and paid no mind. He hadn’t realized that, due to the recent newcomer support program by Lin Jiao Live, every move he made was being closely watched. The Yun family’s banquet and hunting event had been broadcasted in almost every detail.

Players were streaming different scenes, piecing them together into a complete storyline. Xie Shuangxue only discovered this when he returned to the Feather Clan’s base that night and checked the forum.

He hadn’t planned to log in to the forum, but for some reason, his notifications had blown up. Just when he thought he’d peaked with the hidden mission, a wave of likes and follows nearly overwhelmed him.

Where did all this love suddenly come from?

He opened the forum with a bit of confusion, only to find the mood completely different—an atmosphere of “hahaha” everywhere.

The top posts had titles like—

[Breaking News! Top 50 Berserker Performs Dance in the City Lord’s Mansion, Mesmerizes Everyone with His Moves!]

[He’s Been Lurking in the Trees for Years: An Inside Look at the Growth of a Gods and Demons Special Forces Agent.]

[Some Insights on Cosplaying as a Mansion Attendant—Humbly Speaking, Even an Actor Can’t Compare.]

Amid these strange posts, Xie Shuangxue’s dedicated fan thread was pinned at the top, buzzing with activity.

Upon clicking in, it was yet another day filled with motherly adoration.

“My darling Shuangxue is so kind-hearted! He’s the sweetest, most helpful baby in all of Gods and Demons!”

“Sniff, sniff. My boy is so compassionate. Even though the Demon Clan caused Penglai to fall, he doesn’t hold it against their kids and even tries to save them.”

“Did I miss something? Who’s he coordinating with on the outside?”

“Replying upstairs—Ling Xuan’s back. He went undercover for a while, which triggered this storyline. Bai Qiuyan also got the message and joined. Word has it that Shuangxue gave him a heads-up. There’s a clip on White Wall if you want to watch.”

“He’s not just putting on a show; he’s genuinely thoughtful.”

This much was true.

After learning about Ling Xuan’s mission, Xie Shuangxue immediately found trustworthy players. With Ling Xuan alone on the inside, he couldn’t risk it. When Bai Qiuyan arrived to collect the token, Xie Shuangxue reminded him to stay on guard.

No wonder his popularity spiked.

Xie Shuangxue scrolled through the forum and understood quickly. Lin Jiao’s reward was quite generous, and many players were aiming for it, doing streams in all kinds of creative ways. The humorous content was spreading beyond the Gods and Demons community and reaching a wider audience.

Not only did Xie Shuangxue and the new streamers gain substantial popularity, but the collaboration between Lin Jiao Live and the game department had also hit it big.

The following day, Gou Yuan and Wu Xiang, brimming with confidence, reported the results to their President, Yu Haiqing, who looked unusually sleep-deprived, possibly from working late.

After the report, Yu Haiqing simply nodded, as if he’d expected it. His gaze fell on the Xie Shuangxue koi doll on his desk.

It was a chibi version of Xie Shuangxue, round-faced and wide-eyed, holding a pile of coins with a fish tail below—a limited-edition Shuangxue Koi.

Next to it was a more formal figure model, depicting Xie Shuangxue riding the Bai Ying. Advanced tech allowed him to hover in mid-air within a glass case, with pink flower petals drifting by. Xie Shuangxue could even blink, perfectly recreating a classic scene.

There were also stickers, keychains, and other merchandise—a dozen items in total. Just buying the whole set would cost a lot, not to mention the inflated prices for limited editions. Even non-fans could make a huge profit selling it.

Gou Yuan quickly explained, “These are the prizes we set; they’re popular among players.”

Having followed Yu Haiqing for years, Gou Yuan could guess his thoughts. “I’ll send a set to the President’s office…no, two sets, for record-keeping.”

Though this wasn’t exactly archival material, Yu Haiqing’s expression softened slightly.

Just then, notifications dinged repeatedly, presumably from a group chat. Yu Haiqing didn’t check it until the meeting ended. Gou Yuan noticed his President’s face undergo a peculiar change.

The link came from someone strange who had messaged him earlier. Yu Haiqing initially didn’t want to join, but he eventually clicked.

Messages flooded in, with everyone seemingly excited.

“Snow is so good at reeling people in; he’s irresistible to both genders!”

“Yun Qiang was so wary before, but now she’s inviting him to the auction! I was worried about setting traps for this, but it turns out our little fox had it under control!”

“I highly recommend watching the recorded stream. I felt like Shuangxue looked directly at me. I didn’t want to fall, but he called me ‘sister’!”

The group had grown from hundreds to thousands in no time, and this was only one of many groups.

As Yu Haiqing watched, an inexplicable feeling of frustration brewed.

Xie Shuangxue was out charming people again, wasn’t he? And he needed help from players, yet he didn’t even consider using his token and went straight to Bai Qiuyan?

In theory, he shouldn’t be upset—he had no reason to feel frustrated. Xie Shuangxue had always been unconventional, but emotions aren’t easily controlled, not even for Yu Haiqing.

Xie Shuangxue soon saw him in-game and immediately sensed something was off.

“What’s wrong?” Xie Shuangxue blinked, moving closer. “You seem a bit upset.”

Yu Haiqing stared at him for a while before speaking, “Did you really give that token to Bai Qiuyan?”

“Oh, that? I needed manpower, and many people listened to him, so naturally, I approached him,” Xie Shuangxue explained quickly. “Yesterday was exhausting, thanks to his help.”

“But after finishing up, I came to find you, didn’t I?”

“You’re different from everyone else, after all.”