Chapter 154 In for a Penny, in for a Pound

Wang Ke felt as though a sudden weight had lifted from her chest.

That was right. She could just follow them and leave. As for Chencheng, let whatever happens happen.

Once she was gone, the Women’s Corps would disband. For the sake of the entire city, Xie Feng wouldn’t do anything too harsh to the girls she left behind.

Bai Xing seemed entirely unprepared for such a statement.

To willingly abandon being the leader of a faction numbering in the thousands just to tag along with them?

Besides, her Tier 3 strength was a bit too underwhelming.

When Xiao Qiang had sought to join them, he was already on the verge of advancing to Tier 4, and even then, Brother Fang hadn't agreed right away—it was only after witnessing his specific skill that he finally said yes.

So, would Brother Fang accept Wang Ke?

Bai Xing scrutinized Wang Ke closely.

That delicate, alluring face, paired with an astonishingly curvaceous figure... it actually seemed quite possible.

Now it was Bai Xing’s turn to feel conflicted.

Her earlier intervention had been purely out of a distaste for Xie Feng and a natural inclination to protect one of her own gender.

Yet, if she really allowed this woman to tag along, would she be inadvertently introducing a rival in love into her own life?

What a wretched predicament.

Fang Xia slept soundly until ten in the morning.

When he emerged, only Bai Xing was in the living room, lying on her side on the sofa and reading a comic book.

"Brother Fang, um... Wang Ke says she wants to join us."

Seeing Fang Xia come out, Bai Xing dutifully passed along Wang Ke's message.

As for what decision to make, that was entirely Fang Xia's business.

In any case, she couldn't control him.

"Join us? This woman is quite clever, isn't she?"

Fang Xia retrieved a bottle of yogurt from his spatial storage. Having skipped breakfast, he decided to drink some yogurt to line his stomach.

"Drinking milk on an empty stomach isn't good for you."

Bai Xing glanced at the yogurt in his hand and remarked.

"It's fine. This is yogurt, not milk."

Uh... that was an indisputably logical point, leaving her momentarily at a loss for how to retort.

"Did you agree to let her join?"

The conversation inevitably drifted back to Wang Ke.

Bai Xing shook her head.

Recruiting members wasn't her responsibility, and she certainly wouldn't have agreed.

"Being pretty is useless; we aren't short of decorative vases, and she's simply too weak."

Fang Xia stated it bluntly.

Tier 3 was indeed a bit subpar.

Not only was she weak, but she also happened to look that stunning—where on earth would they even put someone like that if they brought her along?

To avoid getting entangled in such complicated circumstances, Fang Xia opted for the most straightforward approach: solving the problem at the root.

As long as he refused to take her in, wouldn't all such troubles simply cease to exist?

As for what would happen after he left—whether she would willingly crawl into Xie Feng’s bed or choose shattered jade over unbroken tile—that was no longer any concern of Fang Xia's.

Beauties were in no short supply in his own household; he couldn't possibly feel the urge to collect every attractive woman he crossed paths with.

Just as Fang Xia finished speaking, the door to the adjacent room swung open abruptly. Wang Ke stormed out and directed a furious outburst at him.

"Who are you calling a decorative vase? I am a Tier 3 Fighter, at the very least! On what grounds do you call me weak?"

To think this woman had been eavesdropping right behind the door.

"Is being a Tier 3 Fighter supposed to be impressive? The three women downstairs are all Tier 3."

Fang Xia had no intention of coddling her; she needed to understand what a genuine disparity looked like.

Those three women were all Tier 3?

Wang Ke was momentarily speechless.

So, in these people's eyes, she really was nothing more than a clown.

Yet, a sudden recollection struck her: the other two companions were men, and they weren't Tier 3—they were merely Tier 2.

"Men are acceptable at Tier 2, but women have to start at Tier 3. You merely scrape past the minimum entry requirement."

As if reading her thoughts, Fang Xia voiced the words before she could even ask.

"I *am* Tier 3! Since I meet the standard, why won't you take me in?"

Wang Ke probably never imagined a day would come when she would practically beg a man to accept her.

"You're simply too good-looking. If your strength isn't sufficient, having looks like yours actually counts against you."

For a moment, Wang Ke didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

This was, in a roundabout way, an acknowledgement of her beauty, yet she was being rejected precisely because of it.

"I'm being serious. If you were a Tier 4, I'd consider it. Tier 3 is just far too ordinary."

Tier 4... if she were a Tier 4 Fighter, would she even need to run?

With that level of power, Xie Feng wouldn't dare step foot into her territory to cause trouble, even if he were given ten times his courage.

The matter concluded rather hastily, and in the end, Fang Xia did not give his consent.

To reiterate: if she were an ordinary Tier 3 Fighter, Fang Xia would have taken her along without a second thought. But she was currently the leader of a faction six thousand strong.

It carried risks, so he would pass.

At noon, the three of them made do with a casual, perfunctory meal.

As evening approached, the members of the team returned one after another.

Ouyang Ting and the two younger girls returned looking utterly dejected, the lackluster results written all over their faces.

Fang Xia had only given them a two-day window, and half of that time had already elapsed.

Trying to locate missing family members whose fates remained unknown among such a vast crowd was indeed a daunting task.

"Don't lose heart. You still have all of tomorrow."

During dinner, Fang Xia ended up being the one to comfort them.

"Look at it positively—having no news can also be considered good news, as it proves they might still be alive."

Wang Ke didn't put on any airs this time; she simply sat quietly by herself in the corner.

Up to this point, she still couldn't quite figure out the relationships among these individuals.

However, one thing was clear: Fang Xia was the undisputed leader of this group.

If she wanted to join them, it could only happen with his approval.

Yet Fang Xia had explicitly turned her down earlier in the day, leaving her entirely at a loss as to what to do next.

Night fell, passing no differently than the previous one.

However, neither Fang Xia nor Bai Xing engaged in any physical intimacy tonight; instead, they retired early to rest.

Wang Ke, lying awake in the adjacent room, suffered through another bout of insomnia.

At two in the morning, the entirety of Chencheng plunged into a deep silence.

On the second floor of the villa, a shadowy figure suddenly materialized in the living room.

The silhouette briefly assessed the layout and then resolutely pushed open one of the bedroom doors.

Inside the room.

Fang Xia was fast asleep, holding Bai Xing’s softly yielding form in his arms.

Suddenly, both of them snapped their eyes open simultaneously.

The next second, the shadowy figure crept up to the bedside, just as she was about to make a move.

With a swift rollover, Fang Xia effortlessly subdued the intruder.

Only, the tactile sensation beneath his hands felt somewhat peculiar.

"Ah!"

A sharp feminine shriek rang out.

Simultaneously, Bai Xing flicked on a bedside lamp.

A body capable of stirring a man's most primal instincts was illuminated in the sudden glare.

It was Wang Ke, but she was entirely devoid of clothing, standing stark naked right before Fang Xia's eyes.

Freed from the constraints of fabric, her flawless figure was exposed completely to Fang Xia's gaze.

The next instant, Bai Xing extinguished the lamp just as quickly.

She certainly wasn't going to let Fang Xia feast his eyes for free.

"Um... should we maybe put on some clothes before we talk?"

Fang Xia's tone carried a hint of awkwardness.

He hadn't expected her physique to be quite so breathtakingly voluptuous underneath.

The tactile feedback truly hadn't been bad at all.

"I won't! If I put clothes on, you'll just go back on your word, and then I'd be getting the short end of the stick!"

Since she had already been seen in her entirety and groped several times over, Wang Ke decided to abandon all inhibition, climbing directly onto Fang Xia's bed.